A method for operating a cleaning device that automatically moves within an environment, wherein the cleaning device cleans a surface according to a prescribed work plan, wherein a detection device of the cleaning device detects contamination levels of several partial surface areas of the surface, wherein a cleaning operation of the cleaning device is varied as a function of the detection result, wherein an overall contamination level is determined for the surface from the contamination levels of several partial surface areas, and the cleaning operation is performed with cleaning parameters identical to the overall contamination level for the entire surface. In order to create an alternative to conventional operating methods, the determined overall contamination level is compared with at least one reference contamination level, specifically with an overall contamination level determined during a chronologically preceding cleaning activity.