Move-out and move-in cleaning · Columbia, SC
Columbia area
The Moving Clean for Columbia student rentals, Fort Jackson moves and home sales, set against the South Carolina deposit rule and the city's trash and recycling services.
What's Covered
The One-Time Moving Clean covers every surface and area that appears on a typical landlord move-out inspection report, not just the surfaces that are easy to clean. Interior appliances, cabinet interiors, baseboards, window sills, and grout are the most common sources of security deposit deductions. All are standard checklist items.
TotalCare Cleaning will work with buyers, sellers, landlords, property managers, and real estate agents in Columbia. Coordination with tenants or management can be arranged directly. We will work around closing dates and move-out deadlines.
Pricing starts at $350 for 1 bedroom through $727 for 5 bedrooms. All priced by the home, all supplies included.
🏠 Throughout the Home
🍽️ Kitchen
🚿 Bathrooms
Trust & Safety
Every TotalCare Cleaning professional will be background-checked and screened before their first job in Columbia.
✓ Background-checkedEvery TotalCare Cleaning house cleaning in Columbia will be covered by $1,000,000 in general liability insurance. From hardwood floors to granite countertops and custom cabinetry, if anything is damaged during the clean, you are fully protected.
✓ Fully InsuredTotalCare Cleaning does not retain, copy, or transport house keys. Entry and access instructions are handled securely through our booking system. You control access to your Columbia property at every step.
✓ Keys Stay HomeIf an area on your checklist was missed, report it in your customer portal or by email by the end of the day after your clean, with a photo, and a professional returns to re-clean that area at no charge. No forms, no friction, no arguments.
✓ Re-Clean GuaranteeWe will follow the same standard operating procedure on every single job in Columbia. The TotalCare Cleaning standard is not a marketing claim. It is a documented, auditable procedure that governs every hour of work in your home.
Move-out and move-in cleaning Pricing
Priced by the home, not by the hour. Prices start at the amounts shown, from the current Columbia rate card, with supplies included.
| Home Size | What's Covered | One-Time Moving Clean (Move-Out) Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bed / 1 Bathabout 800 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$350supplies included | Join → |
| 2 Bed / 2 Bathabout 1,600 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$440supplies included | Join → |
| 3 Bed / 2 Bathabout 2,000 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$480supplies included | Join → |
| 4 Bed / 3 Bathabout 2,800 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$570supplies included | Join → |
| 5 Bed / 4 Bathabout 4,500 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$727supplies included | Join → |
Priced by the home, never by the hour. Prices start at the amounts shown; your exact price is set by your home. Home sizes assume the square footage shown, and a larger home, extra half baths or add-ons change the price.
Join the Opening List →More than half of Columbia's occupied homes are rented, about 54 percent. Add more than 35,000 students on the university's campus and an Army post training about half of all incoming Soldiers each year, and you have a city where moving is a regular event and deposit disputes are common.
This guide explains the South Carolina rule, the local details and what the One-Time Moving Clean will include when TotalCare Cleaning comes to Columbia. It runs $350.00 to $727.00, priced by the home, not by the hour.
South Carolina law requires a landlord to return a security deposit, with a written itemized list of any deductions, within 30 days after the tenancy ends, possession is delivered and the tenant asks for it. Those last parts matter. Ask for the deposit in writing when you hand in the keys.
There is real weight behind it. A tenant whose deposit is wrongfully withheld may recover three times the amount withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees. Not every deduction is wrongful, though. State law also requires tenants to keep the home reasonably safe and reasonably clean and to keep all plumbing fixtures reasonably clean, so a grimy tub can be a fair charge.
This is general information and not legal advice. If there is a large sum at stake, it may be worth speaking with a lawyer.
Student rentals tend to have many people in one home and a lot of shared use, so kitchens and bathrooms often need more work than the size suggests. Agree on who is handling what early, particularly if roommates are leaving on different days, and book the clean for after the last person goes. Two bedroom units make up about 32 percent of the city's housing, and that is the size many of these shares occupy.
Fort Jackson moves tend to follow orders, so the date may not be yours to choose. Fort Jackson is the Army's largest Initial Entry Training center, and its community turns over regularly. Book the clean once you know the movers' final day. If the home is off post, the rental's lease and South Carolina law set the terms.
Cleaners do not haul furniture or debris, so clear those first. City of Columbia Solid Waste and Recycling collects garbage, recycling and yard waste inside the city limits, and lists cooking oil drop-off locations too, which helps if you are emptying a kitchen. Outside the city, the rules differ. Lexington picks up large appliances on the second Wednesday of the month with at least two days' notice and does not collect construction materials such as carpet. Irmo schedules bulk pickups directly with NewSouth Waste. Blythewood points residents to Richland County for trash and recycling.
Clear floors let a cleaner reach every baseboard and corner, and they make the home look better in photos too.
The One-Time Moving Clean covers everything in a deep clean and adds the interiors a landlord or buyer tends to check first. It works for a move-out or a move-in, so a family arriving at Fort Jackson or a first-year graduate student can use it before unpacking.
A home left closed in Columbia in July can get musty quickly, with dew points near 70 degrees. Keep the air conditioning running until the walkthrough is finished, and leave interior doors open. Older buildings show this most, and about 30 percent of the city's units predate 1960. Wear in those homes is not the same as dirt, so take photos of old tile or scuffed floors. A clean deals with grease and film, but it cannot restore old finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
TotalCare Cleaning will service Columbia and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
