Deep Cleaning 101: The Ultimate Checklist for a Spotless Home

It’s the time of year again when the leaves start changing and the air becomes crisper. For many, this also means it’s time to deep clean their homes from top to bottom!

Deep cleaning your house can be a daunting task, but it’s definitely worth it in the end! Not only will your home be spick and span, but you’ll also feel great knowing that you did it all by yourself.

In this blog post, we will go through each room in your house and describe what tasks you need to do to achieve a spotless home! I’m also providing a free deep cleaning checklist to help you conquer deep cleaning.

Let’s get started!

Quick Tips Before Deep Cleaning

Before you start deep cleaning your house, you’ll need to do a few things to prepare.

First, set aside several hours to dedicate to the task. Depending on how big your house is and how many people you have helping, it might take just a few hours or it might take the whole weekend!

Here are a few quick cleaning tips to help you get started.

Declutter First

Anytime you do house cleaning, it’s always a good idea to declutter first, but this is definitely a must when it comes to a deep clean. Before your spring cleaning can start, you’ll need to declutter your living space.

Take some time to go through every room in your house and get rid of any unwanted items, as well as items that don’t have a place or serve no purpose anymore. Don’t forget to go through old storage bins you haven’t looked through in a while – you might want to get rid of some things in your storage as well!

I’d suggest doing this the week before you start deep cleaning because decluttering the house is a big task in and of itself! But if you can get rid of some items you no longer need, it will make it so much easier to deep clean!

Take It One Room at a Time

Any big cleaning task will be overwhelming, so break it down to make it more manageable. Start by focusing on one room at a time, and don’t move on to the next room until you’ve finished cleaning the first one.

Consider setting up an hourly or daily goal for yourself. For example, if you decide to clean your entire home in two days, make sure you have a plan of attack so you are able to accomplish that.

While you want to stay motivated, make sure you incorporate breaks into your cleaning schedule! Don’t get too burnt out. Set manageable goals and break times so that you don’t exhaust yourself.

Finally, reward yourself for a job well done! A deep clean of your house is no small feat, so make sure you take some time to appreciate the accomplishment and treat yourself for a job well done.

Have Supplies on Hand

Make sure you have all the necessary cleaning supplies and equipment before you begin, such as mops, buckets, sponges, paper towels, a vacuum, scrub brushes, garbage bags, and any other items specific to your home.

We have a quick list of cleaning supplies below!

Make It Fun!

Finally, make it fun! Turn your deep cleaning routine into a party. Play music, have a dance break, and get your family involved. Not only will this make the job easier, but it can also be fun and rewarding! There are lots of ways to motivate yourself to clean. You can even create a cleaning cart to keep all of your supplies in one place.

Deep cleaning doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With proper planning and preparation, you can easily tackle any deep cleaning project in no time at all and without exhausting yourself.

Supplies You’ll Need for Deep Cleaning

Before you get started on your spring cleaning, you’ll need to make sure you have all of your supplies ready.

You probably already have a lot of these supplies on hand due to your normal weekly or monthly cleaning routine, but make sure you have enough of the following supplies to get through the entire deep cleaning checklist.

Necessary Deep Cleaning Supplies:

• Rubber gloves
• Microfiber cloths and sponges
• Vacuum cleaner
• Broom and dustpan
• Pumice stones to get hard water in the toilet bowl
• Cleaning solutions, such as an all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, and floor cleaner
• Spray bottle with DIY cleaners
• A scrub brush or toothbrushes for hard-to-reach areas
• Mop or steam mop for floors
• Window squeegee
• If possible, a steam cleaner
• Buckets for soapy water
• Dusters, including long ones to get ceiling fans and light fixtures
• Disinfecting spray or wipes

Deep Cleaning Every Room

For our deep cleaning checklist, there are some things you’ll want to do in every room. That includes things like cleaning the light fixtures, window washing, and more. Here are some things you’ll need to do in each room.

Each Room Deep Clean Checklist

• Mop floors, vacuum, or sweep
• Clean light fixtures
• Clean ceiling fans
• Dust all surfaces
• Change air filters
• Wipe down all walls
• Clean baseboards, doors, door frames, outlets, and light switches
• Disinfect light switches and door knobs
• Scrub grout

Deep Cleaning the Living Room

In the living room, you’ll want to focus on cleaning the furniture, getting out any smells, and cleaning the windows.

Living Room Deep Clean Checklist

• Clean windows, both inside and out
• Vacuum furniture and upholstery
• Dust blinds or wash curtains
• Dust window sills, ledges, and furniture
• Wash windows inside and out
• Vacuum upholstered furniture
• Empty wastebasket
• Dust shelves
• Do window treatments if necessary
• Clean carpets
• Use a steam cleaner on furniture if necessary

Deep Cleaning the Kitchen

When deep cleaning the kitchen, you’ll want to focus on cleaning the sink, cabinets, and appliances. Get out any food smells and clean up dirt buildup, stains, or crumbs that may have gotten between the cracks in your counter. With the kitchen sink, scrub it down and make sure it is disinfected.

Kitchen Deep Clean Checklist

• Sprinkle baking soda and white vinegar or citrus peels down the garbage disposal
• Clean the oven, stovetop, and other large kitchen appliances
• Clean expired food out of refrigerator and freezer
• Wash refrigerator shelves and drawers
• Scrub countertops
• Wipe down cabinet fronts
• Clean small kitchen appliances
• Sanitize cutting boards
• Sweep and mop floors
• Wash trash can
• Launder dish towels
• Refill dish soap, hand soap, and any other dispensers
• Wipe down kitchen cabinets both inside and out

Deep Cleaning the Bathroom

If you’ve kept up on your daily cleaning of the bathroom, your cleaning tasks shouldn’t be terrible, but take it a step further by cleaning those areas you might not always get to.

Bathroom Deep Clean Checklist

• Use an old toothbrush or detail brush to clean grout in the shower or tile floors
• Use glass cleaner to clean the mirror
• Make sure you’re unclogging drains
• Get any soap scum off shower curtains
• Clean the shower head with a scrub brush or microfiber cloth
• Wipe down the trash can
• Wipe down the sink and faucet, using vinegar to remove hard water spots
• Scrub around the base of the toilet for dirt and grime buildup
• Wash and replace towels if necessary

Deep Cleaning the Bedrooms

In your bedrooms, you’ll want to be sure to dust off surfaces, including furniture, shelves, and window sills. Change bed sheets and re-organize your closet and clothes.

Bedroom Deep Clean Checklist

• Vacuum carpets and rugs
• Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, and wall hangings
• Wash curtains and clean blinds using a vacuum attachment or microfiber cloth
• Clean windows inside and outside with glass cleaner and paper towels
• Wipe down or dust the bedframe and furniture
• Clean any mirrors and glass surfaces
• Sweep or vacuum floors, paying attention to corners and edges
• Scrub baseboards to remove dirt, dust, and cobwebs
• Empty trash cans and replace liners if necessary

Deep Cleaning the Laundry Room or Closets

Don’t think that your laundry room or closets are escaping this deep clean! When we say deep cleaning, we mean the entire house!

Clean the washing machine and dryer lint trap. Dust the shelves, surfaces, and crevices in closets and your laundry room. Make sure to refill any laundry detergent.

Deep Cleaning Outside

For the outdoors, clean and vacuum any outdoor furniture. Sweep the porch, sidewalks, and patio. Make sure to remove all dirt and leaves from the areas. Also, wash any outdoor windows or surfaces that need it.

Finally, get out the pressure washer and give your home’s exterior a thorough cleaning. Check your recycling bins or garbage bins to make sure they don’t need to be replaced. Do an inventory of your outdoor items to make sure nothing needs to be replaced or fixed.

Creating a Cleaning Schedule

It can seem tedious to get the grout clean, the curtains clean, replace the dish soap, and everything else you need to do. If you find your annual deep-cleaning sessions take too long, find ways to integrate deep cleaning into your weekly house cleaning.

Do some chores every day so the deep cleaning doesn’t take as long and isn’t as overwhelming. Make a list of all the things you need to do for an annual deep clean and then assign them to different days during the week or month. If you spend just a little longer on your monthly cleaning, you can make your spring cleaning a lot easier.

This way, you can ensure that your home is regularly kept in tip-top condition without having to spend a whole weekend getting it done!

Deep Cleaning Checklist

Hiring a house cleaning service can be tempting, but it’s not necessary if you have the time and energy to do it yourself.

You can check out these cleaning checklist cards I have or check out the free cleaning checklist I have. Using a cleaning checklist can help you stay organized and make sure that you cover all areas of your house.

I hope this cleaning checklist and the cleaning tips in this post can help make house cleaning just a little more manageable for you. It’s perfectly fine to feel overwhelmed, but remember – take it slow and go room by room.

And don’t forget to reward yourself for a job well done!