How to Deep Clean Your House

Life gets busy, and dirt and clutter can quickly add up. With our deep cleaning checklist, you’ll be able to keep your home in tiptop shape throughout the year. We’ll show you all the spots that need attention on a seasonal basis, complete with deep cleaning tips for each space to give your home a fresh start.

How Often Should I Deep Clean My House?

With some exceptions (like cleaning up your kitchen, changing out your sheets and bath towels and vacuuming rugs) this checklist can be followed every three to four months. You should be giving your home a thorough clean as the seasons change, with special attention to spring cleaning once cold and flu season is wrapping up.

Room-by-Room Deep Cleaning Checklist

You can tackle one room a day or knock your whole house out in a weekend. Performing these tasks as the seasons change is a good way to keep the dust and dirt from building up. Plus, it’s a chance to declutter and reorganize your holiday décor for various times of the year.

Ready to get started? Download our checklist below.
For tips on deep cleaning each room, jump to:
Kitchen |Living Room | Bedroom| Bathroom | Laundry Room & Garage

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is a high-maintenance spot that needs a lot of attention often, since bacteria from food can cover many surfaces. To make your general daily maintenance easier, use this list to keep your kitchen sparkling clean.

Supplies Needed

Clean Out the Refrigerator

Clean out all items from your refrigerator and freezer, wipe down all shelves and drawers and throw away all expired food. Pull the appliance out from the wall to wipe down the top and sides and sweep behind.

Disinfect Countertops

Wipe down all countertops and backsplash with all purpose-cleaner, or granite cleaner if you have granite tiles. Scrub your grout clean with warm water and a stiff-bristled toothbrush, or add some baking soda for extra cleaning power.

Soak the Garbage Disposal

Soak your garbage disposal with baking soda and vinegar by pouring a ½ cup of each down your disposal and plugging it with a drain plug. After a few minutes, remove the stopper and rinse with hot water.

Wipe Down the Stove and Microwave

Take the tray out of the microwave and wash it thoroughly in the sink with dish soap and warm water. Wipe down the inside and outside of the microwave with warm, soapy water. You can also put a wet paper towel in the microwave and run it for 20 seconds to steam the sides and making wiping away build-up easier.

Remove burner grates and burner caps from the stovetop and wipe down. If your grates are extra greasy, let them soak in a warm water, vinegar and baking soda mixture for 20 minutes before wiping down with sponge.

Clean the Oven

Run your oven’s self-cleaner, if it has one. Note this will only work if it’s only moderately dirty, otherwise this may cause smoke or even a fire. If your oven has a lot of build-up or doesn’t have a self-clean function, create a baking soda, water and vinegar solution and use a spray bottle to coat the inside of your oven. Let it sit overnight and then scrub thoroughly.

Run the Dishwasher on Empty

Clear out your dishwasher’s drain first to remove any food. Then run the dishwasher on a wash cycle with only a dishwasher safe container filled with one cup of vinegar. Once that cycle is finished, sprinkle baking soda over the bottom of your dishwasher and run on wash cycle again with the hottest water setting.

Clear Out Crumbs from the Toaster

Clean out crumbs and grease from the trays and racks on your toaster or toaster oven. Next, wipe down the outside and inside with a combination of dish soap and vinegar.

Wipe Down the Cabinets, Drawers and Shelves

Empty your cabinets, drawers and shelves. This is a good time to assess what you have, donate items you don’t want and throw away anything that’s broken or is missing parts. Wipe down the inside of all with warm water and dish soap combination.

Run the Coffee Maker

Mix equal parts water and vinegar and run on brew cycle. Once it’s done brewing, clean all parts thoroughly with dish soap and warm water to remove any remaining vinegar residue.

Wash Out the Sink

Clear out your sink and sprinkle baking soda all over. Using warm water and dish soap, start scrubbing from the top down so you work your water toward the drain.

Sweep and Mop the Floors

Sweep and wash your floors, making sure to move all furniture to clean underneath. To mop, use a mixture of mild soap and warm water then soak up any dampness with a microfiber cloth.

How to Deep Clean Your Living Room

While your living room probably gets a lot of straightening up on a regular basis, there are many spots that can build up dirt, dust and pet hair that may need a thorough scrubbing too.

Supplies Needed

Wash the Curtains and Drapes

Wash your curtains and drapes based on manufacturer’s guidelines. Wipe down all blinds using a cloth dipped in equal parts water and vinegar. If you have wood blinds, give them a good dusting with a microfiber cloth and wipe them down with warm water only, as vinegar can damage the finish.

Clean Carpets and Rugs

Vacuum your carpets and rugs first. If your rug is smaller and machine washable, you can run it through one cycle and lay flat to dry. If your floor is fully carpeted or your rug is too large, use a rug shampoo and sponge (or soft bristled brush) and warm water to clean or look into renting a steam cleaner from a local home improvement store.

Dust Wood Furniture

Using your microfiber cloth, wipe down all wood furniture, mantels, shelves and picture frames. If you or your family have bad allergies, it might be safer to use your vacuum hose attachment with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter which will capture dust more efficiently.

Clean Upholstered Furniture

Start by removing cushions and vacuuming all upholstered furniture to eliminate any crumbs or loose change. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s guidelines on the best way to clean your furniture. Depending on what type of material your furniture is made of, there are various ways to clean it without a professional.

Wipe Down Light Fixtures and Ceiling Fans

Keeping your fans clean can improve their performance and allow them to cool your home more efficiently. Wipe down and dust all of your light fixtures and ceiling fans with a microfiber cloth. Make sure to test each lightbulb and replace if needed.

Wipe Down Baseboards

Tackle dirty baseboards and molding by wiping them down with a damp microfiber cloth. You can also use a melamine foam sponge to remove any scuffs or scratches.

Wash the Windows

First, sweep or vacuum the dirt from your window frame. If your window screens look dirty, wash them with warm soapy water and a soft brush, then rinse and let dry before putting it back. Using glass cleaner, clean the inside of all windows with microfiber cloth.

How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom

Your bathrooms see a lot of traffic and probably get cleaned pretty regularly, but it’s important to give them a good, deep clean every few months – especially after heavy use from guests or after cold and flu season.

Supplies Needed

Clean the Toilet

Deep clean your toilet using castile soap down the sides of the bowl and thoroughly scrub using your toilet brush. Flush and let your toilet brush dry before putting it away in its holder to avoid mold.

Wash Hand and Bath Towels

Throw all your bath and hand towels into the washing machine and swap them out for clean ones. Now is a good time to take inventory and throw away or repurpose especially worn ones.

Wipe Down and Dust Mirror

Using your microfiber cloth, wipe down and dust mirror, light fixtures and bathroom vent. Clean out all old or expired products in your medicine cabinet.

Wash Bathmats and Shower Curtains

Collect and wash all bathmats and shower curtains according to manufacturer’s guidelines. Replace your shower curtain liner if you haven’t in the past few months.

Scrub Sink, Tubs and Shower

Mix warm water with baking soda until it forms a paste and scrub on sink, tub and shower using a microfiber cloth. Spray vinegar over the mixture and scrub again, then rinse thoroughly.

Safety Tip: Be cautious when miing bleach-based products with toilet cleaners or products containing ammonia.

Mop the Floor

Using warm water and dish soap, mop your bathroom floor. Make sure to get behind the toilet and in all smaller corners or between the vanity and wall, if reachable.

Clean Out Drawers and Cabinets

Clear out and wipe down all drawers and cabinets. Take inventory of what you have, what you need and what can be tossed because it’s expired or no longer needed.

How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom

Nothing feels better than falling into crisp, clean sheets at the end of a long day. Imagine that feeling after you scrub the whole room from top to bottom! While you most likely change sheets on your bed frequently, there are a lot of spots in your bedroom that are overlooked on a regular basis – here’s how to get them looking spotless.

Supplies Needed

Wash Sheets and Pillowcases

Strip your bed and wash all sheets, pillowcases and pillows according to manufacturer’s guidelines. Take stock of your extra sheets and pillowcases, donate any you no longer need and throw out any sets that are torn or stained.

Clean Your Mattress

Sprinkle baking soda on top of your bare mattress and rub in with a scrub brush. Wait at least one hour before vacuuming it up.

Vacuum Carpets and Rugs

If your rug is smaller and washing machine safe, you can vacuum it and then run it through one cycle and lay flat to dry. If your floor is fully carpeted or your rug is too large, vacuum and then use a rug shampoo and sponge (or soft bristled brush) and warm water to clean.

Dust Wood Furniture and Fixtures

Dust and wipe down all of your wooden night stands, dressers, picture frames, lamps, light fixtures and wall art. You can use a microfiber cloth or the hose attachment on your vacuum.

Wipe Down Baseboards

Using your microfiber cloth or hose attachment on your vacuum, remove dust from all baseboards, moldings and ceiling. Scrub baseboards with your cloth or melamine foam sponge to remove any scuffs.

Purge Your Closet

Empty your closet and take inventory – you can switch out your clothing based on the season or go for a full purge and donate what you don’t need or wear. Give the inside a total wipe down and organize all of your closet items before you load it back up with the things you’re keeping. While you’re at it, declutter nightstands and other bedroom drawers as well.

Wash the Windows

Same as in the living room, sweep or vacuum the dirt from your window frame. If your window screens look dirty, wash them with warm soapy water and a soft brush, then rinse and let dry before putting them back. Using glass cleaner, clean the inside of all windows with microfiber cloth.

How to Deep Clean Your Laundry Room and Garage

You use your washer to clean your clothes, but when was the last time you cleaned the machine itself? While these additional spaces might not see as much traffic as the other rooms of your home, it’s still important to give them a deep clean every few months.

Supplies Needed

Run Washing Machine on Clean Cycle

First, run your washing machine on clean cycle using one cup of warm water and one cup of bleach. Run a second cycle using two cups of vinegar, one-fourth cup of baking soda and one-fourth cup of water. Wipe down the sides and top of the machine and thoroughly wash the soap dispenser once you’re done running the cleaning cycles.

Clean the Dryer

Remove and wash your lint trap, then lay out to dry. Unplug your dryer from the wall and using your vacuum hose, suck up any lint or debris left inside the trap. Wipe down all sides and top of your washer then plug it back in.

Restock Your Supplies

Take inventory of all your laundry room needs – restock your detergent, dryer sheets, bleach, etc. and throw away any empty containers. Remove everything from your shelves or cabinets and wipe down. Now head out to the garage to get started with your final space.

Clean Up Oil Spills

Move cars to your driveway and assess your garage floor. Soak up any oil or car fluid spills using cat litter. Then sweep thoroughly. While you’re at it, you may want to clean out your garage to give it a thorough sweeping and scrubbing from top to bottom.

Organize Seasonal Décor

Whatever items you keep stored in the garage such as seasonal décor, sporting equipment, toys and tools should be organized and sorted through. Donate or throw away whatever you aren’t planning on reusing or items that are broken.

Out With the Old

Keep the cleaning train moving with these posts on how to declutter and organize different parts of your home:

• Secrets to Decluttering Your Bedroom
• How to Declutter Your Kitchen Counters
• How to Organize Your Walk-in Closet