Stuck on pricing, scheduling, access, or what's actually included? This page answers the questions our New York clients ask most, in plain language, with no runaround.
Helping people in
Recognised for our work in New York
ProvenExpert Top Service
Verified client reviews
Google Reviews
Rated by New York clients
Recommended on Meta
Neighbourhood referrals
Your neighbors
Same walk-ups, same tiny kitchens, same last-minute panic as yours. Unedited reviews from people a few streets away.
Sarah M.
Upper East Side · one-time deep clean
I was completely overwhelmed returning from a long trip to a dusty apartment, but Green Hands saved the day. They did a phenomenal job wiping down every surface and getting rid of all the built-up grime.
James L.
Park Slope · post-renovation
We had a post-renovation dust nightmare and Green Hands handled it perfectly. They deep cleaned the entire space, removing all the fine debris, leaving it spotless and ready to live in.
Emily R.
Astoria · nesting clean
I'm nine months pregnant and just needed a thorough nesting clean before the baby arrived. They did an amazing job sanitizing every corner of the nursery, giving me total peace of mind.
Sarah M. called us from the Upper East Side at 9pm on a Sunday, sounding close to tears. She had been away for eleven weeks on a work assignment. Nobody had opened a window the whole time. When she walked in, the radiator had baked a grey film across the whole living room, the fridge had something in it she did not want to describe, and she had a client meeting in her apartment on Wednesday morning. She said, and I'm quoting her, "I don't even know what to ask for. I just need help."
That call is why this page exists. Most people who need help with house cleaning service New York City problems are not shopping around comparing checklists. They are stuck. Something happened, they are out of time, and they do not know which service they need or what it costs or whether anyone can even come this week. So we wrote down the answers to everything Sarah asked that night, plus the fifty other questions we get every month, and put it all in one place.
For the record, Sarah got a deep clean on Tuesday morning. Two cleaners, four and a half hours. The fridge got emptied and scrubbed, the radiator dust got HEPA vacuumed instead of pushed around, and she had her meeting Wednesday without apologizing for anything. She books bi-weekly now.
We are Green Hands Cleaning Services Corp, based at 22-16 79th Street in East Elmhurst, cleaning homes across Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan since 2015. About forty cleaners, most of whom have been with us for years. If your question is not answered below, call (212) 812-9418 and a human picks up.
Limited-time
Tap a code to copy it, then mention it when you book. One code per household, and they do not stack.
New clients
10 % off
Code FIRST10
Ten percent off the first visit, whichever service you start with. The easiest way to see how we work before you commit to a schedule.
Most flexible
5 % off
Code FLEX5
Give us a four-hour window instead of a fixed hour and we can route more efficiently. That saving comes back to you on every visit.
Biggest saving
$30 off
Code RESET30
Thirty dollars off a first deep clean or a move-in / move-out clean, the two jobs where the difference is most visible when you walk back in.
Getting help
Most people call us after they've already lost a weekend to it. Here is what actually happens next.
Deep clean or standard? Do they bring stuff? Can anyone come Thursday? Most people freeze here. Call us and describe the mess in normal words, we'll tell you which service fits.
Size, bathrooms, and how long its been. Sixty seconds online or one phone call, and a flat quote appears before anyone is booked. No surprise hourly charges at the end.
A screened, trained cleaner arrives with everything needed and works top to bottom through the written list, so nothing gets skipped or improvised on the day.
We come back and fix it, free. That's the whole guarantee, no forms and no argument. Most people never need it, but it's the reason they book again.
Hover a room to see what we cover
Why people stay with us
Your home is kept on one route with notes attached to it, so whoever arrives already knows how you like it done. That is why the standard does not drift from one visit to the next.
Straight answers
No accordions to click, no fine print. If something here doesn't cover your situation, call (212) 812-9418 and ask.
01 How much does a house cleaning service in New York City actually cost?
We price flat by home size and scope, not by the hour, so the number you're quoted before we arrive is the number you pay. A studio or one bedroom standard clean is the lowest tier, and each extra bedroom and bathroom moves it up. Deep cleans and move-outs cost more because they take two to three times longer. You get the figure in under a minute on the booking page or over the phone. Nobody shows up and then tells you it's more.
02 Do I need a deep clean or a standard clean?
If a cleaner has been in the home within the last month or two, standard is right. If it's been six months, or you just moved in, or there's grease on the range hood and buildup in the shower grout, you want a deep clean first, then standard visits after. The rule we give people over the phone: if you look at the bathroom and think "scrubbing", that's deep. If you think "wiping", that's standard.
03 Can someone come today or tomorrow?
Often yes. Call before roughly 11am and same day cleaning service is usually possible, especially in Queens and north Brooklyn where most of our cleaners live. Manhattan below 96th and central Brooklyn are usually next-day. Weekends book out fastest, so a Saturday request on a Friday afternoon is the hardest one to fill.
04 Do I have to be home?
No, and most of our clients aren't. You can leave a key with the doorman, use a lockbox, give us a code, or buzz us in and leave. Tell us the access plan when you book and it gets attached to your home's notes so you never have to explain it twice. If you'd rather be there the first time and then hand over a key later, that's completely normal too.
05 Do you bring cleaning supplies?
Yes. Sprays, solutions, cloths, sponges and paper towels all come with us. What we don't carry between homes is vacuums and mops, because moving those from apartment to apartment is how bacteria and, honestly, bedbugs travel. So we ask that your vacuum, mop and toilet brush are available. If you don't have a mop, say so and we'll bring a Swiffer with disposable wet pads instead.
06 What if I have pets, allergies, or a newborn?
Say so when you book and we bring the fragrance-free, plant-based set at no extra charge. Households with cats, dogs, birds or infants get that by default once we know. The EPA Safer Choice list is where we check a product before it goes in the kit. See pet-friendly cleaning for details.
07 What if I need to cancel or move my appointment?
Free up to 24 hours before your slot, no fee, no drama. Inside 24 hours we'll always try to move you rather than charge you, because we know New York schedules fall apart. On recurring plans you can skip a visit whenever you travel and the plan discount stays intact.
08 Something got missed. Now what?
Text or call within 24 hours and we come back and re-clean that area at no charge. That's the whole process. You don't need photos or a written complaint, and it doesn't affect your rate or your plan. It happens rarely, but when it does, this is how it gets fixed.
09 Is it the same cleaner each time?
On recurring plans we hold your home on one route, so it's usually the same person or the same small pair. When someone's out sick or on vacation, whoever covers works from your home's written notes, which is the whole reason we keep them. New Yorkers ask this more than any other question and the honest answer is: usually the same, always the same standard.
10 How do I get my security deposit back?
Book a move-out clean for after the furniture is gone, not before, and take dated photos when we finish. Empty cabinets, closets, inside the oven and fridge all get done. Worth reading the New York security deposit statute too, since ordinary wear and tear is not deductible and a lot of landlords hope you don't know that.
11 How do I pay?
Card on file, charged after the visit is finished, not before. No deposit to book. Tipping is welcome but never expected or added automatically. If you'd rather settle a different way for a one-time job, call and ask, we'll work it out.
12 Which neighborhoods do you cover?
All of Queens, most of Brooklyn, and Manhattan below 96th Street. That includes Astoria, Long Island City, Forest Hills, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights and the Upper West Side. If you're just outside those lines, call anyway, we say yes more often than not.
We are …
… roughly forty cleaners working out of East Elmhurst, most of whom have been with us for years. Whoever arrives at your door is one of them, trained on the same checklist and working from notes kept on your home.
What we can help with
Kitchen, bathrooms, floors, dusting and surfaces on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly rhythm that fits your schedule.
View serviceInside the oven and fridge, grout, baseboards, door frames, vents and behind furniture. The reset before or after a season.
View serviceLight tidying, laundry, bed linens and dishes alongside the standard clean, for homes that need more than surfaces.
View serviceEmpty-unit clean top to bottom, cabinets and closets included, timed around your lease dates and deposit inspection.
View serviceOffices, studios and small retail, after hours or before opening, on a schedule that fits your week.
View serviceFine dust removal after a renovation, including fixtures, window tracks and every horizontal surface twice over.
View serviceIncluded with every booking
You've been putting off the call because you don't know what to ask.
Just describe the mess. We'll tell you what it needs.
No judgment. Just clean.
The result
Real New York homes, the evening after we finished. Kitchens reset, bathrooms done, floors clear, nothing left on your list.
What clients say
My in-laws were coming for their first visit and I needed a pristine home. The end result was flawless and I felt so proud.
After a busy work week, hosting a birthday party for my son felt impossible until Green Hands stepped in. They scrubbed the floors and wiped down the baseboards.
Pet dander and dust were setting off my wife's allergies. The whole place looks and smells fantastic now, and we finally caught up on chores.
We were moving out and worried about the deposit. They deep-cleaned the oven, microwave and every last shelf. The apartment looked brand new.
In detail
Empty rooms hide the most. We clean the places furniture was covering, so you hand over keys, or take them, without a single deduction argument.
The reset for when normal upkeep stopped being enough. Grout, buildup, behind and underneath, the corners a quick tidy never reaches.
The recurring visit that keeps a deep clean from ever being necessary again. Same written checklist, every time, so nothing quietly slips.
Renovation dust is finer than household dust, so it settles again after you finish. It takes a HEPA vacuum and several passes hours apart.
The checklist
This is the single most common thing people ask us for help with: what exactly happens when someone shows up. Every visit works through the same checklist, in the same order. We go top to bottom so nothing we knock loose lands on a surface we already finished. Deep and move-out cleans are the standard list plus the items below them, not a different list.
01
The recurring visit. Every item, every time.
02
Everything in the standard clean, plus:
03
Everything in the standard and deep clean, plus:
Cleaning products, sprays and cloths all come with us. For hygiene reasons we do not carry vacuums and mops between homes, so we ask that yours are available on the day. If you want fragrance-free or pet-safe products, say so when you book and that is what we bring, at no extra charge.
In detail
approach
An apartment in this city is not a small house. The radiator bakes dust on every winter. The tub has no window over it, so it holds moisture. One closet does the work of four. We built our checklist around those specifics rather than a generic room list, and we keep notes on your home so nothing has to be re-explained.
Our standard
apartment cleaning
In a pre-war building in Astoria or Sunnyside, plaster walls shed a chalky dust that settles on picture frames and sill tops. In a newer LIC tower the problem is the opposite: sealed windows, HVAC vents holding dust, and floor-to-ceiling glass that shows every mark. We clean both, and we do not use the same approach on both.
Ask about apartment cleaning in New York City, or your neighborhood: Long Island City or Astoria. Studios have their own page too, see studio apartment cleaning.
Discover now
standard basic cleaning
This is the one most people mean when they call and say "just a regular clean." Kitchen reset, both bathrooms scrubbed, everything dusted, floors vacuumed and mopped. A studio or one bedroom usually runs two to three hours with one cleaner. Its priced by home size, so you know the number before anyone rings the buzzer.
If you're not sure whether standard is enough, the honest test is the bathroom. Wipe-clean means standard. Scrub-clean means you want deep cleaning first.
Discover more
residential cleaning
Multi-floor homes are a different job from a flat. Stairs collect more dust than any other surface in a brownstone, so treads, risers and the banister get done every visit, not just when someone notices. Brownstone parlour floors, garden-level kitchens and top-floor bedrooms each get their own pass.
See townhouse cleaning, condo cleaning, loft cleaning or penthouse cleaning.
Discover now
deep cleaning
The standard checklist, then the rest: inside the oven, inside the fridge, grout scrubbed by hand, baseboards and door frames wiped, light fixtures and vents, window sills and tracks, blinds, behind and under furniture we can safely move.
Most apartments here need one every six months. If you cook a lot, have a radiator under a window, or you are in a ground-floor unit facing the street, make it every four. Book it before guests arrive rather than after. There's also spring cleaning and holiday cleaning if you'd rather time it to the calendar.
Discover more
move in and move out cleaning
Which is not what you look at. Empty cabinets and drawers wiped inside. Closet shelves and rods. Inside the oven and fridge. The gap beside the stove where things fall. Window tracks. Scuffs on the walls where furniture sat. Move-in is the same list with a different reason: the last tenant's cleaner had twenty minutes and a landlord watching the clock.
Book seven or more days ahead and code RESET30 takes $30 off. See end of lease cleaning or pre-listing cleaning if you're selling instead.
Discover now
recurring cleaning
Weekly takes 25% off every visit, bi-weekly 15%, monthly 10%, for as long as you stay on the plan. Bi-weekly is the right answer for most one and two bedroom apartments in this city. Weekly makes sense with kids, pets, or a household where someone cooks every night. Monthly works for a quiet studio, with a deep clean twice a year on top.
Reschedule or skip free up to 24 hours ahead, because everyone has a week that falls apart. See custom cleaning plans, or the weekly, bi-weekly and monthly pages.
See the discounts
one time cleaning
Before a party, after a party, before the in-laws land, or just to see whether you like us before going recurring. Same checklist, same guarantee, same flat price. Plenty of people book one and never book another, and that's genuinely fine.
If the reason is an event, look at after-party cleaning. If it's urgent, last minute cleaning and emergency cleaning are both real options, not just marketing words.
Discover nowthe full range
Same day, week after week, on the same written list. Upkeep rather than rescue, for clients who work long hours or travel most weeks.
Discover all services
Call before about 11am and we can usually reach you the same day. Queens and north Brooklyn are easiest to fill.
Discover all services
Checkout at 11, check-in at 3. Linens reset, restocked, staged to your listing photos, damage flagged before the next guest finds it.
Discover all services
Wash, dry, fold and linens changed as part of a maid service visit, so the machine isn't still running when you get home.
Discover all services
Interior glass, sills and tracks. In a sealed tower the tracks hold more grit than the glass ever does.
Discover all services
Desks, kitchenette, glass and bathrooms, after hours or before opening, on a schedule that fits your week.
Discover all services
Closets, pantries and entryways sorted so the cleaning actually holds. Booked alongside a deep clean most often.
Discover all services
High-touch surfaces, handles, switches and soft furnishings after illness in the household. Products checked against EPA guidance.
Discover all services
Patient, unhurried visits for parents and grandparents who can't manage it themselves. Same cleaner wherever possible.
Discover all servicesgallery
Recurring plans
Set a rhythm and the discount applies to every visit, automatically. No contract, no cancellation fee, and you can change or pause it whenever you like.
For busy households and full schedules
25% off every visit
Your home never leaves its best state.
Cancel any time · no fee
Our most popular rhythm
15% off every visit
The sweet spot for most New York apartments.
Cancel any time · no fee
A steady reset on the calendar
10% off every visit
Keeps things from ever getting away from you.
Cancel any time · no fee
Discounts apply automatically to every visit for as long as you stay on the plan, and are quoted flat by home size before anyone arrives.
More help
This is the second most common question after price. A studio standard clean is about two hours with one cleaner. A one bedroom is two and a half to three. A two bedroom with two bathrooms runs three to four. Deep cleans roughly double those numbers, and a move-out on an empty two bedroom can be five hours with a pair. If a company quotes you ninety minutes for a two bedroom deep clean, something is getting skipped.
Because most New York bathrooms have no window. Moisture sits, grout absorbs it, and pink or black film shows up along the tub line within weeks. Running the exhaust fan for twenty minutes after a shower does more than any product, and if you don't have a fan, cracking the door helps. On our side, grout gets scrubbed on a deep clean, not wiped, which is why the difference is so visible. The CDC's household hygiene guidance is a reasonable plain-language starting point if you want to read up.
Never mix bleach with ammonia, or bleach with any acidic cleaner like vinegar or a lime-scale remover. It produces a toxic gas, and in a windowless New York bathroom that's genuinely dangerous, not a theoretical warning. If you've already sprayed one thing and want to switch, rinse the surface with plain water first and open a door.
We're not going to pretend otherwise. We don't do exterior windows above ground level, we don't move heavy furniture on our own, we don't handle mold remediation beyond surface cleaning, and we don't clean up after pests. We also won't touch anything you flag as fragile or irreplaceable unless you tell us how you want it handled. Say it up front and we'll work around it, or tell you honestly that you need a different trade.
Call (212) 812-9418 and describe the mess in whatever words come out. "The kitchen is bad and I have people coming Friday" is enough information for us to tell you what you need and what it costs. You can also look at the pricing page, the FAQ, or the guarantee if you'd rather read than talk. Reading up first? Try deep cleaning vs standard cleaning or apartment cleaning costs in New York City.
Questions
No. Most clients give us entry instructions or a key and go about their day. Tell us how you would like us to get in when you book.
Yes, everything is included: We've got you covered on all the essential cleaning products—think sprays, solutions, paper towels, and sponges.
However, for the strictest hygiene standards, we don't transport vacuums and mops between homes, as this can inadvertently spread bacteria or even bedbugs. To ensure a safe and sanitary clean, we kindly ask that you provide your own vacuum, mop, and toilet bowl brush if they're needed for the job.
Need an alternative? We're more than happy to bring a Swiffer mop with disposable wet pads instead—just give us a heads-up and we'll make it happen!
A screened, trained cleaner from our own team. We keep notes on your home, so whoever arrives already knows how you like it done and works the same written checklist.
Tell us within 24 hours and we come back and re-clean the area at no charge.
Weekly takes 25% off every visit, bi-weekly 15%, monthly 10%, applied automatically for as long as you stay on the plan. No contract, and you can pause or change it whenever you like.
Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, including Astoria, Long Island City, Forest Hills, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope and the Upper West Side. Ask if you are just outside those.
Card on file, charged after the visit. No deposit, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before your slot.
Testimonials
My elderly mother just returned from the hospital and I needed her home disinfected and perfectly clean. Green Hands was compassionate and efficient, sanitizing everything and getting rid of all the dust that had settled while she was away.
I booked Green Hands before hosting Thanksgiving dinner. They did a phenomenal job degreasing the kitchen, polishing the floors, and dusting all the high areas. My guests were incredibly impressed.
We just set up our new home office and the space was full of dust and cardboard debris. They scrubbed the floors and wiped down the baseboards so it was ready for video calls. Absolute pros.
After my sister's bridal shower the place was a mess, but Green Hands took care of everything, doing an exceptional job of restoring the entire home to a pristine condition.
Angela N.
Bayside, Queens
I needed a deep clean after a minor water leak to prevent mold and get rid of the musty odor. They sanitized the affected areas and deep cleaned the carpets. Restored my peace of mind.
My father has mobility issues and can't manage the cleaning anymore. They scrubbed the tub and got rid of the dust that had built up, making his home comfortable and safe again. He couldn't stop smiling.
Our whole family was recovering from the flu and we needed a sanitized environment. They disinfected all the high-touch surfaces and soft furnishings. The house felt clean and germ-free for the first time in weeks.
Where we help
Most of our cleaners live in Queens, so Queens and north Brooklyn get the widest choice of times. Manhattan below 96th Street we cover every day.
Queens
Brooklyn
All of Brooklyn22-16 79th Street
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
Ready when you are
Tell us your home size and pick a day. You get a flat quote before anyone arrives, and first-time clients save 10% with FIRST10.
Green Hands
Cleaning Services
Insured, background-checked cleaners serving Queens, Brooklyn & Manhattan since 2015.
📅 Book a cleaning →22-16 79th Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370, United States
