Wondering how to get a professional-level clean on your own? You’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to deep clean and maintain your home. From equipment to tips and tricks, right down to a detailed checklist, this guide is the ultimate resource to keeping your home spotlessly clean.
Getting the Right Equipment and Materials
First things first: you’ve got to make sure you have the right equipment and materials if you want to ensure good results when cleaning your home. There’s no point in putting in all that effort just to have a semi-clean house, right?
Equipment
There are a few items of cleaning equipment that you simply can’t do without, no matter what kind of home you have, how big or small it is, or what kind of floors and furniture you’re dealing with. These essential items should be the first things you invest in.
While it isn’t necessary to spend a lot of money on equipment or buy the absolute top-of-the-line stuff, with some equipment the old adage “you get what you pay for” does generally apply here. If you invest in good quality equipment, cleaning will take less effort, you can expect better results, and you’ll avoid needing replacements or repairs much for longer.
Essential Items:
- Vacuum
- Mop (can be mop and bucket or steam mop)
- Cleaning cloths (we recommend microfiber)
- Sponges
- All-purpose scrub brush
- Toilet Brush
There are a few items of equipment that aren’t entirely necessary but can either make the job easier or provide even better results. You can still clean every part of your home without these things, but you may not want to.
Optional but useful items:
- Bucket – great when you need to use a simple soap and water mixture
- Detail scrub brush (or sanitized, old toothbrush) – great for sink taps, drains, grout, and other small areas
- Extendable feather duster – makes dusting higher shelves and other hard-to-reach areas easier
- Squeegee – leaves showers residue and streak free and can also remove hair from carpets
- Lint roller – especially great if you have pets
- Gloves – protects your hands from harsh chemicals and germs
Cleaning Products
Along with the right equipment, you’ll need an assortment of cleaning products to make sure that every part of your home is cleaned properly. Here’s our list of must-have products for your home:
- All-purpose cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- A disinfectant
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Limescale remover (can be bought or you can use lemons)
- Bleach
- Oven Cleaner
There are also a few items which won’t apply to every home or may simply be optional, but which we think make a great addition to most cleaning kits.
- Furniture polish
- Stainless steel cleaner
- Granite cleaner
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
General Home Cleaning Tips
Before you get started, we’ve got a few tips you may want to keep in mind as you clean the whole house. These things make cleaning easier and faster, and they can also make it easier to maintain a clean home.
Pick Up Trash and Clutter
Before you start the actual cleaning, do a quick run-through of your house to throw away any trash and pick up any clutter. Don’t spend a long time on this – simply pick up what’s in the way of cleaning. If it’s clutter, you can put it away if in the same room or deal with it after you’re done cleaning.
Work from a Checklist
Using a checklist is the best way to make sure every single part of your home is cleaned and nothing is overlooked or forgotten. Things like light switches and door handles are easy to forget, but they’re hotspots for germs and are important to clean. Plus, you get the satisfaction of checking off each item as you go.
Clean Top to Bottom
Don’t start by vacuuming the floor and then dusting – you’ll just be adding dust to your newly clean floor.
Starting from the top of a room and working your way down ensures that any fallen dust or dirt is handled as you clean the lower levels. This important in the kitchen because crumbs may be wiped from kitchen counters and land on the floor, and in rooms with lots of shelves, picture frames, or figurines to dust.
Empty Garbage Cans First
Before you clean the rest of a room, empty the garbage can. This way, if the bag rips and leaks, or you if you need to clean the container, you won’t be creating a mess in a freshly cleaned room.
Clean in Batches
When cleaning your entire home, there are certain tasks which you may find easier to do in batches instead of going room to room. If you’re doing an all-over clean in one day, or even if you break your cleaning up into daily tasks, you may choose to do these all at once.
Vacuuming – this should be done after you have cleaned everything else in the room so you can pick up any dust or dirt which has fallen during the cleaning process. You may find it easier to wait and vacuum the whole house instead of stopping at each new room to clean other things.
Mopping – like vacuuming, this should be done after everything else in the room has been cleaned. Make sure you sweep or vacuum first so you don’t create muddy floors.
Spraying Bathrooms – you may find it helpful to quickly spray all of your toilets, tubs, showers, and sinks at one time and allow the cleaning agent to soak in and work. You can then go back and scrub or wipe them down after a little while.
Keep a Cleaning Caddy
Instead of simply storing your cleaning supplies in a cabinet and grabbing them out one by one, take it a step further and put them all in a convenient cleaning caddy with a handle, including sprays, cloths, brushes, and sponges. That way, you can grab the caddy and go, knowing that you’ll have everything you need. You can make a separate caddy for the bathroom or kitchen, or you can have one larger cleaning caddy with everything on it – whatever suits your cleaning style best.
How to Deep Clean Every Room of Your Home
Now that we’ve covered some basic tips, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of deep cleaning your home. Use these checklists to get professional-level clean in every room of your home.
Kitchen
- Clean dishes or empty dishwasher
- Dust top of high surfaces including fridge, microwave/range hood, cabinets
- Clear sink drain
- Clean and remove any limescale from taps
- Disinfect sink
- Disinfect countertops, including backsplash
- Clean stovetop
- Clean oven
- Clean microwave
- Clean dishwasher
- Wipe drawers and shelves in refrigerator and freezer
- Clean fridge/freezer seal and handles
- Clean inside and outside of cabinets and drawers
- Clean under and behind appliances
- Wipe walls and baseboards
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Vacuum and mop floors
- Wash dish rags and replace or clean sponges
Bathrooms
- Wipe mirror
- Disinfect countertops
- Clear drains
- Clean and remove any limescale from taps and shower heads
- Disinfect tub and shower
- Scrub tile grout
- Wash or replace shower curtain or liner
- Scrub toilet bowl
- Disinfect toilet seat (don’t forget underneath), rim, and base
- Wipe walls and baseboards
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Vacuum and mop floors
Bedrooms
- Wash bedding including sheets, pillows, duvets and bed skirts
- Flip mattress (if applicable)
- Dust and polish furniture
- Dust décor
- Dust blinds
- Dust curtain rods
- Clean light fixtures
- Clean or vacuum curtains
- Clean windows
- Clean windowsills
- Wipe walls and baseboards
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Vacuum or mop floors
Living room
- Wash blankets, pillow covers, and slip covers
- Dust ceiling fan
- Dust and polish furniture
- Dust décor
- Dust blinds
- Dust curtain rods
- Dust lamp shades
- Dust electronics
- Sanitize remotes
- Clean or vacuum curtains
- Clean windows
- Clean windowsills
- Wipe walls and baseboards
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Vacuum sofa and chairs
- Vacuum or mop floors
Dining room
- Wash and iron table linens
- Dust ceiling fan
- Dust china
- Dust and polish furniture
- Dust décor
- Dust blinds
- Dust curtain rods
- Clean light fixtures
- Clean or vacuum curtains
- Clean windows
- Clean windowsills
- Wipe walls and baseboards
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Vacuum chairs
- Vacuum or mop floors
Laundry Room
- Clean washing machine
- Clean lint trap
- Clean dryer vent
- Sanitize sink and countertops (if applicable)
- Wipe walls and baseboards
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Vacuum and mop floors
Garage
- Check and replace batteries in garage door openers
- Clean garage door and frame
- Clean windows
- Wipe down walls
- Clean light switches and door handles
- Sweep floor
The Quick and Easy 1-Hour House Clean
Deep cleaning takes a long time, but what if you have guests coming soon, or you simply can’t spend hours on your chores? For the times when you’re short on time but you need a clean home, you can get your whole house clean in an hour or less.
Now, to get this much accomplished in a short time, you’ll need to be really focused – no playing on your phone or getting distracted by the things in your rooms. Also, keep in mind that this is a surface clean to make your home livable and presentable until you have the time to properly deep clean.
Kitchen
- Clear your counters
- Load dirty dishes into the dishwasher
- Using all-purpose spray and a cloth or sponge, wipe down cabinets, counters, and other surfaces, rinsing your cloth/sponge as needed
- Wipe down all appliances
Bathrooms
- Clean all bathrooms at once
- Clear your counters
- Spray counters, sinks, tubs, and showers and allow to sit
- Quickly scrub toilet and wipe down seat and outer surface
- Go back and wipe counters, sinks, tubs, showers
- Clean mirrors
Bedrooms
- Change linens and make beds
- Clear clutter
- Dust furniture and décor
Living and Dining Rooms
- Clear clutter
- Dust furniture and décor
- When vacuuming the room (later) also vacuum upholstered furniture
Floors (Whole House)
- Vacuum every room, starting at the back and working toward the door
- If you have a steam mop or flat mop, quickly mop hard floors
Maintaining Your Clean Home
Once your home has been deep cleaned, it becomes much easier to maintain it. You can break up the tasks into smaller, daily, weekly, and monthly tasks so that you don’t spend a large chunk of time on any part.
Daily Tasks
- Make beds
- Sweep hard floors
- Load and / or empty dishwasher
- Wipe countertops and sinks
- Laundry as needed
- Empty trash as needed
Weekly Tasks
- Clean bathroom toilets, tubs, showers, and mirrors
- Dust shelving, furniture, and décor
- Change bed linens
- Vacuum and mop floors
- Clean light switches and door handles
Monthly Tasks
- Clean microwave and oven
- Clean trash cans
- Wipe refrigerator shelves and drawers
- Dust ceiling fans
And there you have the ultimate guide to cleaning your house. Using these checklists and tips will help you clean your home efficiently and professionally. And once your home is clean, use our breakdown of tasks to keep it that way.
