Deep Cleaning House Checklist for a Spotless Home

By Katie Barton

| Published on Mar 21, 2023

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Deep cleaning your house involves tackling every nook and cranny and dealing with the areas that most of us skip over during regular cleaning.

Because deep cleaning requires so many small tasks, it can feel overwhelming if you’re not working from a list. To avoid the headache, our deep cleaning house checklist will walk you through every area of your home.

Kitchen Deep Cleaning

The kitchen is the most used room in the house and requires the most detail.

Dust Your Life Fixtures and Ceiling

Use a feather duster or long-handled duster brush to remove build-up from light fixtures, ceiling fans, and the ceiling
Clear dust off the top of the cabinetry

Tackle the Appliances

Clean the oven and stovetop
Wash your dishwasher filter
Run the dishwasher with dishwasher cleaner to cut back on limescale and deodorize
Empty the toaster crumb tray
Wipe down air fryers, toasters, and other small appliances
Descale your coffee pot
Clean the inside of your refrigerator and freezer
Clean the inside of your microwave
Wipe the outside of your refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, and microwave

Clean the Cabinets and Pantry

Go through food and throw out expired items
Throw out Tupperware and storage containers with missing lids
Wipe the inside of the cabinets with warm soapy water
Organize items as you put them back in the cabinet
Wipe the exterior of your cabinetry with soapy water

Wipe Counters and Clean Backsplash

Wipe grease and dust from the range hood
Clean backsplash
Wipe counters

Wash Walls, Windows, Baseboards, and Trash Can

Dust or launder curtains
Dust blinds
Use a mixture of dish soap and water to wipe down the walls
Clean baseboards
Use a glass cleaner on windows
Take out the trash and wash the trash can

Sweep and Mop

Sweep the floors
Mop the floors

Bathroom Deep Cleaning

Rid your bathroom of germs and dust build-up with this deep cleaning house checklist.

Dust the Ceiling, Light Fixtures, and Exhaust Fan

Use a long-handled duster or feather duster to remove build-up from the ceiling
Dust light fixtures
Dust exhaust vents and fans and wipe them with a dry microfiber cloth

Tackle the Shower and Bathtub

Remove your shower curtain and launder per the manufacturer’s instructions
Wash your bath mat (most are machine washable)
Replace your shower curtain liner if needed
Remove toiletries from the shower/bath and clean with a tub and tile cleaner
Clean glass shower doors

Clean and Disinfect the Toilet

Wipe the base of the toilet, toilet seat, and rim with a disinfecting cleaner
Clean the toilet bowl with an appropriate cleaner

Wipe Counters, Sinks, Mirrors, Baseboard, Walls, and Windows

Disinfect your counters and sink
Use a glass cleaner on your mirror
Dust blinds
Clean your windows
Wash baseboards
Wash walls with dish soap and water
Change the trash and disinfect the trash can
Clean your toothbrush caddy

Clean the Floors

Sweep the floors
Clean your grout
Mop the floors

Laundry Room Deep Cleaning

Laundry room deep cleaning requires cleaning your washer and dryer. If you don’t feel comfortable, outsource this to a cleaning company, but it comes with a cost.

Dust the Ceiling and Light Fixture

Use a duster to knock the dust off of the ceiling
Dust light fixtures and exhaust fans

Clean the Washer and Dryer

Clean the inside of the washer (the method depends on the type of washer you have)
Clean the dryer vent
Wipe the outside of the washer and dryer with a mild cleaner

Wash Baseboards and Walls

Use dish soap and water to wipe down the walls
Clean the baseboards

Sweep and Mop

Sweep your floors
Mop your floors

Living Room Deep Cleaning

Your living room might be the easiest room to tackle. Here’s what to do.

Dust the Ceiling and Light Fixtures

Knock the dust off the ceiling with a long-handled duster
Dust light fixtures

Wipe Flat Surfaces and Decor

Use a mild cleaner to wipe down coffee tables, tv consoles, shelves, and mantels
Wipe down decor, including picture frames
Water plants and remove any dead leaves
Dust the back of the tv and clean the screen with screen cleaner and a microfiber cloth

Clean Furniture and Curtains

Vacuum all furniture
Wipe down wooden or plastic pieces of furniture
Spot-treat upholstery as needed
Wash throw blankets and pillow covers
Vacuum dust from curtains, launder if needed
Wipe down blinds

Wash Walls, Baseboards, and Windows

Clean walls with dish soap and water
Wipe down baseboards and trim work
Clean windows with glass cleaner

Sweep and Mop

Sweep the living room floor
Sweep area rugs, spot treat stains
Mop the floor

Bedroom Deep Cleaning Checklist

Use this cleaning checklist to tackle each bedroom in your home.

Dust Ceiling, Light Fixture, and Lamps

Dust the ceiling with a feather duster or long-handled duster
Remove dust from overhead light fixtures and ceiling fans
Dust lamps and then wipe with a mild cleaner

Clean Dressers, Nightstands, and Closets

Clean out your closet, getting rid of items you no longer want
Go through dressers and nightstands, discarding items you no longer want
Wipe down dressers with a mild cleaner
Wipe nightstands with a mild cleaner
Dust any decor in the room (includes on flat surfaces and wall decor)

Clean Your Bedding, Mattress, and Curtains

Remove and launder sheets, mattress protectors, blankets, and pillow covers
Vacuum the mattress and pillows
Steam clean or spot treat mattress and pillows
Vacuum or launder curtains
Wipe down blinds to remove dust

Wash the Walls, Baseboards, and Windows

Wipe down the walls with a soap and water mixture
Clean windows with glass cleaner
Clean mirrors with glass cleaner
Wash baseboards

Sweep and Mop

Vacuum the floor
Mop the floor
Spot treat stains on carpets or rugs

Dining Room Deep Cleaning

If you have a dining room, use this cleaning checklist to work through the messes.

Dust Ceilings and Light Fixtures

Use a feather duster or long-handled duster on the ceiling
Dust light fixtures

Clean Flat Surfaces, Chairs, and Decor

Wipe down your dining room table, hutch, and other flat surfaces
Dust decor
Wipe down hard chairs and vacuum upholstered chairs
Spot treat stains on upholstered chairs if needed

Clean Curtains, Blinds, Windows, Walls, and Baseboards

Vacuum or launder curtains
Dust blinds
Clean the windows
Wash the walls with soapy water
Wipe baseboards

Sweep and Mop

Sweep/vacuum the dining room floor
Mop the dining room floor

Playroom Deep Cleaning

Playrooms are a hot spot for messes. Here’s a playroom cleaning checklist you can use.

Pickup and Discard Trash

Pickup toys on the ground and put them away
Discard trash

Clean Ceilings and Light Fixtures

Dust the ceiling with a feather duster or long-handled duster
Remove dust from light fixtures

Clean Flat Surfaces and Decor

Use a mild, non-toxic cleaner to wipe down flat surfaces and chairs
Dust wall decor

Wash Walls, Curtains, Blinds, Windows, and Baseboards

Vacuum or launder curtains
Dust blinds
Clean windows with a glass cleaner
Wash walls with soap and water
Wipe down baseboards
Clean baseboards

Sweep and Mop

Vacuum the floor
Mop the playroom floor if necessary

The Best Deep Cleaning Tips

If you want your deep cleaning to be quick and efficient, there are four tips you need to follow.

Declutter a room before you start cleaning. While we don’t specifically list decluttering on our deep cleaning house checklist, you should do it at least a few times a year. Grab a trash bag and donation box and go through each area of your house, making quick decisions on what to trash and what to donate. If you haven’t used an item in more than six months, and it’s not seasonal, it’s time to let it go.
Clean from top to bottom. When cleaning your home, you must work top to bottom – this is why dusting the ceiling is first on our list. Let’s say, for instance, you cleaned your floor and then dusted your ceilings. The result would be dust all over the floors, and you’d need to repeat the job. Clean from top to bottom for the best results.
You don’t need fancy cleaners. In most cases, all you need to deep clean is a vacuum, mop, mild cleaner, glass cleaner, duster, and disinfectant. While other cleaners are nice to have, they aren’t necessary.
Break down tasks into more manageable chunks. You don’t have to tackle our deep cleaning checklist all at once. Work room by room or add a few extra chores to your weekly cleaning list.