Did you know that the dirtiest room in your house is your kitchen?
Most people think the bathroom is the dirtiest place in the house. But in a study conducted by the National Sanitation Foundation International, an independent public health organization, it turned out to be the kitchen.
Other spots in your home, like the living room, washing machine and your bed, get quite dirty over time.
That’s why every so often you need to do a deep cleaning of your house. For example, at the start of spring!
But it might be overwhelming to start. That’s where this deep cleaning house checklist comes in to guide you along.
Below is a deep cleaning house checklist for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room. I have categorized the chores per spot or activity. So you can do all your wiping tasks at once, for example.
I have listed natural, non-toxic cleaners and DIY cleaners so you don’t have to stand the pungent, chemical smells when you’re deep cleaning your house.
Now, I don’t want to put you off but deep cleaning your house takes time. Depending on how big your place is, how quick you are and if you’re doing it by yourself or with your partner – it might take 1-2 days to deep clean your house.
In the end, you’ll feel satisfied knowing that you have a super clean home and that you won the battle against the bacteria and germs in your house!
Let’s start with the dirtiest place in the house; the kitchen.
Quick jump to each room
Kitchen deep cleaning checklist
Refrigerator and freezer
- Clean the refrigerator and freezer
- Clear out expired stuff
- Clean door seals
Use a mix of water and dish soap
We’ll start by cleaning the refrigerator and the freezer. First of all, take everything out so you can clean the inside and the shelves.
Throw away any expired stuff that’s been hiding in the back.
Don’t forget to clean the door seals as well with a wipe cloth.
Cleaning
- Clean the stove
- Clear the sink and drain plug
- Clean the trash can
- Clean the oven
- Clean the range hood filter
- Clean the microwave
Use a kitchen cleaner
With a spray bottle of kitchen cleaner and a sponge or wipe you’ll clean away dirtiness and grease in your kitchen. Do this for spots such as your stove and sink (don’t forget to clean the drain plug too!).
Do you ever clean your trash can in the kitchen? If not, it’s really time to do so. Clean the inside of your trash can and use antibacterial spray or wipes afterwards – also for the area around the trash can.
Next are the oven and microwave. Here you can read how you can easily clean your oven. You can clean your microwave with the following simple steps:
- mix 1 cup of water and ¼ cup white vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl
- microwave this mix for 3 minutes on high power
- leave for 2 minutes after that
- carefully remove the bowl
- dip a microfiber cloth in the water-vinegar mix and wipe down the microwave’s interior (don’t forget the door!)
- wipe the exterior with all-purpose cleaner
Your range hood filter will be very dirty. Luckily you can clean that sticky, greasy mess quite easily, read here how to clean it with minimal effort.
Wiping
- Clear out cabinets
- Trash expired stuff
- Wipe cabinets inside and out
- Wipe surface tops
- Wipe backsplash
- Wipe kitchen counter
- Wipe doors and handles
- Wipe baseboards
- Wipe window sills
Use an all-purpose cleaner or a mix of water + dish soap
Over time everything in your kitchen will get a bit greasy and dirty of all the cooking. Give all surfaces a wipe so it won’t build up.
Wiping your cabinets is also a great opportunity to clear out any expired stuff and to do some re-organization.
Deep cleaning
Click the listed items for instructions
Some appliances need a deep cleaning, such as washing machines and dishwashers.
If you have any other appliances like a coffee machine, check the instructions or look up online how to best do a deep clean.
Glass surfaces
- Wipe windows
- Wipe mirrors
Use a Window & Glass Cleaner or mix 1 tsp dish soap + 1/2 cup white vinegar + 3 cups water
Like the surfaces, windows and mirrors get extra dirty in the kitchen so don’t skip these.
Floor
- Vacuum or sweep the floor
- Mop or steam the floor
One of the best and affordable vacuums is the cordless Dyson V7 vacuum cleaner. Use a Floor Cleaner or get a steam mop cleaner.
Bathroom deep cleaning checklist
Laundry
- Wash shower curtain
- Wash bath mats/rugs
We’ll start by doing the laundry. If you have any bath mats or bath rugs, these should be washed regularly in a hot water setting or 60-90°C.
If you have a plastic shower curtain or rubber mat, these can usually also be washed in your washing machine. Place them with two towels in your washing machine and add gentle laundry detergent and a cup of baking soda. Set for a gentle, warm water cycle and then hang to dry (hang the shower curtain just back on its rod).
Wiping
- Clear out cabinets and drawers
- Trash expired stuff
- Wipe cabinets and drawers inside and out
- Wipe surfaces
- Wipe walls
- Wipe window sills
- Wipe doors and handles
Use an all-purpose cleaner or a mix of water + dish soap
Cleaning
- Clean sink
- Clean shower/bath
- Clean drain plugs of sink + shower/bath
- Clean toilet exterior
- Clean toilet bowl
Use a bathroom cleaner or mix white vinegar + dish soap in a 1:1 ratio (or a bit less dish soap)
With a bathroom cleaner in a spray bottle you can clean the sink, shower, bath and toilet exterior. Don’t forget to clean the drain plugs of your sink and shower/bath too!
Glass surfaces
- Wipe windows
- Wipe mirrors
Use a Window & Glass Cleaner or mix 1 tsp dish soap + 1/2 cup white vinegar + 3 cups water
Floor
- Vacuum or sweep the floor
- Mop or steam the floor
One of the best and affordable vacuums is the cordless Dyson V7 vacuum cleaner. Use a Floor Cleaner or get a steam mop cleaner.
Bedroom deep cleaning checklist
Laundry
- Wash bedsheets
- Wash pillows
- Bring curtains to a dry cleaners/wash your curtains
Wash your bedsheets on a hot water setting or 60°C, including any pillow and/or mattress protectors you use.
Speaking of pillows, you can often wash pillows in the washing machine. Look up the washing instructions on your pillow or look it up online. Foam pillows can’t be put in the washing machine.
For an extra fresh cleaning, you should wash your curtains too or bring them to the dry cleaners.
Dusting
- Vacuum corners and ceilings
- Dust all surfaces
- Dust light fixtures
- Dust ceiling fans/AC units
Bed
- Deep clean mattress
- Vacuum or wipe headboard
Use a vacuum, dish soap, baking soda
Did you know that you can deep clean your mattress? Take everything off of your mattress to vacuum it with the upholstery attachment.
If you have any stains on your mattress, mix 1 drop of dish soap with a cup of warm water in an empty spray bottle. Spray it lightly on the stains and blot with a clean cloth. Don’t oversaturate the mattress to prevent mold inside.
Next, sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda all over your mattress. This will remove any smells and refreshes the mattress. Let it sit for a couple of hours, then vacuum it up.
Depending on your type of headboard, wipe or vacuum it. You could also consider steaming it with a steam cleaner.
Wiping
- Wipe all surfaces
- Wipe doors and handles (also the cabinets)
- Wipe baseboards
- Wipe window sills
Use an all-purpose cleaner or a mix of water + dish soap
Glass
- Wipe windows
- Wipe mirrors
Use a Window & Glass Cleaner or mix 1 tsp dish soap + 1/2 cup white vinegar + 3 cups water
Floor
- Vacuum or sweep the floor
- Mop or steam the floor
One of the best and affordable vacuums is the cordless Dyson V7 vacuum cleaner. Use a Floor Cleaner or get a steam mop cleaner.
Living room deep cleaning checklist
Laundry
- Wash pillows
- Wash any throw blankets
- Wash pillow sheets
- Bring curtains to a dry cleaners/wash your curtains
Put any throw blankets and pillow sheets in the laundry. Check if you can wash your pillows too. You can wash your curtains or rather bring them to a dry cleaner.
Dusting
- Vacuum corners and ceilings
- Vacuum the sofa and under its cushions
- Dust all surfaces
- Dust all electronics
- Dust light fixtures
- Dust ceiling fans/AC units
Use a duster
Like in the bedroom, dust off all surfaces. Gently dust off any electronics too.
Use a duster or a wet cloth on all surfaces where dust can build up.
Wiping
- Wipe all surfaces
- Wipe doors and handles (also the cabinets)
- Wipe baseboards
- Wipe window sills
Use an all-purpose cleaner or a mix of water + dish soap
Glass
- Wipe windows
- Wipe mirrors
Use a Window & Glass Cleaner or mix 1 tsp dish soap + 1/2 cup white vinegar + 3 cups water
Floor
- Vacuum or sweep the floor
- Mop or steam the floor
One of the best and affordable vacuums is the cordless Dyson V7 vacuum cleaner. Use a Floor Cleaner or get a steam mop cleaner.
Let’s get started with the deep cleaning house checklist
There you have it, a deep cleaning house checklist for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room. I hope this will make it easier for you to do a deep cleaning of the house.
Check out the (non-toxic) cleaners and tools I listed to make the deep cleaning easier. A deep cleaning of the house is hard enough, make it as easy as you can for yourself!
Besides writing this post for your help, I have also created a PDF of the deep cleaning house checklist that you can download and print. Get it in the free resources center or via the sign up form 🙂
