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Deep cleaning in Puerto Rico: what it costs, what it includes and when you need it (move-out, post-construction, mold)
A deep clean in Puerto Rico costs, in 2026, 1.5 to 2 times the regular rate: a studio or one-bedroom apartment $120 to $200, two bedrooms $160 to $260, a three-bedroom house $180 to $320 and a house with four or more bedrooms $300 to $500. It covers what a regular clean ($25 to $40 per hour) does not touch: inside cabinets and the fridge, baseboards, interior windows, behind the stove, AC vents and humidity mold in closets and on walls. It takes 4 to 8 hours with one or two people. You book one when moving, after construction, before launching an Airbnb or when mold shows up.
Enedy Figueroa, Founder and CEO · Published September 10, 2026
Key takeaways
- A deep clean in Puerto Rico costs 1.5 to 2 times a regular one: $120 to $200 for a studio, $180 to $320 for a three-bedroom house, $300 to $500 with four or more bedrooms (2026 reference).
- The difference from a regular clean is whatever is closed, high or behind: inside cabinets, fridge and oven, baseboards, AC vents, windows and behind the stove.
- After construction or a remodel the price goes up 30% to 50% for drywall and cement dust, and it almost always takes two passes.
- In Condado, Isla Verde, Rincón or any closed-up house above 70% humidity, mold comes back in 4 to 8 weeks unless you leave a dehumidifier or the AC running.
- A three-bedroom deep clean takes 5 to 8 hours with two people; if they say they can do it in 2 hours, it is a regular clean under another name.
What a deep clean includes that a regular clean does not
| Area | Regular clean | Deep clean |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Counters, sink, floor, appliance exteriors | Inside cabinets and drawers, inside fridge and oven, range hood, behind and under the stove and fridge |
| Bathrooms | Toilet, sink, shower, floor | Grout with a brush, limescale on fixtures, mold on the curtain and ceiling, exhaust fan grille |
| Bedrooms and living room | Mopping, dusting, beds | Baseboards, door frames, ceiling fans, AC vents, behind and under furniture, mattresses vacuumed |
| Closets | Not touched | Shelves emptied, humidity mold cleaned, walls and louvered doors |
| Windows and balcony | No | Interior glass, tracks, grilles and salt residue on aluminum, balcony floor |
| Walls and ceilings | No | Stains, cobwebs, mold in corners and on the bathroom ceiling |
Products are included with almost every business; if the home has babies, pets or someone with asthma, ask for no bleach in the booking. What a deep clean does not include: laundry, exterior glass on upper floors, carpet or sofa extraction cleaning ($60 to $150 extra) or debris removal.
What a deep clean costs in Puerto Rico in 2026
| Size | Regular (per visit) | Deep clean | Hours (2 people) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1 bedroom, 1 bath | $60 to $100 | $120 to $200 | 3 to 4 |
| 2 bedrooms, 1 or 2 baths | $80 to $130 | $160 to $260 | 4 to 6 |
| 3-bedroom house, 2 baths | $100 to $160 | $180 to $320 | 5 to 8 |
| 4+ bedroom house, 3 baths | $150 to $250 | $300 to $500 | 8 to 12 |
- After construction or a remodel: 30% to 50% more for fine dust; a three-bedroom house runs $250 to $480.
- Widespread mold in several closets or ceilings: $50 to $150 extra for time and product.
- Empty house (no furniture): 10% to 20% less; it is the fastest clean there is.
- Very dirty fridge and oven, or a kitchen with years of grease: $30 to $60 extra each.
Ask for a per-job price, not hourly. "Deep clean at $30 an hour" ends in a 10-hour invoice nobody agreed to. With photos of the kitchen, one bathroom and one closet, any serious business gives you a fixed price.
When to book a deep clean: move-out, construction, Airbnb
- Move-out: most leases in Puerto Rico require handing the place over clean to get the deposit back. A $180 to $320 deep clean protects a deposit of $1,000 or more.
- Move-in: do it with the house empty, before the truck arrives. It is cheaper and it is the only time anyone cleans behind everything.
- After construction: drywall, cement and wood dust in every crack and inside the AC vents. A rough first pass, then a fine second pass one or two days later.
- Airbnb: a deep clean before launch and every 3 to 6 months depending on occupancy. Turnovers at $70 to $260 maintain; they do not reach inside the fridge or the baseboards.
- House closed for months: if the place in Rincón or Cabo Rojo has been shut since December, start with a deep clean before the family arrives.
Humidity mold and salt air: what cleaning solves and what it does not
Puerto Rico sits between 70% and 85% relative humidity, and on the coast the salt air (salitre) corrodes aluminum, stains grilles and sticks to glass. A closed house with the AC off grows mold in closets, on the bathroom ceiling, in window seals and behind pictures within four to eight weeks. In Condado, Isla Verde, Ocean Park and the whole west coast it is the number one complaint of hosts and second-home owners.
- A deep clean removes mold from surfaces: painted walls, closet doors, tile, bathroom ceiling, AC vents, with diluted bleach or peroxide and ventilation.
- It does not fix the cause. Without a dehumidifier (40 to 50 pints, $150 to $250 at the hardware store), AC at 76 to 78 degrees or at least cross ventilation, it comes back.
- Mold inside drywall, over 10 square feet or with a strong smell after cleaning: that is remediation, not cleaning, and belongs to a contractor.
- Salt residue on grilles and windows: cleaned with water and vinegar or an aluminum product; if there is already corrosion, that is paint or replacement, not cleaning.
AC off between guests
The most expensive mistake an off-island host makes is switching the AC off completely between bookings to save on power. In August that is $50 saved on the bill and $150 in mold cleaning every two months. Leave a dehumidifier or the AC on "dry" mode.
What to have ready and how to book
- Send photos of the kitchen, each bathroom, one closet and the worst thing you have (the fridge, the mold). With that the price is per job and fixed.
- Give the real size (bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet if you know it) and the reason: move, construction, mold or Airbnb launch.
- Water and power on the day of the clean. Sounds obvious; in an empty house it gets forgotten and the crew leaves without working.
- Clear surfaces and shelves of anything that is yours; the clean goes faster and nobody moves your papers.
- Arranged access: key in a lockbox or someone to open; in a building, tell management if the crew has to be registered.
- Pay by card when done with the "after" photos in the booking chat, and ask for an invoice with sales tax (IVU) if the home is a business.
For maintenance between deep cleans, this site's Airbnb cleaning guide covers turnovers and what they include; the home services guide covers the rest of the island's prices.
Send the photos, the size and the town. We confirm a fixed price with a vetted cleaning business.
Message us on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
How much does a deep clean cost in Puerto Rico?
1.5 to 2 times the regular rate in 2026: a studio $120 to $200, two bedrooms $160 to $260, a three-bedroom house $180 to $320 and four or more bedrooms $300 to $500. It is priced per job, not hourly.
What does a deep clean include?
Everything in a regular clean plus inside cabinets, fridge and oven, baseboards, door frames, AC vents, ceiling fans, interior windows, behind the stove and fridge, bathroom grout and humidity mold in closets and on walls.
How long does a deep clean take?
3 to 4 hours for a studio and 5 to 8 hours for a three-bedroom house with two people. A large house or a post-construction job can take 8 to 12 hours or two days.
How much does post-construction cleaning cost in Puerto Rico?
30% to 50% more than a normal deep clean because of drywall and cement dust: a three-bedroom house runs $250 to $480. It almost always takes two passes, a rough one and a fine one one or two days later.
Does a deep clean remove mold?
It removes mold from surfaces (walls, closets, tile, bathroom ceiling, vents), but it comes back in 4 to 8 weeks if the house stays closed without a dehumidifier or AC. Mold inside the wall or over 10 square feet is remediation, not cleaning.
A deep clean with a fixed price before you book
Send photos of the kitchen, bathrooms and a closet, the size of the home and the town. We confirm the price and date with a vetted business.
Message us on WhatsAppAbout the author
Enedy Figueroa
Founder and CEO of Brega PR, born and raised in Puerto Rico. She writes these guides from what she learns every day connecting service businesses on the island with their customers.
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