House cleaning is not a simple one-go-all-done activity. It’s a bit complex with many small things to be done either now or soon to keep the entire area spotless.
Rather than cleaning randomly, having a clear goal in mind may make you more efficient. That is why we created a complete house cleaning checklist here for you.
By printing and using this checklist, you won’t miss cleaning the important places or aspects of your home. And soon, you’ll be able to incorporate them into your daily routine automatically.
But first, you should know how to clean correctly in order.
How to Clean Correctly in Order
A lot of people try to take the short route toward the goal. For instance, they vacuum before dusting their belongings and furniture or immediately mop the floor without having swept it first.
More often than not, doing them won’t be efficient because it would only defeat the purpose of cleaning your house.
Doing this, instead of making the house cleaner, you unintentionally make it dirtier, and so you only waste your time and effort. But here’s the proper way to clean your house or room in order:
1) Inspect and sort your belongings
Before any cleaning is done, examine your belongings throughout the room. There can be clutter: those that you won’t use anymore, want to donate or recycle, or throw away.
Sort them out, proceed to keep those you will use or give to friends and family, and dispose of what you don’t need.
This is the smart way of doing it simply because the less clutter you have, the less cleaning you will do.
2) Dust the room
Having sorted out the clutter, you can start dusting the room using a dry cloth, duster, or small broom and dustpan.
Go at the dust-exposed parts of books and floating shelves. Brush off the dirt and dust with a cloth, and wipe the moisture on your decor items and figurines one by one.
3) Vacuum the room
After dusting is just the right time to vacuum the room. The reason is that dusting sends off dust in the air, which you can vacuum along with those that have fallen to the ground.
Vacuum the dust, crumbs, pet hair, or other small particles off your hardwood, laminate, or tile floor. Also, using the upholstery attachment, do the same for your living room sofa and carpets.
Alternatively, you can sweep the place you’re at. Note that vacuuming and sweeping have the same end goal in mind, though the former is a lot more versatile.
4) Mop the floor
Especially if an area gets a lot of foot traffic, mop the floor to take out grimy and muddy footprints.
Start from the furthest side of the room and finish at the entrance to keep from transferring dirt from outside. Then, rinse the mop every time you have cleaned a 16-square-foot area.
5) Sanitize or disinfect the room
Afterward, pour disinfectant on a different cleaning cloth (but not too much) and wipe the light switches, door knobs, and tables—which the household often uses.
But don’t do this on wooden tables, as it can cause them to be damaged and discolored. Use a dry cloth, and you may decide to polish it to make it lustrous and prolong its lifespan too.
You can also use an air cleaner or vaporizer to sanitize the entire room. This is particularly effective to combat viruses and bacteria, especially if you or your family go out a lot.
Home Cleaning Checklist
With that in mind, here is our full checklist for cleaning different areas of your house thoroughly:
Kitchen
- Clean the countertops
- Clean the stove
- Clean the oven
- Clean the microwave
- Clean the dishwasher
- Clean the refrigerator
- Wipe the shelves and drawers in the fridge
- Clean the fridge seal
- Dust top surfaces of the fridge, rangehood, and microwave
- Dust off the floor mats
- Pour hot water on the kitchen drain to loosen oil or food debris
- Wipe the walls and baseboards
- Mop floors
Bathroom
- Remove expired grooming and cosmetic products and medications
- Clean the mirror
- Clean the shower and bathtub
- Clean the showerhead
- Remove the tile grout
- Clean the walls and floors
- Clean the vanity
- Clean the toilet
- Replace the shower curtains
- Mop the floor
Dining Room
- Clean the table
- Arrange the food, fruits, and snack items
- Wipe the furniture with a natural cleaning solution
- Dust blinds
- Dust the curtains and curtain rod
- Clean the windowsills
- Wash the windows
- Clean the ceiling fan
- Shampoo the rugs or carpet
- Launder the table sheets
- Wipe the walls
- Wipe the baseboards
Bedrooms
- Throw away unneeded things
- Tidy up your things
- Organize the closet
- Vacuum the bed
- Vacuum the floor
- Replace and wash the bedding (including pillow and bedsheets, duvets, and blankets)
- Clean the air-conditioning frame
- Remove mold and mildew on the walls
- Clean the carpet
- Dust blinds
- Dust the curtains and curtain rod
- Clean the table
- Sweep under the bed and other nooks and crannies
- Flip the mattress to prevent it from sinking in one spot
Living Room
- Dust and polish the furniture
- Dust and clean decor items
- Vacuum the carpet
- Clean the TV
- Use the dehumidifier to purify the air
- Sweep the floor
- Dust and clean the lampshades
- Dust blinds
- Dust the curtains and curtain rod
- Clean the windowsills
- Wash the windows
- Clean or wash the throw pillows and blanket
Laundry Room
- Clean the washing machine
- Clean the dryer vent
- Clean the lint trap
- Mop the floor
- Organize laundry supplies
- Wipe the walls
- Wipe the baseboards
Entrance
- Sweep the floor
- Dust the floormat
- Clean the door
- Wipe the baseboards
- Wipe the walls
- Organize shoes
- Hang hats, jackets, and coats
Garage
- Sort tools, spare parts, and sports equipment
- Sweep or mop the floor
- Wipe down the walls
- Clean the garage door or frame (be careful when doing this)
- Replace garage door batteries
- Open up the windows and garage door for ventilation
- Clean the windows
Throughout the house
- Call a gutter cleaning pro to pick up leaves and debris on the gutters
- Hire an air duct cleaner to keep your indoor air clean
- Clean light fixtures
- Clean air-conditioning filters
- Replace flickering light bulbs
- Sanitize light switches
- Sanitize door handles
- Tidy up the backyard or garden
