Brand-new handover or lived-in rental: which clean do you need?
The two need different work, and the price follows the work. Tell us which one you have and send photos; the quote states which rate applies.
| Your apartment | What is in it and what it needs |
|---|---|
| Newly handed over by the developer | It looks clean at a glance, but a hand along a cupboard top or an open drawer shows fine white dust, and labels, film and silicone smears are still on the fittings. Charged at the new-handover rate. |
| Newly built or renovated, with cement, paint or sealant over wide areas | Thick cement dust, paint and mortar on glass and tiles, and site waste. This is post-construction cleaning: more passes, specialist tools, and a price confirmed after a survey. |
| Previously lived in: a furnished rental or a resale | No site dust, but grease on the kitchen cabinets, limescale in the bathrooms, smells in the fridge and sweat in the mattress. Charged at the deep-clean rate. |
Where does construction dust hide in a newly handed-over apartment?
In the places a quick wipe misses. The dust comes from cutting tiles, grouting and drilling for cabinets, and it hangs in the air for days before it settles.
| Place | What you find |
|---|---|
| Kitchen cupboards and drawers | Sawdust from the hinge holes and stone dust from the worktop. Vacuum first, then wipe damp, including the runners and the tops of the wall units. |
| Sliding-door tracks | Sand, dried mortar and aluminium filings, which make the door heavy and wear the rollers. |
| Vents, extractor fans and downlights | Dust that blows out the first time the aircon or the fan is switched on. |
| Timber floors and skirting | White dust in the joints. A wet mop turns it into a haze, so vacuum dry first. |
In what order should you clean before moving in?
Clean too early and the fitters come back to drill; clean too late and the furniture blocks the corners. This order avoids both.
- Finish everything that makes dust: curtain rails, shelves, lights, aircon installation and defect repairs.
- Clean the aircon units first or in the same visit, so that their dust does not fall on a mopped floor.
- Clean the whole apartment while it is empty: cupboard interiors, kitchen, bathrooms, glass, then floors.
- Clean any mattress and sofa already there, and ventilate until they are fully dry.
- Bring in furniture and boxes, and unpack into clean cupboards. A quick clean afterwards gets the floors back.
What can you clean yourself, and what needs equipment?
Light dust and water-based marks are within reach of a careful owner. Cement film, oil-based paint and natural stone are where new surfaces get damaged.
| Job | Yourself or a specialist |
|---|---|
| Fine dust on floors and in cupboards | Yourself. Vacuum dry first, because cement dust mixed with water dries as a thin film. Then mop several times with clean water until the cloth shows no white streaks. |
| Dried water-based paint on glazed tiles | Yourself. Lay a warm, damp cloth on the spot for a few minutes, lift the paint with a plastic scraper, and dab what is left with isopropyl alcohol. |
| Mortar and cement film on tiles | A specialist, unless the area is small and the tiles are glazed. Cement removers are acidic and corrosive: never use them on marble, limestone, travertine, terrazzo or unglazed tiles, and never mix them with chlorine bleach. If you do it yourself, test a hidden tile, follow the label and wear gloves and eye protection. |
| Oil-based paint | A specialist. It needs the matching solvent, which is flammable and can stain coloured grout. |
How do you get rid of new apartment paint smell?
Ventilate; most household tricks only cover the smell. As paint dries it releases volatile organic compounds into the air, most in the first days and less over time, and new furniture board, adhesives, flooring, curtains and carpets add to it. Air the whole apartment, with built-in wardrobes, kitchen cupboards and new drawers left open.
There is no single timetable: it depends on the paint, the number of coats and the airflow, and oil-based paint, wood paint and varnish last considerably longer than water-based wall paint. To test, close a room for a few hours and then walk in; if the smell is still clear, keep ventilating. A household with young children should wait until the paint is fully dry and the room passes that test.
| Method | Does it reduce the smell? |
|---|---|
| Cross-ventilation | Yes, more than anything else. Open doors or windows on opposite sides and set a fan near a window, blowing outwards. In a high-rise, keep the safety latches on when children are home, and close up in heavy rain or strong wind. |
| Activated carbon | It helps when a room has to stay closed, as bags in a wardrobe or as the carbon layer of an air purifier. A HEPA filter alone holds particles only. |
| Pineapple, onion, vinegar, scented candles, incense, room spray | No. They put another smell on top of the paint. Cut fruit can spoil and attract insects, and candles, incense and sprays add compounds to the air. |
| Closing the windows and running the aircon | No. A wall-mounted aircon cools the air already in the room and brings in none from outside. |
| Ozone generator | Not recommended while people or pets are in the room; ozone can irritate the airways. |
| Odour treatment as a service | UpClean quotes new-paint odour work after a survey of the home. |
Should the aircon, mattress and sofa be cleaned before you move in?
Clean the aircon unless it is new, stayed wrapped during the works and has never run. In a new apartment the aircon is often installed before the fitters finish, so wood and plaster dust sits on the filter and the coil; in a rental you do not know when it was last cleaned. The specialist checks the filter first and tells you if cleaning is not needed.
A mattress, sofa or fridge left by the landlord or the previous owner is cleaned at its own listed price. Old stains may fade without disappearing; the specialist tells you before starting.
| Item | UpClean price |
|---|---|
| Aircon | Wall-mounted, 1–1.5 HP: 250,000 VND per unit, and three in one visit come to 725,000 VND after the volume discount. 2 HP and above: 300,000 VND. Free gas-pressure check and a 90-day warranty. |
| Mattress | Single 350,000 VND, queen (1.6 m) 450,000 VND, king (1.8–2 m) 550,000 VND. |
| Sofa | Fabric 130,000 VND per seat, leather 160,000 VND per seat. Minimum 390,000 VND per visit. |
| Fridge | 1–2 doors 350,000 VND; side-by-side or 4-door 500,000 VND. |
How much does move-in cleaning cost?
The price is the floor area multiplied by the rate for your kind of apartment, and not less than the minimum per visit. A newly handed-over apartment is 22,500 VND per m² (minimum 1,350,000 VND), which is 1.5 times the deep-clean rate. A lived-in apartment with no building work is 15,000 VND per m² (minimum 900,000 VND).
The figures below are for the clean alone. Add-ons are separate lines in the quote, and any change after the quote needs your written agreement.
| Floor area | Price of the clean |
|---|---|
| 50 m², one bedroom | Newly handed over: 1,350,000 VND (the minimum applies). Lived in: 900,000 VND (the minimum applies). |
| 70 m², two bedrooms | Newly handed over: 1,575,000 VND. Lived in: 1,050,000 VND. |
| 100 m², three bedrooms | Newly handed over: 2,250,000 VND. Lived in: 1,500,000 VND. |
What should you prepare for cleaning day: keys, power and building rules?
- Power and water must be on: the clean needs water, and electricity for the vacuum. If they are not connected yet, tell us beforehand.
- Many buildings ask you to register outside staff, lift use or working hours with building management. We send the specialists' names and photos in advance for that.
- You do not need to be there, even if you are still abroad. A key or access card can be left with reception, building management or someone you authorise, and each handover and return is confirmed by message. The walk-through, the short check of the work at the end of the visit, can be done by video call.
- The Up Report, the photo report sent after every visit, notes scratches, damp marks and peeling seen during the clean, for your discussions with the developer or landlord. It is not a technical inspection, and UpClean does not check the apartment for defects.
What UpClean does for a move-in clean, and how to book
UpClean cleans the empty apartment at the rate that matches its condition, adds aircon, mattress, sofa and fridge cleaning in the same visit if you want them, and sends an Up Report with before-and-after photos. You pay after the walk-through, by bank transfer or cash, and an item within the agreed scope is redone free of charge when you tell us within 48 hours of receiving the report.
Send the floor area, whether the unit is new or lived in, the furniture already there and your moving date, with photos or a video, to 0968 726 135 by WhatsApp or Zalo, or call that number between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on any day of the week. Quotes, booking confirmations and reports can be in English.
- Instant quote
- Choose the home type and enter the floor area to see an estimate.
- Book a visit
- Send the request online; we confirm the scope, the price and the time in writing.
- Where we work
- Regularly in An Khanh ward (Sala, Thu Thiem, Thao Dien, An Phu), Phu My Hung, Binh Thanh and the former Districts 1, 3 and 4. Wards replaced districts in July 2025, though people still say District 2 and District 7.
Frequently asked questions
The developer handed the apartment over clean. Does it need cleaning again?+
Usually yes. Developers tend to clean the visible surfaces only. Cupboard interiors, drawers, door tracks, vents and floor joints still hold fine dust, which ends up on your plates, clothes and bedding if you unpack straight away.
Should I clean before or after the furniture is delivered?+
After all drilling and fitting is finished, and before mattresses, sofas, curtains and boxes arrive. If fitters return afterwards, the new dust has to be cleaned again.
How long does a move-in clean take?+
It depends on the floor area, the number of bathrooms, the amount of cupboard space and the level of dust. Post-construction cleaning of an apartment usually takes one to two days. The number of specialists and the expected time are written in the quote.
Can I book before I have the keys?+
Yes. Hold a date for the expected handover and change it free of charge with at least 24 hours' notice. The price is confirmed once we have photos or a survey of the apartment as it is.
Will cleaning remove the paint smell?+
Cleaning removes paint dust, plaster dust and paint spots. It does not remove the smell of paint that is still drying, which fades with ventilation. With water-based paint and good airflow, the smell usually drops clearly within a few days.
Do you remove construction waste?+
Small debris, packaging, tape and protective film are taken to the building's collection point. Bulk rubble and leftover materials are for the contractor to remove, or are moved under building management's rules.
