Deep Cleaning House Checklist
A room-by-room deep cleaning checklist for the jobs a weekly clean skips, from the oven and the grout to the vents and baseboards.
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Who it’s for
This checklist is for the jobs that slip off a weekly routine: the oven, the grout, the dusty tops of cabinets, the vents. Use it for a seasonal clean, before guests come to stay, or when you move into a new place. It keeps track of what’s done so you can spread the work over a weekend or a few weeks.
What’s on the page
The page holds 36 jobs in 6 sections: kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, laundry room and entry, whole house. A notes box at the end catches anything particular to your home.
How to use it
- Write the start date at the top, so you can see how long a full round takes.
- Pick one section at a time. A room a day keeps it manageable.
- Work top to bottom in each room: fans and fixtures first, then surfaces, then floors.
- Tick each job as you finish it, and come back to anything you skip.
- Keep the page and start a fresh copy next season.
Tips for an easier deep clean
- Declutter before you deep clean. It’s quicker to clean empty shelves, and the declutter checklist goes room by room the same way.
- Gather supplies in one caddy and carry it from room to room.
- Let cleaners sit. Spray the oven, the grout or the shower first, do something else, then come back to scrub.
- Keep it up with a weekly routine. The weekly cleaning schedule stops buildup between deep cleans.
- Test the smoke and CO alarms while you’re up high dusting the ceilings, and replace batteries as the alarm’s maker directs.
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Save to Pinterest(opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between deep cleaning and regular cleaning?
Regular cleaning keeps up with what gets dirty every week: counters, toilets, floors. Deep cleaning reaches what builds up slowly in places you don't touch every week, like inside the oven, behind the fridge, the grout, the vents and the tops of cabinets.
How often should I deep clean my house?
A few times a year is plenty for most homes, with the change of seasons as an easy reminder. Kitchens and bathrooms may need it more often than bedrooms and living rooms, so you can work through those sections more often.
Where do I start a deep clean?
Start at the top of each room and work down, so dust falls onto floors you haven't cleaned yet, and finish with the floors. Do one room at a time and finish it before you start the next.
Do I need special products to deep clean?
Usually not. Dish soap, an all-purpose cleaner, a scrub brush, microfiber cloths and a vacuum with attachments cover most of the list. Follow each product's label, never mix cleaners, and open a window while you work.
More free printables
Weekly Cleaning Schedule Printable
A one-page weekly cleaning schedule: a few quick jobs every day, plus one focus area a day, so the whole house gets done without a cleaning marathon.
A room-by-room declutter checklist that tells you exactly what to look for, with four piles to sort into so nothing ends up back on the shelf.
A one-page to-do list with today's top three at the top, plenty of lines to tick off underneath and a little room for notes.