A Philadelphia rowhome cleans differently from a single-floor apartment. The rooms are stacked, so the stairs carry most of the traffic, the basement is its own decision, and an older house can raise real questions about radiators and dust from old plaster and paint. If you want the history of the house itself, our guide to Philadelphia row homes covers it. This post is the cleaning side: what the Hometress checklist covers on each floor, what it does not name, and what each choice costs, with the arithmetic shown.
What a rowhome clean covers, floor by floor
Every Hometress tier cleans the stairs and hallways, the kitchen, every bathroom and every bedroom on the same checklist, so a three-story rowhome gets the same 40 points on a Standard clean as any other home. The basement is the exception: it is not on the Standard or Deep checklist, so you add it (Sweep Finished Basement $35, or Clean Finished Basement $55) or book Move-in/out, which includes it. Radiators are not a named line on any of our checklists, and lead-paint dust is a job for an inspector, not a cleaner.
| Part of the house | What covers it | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Stairs and hallways | "Hallway & Staircases Vacuumed And/or Mopped" | Every tier |
| Floors on every level | "Floors Swept / Mopped / Vacuumed" and, in bedrooms, "Hardwood / Tile / Vinyl Swept and Mopped" | Every tier |
| Window sills | "Dust Window Sills / Ledges", plus "Clean Window Sills / Ledges" in bathrooms, bedrooms and the kitchen | Every tier |
| Vent covers | "Dust Accessible Vent Covers (up to 9ft)" and "Dust Kitchen Vent Covers (up to 9ft)" | Every tier |
| Interior window glass | Clean Interior Windows (6 Max), $60 add-on | Included in Move-in/out |
| Finished basement | Sweep Finished Basement $35 or Clean Finished Basement (30-mins) $55 | Included in Move-in/out |
| Radiators | Not a named line; write it in your Arrival notes | None |
The stairs: on every tier
In a rowhome the staircase is the one room every trip passes through. Our Standard checklist names it directly: "Hallway & Staircases Vacuumed And/or Mopped." That line carries up through Deep, Move-in/out and Dream Home, because each tier is the one below it plus ten more items. If your stairs are part of how your cleaner gets in (a second-floor unit, say), the "Stairs to apt" flag and the rest of the entry details live in our access guide, so we won't repeat them here.
One more reason to look at the stairs yourself: EPA lists "windows, doors and stairways" among the painted areas that rub together or get lots of wear, and asks owners of homes with lead-based paint to check them for "peeling, chipping, chalking or cracking paint." More on that below.
Radiators: what we can and cannot promise
We would rather tell you plainly: radiators are not a line on our Standard, Deep, Move-in/out or Dream Home checklists. Here is what the checklists do name that sits closest to it:
- Standard: "Dust Light Fixtures / Door Frames / Shelves (up to 9ft)", "Dust Accessible Vent Covers (up to 9ft)" and, in bedrooms, "Spot-Check Common Dust Areas".
- Deep: adds "Detailed Dusting Of Common Areas (30-mins)", the line with the most room for extra dusting.
- Dream Home: adds "Clean Outlets, Switches, And Vents" and "Clean Knobs, Cracks, and Crevices".
If dusting the radiators matters to you, say so in the optional Arrival notes card when you book. The note holds up to 500 characters and is recorded with your booking. Ask your cleaner about it on the day; we won't promise a line the checklist does not carry.
Plaster dust, old paint and what a cleaning is not
If your rowhome is older, you may wonder about dust from the walls and trim. We do not make claims about plaster, and a cleaning is not a lead inspection or lead removal. What we can point you to is what the public authorities say.
EPA's guidance on lead exposure at home explains that homes built before 1978 are more likely to contain lead-based paint, and worn painted surfaces can create dust. If lead paint is known or suspected, it recommends weekly damp cleaning and wet mopping. Where chipping or flaking paint has left visible dust, EPA says to use a HEPA-filter vacuum and avoid dry sweeping. It also warns against abrasive cleaning that can damage painted surfaces.
Our FAQ states that HEPA-filter equipment and plant-based, low-fragrance products are the default on every visit, not an upsell. That is a fact about our equipment, not a promise about lead. If you can see peeling or chipping paint, deal with the paint first: Philadelphia's Lead and Healthy Homes Program offers information and referrals at (215) 685-2788, and when a child's blood lead level tests at or above 3.5 µg/dL it sends a health educator and a licensed lead inspector to the home, free of charge. Renters, the City says, "should report peeling and chipping paint to their landlord."
Renovation dust is its own category. EPA's lead program requires firms performing renovation, repair or painting work that disturbs lead-based paint in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities to be trained and certified in lead-safe practices. That is a contractor's job. If work is happening on your block, tick the "Construction nearby" flag in Arrival notes, and the City says to call 311 if you have concerns about dust from construction or demolition.
Floors and windows
Floors on every level are on the Standard checklist: "Floors Swept / Mopped / Vacuumed" for the house, "Hardwood / Tile / Vinyl Swept and Mopped" in bedrooms and "Open Carpet Areas Vacuumed" in the kitchen. Window sills are on every tier too, along with "Clean Bedroom Blinds / Mirrors".
The glass is a separate choice. Clean Interior Windows (6 Max) is a $60 add-on, listed as "Streak-free · sills + glass", and adds about 35 minutes to the visit. Move-in/out already includes "Clean Interior Windows (6 max)".
What a rowhome clean costs, with the math
Prices are built from the tier, then bedrooms, bathrooms and a size band. Our cost guide's worked rowhome is 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths in the Spacious band (up to 3,000 sq ft); a smaller house picks Cozy (up to 2,500 sq ft), which adds nothing. The line-by-line receipt lives in our price breakdown; here is what the rowhome-specific choices do to it.
| Rowhome visit (3 bed, 1.5 bath) | Arithmetic | One-time total |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, Cozy band | $170 + $45 + $30 + $0 | $245 |
| Standard, Spacious band | $170 + $45 + $30 + $30 | $275 |
| Standard + Sweep Finished Basement | $275 + $35 | $310 |
| Standard + Clean Finished Basement | $275 + $55 | $330 |
| Standard + Clean Finished Basement + Interior Windows | $275 + $55 + $60 | $390 |
| Deep, Spacious band | $255 + $45 + $30 + $30 | $360 |
| Deep + Clean Finished Basement | $360 + $55 | $415 |
| Move-in/out, Spacious band (basement and 6 interior windows included) | $290 + $45 + $30 + $30 | $395 |
On a plan, the cadence discount applies to the whole subtotal, add-ons included, and to the first visit too. A Spacious Standard every 2 weeks is $275 × 0.90 = $247.50, about $248 as a whole-dollar budget estimate. Checkout charges to the cent; whole-dollar figures are budget estimates, not checkout rounding. Add the Clean Finished Basement to that plan and it is ($275 + $55) × 0.90 = $297 per visit. These ongoing plan rates exclude tax, tips, coupons, any first-clean offer and arrival-window adjustments.
Notice the second-to-last Standard row: $390 for a Standard with the basement and interior windows, against $395 for Move-in/out, a 60-point clean that includes both. Move-in/out is built for an empty or emptying house, though; its fridge and cabinet lines read "(must be clear)". In a lived-in rowhome, the Standard plus the two add-ons you actually need is usually the honest pick. For a clear, emptying home, Move-in/out bundles more checklist work for $5 extra ($395 - $390).
When a rowhome needs a Deep clean instead
Deep is Standard "plus 50% more cleaning time" and ten more items, including "Detailed Dusting Of Common Areas (30-mins)", "Wipe Down Refrigerator And Cabinet Tops (up to 9ft)" and "Deeply Scrub & Disinfect Bathtub / Showerhead". It is the right first visit for a house that has gone a while between cleanings, or after a project wraps up and the contractor has done their own cleanup. Each tier above it adds ten more items: 40, 50, 60 and 70 points.
Rowhome cleaning questions
Do you clean the basement on a regular visit?
Not unless you add it. The Standard and Deep checklists do not include a basement. Sweep Finished Basement ($35, "Steps + floors") or Clean Finished Basement (30-mins) ($55, "Sweep + vac + dust + mop") covers a finished one. Both add-ons are for finished basements; we do not list an add-on for an unfinished one.
Will you clean my radiators?
Radiators are not a named checklist line, so we will not promise it. Put it in your Arrival notes when you book; the note is recorded with your booking.
Can you clean up after a renovation in an older house?
A house cleaning is not lead-dust cleanup. If the work disturbed paint in a home built before 1978, EPA directs that work to certified renovators, and Philadelphia's Lead and Healthy Homes Program offers information and referrals. Once the contractor's cleanup is done, a Deep clean is a reasonable reset.
Is a three-story rowhome priced by the floor?
No. Price comes from the tier, bedrooms, bathrooms and the size band you choose, plus any add-ons. The number of floors is not a line on the receipt.
Do you clean outside Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is our bookable territory today, and the booking form checks your ZIP code. You can price your own rowhome on the booking page.