Move-out and move-in cleaning · Washington DC, DC
Washington DC area
The Moving Clean for Washington DC apartments, condos and rowhouses, with the deposit rules for the District, Virginia and Maryland side by side and the building logistics that trip up move day.
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 Washington DC. Coordination with tenants or management can be arranged directly. We will work around closing dates and move-out deadlines.
Pricing starts at $414 for 1 bedroom through $864 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 Washington DC.
✓ Background-checkedEvery TotalCare Cleaning house cleaning in Washington DC 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 Washington DC 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 Washington DC. 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 Washington DC 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$414supplies included | Join → |
| 2 Bed / 2 Bathabout 1,600 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$522supplies included | Join → |
| 3 Bed / 2 Bathabout 2,000 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$570supplies included | Join → |
| 4 Bed / 3 Bathabout 2,800 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$677supplies included | Join → |
| 5 Bed / 4 Bathabout 4,500 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$864supplies 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 →Washington is a renter's city. Census estimates show 58.5 percent of occupied District homes are rented, Arlington County puts its own share at 64 percent, and Silver Spring's is 61.7 percent. That means a steady stream of empty apartments waiting for a walkthrough, and three different deposit laws depending on which side of the Potomac or the District line the home sits.
This guide covers each of those laws, the building rules that shape a Washington move, and exactly what the Moving Clean includes.
In the District, D.C. Code 42-3502.17 requires a housing provider to tell the tenant in writing, within 45 days after the tenancy ends, about any amounts it claims from the deposit, with photographs or other documentation supporting them. That documentation rule cuts both ways: take your own dated photos of every room once the clean is finished.
In Virginia, which covers Arlington and Alexandria, Code 55.1-1226 gives a landlord 45 days after the tenancy ends to return the deposit along with an itemized list of any deductions. In Maryland, which covers Rockville and Silver Spring, Real Property 8-203 requires the landlord to return the deposit, and to send any written list of damages claimed, within 45 days after the tenancy ends.
The deadline is the same in all three, but the paperwork differs, so read your own lease and the statute for your jurisdiction. Cleaning charges are among the easiest deductions to avoid.
In the District, 56.9 percent of housing units are in buildings of five or more units. The 1910 Height of Buildings Act keeps residential streets to 90 feet, so most of those buildings are long mid-rises with shared elevators and a single loading entrance. Ask the management office early whether moves need a service elevator reservation.
Plan the Moving Clean for after the movers are done and the elevator reservation is over, so the cleaners are not working around boxes and dollies. Leave a parking note or loading dock instructions with your booking if the building has them.
The Moving Clean is built for an empty home. It includes everything in a One-Time Deep Clean, such as hand washed baseboards, wet-wiped blinds, window tracks, vents and fixtures wiped in place and shower glass treated for hard water spots. It then adds inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, inside kitchen cabinets and drawers, and inside bathroom cabinets and vanities.
Prices follow the home's size, from $414.00 on the first row up through the table on this page. Supplies and equipment are included.
Cleaners bag ordinary household trash for the building's or home's own bins, but they do not haul furniture, mattresses or debris. Arrange bulk removal before the clean. In Rockville, for example, the city takes bulk items from single family homes and most townhouses by appointment only, while apartments and condos follow county rules.
Leftover food matters too. DC Health's rodent program names dog waste as a key attractant for rats, and an abandoned bag of groceries works the same way, so empty the refrigerator and pantry completely and take bags out the day you leave rather than leaving them on a back porch.
Nearly seven in ten District homes were built before 1980, so many rentals still have original cabinets, older ranges and tile from decades ago. Those surfaces get mild products and soft pads; years-old stains on old porcelain or worn finish on cabinet doors may not come off, and that is wear, not dirt.
In a rowhouse unit, start the walkthrough at the top floor. It is easy to forget a third floor closet or the basement laundry corner.
Frequently Asked Questions
TotalCare Cleaning will service Washington DC 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.
