Difference Between Residential and Commercial Cleaning
By Space Coast Daily // May 15, 2024

Things can get a bit complicated when you are looking for a cleaning service, too many technicalities and varieties. Well, we are here to clear some of the confusion up! One of the most critical things you need to decide is whether you want to hire residential cleaners or commercial cleaners. Some companies, such as UpClean, work with a variety of clients ranging from homeowners to large businesses. Their services can be adjusted to suit different environments, whether it’s a private residence or a busy commercial space.
Of course both ensure a hygienic and clean environment for everyone involved so what is the difference between the two? How do you choose which one is right for you? The rest of this article will answer that for you!
What is commercial cleaning?
Commercial cleaning refers to cleaning done by professional cleaning services using a team of trained cleaners to clean commercial outlets.
These teams of experts are more likely to ensure the best hygienic conditions possible and meet any specialized criteria that might be necessary due to cases of extreme remediation.
A couple other things that should be mentioned is that commercial cleaners are bonded and secured, use advanced high quality technology and are incredibly important for specialty facilities that require more in depth knowledge.
We’ll expand on these ideas later though, for now let’s establish who these facilities are for and why do they need them?
Who Uses Commercial Cleaning Services?
As a rule, commercial cleaning services should only be hired for cleaning commercial and specialty facilities that require a professional team with advanced techniques and methods to keep their customers and employees in good health and protection.
Kentucky property owners living around the Jefferson County seat are always on the lookout for professional kitchen cleaners near Louisville, KY who bring the right tools and skills for tough commercial jobs. They rely on experts who can handle demanding spaces with precision and consistent attention to detail.
However we should acknowledge that commercial cleaning is a service that panders to almost all types of commercial businesses. Business owners after all have to guarantee a hygienic environment for their employees or customers. A few facilities that use these services are listed below as examples:
- Gyms
- Medical Facilities
- Restaurants
- Automotive
- Schools
- Manufacturing Facilities
- Offices
- Retail
- Cleanrooms and R&D Facilities
- Schools
- Industrial complexes
And many more!
What is Residential cleaning?
Residential cleaning is a term that applies to the cleaning of homes. Either by homeowners or by professionally hired cleaners. Residential deep cleaning services cover a wide variety of tasks such as dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and other general cleaning services. And are important so that your house can remain dust free, sanitary and most especially secure for every tenant.
Here the goal is to keep homes and living spaces an environment that is welcoming and safe. A safe and hygienic home is much more desirable after all!
Who Uses it?
There are times when a tenant or homeowner may want to hire a professional cleaning service to keep their residents happy and satisfied. As well ensure that their house is free of any featuring grime that may have gone unchecked in their regular house cleaning.
Homeowners or tenants may hire deep cleaning services on a monthly or yearly basis for a thorough deep clean of their homes. In many cases where the professionals are hired to clean houses they are usually only hired for a specific purpose like cleaning carpets or pressure washing the outside of their house.
What’s the Difference?
Now that both have been clearly defined and you know who they would be more suitable for, we have to move on to why they are considered so separate from one another. We have compiled a short list of eight of their major differences for you to go through.
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Time Frame
Another thing to keep in mind is that commercial cleaners usually keep their work limited to nights and weekends so as to not disturb anyone’s daily workings.
Meanwhile residential cleaners can work anytime and at their own flexibility. And usually that time is during the day.
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Cost
Residential home cleaning services will most often charge by flat range pricing and cost less. Whereas commercial cleaners will charge by the amount of rooms cleaned or by square feet and as a rule the cost will be much higher.
Commercial cleaners usually have some kind of contract drawn up with their employers that dictates how and when they will receive payment. Usually they will get paid monthly for their services. However residential cleaners usually require payment directly after completing their job.
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Area of Coverage
Of course both residential and commercial cleaning deal with very separate areas when considering the size of each. Comparatively residential cleaners deal with a much smaller area including surfaces and objects while commercial cleaners can potentially cover entire buildings.
Commercial cleaners are also required to be much more experienced as well as carry insurance, have liability coverage, and complete safety training. Residential cleaners do not need this kind of certification however any good cleaning service will ensure that their workers have the necessary experience.
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The Process of Cleaning
Commercial cleaning involves many specialized techniques in case of buildings that need special attention. They also require them to cut time short as the area they’re covering is so large. Furthermore, they have access to better tools and technology to increase efficiency and clean even more deeply than residential cleaners would.
Residential cleaning on the other hand does not need to be as customized as most homes tend to have the same parts and mostly involves supplies that are safe for everyday use.
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Types of Services
Commercial cleaning services offer a differing set of services than residential cleaners according to their space. An example of these are the following:
- Clean automatic glass doors inside and out
- Polish mirrors
- Floor and wall scrubbing
- Window cleaning
- Vacuum mats, carpets, and floors.
- Sanitizing and disinfection services
- Pressure washing
Specialized Cleaning Services
Commercial cleaners as mentioned before offer a variety of specialized services for example:
- window cleaning for larger windows
- carpet shampooing
- power washing
- floor stripping
Residential cleaners offer their own set of services keeping in mind the area they have to cover. Those can be:
- Carpet cleaning and vacuuming
- Kitchen and bathroom cleaning
- Dusting of surfaces
- Sweeping of floors
- Cleaning light fixtures and door handles.
- Empty trash.
Cleaning Supplies
Again commercial cleaners require specialized cleaning equipment like a pressure hose due to the difference in the size of the area. These tools will also cost much more than your average vacuum that would be used for home cleaning.
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Cleaning Frequency
Depending on the nature of the business, commercial cleaning is done much more often due to a variety of reasons. For one it may get dirty a lot faster due to the expanse of people, employees or otherwise.
Secondly commercial organizations require a much higher level of sanitation and cleanliness to be satisfactory for the employees or customers. Whereas domestic spaces need not be cleaned as often as they are less busy and less likely to accumulate as much grime.
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Employees
Commercial cleaning services usually have a higher quota of workers. They require more workers per team and also a variety of them. They also need to be trained to work with the newest technology to be able to clean skillfully and efficiently.
Residential cleaners do not need this training, it is acceptable for them to have general cleaning skills and they do not need as many workers per team or such a wide variety.
Well now you know what’s what. The confusion is cleared, but how do you pick which service to choose out of the hundred of options! They all look suitable and professional. Well there are ways to ensure you pick the right one. We’ve highlighted them for you below.
What to look for in a Residential cleaning Company
Residential cleaning is quite necessary to keep a clean home and ensure the well being of everyone living inside it. Sanitation and hygiene are always a plus point in our books!
Having said that, here are a couple of factors you should keep in mind while choosing your residential service provider:
- Background Checks and Training
- Scheduling and Flexibility
- Experience and Expertise
- Services Offered
- Cleaning Products and Equipment
- Guarantees and Satisfaction Policies
- Reputation and Reviews
Following this guide will once again ensure that you make the right decision when choosing who to let clean your home. The right cleaning company is just around the corner!
Conclusion
Like we mentioned before, having a clean home is of great importance! And deserve a service that would suit you best. Here at happy home helpers we aim to satisfy our customers and make their lives just a bit easier.
Our team of cleaners are professionally trained and highly experienced. They could make quick work of deep cleaning your entire residence in just 3-4 hours with the tricks they’ve learnt overtime with us, leaving your home spotless.












