Last year when I was trying to clean my house, I faced lots of problems…….Thus, I thought! Why not create a house cleaning checklist that will reduce the headache that I faced last year? A good number of house cleaners go through several challenges. They don’t know where to start and how and when to clean what. Cleaning your own home shouldn’t be a burden but fun and something you should get used to.
A house may have different rooms but when you break down the chores in a series of steps, then, your work will become easier and you won’t feel the exhaustion. Follow our house cleaning tips in this post and have your home looking clean and sparkling.
Summary of Contents
70+ house cleaning checklist + tips and tricks
The house cleaning checklist below includes a lot of tasks to be carried out. We don’t mean that you should perform all of them at once or on a daily basis. There are some areas that need to be cleaned daily, weekly, monthly, after some months or even yearly. Cleaning the whole house is not easy and people do forget about cleaning some areas in the house where dust, dirt, and rust can creep up after some time.
My home cleaning checklist has made things easier for you by breaking down the different parts that you need to clean. Read on to know more about it and put them into practice. These are as follows:
Living room
This is the first room of the house which you should always keep clean and tidy. When people visit, they can gauge how clean you are by looking at your living room. The living room should be cleaned on a daily basis.
- Vacuum upholstery furniture – begin by cleaning your upholstery. But before you do so, you should vacuum the leather seats to remove dust and debris hiding in crevices. Then, dust and brush the leather upholstery to reduce the risk of scratching it. Other upholstery can be brushed using a soft bristled brush.
- Vacuum carpets – acquire a quality vacuum cleaner which should also be ideal for your carpet. Before vacuuming the carpet, pick up dust particles and other items that are big such as toys, paper clips, coins and much more. If you have pets in the house, you should vacuum the carpet more often.
- Dust surfaces, picture frames and shelves – after cleaning your entire living room, you should at least dust surfaces, picture frames, wall units, frames, and shelves. These places usually have dust which accumulates there over time. Dust them on a weekly basis.
- Polish wood – your wall unit and other furniture made of wood should be polished after being dusted. Buy a soft microfiber cloth and wood polish to use to give your furniture a shiny look. Instead of wood polish, you may as well mix vinegar and olive oil and use it to give your furniture a perfect finish.
- Sweep and mop hard floors – to effectively clean your floor, you will need a broom, carpet sweeper, cleaning detergent and microfiber flat mop. Start by sweeping the floor and then mop it. This should be done on a daily basis.
- Clean windows – assemble the right window cleaning equipment which includes a bucket with soapy water, a soft sponge, and a bristled brush. Ensure that no stains remain on the windows so that they can have a clear view.
- Dust electronics – if you don’t maintain your electronics, they will deteriorate very quickly. Dust is one of the things that damage electronics. So, wipe the dust off from your TV set, radio and other electronics in the living room. Do this on a weekly basis.
- Wash pillow covers – your sofas are one of the most used items in the house. As a result, your upholstery will get dirty with time. Ensure to clean seat covers and pillow covers. At least on a weekly basis.
- Organize all items – after cleaning your entire living room, you should get everything organized. Put back the pictures, seat pillowcase, and other electronics back to their position.
Kitchen
Being the place where food is prepared, the kitchen is an area that should always be kept clean. In addition, a high level of hygiene should be maintained. There are some sections of the kitchen that should be cleaned daily while others on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Wash and store up dishes – after every meal, you should clean the dishes right away so that they don’t accumulate in the sink and become a burden. Buy a quality dishwasher and dishwashing materials to clean your dishes and pots very well. Store up dishes that you don’t use on a regular basis.
- Wipe down countertops – the kitchen countertop is one of the busiest places in the kitchen. Here is where food is placed, chopped, sliced and diced from. Particles might remain on the countertop after being used. Ensure that you don’t forget to clean it and wipe down any food remains or dust. This is a task that should be carried on a daily basis.
- Scrub and disinfect the sink – as you wash dishes, soap and water spots might dry on the sink leaving it in a bad state. So, after you wash dishes, you should go ahead and scrub the sink and disinfect it. Use vinegar and a paper towel to remove stains and leave it shining.
- Wipe down cabinets – the cabinets in the kitchen get greasy and grimy quickly. To properly clean the kitchen cabinets, mix dishwashing detergent with water and vinegar. This solution is able to get rid of any stubborn grease.
- Wipe down stove tops – the stove is used to cook different foods. As a result, particles and cooking oil might splatter on the stove. Get a soft cloth and wipe down any stains or particles on the stove.
- Throw away spoiled food in the fridge, pantry, and freezer – if you always buy food in bulk, finishing all of it within a short period of time may be difficult. Always inspect food in the pantry, fridge, and freezer. If it’s spoilt, throw it away. Leaving such food inside the fridge may cause a bad smell
- Clean and disinfect the interior of the fridge and freezer – after getting rid of spoiled food in the fridge and freezer, you should clean and disinfect it. This way, you will get rid of all the smell in the fridge and freezer, if there is any.
- Clean microwave – a microwave is used for various purposes. Food residues and odors remain behind after long use. When washing a microwave, don’t use abrasive cleaners but instead use vinegar or lemon to clean and get rid of the baked on food residue.
- Organize items in the pantry and fridge – after cleaning and disinfecting your fridge, you should organize food and other stuff in the fridge and pantry. Keep everything organized for easy access.
- Organize cabinets and drawers – most of the kitchen appliances and utensils are kept inside the cupboard. Things like pans, pots and cook sets are kept in drawers or cabinets. Wash and organize them well on the drawers. Also, avoid placing wet utensils and cookware on the cabinet as moisture may lead the wood to spoil quickly.
- Wipe down appliances – kitchen appliances like bread machines, blenders, espresso machines, coffeemakers, ice cream makers and other appliances need to be cleaned inside and out. Most of these machines retain flavors and washing them regularly ensures that they are able to function without making the food to taste different or underperform.
- Clean kitchen window and windowsills – the kitchen window and windowsills should be cleaned weekly to get rid of the dust and dirt of them. Use a soft cloth to wipe away the dirt and a sponge to clean the windows.
- Empty trash – depending on the things that you buy and how often you cook, you may be needed to empty the trash almost on a daily basis. It’s not good to keep dumping food or other dirt in the trash.
- Clean the garbage can – after emptying the garbage can, you should clean it and if possible wash it with dishwashing detergent.
- Sweep and wash floors – the kitchen is a busy place and as a result, the floor gets dirty most of the time. Clean it on a daily basis in order to keep the floor in the best condition.
Dining
A dining area is a place that doesn’t need regular cleaning. As long as the trash can is emptied and tables and chairs are dusted, then maintaining the dining area shouldn’t be a problem. Also, ensure that the floor is mopped.
- Clean windows – to get the dining area clean, start with the windows in your dining room. Clean the windows together with the windowsills. Wipe away dust on a daily basis and thoroughly clean them on a weekly basis.
- Clean/polish table and chairs – start by wiping the dust off your dining table and chairs. Then, give them a wonderful finish by using wood polish. You can wipe the dining area daily and apply wood polish twice or thrice a week.
- Sweep and mop floors – the floor in the dining area is important just like the other floors in the house. After cleaning the table and chairs, sweep and mop the dining floor.
- Vacuum carpets – if you have set up a carpet in the dining area, you should as well clean it. Start by removing small food particles and other items. You can then go ahead and vacuum the carpet.
- Dust cabinets in the dining area – if you have any cabinets in the dining, then you should go ahead and clean it. Also, organize the items on the cabinets.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms should be cleaned on a daily basis by wiping surfaces with bacteria-killing solutions. These surfaces include the toilet, sink, tub, faucets, and handles.
- Scrub shower walls and fixtures – as you take a bath, the shower wall and fixtures get dirty with time. If left that way, mildew may develop on the wall and spots will be everywhere. Get rid of the grime, mildew, and spots on the shower wall and bathroom fixtures by cleaning it thoroughly.
- Scrub bathtub and sink faucet – also, you shouldn’t leave behind your bathtub and sink faucet when cleaning your bathroom. Scrub the stains and grime on the sink faucet and bathtub. Use a brush and detergent to properly clean them.
- Scrub toilet – a toilet is a very important section of every bathroom. Ensure that you take your time and properly scrub the toilet by paying much attention to the toilet bowl. Acquire a toilet scrubber and clean it on a daily basis.
- Wash bathroom curtains – all the curtains in your home should always be clean. Wash and change them regularly. Even if they are out of reach of guests, you will need to wash them more often. Changing them on a weekly basis isn’t a bad idea.
- Clean and organize cabinets and drawers in the bathroom – if you have any cabinets or drawers in the bathroom, ensure they are attended to. Wipe off the dust and clean them with soap or vinegar.
- Wash rugs – the rags in your toilet need to be changed, too. As your family members enter and leave the bathroom, these rags get dirty. Wash and replace them with clean dry rags.
- Clean tile and grout – sometimes, people overlook tiles and grout in their bathrooms or even on the sink. To effectively clean the grout, you should buy a grout cleaner or use diluted bleach. As you wash the bathroom, ensure that you give them a proper scrubbing.
- Wipe mirrors – if the bathroom mirrors aren’t clean, then you won’t be able to view yourself well. Clean the mirrors and ensure that they have no spots on them.
- Empty trash – if the trash can in the bathroom is full, empty it and return it to the bathroom.
- Wash trash can – clean the trash can and get rid of any odors in it.
Bedrooms
Not only is cleaning your room a sign of organization but as well it is great for your health. There are parts in the room that can hide dirt and dust if not cleanly regularly. Such a place is a closet.
- Wash bedding – for you to live a healthy life, the bedding that you sleep on should be cleaned regularly. This will minimize respiratory diseases that can be caused by inhaling of dirt and fungal particles from your beddings.
- Wash pillows and pillow covers – cleaning your pillows is also a good idea. People do sweat a lot and this can lead to skin irritation and other problems. Also, sleeping on dirty bedding can cause a breakout of eczema and dust mites. You don’t want these in your bedroom.
- Pick and organize clothes – keep your bedroom clean and tidy by ensuring that your clothes are stored neatly in the closet and the dirty ones are placed where they need to be.
- Wash curtains and drapes – whether you have curtains or drapes on your bedroom window, ensure that they are clean. Leaving the window open exposes curtains to dirt and dust. Clean and change them on a regular basis. Don’t wait until they are very dirty.
- Flip and rotate mattress – flipping and rotating your mattress will prolong its life of the mattress. After you flip it, vacuum it to get rid of any bugs that may be clinging to the other side of the mattress.
- Dust the dressing table – a dressing table is a place of grooming and beauty. Ensure that you clean it daily so that it has no dust or dirt on it. Use a soft cloth to wipe away the dirt.
- Dust light fixtures and bulbs – bulbs and other light fixtures get dirty with time. Don’t leave them out when cleaning your house. Wipe the dust off the light fixtures in your room. Don’t let them lose their real beauty through the accumulation of dirt or dust on them.
- Vacuum mattress – after years of using a mattress, dirt, debris, and dust might accumulate in its crevices. To clean and remove the stains on the mattress, it is important to first remove all the particles on it.
- Vacuum carpet
- Clean bedroom windows –follow the same procedure that we’ve discussed on the other windows earlier.
- Empty trash cans – throw away dust particles in the trash
- Dust shelves in the closet – if you don’t usually open your closet, then you should check it regularly. Dirt might accumulate inside the closet and this will spoil your clothes and other garments kept in it. Wipe off dust in the closet and on your clothes.
- Take clothes for dry cleaning – instead of leaving the clothes to pile up, take them for dry cleaning. This will help you keep the bedroom tidy.
Office
If you have an office at home, then you should sweep and clean it on a daily basis. Also, you will be needed to organize the files and documents to keep the office in good order.
- Dust desktops and furniture – since desktops and furniture aren’t covered by any cloth most of the time, dust can accumulate on them. Ensure that you wipe the dust off your office furniture every morning.
- Dust electronics – in addition, wipe down dust on electronics in the office. This includes the telephone, fax machine, and the printer.
- File documents – keep the office tidy by filing all the documents you receive in the office. Don’t leave them astray and not in order. Do this on a daily basis. This will as well ensure that you have all the files in the right place and that retrieving them becomes even easier.
- Refill office supplies – if you sense that some office supplies are missing, make sure that you replace them right away. Also, have a trash can to throw dust and trash in.
- Organize cabinets and drawers
- Backup or delete files – if you have files that are not needed anymore, you should dispose of them. Also, you have an option of deleting them.
- Vacuum carpet – keep the carpet in the office clean by cleaning and vacuuming it.
- Sweep and clean the floor – sweep and wash the floor. You don’t want to have an unhealthy or dusty working environment as it’s not good for your health.
- Empty trash can
Basement or garage
Although a garage is usually hidden and mostly out of bounds from guests, you should still clean it. Car leakages and repairs can leave your garage in a bad condition. Ensure that you clean it at least once a week or after every two weeks.
- Keep tools and supplies – constantly put away the tools that aren’t being used. Things like a machete, tape measure, hammer, utility knife, car jacks, trolley, hacksaw, battery chargers and all other garage tools that you might have.
- Sweep and mop the floor – the basement or garage floor might get dirty as there are oil spills and other debris. Sweep the floor and mop it properly. Do this every weekend after washing your vehicle.
- Dust and organize shelves – all the garage tools should be kept well and organized in the shelves and drawers in the garage.
- Empty trash can
- Clean out cars – don’t leave your car dirty by cleaning it twice or even thrice a week. Most people prefer cleaning the car on weekends. After washing your car, you can go ahead and clean the entire garage.
Laundry/utility room
After cleaning your laundry, you should clean the laundry room, too. This can be done every time you clean laundry.
- Dust light fixtures
- Sweep and clean floor
- Clean laundry sink and fixtures – after cleaning your clothes, you should as well clean the laundry sink and its fixtures. Don’t leave the laundry area in a bad state after cleaning your clothes.
- Clean laundry countertop –
- Clean washer and dryer interior and exterior – attend to the washing machine by cleaning it at least after two weeks or after continued use. Clean inside and outside of the washer.
- Organize cleaning supplies
- Empty trash can
Stairs/entry/hallways
Many busy moms forget about the ceilings and staircases. Ensure that you clean these areas on a weekly basis to keep your house tidy.
- Vacuum rags
- Dust cobwebs on the ceiling – cobwebs are a common thing in every home. Get rid of them by cleaning the ceiling using a brush attachment. Concentrate on corners as it’s where cobwebs normally form. Also, wipe the dust off staircases and clean the stairs, too.
- Sweep and mop floors
Conclusion
Why hire a cleaner when you can do the cleaning yourself? As you can see from above, cleaning is a daunting task but it can be done in a series of steps. At first, I found it hard to clean the entire house. But as I do speak now, I do it joyfully and very fast. That’s why I wanted to share my experience with the stay at home moms and other cleaners out there who are facing the same challenges I faced earlier.
Cleaning your beautiful residence shouldn’t be a burden to any person. All you need is to know is when, where, and how to clean what in your home. By doing this, no corner of your home will accumulate with dirt or dust. Hope you’ve found my house cleaning checklist above to be helpful.
Make your house shiny again with my home cleaning list!!
