What is General Cleaning? Surface Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning in the Philippines

What is General Cleaning?

General cleaning — sometimes called surface cleaning or regular cleaning — is maintenance-level cleaning. It is the type of clean designed to keep a space that is already in reasonable condition looking and feeling that way on an ongoing basis.

In the Philippines, the term "general cleaning" is widely used across residential and commercial contexts to describe this regular upkeep. It covers all the visible, accessible surfaces in a space: floors, countertops, fixtures, appliances (exterior only), furniture surfaces, bathrooms, and trash disposal.

What general cleaning does not include: deep scrubbing of grout lines, steam treatment of upholstery or tiles, cleaning inside appliances, disinfection of hidden surfaces, or treatment of built-up grime that regular wiping cannot remove. Those tasks require a deeper level of service.

At Total Cleaning Manila, general cleaning is offered as our Surface Cleaning service — the same methodology, professional-grade equipment, and trained team, applied at the maintenance-clean intensity. Starting at PHP 1,925 per 50sqm, it is the right choice for well-maintained homes and offices that need a consistent, reliable clean on a regular schedule.

What Does General Cleaning Mean?

The meaning of general cleaning is the routine, surface-level cleaning of a home or office to maintain a clean state on an ongoing basis. In the Philippines, general cleaning is the everyday term for what professional cleaners call surface cleaning or pangkalahatang paglilinis in Filipino.

It refers to a defined scope of work: sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpets, dusting and wiping accessible surfaces, cleaning bathrooms, wiping kitchen exteriors, and disposing of trash. The term specifically excludes deep cleaning tasks like steam treatment, inside-appliance cleaning, grout scrubbing, and hospital-grade disinfection — all of which fall under the deep cleaning service.

How Deep Cleaning Differs From General Cleaning

For the full breakdown of what's covered, pricing, and how to book, see our dedicated deep cleaning service page. In short, deep cleaning is a comprehensive, systematic clean that covers everything general cleaning does — and then goes further into every area that regular maintenance misses.

A professional deep clean includes:

• Steam cleaning of tiles, grout, and hard-to-reach surfaces
• Triple-wipe disinfection with hospital-grade sanitizers
• Inside-appliance cleaning (oven, refrigerator, microwave)
• Descaling of bathroom fixtures and glass surfaces
• Treatment of built-up grease, soap scum, and mineral deposits
• Air vent and exhaust cleaning
• Behind and beneath furniture and appliances
• Door frames, baseboards, and window tracks

The result is a space that is not just clean to the eye, but sanitized throughout. Our deep cleaning service in Metro Manila achieves up to 99% germ-free results using commercial-grade equipment and techniques adopted from Total Cleaning Melbourne in Australia. It takes a minimum of four hours for a 50sqm space, compared to two to four hours for a general clean of the same area.

General Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning: Key Differences

Here is a direct comparison across the dimensions that matter most when choosing a service:

Which Service Do You Need?

Choose general cleaning when:

• Your space is already clean and just needs regular maintenance
• You want a consistent weekly or bi-weekly cleaning schedule
• You have an office that is cleaned after each workday or every few days
• You want professional results without the full intensity (and cost) of a deep clean every time

Choose deep cleaning when:

• You are moving into a new home or condo
• A space has not been professionally cleaned in 3 months or more
• You are preparing a rental unit or Airbnb for a new tenant
• There is visible mold, staining, or built-up grime in bathrooms or kitchens
• You want hospital-grade disinfection — for health reasons, post-illness, or post-pest treatment
• You are doing a seasonal clean or major reset before a family event

Many Metro Manila households and offices use both services together: a quarterly deep clean to fully reset the space, with a regular general cleaning every week or two to maintain it between those resets. This combination gives you consistent hygiene without the cost of deep cleaning every visit.

For post-renovation or newly constructed spaces, neither general nor deep cleaning applies — those require a dedicated post-construction cleaning service, which addresses construction dust, paint residue, adhesive, and debris that standard cleaning equipment is not designed to handle.

How Much Does General Cleaning Cost in the Philippines?

Pricing for professional cleaning services in Metro Manila varies widely. Many providers require an in-person assessment before quoting — which makes it hard to compare options or budget in advance.

Total Cleaning Manila publishes per-square-meter rates for all services. There are no quote-only fees, no ocular inspection requirements, and no pricing tiers by district.

Subscription packages (weekly, twice-weekly, or three-times-weekly) are available from PHP 11,525/month per 50sqm and include a mix of surface and deep cleans. See all service details and subscription pricing.

General Cleaning in Metro Manila: What to Expect

A professional general cleaning service in Metro Manila typically takes a team of two to three cleaners working two to four hours on a standard residential unit or office floor. The sequence follows a top-down, room-by-room method to prevent redistributing dust.

At Total Cleaning Manila, every general clean follows the same methodology used by Total Cleaning Melbourne in Australia: a structured checklist per room, specific products for each surface type, and a final walkthrough before the team leaves. The goal is that the space looks — and smells — professionally cleaned, every time, not just when a supervisor happens to be on site.

We serve all of Metro Manila including Makati, Quezon City, Taguig, BGC, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa. The same pricing applies across all districts.