Use These Room-by-Room Checklists to Deep Clean Your Entire Home.

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Sometimes the hardest part of cleaning is knowing where to start and, once you’ve started, where to go next. A handy checklist will help you complete the task systematically and easily.

That’s where these room-by-room checklists can help. Below you will find links to tips on how to complete many of the tasks you will encounter. I’ve also turned the cleaning checklists into a downloadable spreadsheet that you can print out so you can check off each chore as you go.

Spring cleaning checklist for your kitchen

Before you start cleaning, take a moment to make sure you have everything you need. Nothing saps your mojo like having to leave the house to do some shopping, so make sure you have everything you need on hand:

  • Regular dish soap

  • Nice set of brushes

  • Regular cleaning sponge

  • Durable melamine sponge.

  • Baking soda

  • White vinegar

  • Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner

  • Lysol All Purpose Cleaner

  • Nice broom

  • mop

  • Metal scraper, such as Brasso.

Now it’s time to move on to the various things you actually need to clean. Start at the top and work your way down to clean up all the dirt you knocked onto the floor at the very end.

  • Start by removing the oven racks and placing them in a bath of dish soap and water to clean them. They should soak while you do the rest.

  • Microwave by submerging a quartered lemon in a bowl with a cup of water for three minutes. Since it should stay there for five minutes after this, move on to cleaning the outside with a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water. After five minutes, wipe off the steam from inside the microwave.

  • Let’s move on to the refrigerator. Remove all food items and wipe down the shelves and interior with soapy water, then dry with paper towels or a clean rag. You can also put the refrigerator shelves in the bathtub along with the oven racks if they are very dirty, but this may delay some of your other cleaning efforts since food will be scattered all over the counter while your shelves get wet. Try this when you don’t have much food so you don’t have to deal with it, or put the food back in the bottom of the refrigerator after you’ve wiped down the shelf-less interior with a mixture of one cup of baking soda and a gallon of water.

  • Clean out your upper kitchen cabinets , removing everything inside. And don’t forget to clean their tops with a sponge and soapy water.

  • Now do the lower kitchen cabinets using the same methods: take everything out and clean the inside with the crevice tool from the OXO brush set, then with soapy water.

  • While all the utensils are on the counter, clean them one by one. There are detailed methods for cleaning everything from toasters to coffee machines , coffee grinders to deep fryers , so do each one before you put it away. Use this time to clean small appliances, permanently placed on the countertop, or both. At this stage, the blender is cleaned, as well as accessories for the coffee machine . Make sure cabinets and appliances are dry before putting anything back.

  • Next, go straight to the stove. Use baking soda to clean your burners by slowly adding it to a cup of water and stirring until it forms a paste that you can coat your burners with. After leaving the racks in the bath, you can scrub the inside of the oven with oven cleaner. After 20 minutes, remove the baking soda paste from the burners with a damp cloth.

  • After you’ve cleaned the appliances in your sink, you’ll need to clean the sink itself . If it’s stainless steel, use an abrasive cleaner like Bar Keepers Friend ($11.89 for a two-pack) and a scrub pad. For everything else, a soft cloth and soapy water will do. (Another extra step you can take is to polish the chrome parts with baby oil to make them look extra shiny.)

  • This is a good time to clean the walls between the cabinets and the backsplash. Dish soap and water will work, as will a Magic Eraser, but if you’re struggling with cooking grease splatters, try mixing salt and vinegar to make a DIY grease remover.

  • You’ve cleared the countertops of appliances from the cabinet and probably covered them with all the dirt from the stove, so it’s time to tackle it now. Remove anything that may be on them, use a crevice tool to get crumbs out of the corners, and then wash them with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner. If you have a granite countertop , be extra careful: use a non-scratch sponge or rag, and soap and water, and nothing else.

  • The floors are already dirty, but that’s no problem: you’re almost done. First, remove the oven racks and refrigerator racks from the bath and dry them thoroughly. Put them back where they belong. Once this is done, use a broom to sweep up any debris and crumbs from the floor and wash it all down with soapy water. Go rest in the other room while it dries.

Spring cleaning checklist for your bathroom

Many of these kitchen tools will come in handy in the bathroom, but you should also purchase the following:

  • Soft scrub with bleach

  • Electric cleaning brush

  • Draining weasel FlexiSnake

  • Double Concentrated Cleanser

The bathroom is a small space, so you should be careful about how you clean it so you don’t go through the same areas too many times. Luckily, most of the items there are made from hard materials and only require a simple wipedown, which can (and should) be done while softer materials like bath mats and curtains are being washed.

Here’s your checklist:

  • We’re going to start at the top of the room. Wipe down the dust from the light fixtures and vents first so that dust doesn’t end up on everything else when everything is clean. Let the dust and dirt fall onto the counters and floors; we’ll clean them in a minute.

  • Throw shower curtains, bath mats, towels, and any linens and fabrics (such as toilet seat covers) into the wash. This will give you time to clean the hooks and the rods that support them, so they’ll be clean and ready to be replaced once you’re done with your overall bathroom remodel.

  • Tackle your bath or shower, focusing on cleaning out old shampoo bottles, wiping down the inside glass, descaling the shower head , and getting rid of soap rings inside. It may be helpful to take a hot shower for a few minutes beforehand, just to soften everything up and get it wet, but it’s up to you.

  • Next, wipe down all mirrors and tile surfaces outside the tub. If you decide to steam your shower before cleaning it, be sure to take this step next as the mirrors and tiles will also fog up.

  • Clean your bathroom sink by first running Drain Weasel down the drain to remove hair and debris, then focus on removing rings and sediment from the sink.

  • Clean and polish the faucet and handles when you are finished using the bowl. This is where Brasso or Soft Scrub comes in handy.

  • Clean the soap dish or tray to remove any remaining soap, and do the same with the toothbrush holder.

  • Pour some cleaner into the toilet and leave it for a while. While it’s in the toilet, you wipe the outside surface as well as the top and bottom of the seat and lid, then scrub the toilet with a toilet brush and flush at the end.

  • Clean and polish the toilet handle after flushing.

  • Remove the toilet paper roll and disinfect the holder. We’re being thorough today.

  • Wipe down shelves and cabinets, which will likely involve removing everything from inside and outside of them. This is a great opportunity to organize your medicine cabinet and shelves. Here are my tips for organizing a medicine cabinet and some examples of how I organize the different shelves in my bathroom.

  • Clean and wipe down countertops, and wipe down anything on them (such as Q-tips containers, water cups, etc.).

  • Clean hangers and towel hooks, which should still be empty while their normal contents are in the wash.

  • Take out the trash and clean the inside of the tank.

  • Clean out all the grout and focus on the cracks in the floor, carefully pushing them out. (Don’t worry, we’re going to finally clear the floor of dust and dirt.)

  • Vacuum dust and hair from the floor. We’re almost done.

  • Wash and disinfect the floor.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and light switches.

  • Replace anything that was in the wash, such as curtains and rugs.

Spring Cleaning Checklist for Your Living Room

By now you have most of the products you need to do all of this, so let’s get straight to what you need to do.

  • First, go through and pick up all the fabrics and soft objects. I’m talking blankets, throw pillowcases, slipcovers, small rugs, napkins – you name it. Throw it all in the wash while you clean the room.

  • Again, start at the top so that the dust and dirt fall to the floor where you can collect it later. This means cleaning your ceiling fan and ceilings, including all vents and lighting, and especially the corners where cobwebs start to gather.

  • Remove dust and clean lamps.

  • Clean your TV and other electronics. First, remove any dust from them and then wipe them using a suitable method. Here’s a guide to cleaning your TV without breaking it. Of course, before you do this, disable them all.

  • Are there mirrors or photographs hanging around the establishment? Wipe them down now.

  • Then clean all surfaces. Remove everything from shelves, nightstands, and the media center. Stack it all in the center of the room, then dust and wipe down the surfaces you just cleaned.

  • If you’re planning on dusting and vacuuming your furniture, do it now while it’s lighter and unencumbered by its usual contents. Wipe down baseboards, vacuum behind shelves, and do whatever needs to be done there. If you don’t plan on taking out the furniture (your call!), skip this step as we’ll be tackling the baseboards and vacuuming the entire room towards the end.

  • Pay attention to the things you have piled up. Before you put everything back in its place, clean up the mess . Click here to learn some best decluttering techniques and see this list of questions to ask yourself as you declutter. If something no longer serves you, it needs to go. It doesn’t need space on freshly washed shelves.

  • Erase everything you decide to keep, and then put it back in its place.

  • Go back to dusting. Dust and wipe down furniture, potted plants , tables and anything below ground. Again, if something sends dust flying onto the floor, it’s not a problem; we’ll vacuum it later.

  • Pay special attention to the sofa or other upholstered furniture. Remove the cushions if you can and vacuum underneath them. Clean the pillows yourself as you normally would, but if you don’t have your own method, feel free to steal my favorite .

  • Wipe down baseboards and clean vents down to the ground.

  • It’s finally time to vacuum! If you have a large rug, move it and vacuum underneath it before putting it back and vacuuming . Otherwise, really spend some time on this step. Vacuum the corners where the floor meets the wall, use a brush attachment to thoroughly clean the vents, and take your time. You just dumped a lot of dust and dirt on the floor.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. This means remotes, chair controls, light switches, video game controllers, phone chargers and more.

  • Replace all linens and fabrics you washed.

Spring cleaning checklist for your bedroom

Finally, let’s tackle your bedroom. Here’s everything you need to do now so you can go to bed tonight in a quiet, clean room. I recommend doing the bedroom last, not only because the company doing the room is unlikely to see it, but also because it’s best to finish the job in a room that’s just for you. You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment as you sink into a fresh bed after cleaning your entire home.

  • Select all bedding, small rugs, curtains and any other fabrics. Throw them in the wash.

  • Wipe down the ceiling fan, vents and corners.

  • Wipe down mirrors, glass, pictures and any other smooth, flat surfaces, especially anything hanging on the wall.

  • Clean the windows by wiping down the sill and blinds, as well as the handles and glass.

  • Remove everything from flat surfaces, from nightstands to shelves. Place it on the bed.

  • Wipe down these surfaces.

  • Organize everything into a pile like you did in the living room. Again, here are the best decluttering techniques .

  • Once you’ve decided what to keep, wipe it all off and put it back where it goes.

  • Next, pay attention to the closet and chests of drawers. This isn’t necessary if you don’t have time to completely declutter all your clothes, but I recommend it to at least clean out the inside of those spaces. Take everything out and put it on the bed. Really wipe down the inside of each drawer and the entire inside of your cabinet.

  • When putting away your clothes, tidy up a little. Be conscientious about what you put back. If you haven’t worn it in a while, it’s damaged, out of style, or even no longer fits, allow yourself to simply throw it away. Only the best clothes deserve to be in your clean closet and drawers.

  • Clean the mattress while the sheets are removed. Vacuum it, spot treat it, and be sure to do it all now so it has some time to dry before you put the sheets back on. (Just wait until you’ve cleared out the shelves and cabinets, as dust from the piles you’ve collected on the bed may end up in the mattress.)

  • Wipe dust from lamps. Don’t forget things like fairy lights, vanity mirror lights, or those little flashlights you bought on Amazon for no reason one day. Yes, and night lights too.

  • Clean any electronics, from TVs to alarm clocks.

  • Dust any furniture you have, such as ottomans or chairs. If you have a vanity or desk, be sure to wipe, organize, and clean it.

  • Wipe down baseboards throughout the room, and install floor vents.

  • It’s time to vacuum. Don’t just mop the floor, but be sure to get under the bed, in window blinds, under pillows and in every corner. Use the brush attachment on the vents.

  • Replace any clothes that have been in the wash.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects including but not limited to lamp switches, light switches, remote controls, video game controllers, phone and device chargers, drawer handles and more. Go through your morning and evening routine, taking note of what you reach for and touch, and then give those items a thorough wipe down.

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