Move-Out Cleaning Cost in the Seattle Area (2026)

Move out cleaning cost in the Seattle area in 2026: market ranges, our prices at $120/hr for two, what is included, carpet. Text for a written price.

By Yuri and Tatiana, owners of Shining Cleanse LLC, a family cleaning company based in Everett, WA and licensed in 10 cities across Snohomish and King County.

Move-out cleaning in the Seattle area typically costs about $375–$575 for a 2-bedroom unit, according to HireAHelper’s cost guide (updated December 2025). We price move-out cleaning by work hours at $60 each: $360 for a 1-bedroom (6 work hours), $540 for a 2-bedroom and $720 for a 3-bedroom, with fridge, oven and interior windows included.

The number on an ad is rarely the number you pay, so this guide puts published market ranges, our own prices and the common add-ons side by side.

How much does move-out cleaning cost in the Seattle area?

HireAHelper’s guide publishes a national table by home size and a separate Seattle figure, and places Seattle among the higher-cost cities because local labor costs more. These are market ranges, not our prices:

The same guide says cleaners typically charge $40–$75 per hour per cleaner, that most move-out jobs take 4–8 hours, and that cleaning inside an oven or fridge can add $25–$75 each. Those details explain most of the gap between a low ad and a final invoice: two cleaners working five hours at those rates is $400–$750 before add-ons.

Treat these as ranges, not quotes. They do not tell you what a specific company includes, and that is where prices really differ.

How much does a move-out cleaning cost for a 2-bedroom apartment?

With us, $540 for an empty 2-bedroom: 9 work hours at $60, which is two of us for about 4.5 hours, confirmed in writing before the visit. That is in the upper half of the published Seattle range, with the oven, fridge and interior windows included rather than added.

Our prices sit above the national ranges in the market table and inside the Seattle 2-bedroom range. The hourly rate is the fairer comparison: $120 an hour for two cleaners ($60 per person-hour) falls inside the guide’s $40–$75 per cleaner per hour. If a job needs more time than booked, we text you before the booked hours are up and continue only with your written yes. Every price we publish is on our pricing page. The same prices apply in Kirkland, Lynnwood and our other licensed cities north and east of Seattle. Smaller unit? Here is what a 1-bedroom or studio clean costs, move-out included.

Before

After

What is included in a move-out clean?

Everything a property manager is likely to open, wipe or look behind in an empty unit is in our price:

• Kitchen: inside every cabinet and drawer, including shelves, tracks and hinges; oven degreased with racks soaked; fridge shelves removed and washed; microwave, dishwasher filter and range hood.
• Bathrooms: tub and shower descaled, tile and grout steamed with dry steam, toilet inside and around the base, vanity inside and out, mirror, exhaust fan cover, floor.
• Every room: baseboards washed, walls spot-cleaned, closets wiped inside, interior windows with tracks and sills, light fixtures and ceiling fans.
• Floors: hardwood mopped, tile scrubbed, vinyl cleaned, carpet vacuumed.
• Before-and-after photos sent to you by text or email.

Not included: carpet extraction (below), full wall washing, patching or repairs, hauling items left behind, exterior windows above 8 feet, and hoarding-condition or biohazard cleanouts. When comparing quotes, check each of these lines. A lower price that leaves out the oven, fridge and windows often ends up close to a price that includes them. Selling rather than renting? Read whether you have to clean a house before closing in Washington.

Is carpet cleaning included in a move-out clean?

Not in ours: it is a separate, fixed-price add-on. Our move-out carpet cleaning is $220 for a studio or 1-bedroom, $226 for a 2-bedroom and $276 for a 3-bedroom, and $20 less per unit in the same visit as our move-out clean.

That covers all wall-to-wall carpet in an empty unit: pre-vacuum, hot water extraction and a dated photo report. Stairs are $5 per step, pet odor treatment is $52 per affected area, and heavy soil is agreed from photos before we come. Carpet is usually dry to walk on in 4–8 hours. For occupied apartments, see carpet cleaning cost for a 2-bedroom apartment.

Do you need it at all? Check your lease and move-in checklist. Under RCW 59.18.280, a landlord may not deduct for carpet cleaning unless they document wear to the carpet beyond ordinary use. This is general information, not legal advice; our guide to whether a landlord can charge for cleaning in Washington covers the rest.

What makes a move-out clean cost more or less?

Size and condition set the price. A fully empty unit that was cleaned regularly fits the standard hours; heavy grease, hard-water scale or things left behind take longer.

• Size: bedrooms and bathrooms more than square footage, because kitchens and bathrooms take the most time.
• Condition: baked-on oven grease, thick shower scale and pet hair in every corner add hours.
• Whether it is empty: boxes and furniture slow everything down and hide the floor edges inspectors check.
• Carpet, stairs and pet odor, priced separately, as above.
• Timing: a fixed inspection date leaves less room to reschedule. Text us at least 48 hours ahead when you can.

We set the hours from 2–4 photos of the kitchen and bathrooms. If the unit turns out much worse than described, we tell you before we start and you decide; the written price does not change on site without your yes. Landlords can see the other side in our move-out checklist for landlords.

Is a move-out clean cheaper than losing part of the deposit?

Often, when the possible charge is bigger than the cleaning. Compare the price of hiring it out with the cleaning charge you would risk on the deposit statement, and add the value of a long day in a week when you are already moving.

Doing it yourself costs far less in cash. The spots people most often miss are the ones inspectors open: oven door glass, fridge door seals, the dishwasher filter, the tops of upper cabinets, window tracks and the baseboard behind each door. Our move-out cleaning checklist for Washington tenants lists them room by room, and our list of move-out cleaning mistakes covers the rest. Either way, take dated photos of every room when you finish.

Our job

FAQ

Do move-out cleaners charge by the hour or a flat rate?

Both exist. HireAHelper’s guide puts hourly rates at $40–$75 per cleaner. We charge by work hours too, $60 per person per hour, but we confirm the number of hours in writing from photos before we come and do not go past it without texting you for a yes.

Does a house cost more than an apartment to clean at move-out?

We price by bedroom count and condition, not building type. A house often has more bathrooms, stairs or a garage, which add time; a garage is a $106 add-on. Text photos and we price the actual home.

Can the clean happen after I return the keys?

Yes, if the landlord or manager lets us in or leaves a lockbox code. It is usually better before the final walk-through, so the inspection sees the clean unit and your photos come first.

Get a written price

Text 2–4 photos of the kitchen and bathrooms, your unit size and move-out date to (425) 539-5492 or request a written quote. We reply with a written price the same business day (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm).

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