Your Complete Home Cleaning Checklist
A complete guide to the what and when of cleaning your home (plus a printable checklist)
Living in our modern world might present some challenges (like the Instacart shopper who routinely picks out rotten produce. Seriously, people?), but here’s one good thing about this era of human history: you don’t have to know everything. Gone are the days of finding a book or encyclopedia when you have a question… or, making a (potentially embarrassing) phone call to ask someone else. Nope, we just hit Google, and the world’s information is ours.
So take a deep breath. There’s no shame in not knowing the who, what, and when of keeping your home sparkling clean. You’ve got enough other irons in the fire to spend precious resources on remembering how often you should fluff your pillows or vacuum your mattress. Our comprehensive Total Clean Checklist takes all the guesswork out of the home cleaning equation… and it can be our little secret.
We’ve organized all the work by frequency, starting with daily chores and ending with larger (and more labor intensive) tasks that only need to be completed once a year.
How you use this list is completely up to you—but remember to be kind to yourself. The point isn’t to get to a completely checked off list (because you’ll have to start again tomorrow anyway), but to have a knowledgeable partner in the process of cleaning and maintaining your most valuable asset: your home. We got your back.
Daily cleaning checklist
These tasks might feel mundane, but they’re what make your space feel like home. And, to be honest, they’ll be the tasks that make your friends green with envy because look-at-how-attentive-you-are-to-every-detail. Do these tasks every day.
- Make your bed
- Clean dirty dishes — make it easy with Cascade ActionPacs
- Dust hard surfaces
- Wipe down and disinfect countertops with Mr. Clean Clean Freak
- Scrub and disinfect the kitchen sink
- Laundry
- Fluff and karate chop throw pillows (hi-yah!)
Weekly cleaning checklist
Staying on top of these tasks will keep you in an always-on state of spontaneous company possibilities. No one wants to invite friends over only to realize there’s an inch of dust on the ceiling fan. (What kind of animal are you?) Do these tasks about once a week.
- Wipe out and disinfect your wastebaskets
- Change your bedding
- Throw out expired food
- Wipe down and disinfect doorknobs, light switches, and TV remotes with Microban 24
- Dust ceiling fans and vents (make it easy with a Swiffer Duster)
- Clean your mirrors
- Vacuum floors and furniture
- Clean and disinfect toilets
- Scrub your bathroom floors
- Dust moldings
- Scrub your stovetop
- Wipe down kitchen cabinets
- Clean and deodorize the microwave
- Wipe down appliances
- Clean and scrub showers and tubs
- Squeegee shower walls
2x a month cleaning checklist
Completing these items is what makes a real, noticeable difference in most homes, so it’s a good idea to stay focused on the euphoric feeling of crossing them off your list. Do these tasks about 2x a month.
- Clean your leather and wood furniture
- Clean your blinds
- Vacuum your drapes and fabric shades
- Dust and your clean light fixtures
- Wipe down your baseboards
- Shake out your rugs
- Scrub any grout
- Polish stainless steel appliances
- Clean refrigerator and freezer interiors
- Clean and descale your coffee maker
2x a year cleaning checklist
Start making these tasks a priority, and you’ll be impressive to anyone who walks through your door—even your judgy mother-in-law. That’s right, you’re totally dominating domestic life. Do these tasks about once every six months.
- Clean your oven interior
- Vacuum your mattress
- Wash or dry clean your slipcovers, pillows, and comforters
- Empty and clean your cabinet and pantry shelves
- Vacuum or dust your refrigerator condenser coil
- Wash and dry your stove hood filter
- Freshen your drain and clean your garbage disposal
Yearly cleaning checklist
Take a congratulatory selfie when you complete these tasks. They require the greatest amount of effort, but the payoff (and pride) is just as huge. You got this! Do these tasks once a year.
- Clean your chimney and fireplace
- Clean behind and underneath all your furniture and large appliances
- Deep clean your doors
- Wipe down your walls (get out tough spots with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser)
- Wash all of your window screens and deep clean the windows
- Clean your dryer duct
- Deep clean carpet and upholstery (or hire a professional)
- Clean your gutters (or hire a professional)
A few of our favorite cleaning hacks
You just read through the Everest of all home cleaning checklists. You’re clearly a high achiever… so let’s get some of your precious free time back. Here’s a few of our favorite cleaning hacks, but there’s a treasure trove where these came from.
- Close the chore gap. Since you’re reading this, you’re likely the most motivated cleaner in your home. But don’t put it all on your shoulders. Everyone should pitch in to make the home a pleasant place to live. For small kids, consider a simple chore chart with stickers or little rewards and chores that are easy for them to handle — like Swiffering the kitchen floor. Teens can be expected to complete chores (whether you decide to pay an allowance or not), and you can assign them the tougher stuff — like deep-cleaning the bathroom. But no matter if you live with family or roommates, be clear about your need for help (nothing wrong with that) and your expectations.
- Create a cleaning schedule. The less you have to think about something, the more likely you’ll get it done. Decide which kind of cleaner you are—a jogger, a marathoner, a time trialer, or a rewarder—and play to your strengths. Don’t know what those terms mean? It’s not about running.
- Be patient. Forget what you heard about 21 days, it can take (much) longer for a new habit, especially a cleaning one, to become second nature. So be patient with yourself, and those in your home. Want to learn more about cleaning habits? We’ve got you covered.
You’re ready to get out and conquer the world… or at least your own home. If you love the act of physically checking something off a list (who doesn’t?), be sure to download our comprehensive Total Clean Checklist at the link below. Happy cleaning!