Deep Cleaning Checklist: Room by Room, in Order

What a deep clean includes

Your weekly clean keeps surfaces tidy: dishes, counters, a vacuum, the bathroom basics. Those jobs are covered in our household chores list; the once-a-year declutter and seasonal swap are in the spring cleaning checklist. A deep clean goes further, into the corners and appliances that only get attention a few times a year:

• inside appliances: oven, fridge, freezer, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine
• behind and under furniture and appliances
• high places: tops of cupboards, light fittings, curtain rails, extractor fans
• low places: skirting boards, door bottoms, radiator backs
• details: switches, handles, grout, window tracks, vents

The order to work in

• Declutter first. Clearing surfaces and floors before you clean means you're not moving the same things twice.
• One room at a time. Finishing a room before starting the next gives you a clear point to stop and pick up again later.
• Top to bottom. Dust and crumbs fall, so ceilings, light fittings and high shelves come before counters, and counters before floors.
• Back to front. Work from the far side of the room towards the door, so you don't walk over what you've just done.
• Floors last. Vacuum first, then mop.
• Start where it's hardest. Many people begin with the kitchen or bathroom, while energy is high.

Kitchen deep cleaning checklist

• Empty and wipe the tops of wall cupboards and the extractor hood; clean or replace the filter
• Clean inside the oven, the oven door glass, racks and trays
• Clean the hob and the wall behind it
• Empty the fridge, wipe shelves and drawers, check dates
• Defrost the freezer if it needs it
• Clean the microwave, kettle and toaster
• Run the dishwasher empty with a cleaner and wipe the door seal
• Empty cupboards and drawers, wipe inside, put back only what you use
• Wipe cupboard doors, handles and switches
• Pull out appliances you can move and clean behind them
• Clean the sink, tap and plughole
• Wash the bin
• Vacuum and mop, including under the kick boards

Bathroom

• Dust the light fitting and the extractor fan cover
• Scrub tiles and grout
• Clean the shower head, screen or curtain
• Descale taps
• Clean the toilet including the base and behind it
• Empty the cabinet, wipe inside, clear out old products
• Wash bath mats and the shower curtain
• Clean the mirror
• Mop the floor and wipe skirting boards

Bedrooms

• Wash all bedding, including pillows and duvet covers
• Vacuum the mattress and rotate it if it's the kind that can be rotated
• Vacuum under the bed
• Empty and wipe wardrobes and drawers; put aside clothes you no longer wear
• Dust lamps, frames, the tops of wardrobes and curtain rails
• Wash or vacuum curtains
• Vacuum the floor along the edges

Living room and hallways

• Dust light fittings, ceiling corners and shelves, top first
• Vacuum sofas and chairs, including under the cushions
• Move furniture and vacuum behind it
• Wipe switches, door handles and remote controls
• Clean windows, sills and tracks
• Wipe skirting boards and radiators
• Clean the hallway floor and the front door mat

Laundry and the rest

• Clean the washing machine drawer and door seal, run an empty hot wash
• Clear the dryer lint filter
• Wipe vents and air grilles
• Clean inside the bins

For cleaning products, follow the label on each one and keep windows open while you work.

Keep the checklist in Family Errands

A deep clean rarely fits into one afternoon. A shared checklist keeps track of what's done across a few days and lets everyone in the home see the same list.

1. Write the checklist once as a note

   Create a note with a checklist, one line per job, grouped by room if you like. If you've already typed a list in a chat or another notes app, copy it: in Notes the app offers to make a new note from the copied text, and each line becomes a separate checklist item.

2. Create an errand from the note when it's time

   A new errand appears for today with the note's title and checklist, while the note stays as it is for the next deep clean.

3. Share it

   Share the errand with your partner or family by tapping their avatars. Everyone sees the same list on their own phone, and changes show up automatically.

4. Tick items off as you go

   Each checklist item is ticked separately, so the kitchen can be finished by one person while another works through the bathroom, and everyone sees what's left.

5. Pass on a whole room

   If the bathroom is its own errand and your weekend changes, the person it belongs to can transfer it: it becomes the other person's and leaves their list.

Big rooms can be their own errands: one for the kitchen, one for the bathroom. Separate errands are easier to spread over several days.

Make it come round again

A deep clean is easy to put off. Set the errand to repeat every few months or once a year, and for yearly errands choose to shift them off inconvenient days: if the date lands on a weekend you'd rather keep free, the errand moves to the nearest earlier or later day that suits you. Some jobs inside the list have their own rhythm, like the freezer defrost every three months, and work well as separate repeating errands.

Getting a home ready for a move is a different list; see our moving into a new house checklist. For sharing everyday chores between two people, see List of household chores for couples.

Questions