Regular vs. specialist cleaning: the difference and when to use each

“Book a cleaning” sounds simple, until it turns out that one cleaning isn’t the same as another. Regular cleaning and specialist cleaning are different services with a different purpose, a different scope of work, different equipment and a different price. Mix them up, and you can either overpay for things you don’t need or be disappointed by the result.

This article explains the difference plainly: what regular cleaning is, what specialist cleaning is (including a deep clean), why they cost so differently, and when you need each — especially for an apartment you don’t use all the time.

Regular cleaning — what it is

Regular cleaning is about keeping the place clean. The cleaner comes and does the cleaning with your vacuum, your household products and your supplies — the standard set that any apartment has. We don’t bring anything with us except a person.

That’s exactly what keeps the price low: no professional equipment, no expensive products included in the cost.

Regular cleaning runs on a schedule or as a one-off. Each visit is relatively short, because the place is already in order — it just needs to be kept that way. The standard scope includes: dust from open surfaces, floors (vacuum + wash), bathroom, kitchen, mirrors, taking out the rubbish, door handles and light switches.

Specialist cleaning — what it is

Specialist cleaning is about resetting what’s accumulated, or tackling what regular cleaning can’t handle. The key difference: we bring professional equipment and specialist products for different surfaces. Hence a fundamentally different price.

Specialist cleaning covers what a regular visit doesn’t reach: washing windows from the inside (glass and frames), cleaning inside cupboards and appliances, treating tile grout, removing limescale, cleaning behind furniture, dusting light fixtures, radiators and ventilation grilles. It takes significantly longer.

Types of specialist cleaning:

• Deep clean — for places that haven’t had a thorough clean in a long time, or ahead of an important event
• Post-renovation — construction dust, paint marks, leftover building materials (a separate method)
• Between tenants — a deep turnover for short-term rentals
• Seasonal — windows and balconies once or twice a year

The key differences

The main point: regular cleaning assumes the place is already in good condition. If it’s neglected or you’re just starting out, you first need a specialist clean as a baseline, then regular cleaning to hold that condition.

Two formats of regular cleaning

Regular cleaning comes in two formats — and the price differs between them too:

On a subscription (minimum 3 months) — a fixed schedule: once a week, once every two weeks, or once a month. This is the lowest price per visit: we plan the schedule and optimise routes.

One-off — on request, with no further commitment. Slightly more than on a subscription: the difference offsets the lack of predictability.

When you need regular cleaning

• An apartment used constantly or rented out regularly.
• A place that’s already in order and just needs maintaining.
• A home that’s lived in, where you’d like to lift the day-to-day burden.
• Cleaning between guest stays in a short-term rental (similar in scope to regular cleaning, but tied to the booking schedule).

When you need specialist cleaning

• The place has stood a long time without a deep clean — an empty apartment, inherited property, after a long vacancy.
• Before move-in — your own, a tenant’s, guests’ — you need a flawless baseline.
• After winter or a season — spring opening of a coastal home, the off-season.
• Before a sale or viewings — the place needs to look perfect.
• As the start of regular cleaning — the first cleaning of a new property is almost always a specialist one, with regular scheduled cleaning afterwards.
• Periodically on top of regular cleaning — once a season, to reach what the regular schedule doesn’t cover.

How they work together

The right model isn’t “either/or” but a pairing. Specialist cleaning sets the standard, regular cleaning holds it, and periodically specialist cleaning is repeated to bring the standard back into place.

For a constantly used apartment: one specialist clean at the start, regular cleaning on a schedule afterwards, plus a specialist clean once a season.

For an apartment used now and then: a specialist clean before each of your arrivals; a light regular clean between arrivals — optional, to keep dust from building up.

For a short-term rental: regular cleaning between guests on the booking schedule, a specialist clean in the off-season.

For an empty apartment

In an empty apartment, grime from daily life doesn’t build up, but dust does. A light regular clean once every month or two is part of Property Care: the place doesn’t “go to seed” while you’re away. And a specialist clean is timed to events — your arrival, a tenant moving in, viewings.

How this works at DomCare

At DomCare Cleaning covers both regular cleaning (on a subscription or one-off) and specialist cleaning (deep clean, post-renovation, between tenants, seasonal). We help you choose the right format: for a new property we usually start with a specialist clean as a baseline, then move to regular cleaning suited to how you use the place. If you’re not in Slovenia, we arrange access and agree the schedule.

The easiest way to talk it through: write to us via the form or on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Why does specialist cleaning cost significantly more than regular cleaning? Because we bring professional equipment and specialist products. With regular cleaning the cleaner works with your own supplies and equipment — that’s the main reason for the price difference. On top of that, specialist cleaning covers a significantly larger scope of work.

How often do I need specialist cleaning if I do regular cleaning consistently? A good guide is once a season, that is, a few times a year. Specialist cleaning reaches what the regular format doesn’t cover: windows, the insides of cupboards, grout, hard-to-reach areas.

What should I book for an empty apartment? It depends on the goal. If the apartment is simply sitting empty, a light regular clean as part of Property Care is enough. Before your arrival or a move-in — a specialist clean.

Cleaning between guests in a rental — regular or specialist? In scope of work it’s close to regular cleaning, but it’s done within a tight window and tied strictly to the booking schedule. In the off-season a rental property benefits from a specialist clean.

Is specialist cleaning the same as post-renovation cleaning? No. Post-renovation cleaning is a separate type with its own method for handling construction dust. A specialist deep clean deals with accumulated everyday grime, not construction traces.

Regular cleaning keeps the place clean with your own supplies — low price, flexible format. Specialist cleaning resets what’s accumulated with professional equipment — higher price, needed when an event calls for it. Pairing the two formats is the right model for most properties. Once you understand the difference, you’ll book exactly what you need and won’t overpay for the rest.

Not sure what to choose for your apartment — write to us, and we’ll advise based on how you use the place.

Sources and further reading

• DomCare — Cleaning — regular and specialist, formats and prices
• DomCare — Property Care — cleaning as part of property care
• Post-renovation cleaning in Slovenia: what’s included and what to expect
• DomCare — About us — our experience cleaning apartments and houses