Inside a deep clean: 214 points, 4 hours, 2 pros

At 8:58 am Lukas and Maja knock on a fourth-floor door in Fort Greene. The client has a newborn, a cat and a long-overdue list. Four hours later the home will have been touched, top to bottom, at 214 specific points.

09:00 — the walk-through

Five minutes, a notepad and a lot of listening. The client wants the nursery dust-free, the oven rescued and the grout in the shower brought back to white. Everything else follows the standard.

09:10 — divide and conquer

Maja takes wet areas: kitchen and bathroom. Lukas takes dry areas: bedrooms, living room, hallway. Each works ceiling to floor, left to right, so no surface is touched twice.

“The checklist isn't there to slow us down. It's there so nobody ever has to remember.”

12:40 — the inspection

• 20-point final walk with a flashlight
• Photo report sent to the client
• Shoe covers off at the door
• Feedback logged for the next visit