Move-out and move-in cleaning · Wilmington, DE
Wilmington area
The Moving Clean for Wilmington and Newark rentals, alongside the Delaware deposit rules: a one month cap, a 20 day deadline, and a double penalty for money wrongfully withheld.
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 Wilmington. Coordination with tenants or management can be arranged directly. We will work around closing dates and move-out deadlines.
Pricing starts at $391 for 1 bedroom through $817 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 Wilmington.
✓ Background-checkedEvery TotalCare Cleaning house cleaning in Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington. 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 Wilmington 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$391supplies included | Join → |
| 2 Bed / 2 Bathabout 1,600 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$493supplies included | Join → |
| 3 Bed / 2 Bathabout 2,000 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$538supplies included | Join → |
| 4 Bed / 3 Bathabout 2,800 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$640supplies included | Join → |
| 5 Bed / 4 Bathabout 4,500 sq ft | The full TotalCare Cleaning standard, appliances, cabinet interiors | starting at$817supplies 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 the occupied homes in the city of Wilmington are rented, and Newark is close behind at about 49 percent. Delaware has clear rules about what happens to a security deposit at the end of a lease. They are stronger than many tenants realize, and a clean apartment makes them easier to use.
TotalCare Cleaning will offer the One-Time Moving Clean for both move-outs and move-ins. This guide covers the state rules, the Newark student calendar, what to do about large items, and what the clean will include.
Delaware caps a security deposit at one month of rent for a lease of one year or more, except for furnished units. When a lease ends, the landlord must return the deposit, or send an itemized list of damages with repair estimates, within 20 days.
The rule also has teeth. A tenant is owed double the amount wrongfully withheld if the deposit is not returned within 20 days, and a missing itemized list counts as an acknowledgment that no damages are due. So put your forwarding address in writing, keep a copy, and mark the date on your calendar.
This is a general summary and not legal advice. Read your lease, and if a dispute becomes serious, consider asking a tenant resource or a lawyer for help with your particular situation.
The city and its suburbs have different rental patterns. About 52 percent of Wilmington occupied homes are rented, against about 31 percent across New Castle County. Newark is its own story, with about 49 percent rented and about 31 percent of its units in buildings of 10 or more.
That Newark number follows the University of Delaware. At the end of the school year in May, the city holds its UDon't Need It student move out program, so that students and landlords can drop off items instead of trashing them. If you are leaving a rental near campus, check that program first, since it is a far easier way to get rid of a couch than leaving it for someone else to handle.
Cleaners will bag household trash for your bins, but they will not haul furniture, debris or anything large, and an empty room is the one that comes out best. So deal with large items first.
Newark residents can schedule two bulk item pickups a year at no cost by calling Public Works, but unwrapped mattresses, paint and tires are not accepted. Regular trash there goes out weekly on Monday or Tuesday, with recycling on Thursday or Friday, and carts must be pulled back from the curb by 6 p.m., so take care with bins on your last day. Elsewhere in the county, the Delaware Solid Waste Authority runs household hazardous waste collection events and recycling drop-off centers for batteries, electronics, used oil and styrofoam, which helps with whatever is left under the sink.
The Moving Clean covers everything in a deep clean, including hand washed baseboards, wet-wiped blinds, window tracks and shower glass treated for hard water spots. It then adds what a landlord will check first: inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, and inside kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Starting prices run $391.00 to $817.00 across the five home sizes, from $391.00 for the smallest. Older rentals need a realistic eye. With about 72 percent of city units built before 1970, old appliances and worn floors will not look new, and normal age is not the same as dirt. Take dated photos of every room, including inside the appliances, once the clean is done.
The same clean suits a buyer or a new tenant moving into an empty home. It covers the cabinets and appliances before your own things go into them. If you are moving to a home built before 1978, keep in mind that the EPA says those homes are more likely to contain lead-based paint. Note any flaking paint for the owner, and use damp cleaning rather than dry dusting in the meantime.
Frequently Asked Questions
TotalCare Cleaning will service Wilmington 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.
