Most of what we write about covers what’s included in a cleaning visit. This one is the opposite: a straightforward look at what falls outside our scope, so there’s no confusion when you book. Being upfront about boundaries matters as much as being clear about what’s included.
Vehicles
We don’t clean cars, inside or out. Vehicle detailing, whether it’s interior vacuuming, upholstery cleaning, or exterior washing and waxing, is a different trade with different tools and products than residential house cleaning, and it’s not something our team offers as part of any service tier.
Exterior and Outdoor Spaces
Our service is focused on the interior of your home. We don’t offer pressure washing, gutter cleaning, siding washing, deck or patio cleaning, or yard and landscaping work. These are exterior maintenance categories that require different equipment and expertise than interior residential cleaning, and a homeowner looking for that kind of work should look for a specialist in exterior home maintenance rather than expecting it as part of a standard or deep cleaning visit.
Garages: A Bit More Nuanced
Garages fall in a middle zone. They’re not part of a standard visit by default, since a standard clean is built around the rooms people live in day to day, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and common areas. But unlike cars or exterior spaces, a garage can sometimes be included if it’s flagged when you book, since it’s technically part of the home’s interior footprint. What that looks like in practice, sweeping, general shelving wipe-down, is worth discussing directly rather than assuming, since scope and consistency for a garage can vary visit to visit. Our post on basement and garage cleaning goes into more detail on what’s realistic to expect from these spaces.
What We Do Cover Instead
The flip side of this list is worth spelling out too: kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, home offices, and (by request) basements, all get covered across our standard, deep, and move-in/move-out tiers. That’s a wide range of interior work, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, surface wiping, appliance exteriors, cabinet interiors on deeper visits, and more. The boundaries in this post exist specifically around the categories that require a different trade entirely, not because our scope is narrow within the home itself.
Why We Draw These Lines
Cleaning companies that try to be everything to everyone often end up doing a mediocre job across the board instead of a strong job in their actual specialty. We’d rather be clear about what we do well, interior residential cleaning across kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and common living spaces, than overpromise on categories that require entirely different skill sets, equipment, and, frankly, different insurance and liability considerations.
What This Means for Booking
If your request includes anything outside interior home cleaning, a car detail thrown in with a move-out clean, or a driveway pressure wash alongside a standard visit, it’s worth knowing upfront that those pieces will need a separate provider. We’re happy to talk through what is and isn’t realistic for a given booking so there’s no surprise on the day of your visit. For a full breakdown of what is included in a standard visit versus what costs extra or falls into a different category entirely, see our standard clean vs. what costs extra guide.
The Bigger Picture
Being transparent about limits isn’t a downside, it’s part of setting expectations correctly from the start. A homeowner who knows exactly what to expect from a visit has a much better experience than one who assumed something was included and found out otherwise on cleaning day. If you’re not sure whether something falls inside or outside our scope, ask when you book. It’s a quick conversation that saves confusion later.
Arlington Home Cleaning is licensed and insured, serving Arlington VA and Ashburn VA. Call 571-350-0866 or book at our booking page.