If you’re hosting Thanksgiving on November 26, book a deep clean for the first or second week of November and a regular cleaning a few days before the holiday. That leaves the day before for the things only you can do: the guest room, the fridge and the front entry. Here’s the order that works.
When should you book a cleaning before Thanksgiving?
Two to three weeks out for the big clean, and as early as you can for a date the week of the holiday. The days right before Thanksgiving are the ones everyone asks for.
Working back from Thursday, November 26:
| When | What gets done | Who |
|---|---|---|
| November 2 to 13 | Deep clean: baseboards, door frames, vent covers, cabinet fronts, built-up grime in kitchen and bathrooms | Cleaners |
| November 23 to 25 | Regular cleaning: floors, kitchen, bathrooms, dusting | Cleaners |
| November 25 | Guest bed, towels, fridge space, front entry | You |
| Week after New Year’s | A reset after six weeks of company | Cleaners |
The two-visit plan isn’t about cleaning twice for the sake of it. The deep clean does the slow work early, so the visit right before the holiday is quick and the house is still fresh when people walk in.
Do you need a deep clean or a regular cleaning before guests arrive?
It depends on when the house was last professionally cleaned. If it’s been more than a few months, start with a deep clean. If you’re already on a recurring plan, your regular visit the week of the holiday is usually enough.
A deep clean reaches what a regular visit skips: the baseboards, the cabinet fronts, the ceiling fan blades over the dining table, the grout guests notice in the hall bathroom. For a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house, a deep clean with us runs $225 to $290 when it’s been cleaned in the last month, and $260 to $350 when it’s been over a year.
If you’re on a recurring plan, ask to move your visit to Monday or Tuesday of that week instead of adding one. Give us at least 48 hours’ notice and there’s no fee to reschedule. Keep in mind that a different day can mean a different pair of cleaning professionals that week, since your usual two may already be booked.
Which rooms matter most when you’re hosting?
The ones guests actually use: the entry, the hall bathroom, the kitchen and wherever they sleep. Guests won’t open your closets, but they’ll spend time in the powder room and stand around the kitchen island.
- The front entry. By late November, leaves and wet shoes have been coming through the door for weeks. It’s the first thing people see and the floor that gets the most traffic all day.
- The hall or powder room bathroom. Mirror, sink, toilet base and floor. This is the room guests are alone in, and they look.
- The kitchen. Stovetop, backsplash, cabinet fronts around the handles and the inside of the microwave. You’ll be cooking in front of people.
- The guest room. Dust on the nightstand and the ceiling fan, and a closet with room to hang things.
- The dining room. The light fixture over the table and the chair legs. They’re at eye level once everyone sits down.
Inside the oven and the refrigerator aren’t part of a regular visit, but they can be added to a deep clean. If you’ll be roasting a turkey and storing leftovers for a crowd, it’s worth adding them to the November visit.
What should you leave for the day before?
Anything that depends on the final headcount or your own things: making up the guest bed, clearing fridge space, setting out towels and putting away whatever lives on the dining table the rest of the year.
A short list for Wednesday:
- Clear one shelf of the fridge and a spot in the freezer.
- Make the guest bed and put two towels on it.
- Restock the hall bathroom: soap, a hand towel, a spare roll where people can find it.
- Run the dishwasher empty so it’s ready for the first load.
- Put a mat at the front door, inside and out.
None of these is cleaning. They’re the reason it helps to have the cleaning done before Wednesday.
How do you keep the house clean through the holidays?
Keep your regular visits on the calendar through December, even the weeks you’re busy. A house that’s cleaned every two weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s never gets far enough behind to need another deep clean in January.
If you aren’t on a recurring plan, the how often should you have your house cleaned guide walks through which frequency fits a house that’s full of people for six weeks.
If you’re hosting this year, the estimator gives you a range for a deep clean in about a minute, and the earlier you pick a date in November, the more of them there are to pick from.
