Using a detailed house cleaning checklist can help you thoroughly clean your house and have the time to enjoy it!

House Cleaning Checklist: Make Sure Your Home is Clean and Comfortable

Cleaning Efficiently Will Protect Your Household and Your Free Time

Simplify Your Cleaning Process Using This Effective Checklist

Keeping your home clean doesn’t have to take all your free time. By splitting cleaning processes down into daily, weekly, monthly, annual and seasonal tasks, you can easily stay on top of dirt and dust in your home. If you have someone with allergies or asthma, there are cleaning processes you may need to alter and a house cleaning checklist can help.

It’s important to note that organizing or decluttering your home and cleaning your home are different processes. If your home is cluttered or disorganize, cleaning it will be harder. Keeping clutter under control is critical to quick, efficient cleaning.

Daily cleaning

Dishes are a critical daily cleaning task. Dishes that sit will take longer to clean as they’ll have dried-on gunk that will take more time and attention. If you have a dishwasher, a simple habit to use is to empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning so all dirty dishes can immediately be loaded. If you run the dishwasher after the last meal of the day, everything will be clean by morning.

Wipe down all counters once a day, both kitchen and bath with a simple sanitizing wipe or spray. Sweep the kitchen floor and put away clean clothes so that hampers and baskets are empty. In the end make your bed.

Weekly cleaning

Tidy and organize. If you generally clean on Saturday, spend 30 minutes on Friday night putting things away. Remotes can go in a basket on the coffee table. Books can go back on shelves.

On a weekly basis, laundry is key. Wash bedding, rugs, bathroom linens, and kitchen towels. Sanitize your tub, shower, bathroom counters and toilets. Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans.

While all this laundry is happening, take the time to thoroughly vacuum each space. Take the sofa apart and vacuum fabric cushions on dining room chairs. Dust flat surfaces, polish your favorite pieces of furniture, and wipe down all the mirrors. Sweep and mop, or vacuum, floors as appropriate.

Monthly cleaning

With tidying habit firmly in place, now is the time to focus on odor as well. Clean out the refrigerator and freezer, tossing anything that may be questionable. Empty all the trash containers and give them a scrub, inside and out, with your favorite cleaning fragrance.

Run hot water down garbage disposal and consider adding a bit of vinegar to the water to freshen the drain and clear away gunky grease. Next, wipe down kitchen cabinets and sanitize all the switch covers.

Get out all the vacuum cleaner attachments and pay special attention to the tops of baseboards. Carefully vacuum the top of curtains and the crevices in upholstered furniture. Windowsills and blinds can also be checked for dust and dirt.

Seasonal cleaning

Seasonal cleaning is an ideal time to also do a deep decluttering. If you are gearing up for spring cleaning, go through your sweaters and donate what didn’t get worn. If items are stained or just not your favorite, donate or discard them. Vacuum closets after wiping down all the shelving.

In the kitchen, clean the oven and go through all cupboards. Your oven cleaning schedule may have to change depending on usage. Wipe down the shelves and discard items that are past their “use by” date. If you have duplicates, such as colanders and mixing bowls, donate the ones you never use.

Annual cleaning

On your annual house cleaning checklist, it’s important to focus on getting the most out of your possessions. Turn the mattress and, as possible, furniture cushions. Pull out appliances and clean behind them. Check the filter on the furnace and make sure that dryer lint trap and pipe are free of debris.

Check the drinking water filter and ice machine on the refrigerator. Get air ducts checked by a professional to make sure you don’t have dust, mouse droppings or dirt building up in them.

Cleaning Tips for Each Room of Your Home

Whether your task is a house cleaning or an apartment cleaning, each space can be cleaned more efficiently with tips that are specific to the space. For example, if you snack in front of the television, your living room may need more attention than bedroom.

Kitchen

The kitchen counter can become a dumping ground for books, backpacks, mail and other non-kitchen items. If mail stacks up on the counter, put it in a basket. If your deep cleaning process is delayed by school books, create cubbies for children. Clean the kitchen, or at least load the dishwasher and wipe the countertops, before bed each night.

Dining room

Keep a mild disinfecting spray in your dining room and wipe down table before each meal. If the table is a wooden antique, consider covering it in a vinyl tablecloth for most nights so you can keep the surface disinfected, especially if you have children. Sweep under the dining room table when you sweep the kitchen before bed if you have little ones or pets.

Living room

Note what gets left in the living room and get your household to put their things away at bedtime. Even very little children can get into the habit of putting toys in a basket that a grown-up can then carry up the stairs. Consider spritzing cushions with a fabric freshening spray before you leave for the day; odors can build up in upholstered furniture that gets a lot of use.

Bedroom

Be vigilant about staying on top of dust in the bedroom. Even if you don’t have allergies, a dusty bedroom can make it hard to breathe easy overnight. Try to use unscented products to clean your bedroom; again, the air quality in this space is critical.

Bathroom

If your bathroom gets a lot of use, consider keeping disinfecting wipes or spray nearby. Before you jump in the shower, wipe down the countertops and toilet. Scrub the bowl if needed, then take your shower. If you have hard water and find that shower surround gets dingy over time, spray it down with a mild vinegar solution after you shower.

Recommended Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products

• Disinfectant (bleach based) for bathroom cleaning
• Disinfecting wipes for shared surfaces
• Wood polish
• Abrasive cleaner for solid surfaces
• Degreasing cleaner for kitchen surfaces
• Neutral air freshener

Cleaning tools

• Rags/Paper towels
• Toilet scrubbing brush
• Extendable dusting tool for light fixtures and ceiling fan blades
• Vacuum with appropriate tools
• Microfiber towels for dusting
• Broom/mop

Protective gear

• Rubber gloves
• Eye protection (if cleaning over your head)
• Breathing mask if using oven cleaner

Quick Tips for Keeping Your House Clean

Even if you don’t always have time for deep cleaning, a posted cleaning checklist can help. Older children can assist with the cleaning schedule with an assigned project off the cleaning checklist template each day. Small children can help by returning items to the right location, or at least putting them in a gathering container, as they get ready for bed.

Be ready to tweak your ultimate house cleaning checklist. Start with a printable cleaning schedule that you can post on the refrigerator, as kitchens are the spaces that often need the most daily attention.

You can also shorten your weekly cleaning schedule by putting everyone in the house to work. You can be the person to use the ceiling fan duster while a child can wipe down wooden furniture with a microfiber cloth, sprayed with polish. Another child can follow along and use the vacuum cleaner.

Reduce Your Cleaning Burden With MaidThis Cincinnati

If your schedule leaves no room for apartment cleaning or house cleaning, bring in a professional. If you can handle the weekly cleaning but have no time for deep cleaning, bringing in skilled maids once a quarter can be a wonderful gift.

You can provide MaidThis Cincinnati cleaners with a cleaning checklist to cover exactly what you need done. These skilled and well-trained maids can help you stay on top of tasks that are just not an option with your current workload. Hiring a team to provide professional cleaning services so you can enjoy your home is an excellent investment!