Todd Sumamno
For so many, keeping the home clean and tidy may seem endless. Create a cleaning schedule and know exactly how often each area needs attention to stay ahead of the mess and keep things fresh and healthy. Breaking down just how often every room and surface should be cleaned, this ultimate guide will lay down the recommended cleaning frequencies for every room and surface in your home.
Daily Cleaning Chores
There are areas of your house that call for attention each day to help prevent the buildup of germs, dirt, and clutter. Pay attention every day to these tasks:
- Kitchen counters and sink: Wipe down after meal prep or cooking, and clean the sink afterwards to help remove food residue and bacteria.
- Dirty dishes: Run a load in the dishwasher nightly, or wash by hand to avoid piling up.
- High-touch surfaces: Regularly clean and disinfect places like doorknobs, light switches, and remote controls.
- Sweeping or vacuuming high-traffic areas: Remove dirt and debris from floors.
- Clutter: Pick up living areas and return items to their proper places.
Weekly Cleaning Tasks
According to Charlotte Flores, CEO of Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy, these tasks once a week to ensure your house remains clean:
- Bathrooms: Clean the toilet, shower, sink, and mirrored areas. Wipe down countertops and sanitize high-touch surfaces.
- Bedrooms: Change bed linens, dust surfaces, and vacuum or mop floors.
- Living areas: Dust and polish furniture, vacuum carpets or rugs, and empty waste bins.
- Kitchen appliances: Clean the outsides of appliances like the microwave, refrigerator, and oven.
- Laundry: Wash towels, bath mats, and kitchen towels.
Monthly Cleaning Tasks
Some areas require less frequent cleaning but need more intensive approaches. Schedule these tasks monthly:
- Kitchen appliances: Clean the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher thoroughly.
- Windows: Clean the windows and other glass surfaces to allow natural light to enter.
- Lighting: Dust light fittings, including ceiling fans.
- Curtains and blinds: Wash curtains and clean blinds of dust and allergens.
- Vacuum cleaner: Replace the bag, fit a new filter, and untangle threads.
Lists of Seasonal and Annual Cleaning Tasks
Some cleaning tasks should be done quarterly, semiannually, or annually, depending on the season and the needs of your household:
- Gutters: Clean leaves and other debris from gutters and downspouts, especially during the fall season.
- HVAC System: Arrange for your heating and cooling systems to have professional maintenance.
- Carpets and upholstery: Hire professional deep cleaning once or twice a year.
- Closets: Clean out and organize closets, donating items that aren’t used.
- Garage and basement: Clean out storage spaces and get rid of items that are no longer needed.
- Whole-house deep clean: Every year, either hire professionals or set up a weekend to clean your whole house from top to bottom.
Hire a professional gutter cleaning service to clean leaves and other debris from gutters and downspouts, especially during the fall season
Room-by-Room Cleaning Checklists
In addition to those general cleaning frequencies shown above, here are checklists for each room in your home.
Kitchen
- Daily: Wipe down counters, clean sink, load dishwasher, sweep floor
- Weekly: Clean microwave, sanitize sponges, mop floor
- Monthly: Clean appliances, organize pantry and food cabinets
- Quarterly: Clean oven, refrigerator coils, and range hood filters
Bathroom
- Daily: Wipe down counters, clean toilet, empty trash
- Weekly: Scrub shower and bathtub, clean mirrors, mop floor
- Monthly: Clean grout in tiles, wash bath mats and shower curtain
- Seasonally: Clean out and organize cabinets and drawers
Bedroom
- Daily: Make the bed, clean off surfaces
- Weekly: Change linens, dust furniture, vacuum or mop floor
- Monthly: Turn mattress, wash pillows and duvets
- Seasonally: Rotate seasonal clothes, clean out closet
If you discover signs of a bed bug infestation in your bedroom, you may need to learn more about how ABBP can help.
Living Areas
- Daily: Clean up clutter, dust coffee table and end tables
- Weekly: Dust, vacuum carpets or rugs, clean mirrors
- Monthly: Polish wood furniture, vacuum upholstery
- Seasonally: Clean curtains or wash blinds, change carpets
Tips to Keep Your House Clean
Besides keeping to a regular cleaning schedule, the following tips will help you in keeping your home clean and organized.
- Clean out clutter: The removal of unwanted items makes cleaning easy and the space well-organized.
- Clean as you go: If a spill occurs, wipe it up. Put things away after use, and clean little messes on the spot rather than allowing them to build up.
- Use the Right Tools: Quality cleaning products and good tools can many times make your tasks easier.
- Involve the whole family: All members of the family should be given tasks in relation to their different ages to share the workload.
- Create a cleaning schedule: Set aside specific days or times for accomplishing particular cleaning tasks to create a habit.
With this comprehensive cleaning guide, tailored to the needs of a household, one can follow through in regard to cleaning and organizing a healthy and clean home without much hassle. Be regular; simply tackle a bit each day, and you’ll never feel overwhelmed by any mess.
Brittany
