Do you ever wonder how some people manage to maintain an absolutely flawless house, yet you never see them cleaning? This is because they do not attack the house in one sitting. Most of the time, they have a home cleaning checklist. 

A cleaning checklist gives you a system that enables you to continually keep your house in tip-top shape without feeling like you are running around like a headless chicken.

Four Reasons to Maintain a Home Cleaning Checklist

1. When you have a house cleaning checklist, you can prioritize what needs to be cleaned, and when you need to clean it. This makes it easier to handle different tasks. By breaking down your cleaning chores, you accomplish more than trying to tackle everything at once. 
2. Sometimes, the people living with you may not ‘see’ what needs to be cleaned. Having a cleaning to-do list also helps you to delegate duties as everyone will know what is expected of them. 
3. Consistent cleaning will prevent clutter and make your house safer. Routine house sanitization and disinfection prevents the spread of germs. Dust is less likely to build up, reducing the chances of allergic reactions and respiratory diseases.
4. A home cleaning schedule can save you from the embarrassment of a messy house, especially when you have unexpected visitors. It is not a nice feeling to apologize for the ‘state of the house’ when company just drops in. 

Basic Cleaning Equipment

Before you begin spring cleaning your home, you will need some products and equipment to help you get the job done right. No, you don’t require a hotel housekeeping trolley, but there are some necessary cleaning supplies you would need to stock up on if you don’t already have them. These include:

• Microfiber cloths or disposable rags
• Scrub brush, scrub sponges and abrasive scrub pads
• Mop and bucket
• Extendable duster
• Toilet brush 
• Grout brush or an old toothbrush
• Lightweight vacuum 
• Rubber gloves
• Indoor broom (if you have a balcony or patio, have a separate broom for that area)
• Dustpan 
• Squeegee 
• Plunger
• Stovetop scraper – only for flat-glass ceramic cooktops

Cleaning Products You Can Purchase for Your Home:

• All-purpose cleaner – these are generally mild solutions used to remove grease and dirt. They can be used on a variety of surfaces such as stovetops, countertops, and sinks. It is good to note that all-purpose cleaners are not disinfectants. 
• Disinfectant – This is essential for the kitchen and bathrooms. These should be left on the surfaces for at least 5 minutes before wiping them off to kill germs.
• Tile and grout cleaners – Scrub free solutions are the better option for shower tiles and bathtubs as they will not eat through the enamel. 
• Wood cleaner – This should match the type of wood you have in your house to maintain its appearance. 
• Glass cleaner – A no-streak or streak-free glass cleaner will give you the best results.

If you are not a big believer in commercial cleaning products, there are several things around the house that can be substituted for cleaning supplies. 

The Best Way to Maintain a Clean House

It may sound like a daunting task, but a daily home cleaning routine will ensure that you are not living in a never-ending mess. This little known secret to keeping a clean home goes a long way. When you get into a daily cleaning routine, you will find that it takes just about 15 minutes a day to get your house in order. 

Before we get into the daily cleaning checklist, there are a few tidy habits you could start on:

• Make your bed as soon as you get out of it.
• When you take off your clothes, either hang them if they are still clean or drop them in a laundry hamper.
• Try your best not to leave dirty dishes in the sink before you go to bed.
• Use wet wipes to clean bathroom counters and sinks after use.
• Keep kitchen counters free from appliances to make wiping down easy.
• Teach kids to put away their toys before they go to bed.
• Squeegee the glass walls after a shower to prevent stains.

Daily cleaning checklist

Your daily cleaning schedule should tackle the areas in your home with the most traffic. This includes the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms. 

Kitchen:

• After your last meal, load dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
• Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down kitchen counters, dining table, and food preparation surfaces.
• Sweep and mop dirty floors.
• Clean the coffee maker.

Rooms: 

• Straighten up the living room – fold blankets, tidy up remotes, magazines, or paperwork.
• Wipe down tables in the living room, playroom, or home office.
• Make beds and collect dirty laundry.

Bathrooms: 

• Wipe down the exterior toilet, sink, and bathroom surfaces.
• Squeegee shower walls.
• Fold or hang towels.

Weekly cleaning checklist:

Having a weekly home cleaning checklist can help you knock down one household task every day. This way, you do not get overwhelmed by a load of laundry or a messy kitchen. 

Mop up Mondays

After all the weekend activities, you would like to start the week with a clean home. Dedicate Mondays to moping and vacuuming:

• the entrance hallway 
• family room
• stairs
• corridors 
• bedrooms 
• bathrooms 
• kitchen

Be sure to go under the dining table to collect any crumbs that may have fallen there. Keep this weekly mop up to areas that can be easily accessed. 

Scrub down Tuesdays

A day of pulling out those gloves and dealing with the bathrooms. 

• Scrub and sanitize the toilets, bathtubs, showers, sinks, and counters. 
• Plastic shower curtains and bathmats can be sprayed with disinfectant. 
• Change towels and do an inventory of toiletries. You do not want to run out of toilet paper. 

Wipe away Wednesdays

• Using an all-purpose cleaner and microfiber cloth, wipe away any dirt or smudge from the kitchen sink, stovetops, faucets, counters, and backsplash. 
• Wipe down the exterior surfaces of the microwave, oven, coffee maker, toaster, fridge, blender, mixer, and other kitchen appliances.
• Dust and wipe furniture; lamps and lampshades, picture frames, windowsills, doorknobs, light fixtures, ceiling fans, and vents. 
• Wipe the TV, entertainment system, and remote controls. 
• Dust off cobwebs and clean mirrors. 

Throw out Thursdays

Organize your home by getting rid of unwanted, outdated, or expired items. You can start with the fridge and move on to the medicine cabinet. Throw away junk mail, newspapers, old make-up, and lotions. Chuck out clothes with holes that you know you will not mend or craft projects from 10 years ago. 

If you have not used something in your house for the past two years, then there is the likelihood that you will not use it this year. Ridding your house of old, unused items every week will not only create space for other important things, but decluttering also gives you peace of mind. 

Fold it up Fridays

As the week comes to an end, the laundry basket should have filled up pretty well. Friday is a good laundry day. 

• Soak your whites separately as well as clothes with tough stains. 
• Strip the sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, kitchen, hand, and bath towels and throw them in the washing machine. 
• Fold, iron, and put away clean laundry.

Pet-friendly Saturdays

If you have furry friends in your household, you can make use of Saturday mornings to show their living spaces some love. Empty the kitty litter box and scrub it with soap and water. Do not use any chemical cleaners such as bleach or ammonia because certain chemicals can be harmful to cats. Felines are also very picky and sensitive to smells. Any chemical odor may make a fussy cat have a bathroom break on your freshly cleaned carpet.

Saturday’s are also a great day to change the bedding for dogs and caged animals. If you have fish, doing a partial water change for the aquarium will keep them swimming happily.  

By following this weekly home cleaning checklist, your weekend should be free to enjoy with friends and family in a squeaky-clean home.

Three Months Spring-Cleaning Checklist

Every three months, we recommend that you set some time aside for a thorough, top to bottom, house spring cleaning. Understanding that not everyone can spring-clean like maid service, we suggest that you dedicate a specific section of the house for this particular task. You can work through the kitchen at one time, the living room, and bedrooms the next time and attack the bathroom last, then rotate. This way, you will not get tied down cleaning up for hours, and you can concentrate your effort on one cleaning duty.

Kitchen checklist

Refrigerator

Clear out your kitchen area because you will need space. 

• Take out everything from the fridge first. This includes the shelves and drawers and wash them in dishwashing liquid and warm water. Rinse and wipe dry. 
• Using a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water and baking soda, wipe inside the walls and floor of the refrigerator, as well as the top and outside. You can use a stainless-steel cleaner if that is what your fridge door is made of. 

Food inventory

• Take an inventory of items that need to be eaten soon, thrown out, or restocked before putting things back in the fridge. Do this with food in the freezer as well as the pantry.

Oven

• Using an oven cleaner and a cloth, wipe away any grease, grime, residue, or crusts from the door and inside the oven. 
• Clean the rangehood to remove any grease as this can be a fire hazard. 
• Clean the oven racks in dishwashing soap and hot water. 

It is good to note that oven cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can irritate. You should protect your hands with a pair of gloves and safety glasses for your eyes.

Microwave

• Clean the inside of the microwave by mixing a quarter cup of vinegar with one cup of water and boiling it in the microwave for 3 minutes. When the walls are all steamed up, wipe them with a clean cloth. 

Dishwasher

• If you start to smell something foul coming from the dishwasher, put one cup of vinegar and another bowl with baking soda on the top rack, and run a normal cycle.

Living room and bedroom checklist

Check out the recent Redfin article we were featured in: 

The Complete Living Room Cleaning Checklist

The living room is one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s where you relax, entertain guests, and spend time with your family. However, because people use it so much, it can be one of the most challenging rooms to keep clean. This is especially true if space is limited, like in a small apartment in San Francisco, CA, or a condo in Seattle, WA. From dusting to vacuuming to deep cleaning, there’s a lot to do to keep your living room looking its best. 

• Vacuum all carpeting, upholstery, and area rugs. Don’t forget to get behind large pieces of furniture and under couch cushions.
• Take down and wash curtains, drapes, duvets, comforters, pillows, and cushion cover
• Dust and wipe down window blinds, windowsills, air vents, doors, walls, and molding
• Use a glass cleaner on the windows and glass cabinets
• Dust the smoke alarm and check the batteries
• Change your air conditioning and vacuum filters

Sparkling bathroom cleaning checklist

If not well looked after, your bathroom can become a good host for nasty fungi. Mildew and mold thrive in dark and damp environments. Discourage unwanted bathroom guests with these bathroom cleaning hacks. 

• Clean and disinfect the trash can with a cleaner that can kill bacteria and neutralize odors. Rinse it and let it air dry in the sun to prevent mold.
• Disinfect the toothbrush holder – most of them are dishwasher friendly. 
• Check the label on your shower curtain or liner and see if it can be run in the washing machine. For plastic shower curtains, you can soak them in water and vinegar and hang them out to dry. If the time has taken its toll, replace your shower curtain. 
• Wipe or vacuum the inside of drawers and cupboards. Put new lining in drawers.

Shine your porcelain throne both inside and out

Using a disinfecting spray, spritz the entire toilet, inside, outside, at the back of the base, under the seat, and the wall behind. Let the cleaner do its magic for at least 5 minutes. Wipe the exterior of the toilet from top to bottom with a paper towel. Use a stiff-bristled toilet brush to scrub under the rim and inside the toilet. Flush to rinse.

Annual house cleaning checklist

Good news – there are some areas of the house that can remain overlooked for a year. Having said this, you still need to have a go at them as they are essential for the overall upkeep of your home. 

• Clean and organize the garage and basement.
• Clear out gutters.
• Clear out chimney and fireplace.
• Special projects – Declutter, donate or sell any clothes, shoes, toys, sporting equipment, gadgets, or things you have stored in the house that you have not used in the past year.

When to call the experts

Starting a home cleaning routine when your house is already ‘too far gone’ can seem hopeless. Spekless House Cleaning is here to help. In just 60 seconds, you can book a quality cleaning appointment through our online and digital communication platform. 

You can choose whether you would like a standard cleaning to get you started on your way to maintaining a home cleaning checklist, or you prefer a deep cleaning where we get under every nook and cranny. We can help you create a house cleaning schedule and checklist that will work around your needs. 

We’ve got your back, so you don’t break yours while trying to keep a clean home.

There isn’t anything more satisfying than a little spring cleaning around the house. Whenever you’re ready to get things back to the way they were after a long cold winter, just grab out your cleaning basket and begin your spring cleaning ritual.

Pump up the jams because below we’ve listed 15 spring cleaning tips both big and small to help you get your home back to its natural state of being cleaned and organized. 

1. Clean out the drawers

First up on our list of spring cleaning tips is to get organized. In order to get organized, you’ll want to go around and empty out all of your drawers. Make sure that you get rid of anything old or unused before wiping out the drawers with a microfiber cloth and a mild soap.

Then go ahead and neatly fill the drawer with things you are currently using. Do this in the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, the office, and any common areas of the house. 

2. Toss out all the old products

We mentioned this a little bit in tip number one but this also applies to other areas of the house. So the next step in the spring cleaning process is to go around and toss out things that are old or things you aren’t using. One of the main areas you’ll want to look at here is the kitchen working your way through the cabinets and the refrigerator throwing away old and expired food. 

3. Disinfect your devices

Nothing great spring cleaning tip is to make sure that you clean and disinfect all of your electronics and devices. Unless you’re a clean freak and you find yourself wiping these things down often throughout the week you’ll want to do this now. Just take a can of disinfecting dusting spray and a microfiber cloth and work your way through the house wiping down places like the television, the remotes, the computers and keyboards, and anything that you touch.

4. Restore your bookshelves 

If you have a bookshelf in your home or a shelf that could use a little bit of organization, bring your attention to it. Remove everything from the shelves and wipe it down with a duster then place the books back on it in a neat and organized fashion. 

5. Wipe down all the cabinets 

During the winter there are specific things in your house that tend to get neglected. Cleaning the cabinets is one of them. Be sure to go around and wipe down all the cabinets in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room using a cleaning cloth and a mild detergent. 

6. Empty out the diaper bags

One of the fun things about spring cleaning is that it’s out with the old and in with the new. This goes for your diaper bag and purse too. You can either empty out these bad boys before throwing them in the washer and cleaning them or you can resell them and start fresh with new ones for the new year. It’s up to you, but cleaning them out is a must. 

7. Vacuum all furniture 

Not only do you want to make sure that you vacuum all the floors in your house but you also want to make sure that you go through and vacuum all the furniture. Make sure you get in the crevices of your couch, in between your bed, and under any coffee tables. This is to ensure that you get all the lingering dust mites out.

8. Revive the dishwasher

A vital part of spring cleaning is cleaning your appliances. But one appliance that is often left standing in the dust is your dishwasher. Take a cup of cleaning vinegar place it inside and run your empty dishwasher to help get it back to its original clean state. 

9. And the washer

You also want to do this in your washing machine. And if you notice that your washer has an odor coming from it you can add a cup of baking soda to help absorb and kill any bacteria. 

10. Shampoo the carpet and wax the floors 

Once you’ve gone through and vacuumed or mopped all of your floors the next thing you want to do is go through and shampoo the carpets. Or wax the floors. When you go to do this you should make sure it’s the very last thing you do in that room and you should do it on a room by room basis. This is to ensure that you aren’t backtracking and that no dirt gets carried from one place to another. 

11. Clean and clear the drains

For this spring cleaning tip, you’ll want to go around to all the drains in the house and check that they are working properly. If they are you can clean them by pouring a cup of vinegar down the drain and letting it sit before flushing it out with hot water. If the drains aren’t working properly, try cleaning them first and if that doesn’t work then it’s time to call a plumber. 

12. Buff the appliances

After you’ve cleaned all of your appliances you’ll want to go around with a dry cleaning cloth and make sure they’re all nice and shiny. If you have stainless steel or copper appliances using a dab of olive oil on your cloth is a really good method for buffing them nice and shiny.

13. Wipe down the fridge inside and out

A vital part of any spring cleaning tips list is ensuring that you clean out your refrigerator from top to bottom. After you’ve emptied out the fridge and gotten rid of any old or expired food, you want to wipe it out. Wipe down all of the shelves, drawers, handles, and walls inside and out.

14. Don’t forget about your yard work

Spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning the inside of your house. It’s also about making sure things look good on the outside. So don’t forget to go outside for work. Check to see if the grass needs cut or the gutters need to be cleared before you call it quits. 

15. Hire a professional if you need help

If you need any help with spring cleaning your home, hiring a professional can help. Here at Spekless, we can send a professional cleaner to your home to help you with your inside chores. Contact us today for a free estimate and see how we can assist you.

• Empty out any and all trash
• Take valuables in the house
• Take it to the car wash and give it a thorough vacuum and dusting inside
• Scrub the exterior, rinse, and repeat until shiny
• Wax to finish

• Empty and wash all garbage cans and recycling bins
• Organize and declutter your junk/misc drawer
• Change any filters that need it (water filters, refrigerator filters, air filter, etc)
• Wipe down all remotes, phones, Kindles, tablets, and computers (use disinfectant – these items can harbor a large number of bacteria)
• Gather up all those coins laying around and take them to a Coinstar

• Sort through any unused items for donating, selling, or throwing away
• Give it a good sweep inside and out
• Prepare to have a garage sale – get rid of all of your unused items by selling them 

• Start by opening the windows to ensure proper airflow
• Clean out the fireplace (for minimal users)
• Active users may want to call a chimney sweep 

Day 10: Porch

• Sweep off the porch
• Water any plants & plant new plants
• Replace any light bulbs 
• Paint the porch if needed

• Rake up any leaves in the yard
• Pick up dog poop
• Empty out the gutters
• Pull Weeds
• Water the grass

Spring cleaning differs from regular or routine cleaning in the sense that it can take a lot longer. Most people designate a week or two to spring cleaning so they can clean, declutter, and do their yearly chores all at the same time. So if you don’t know where to begin with your spring cleaning, don’t worry you’re not alone!

Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to walk you through each week of Spring cleaning. The checklist we have created will walk you through each day of cleaning and decluttering your home. It will help you stay motivated, inspired, and the best part is that you can use it for other seasons too.

Day 1: Dusting

• Open your windows and let the fresh air blow through the house (trust me, once you get going you’re going to wish you had opened them in the first place)
• Dust, sweep, and vacuum up any dust mites and cobwebs in the corners. 
• Dust any knick-knacks, books, and shelves
• Launder any drapes, couch covers, rugs, and any other upholstery as instructed in the label

Day 2: Donating

• Clean all mirrors including bathroom and bedroom mirrors
• Switch all your winter clothing to the back of the closet
• Create a donate box to donate things like old clothing, unused kitchen appliances and utensils, or old toys
• Sort through old shoes

Day 3: Bathrooms

• Begin bathroom sorting (throw out old and expired medicine and cosmetics)
• Launder and organize the linen closet
• Put old or unused towels in the donation box
• Organize emergency supplies and restock the first aid kit
• Deep clean the bathrooms

Day 4: Appliances

• Deep clean all appliances (this included all knobs, handles, and accessories that came with them)
• Sanitize all handles, door knobs, and buttons, not just in the kitchen in the entire home
• Self-Clean the washer (while this is self-cleaning wipe down the tops of your washer and dryer removing any soap residue and dust)
• Toss out any old food, remove any interchangeable compartments and let them soak, and wipe out your refrigerator

Day 5: Plants

• Feed the houseplants and clean their area (of course you should care for your plants routinely) 
• Wash your windows inside and out
• Vacuum window screens
• Clean up any dead or fallen leaves

Be sure to check back next week for days 6-11 of our spring cleaning checklist!