Deep Cleaning Checklist: Easy Guide to Clean Like a Pro

Updated November 3, 2020
Two women cleaning house using checklist

Every home needs to be deep cleaned periodically. Following a deep cleaning checklist can make sure you don't miss any pivotal areas of your home. You also have access to a deep cleaning checklist you can edit and print out for your home.

How to Deep Clean Your House

An entire home deep cleaning isn't something you do every day. However, it's important to deep clean your home every few months. You don't want your guests to see your kid's fingerprints covering the walls or the grease splatters on your microwave. And does anyone truly know what is growing under their couches? Before you dive in, you need a few cleaning supplies.

  • Clothes and rags

  • Bucket

  • Vacuum

  • Cleaning products

  • Scrubbing pad

  • Rubber gloves

  • Toothbrush or bristle brush

  • Spray bottle of vinegar

    House after a deep cleaning

Deep Cleaning Areas to Think About in All Rooms

All the rooms in your home and your entryway have walls, windows, ceilings, etc. Therefore, you need to make sure to cover all these areas when cleaning.

Ceiling Fixtures

  • Dusting and washing ceiling fans

  • Cleaning light covers and mounts

  • Dusting HVAC vents

  • Spot cleaning marks on the ceiling

Windows

  • Dust and vacuum molding

  • Remove and wash curtains and blinds

  • Launder machine-washable curtains

  • Take 'dry clean only' curtains to the cleaner

  • Wash windows inside and outside

  • Clean out window tracks

Walls

  • Take down and wipe off pictures and frames

  • Clean baseboards

  • Clean molding around door jams

  • Wash walls

  • Clean molding where it meets the ceiling

  • Dust and wipe down shelves

  • Wipe down light switches and plugs

Furniture

  • Dust all hard-surface furniture

  • Wipe down and clean leather

  • Clean upholstery checking for stains

  • Removed and put away clutter on tables

  • Organize any miscellaneous papers, books, etc.

  • Empty out drawers and clean

  • Clean lamps and lampshades

Floors

  • Mop hard floors

  • Vacuum carpets

  • Vacuum large rugs

  • Launder small rugs (machine washable)

  • Spot clean carpets

  • Steam-clean carpets and rugs

Bedroom

  • Flip mattresses

  • Change and wash sheets

  • Wash blankets

  • Dust curtain rods

  • Organize closets

  • Dust bookshelves

  • Clean and sanitize desks and computers

    Daughter and mother folding clean towels

Maintenance Tasks

  • Change batteries in all the detectors in the home

  • Replace light bulbs

  • Schedule repair work

  • Sanitize door handles

How to Deep Clean the Bathroom

One of the most important areas for cleaning is the bathroom. All kinds of messes happen in there, and you might not be as diligent on your bathroom cleaning as you should be. Follow these steps to get your bathroom sparkling.

Deep Cleaning the Kitchen

Another important area to consider during your deep cleaning adventure is the kitchen. You want to keep them clean not only for aesthetics but for your health. When it comes to deep cleaning, keep these areas in mind.

  • Remove items from kitchen cabinets

  • Clean the inside of the kitchen cabinets

  • Clean the outside of the kitchen cabinets

  • Place items to keep back in cabinets

  • Remove and clean the inside of the pantry

  • Set aside expired items or those to donate

  • Clean the outside of the pantry

  • Throw away any old items

  • Place the others back into the pantry

  • Pull everything out of the refrigerator

  • Clean out the inside of your refrigerator

  • Clean the outside of your refrigerator

  • Put items back into the frig

  • Clean off and scrub the counters

  • Scrub the inside and outside of the stove

  • Clean the sink

  • Clean off and wipe down the kitchen table

  • Dust all items on the kitchen counter

  • Sweep and mop floors

  • Clean out the microwave

  • Scrub the dishwasher inside and out

  • Scrub and disinfect garbage cans

Deep Cleaning Checklist Printable

Since the areas that you'll need to tackle when it's time for deep cleaning are the ones that you don't necessarily see all the time, working with a checklist is a great way to make sure that you're taking care of everything that needs to be handle. To use the free printable checklist provided here, simply click the image to download it as a customizable PDF document.

Deep cleaning checklist printable PDF

Using a Deep Cleaning House Checklist

Your efforts will go faster and more smoothly if you don't let too much dirt and dust build-up in between deep cleaning sessions. Use a weekly checklist for house cleaning and a household chore list to keep up with tasks that should be performed more frequently - that will minimize the difficulty of your periodic deep cleaning tasks.

Deep Cleaning Checklist: Easy Guide to Clean Like a Pro