Keeping up with laundry, dishes and hoovering from one week to the next can go a long way to maintaining a tidy house, but once or twice a year, it’s a good idea to dive in and scrub those spaces that might be neglected during routine cleaning. Give your living space a little extra love by following this deep clean check list, leaving it sparkling this spring and beyond.
Before you begin deep cleaning your house
1. Clear away the clutter. Our room-by-room cleaning guide begins with this all-important step. Before you get down to a deep cleaning, you’ll need to do a light one. Pick up any items that have accumulated on the floor, on worktops and tabletops, or on furniture, so that you can get to the places you need to clean.
2. Make a game plan. Plot out which rooms you’ll tackle and when, keeping in mind how much time you think it will take to do a thorough job. Don’t be afraid to break the work up into multiple days or even weeks. If you’ve got limited time, or a bigger house, you may want to hire quality house cleaning help near you. Remember: deep cleaning your house is a marathon, not a sprint!
3. Take stock. Set yourself up for success by making sure you have everything you’ll need before you dig in to your deep clean check list. After getting started, the last thing you’ll want to do is mess up your rhythm by running out of something you need. Suggested cleaning supplies include:
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Broom
- Brush with stiff bristles
- Cleaning caddy (optional, but helpful)
- Washing-up liquid
- Dusters (microfibre works best)
- Garden hose (for outdoors)
- Gloves to protect your hands
- Lint roller
- Mineral oil
- Mop
- Multipurpose cleaner
- Sponges
- Telescoping pole for high and hard-to-reach spaces
- Hoover with extension accessories
- White vinegar
- Window and glass cleaner
- Wood cleaner and/or polish
Room-by-room cleaning guide
Bathroom deep clean check list
Scrub all showers, bathtubs, sinks and toilets. Before getting started in the bathroom, spray down your bath with multipurpose cleaner so that it can soak for a while and break up any soap and oil that have accumulated. Do the same with the toilet bowls and sinks. That will make scrubbing that much easier when you circle back to it later on.
- Tip: Don’t forget to wipe down the base of the toilet near the floor, where dust and dribbles can sometimes land.
Wipe down light fixtures, mirrors and window treatments. Take extra time to carefully clean out gunk that has made its way into corners and around edges. Remove any grime or dust that has built up by wiping items down with a little vinegar on a damp rag.
Wash glass shower doors. To clear off soap scum or water spots, apply some warm distilled white vinegar and let it sit for half an hour or so, reapplying if needed. Then sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda on top and gently scrub the spots away.
- Tip: A slightly damp dryer sheet will also remove buildup.
Put any cloth curtains or bath mats in the washing machine. Just be sure to check care labels to verify which cycle items should be washed on. To keep things from wrinkling in the dryer, set the heat setting on low and take items out when they’re still a little damp. Then hang them back up in the shower to finish drying completely. If you also have a plastic shower curtain liner, wash it on cold and rehang it to dry, or replace it with a new one.
Clean out under the sinks and inside drawers. Over time, these spaces tend to get cluttered. Take everything out so that you can wipe out the bottom of the cabinets and drawers and clear out any cobwebs that might have formed. As you’re putting items back, throw away expired items and anything you no longer need, and organise the rest, taking care to put items you’ll use most frequently near the front for easier access.
Don’t forget the grout. You can make a homemade grout cleaner using vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and water. First, spray down the grout with a half-vinegar/half-water solution until the area is good and saturated. Let it sit for a few minutes, scrub with a bristled brush (an old toothbrush will do!) and then rinse. Then, mix some bicarbonate of soda with water until it forms a paste, apply it to the grout using your brush, and spray it with the water and vinegar. The bubbles that form will start to clean away some of the grit and grime, and your brush will do the rest. When you’re done, rinse the grout with warm water.
- Tip: In a pinch, carpet cleaner also works wonderfully well on grout.
Disinfect handles and doorknobs. These neglected pieces of hardware are some of the most germ-ridden places in the house. If you haven’t wiped them down in a while, it’s a good idea to give them a thorough cleaning with a multipurpose cleaner or disinfectant wipes.
Kitchen deep clean check list
Wipe down cabinets. With a damp rag, gently clean off any dust or dirt on the inside and outside of the cabinet doors, as well as all sides of the cabinets themselves — including the top. For grease splatter, dip your cloth in undiluted vinegar to rub off the grease, then rinse the rag in warm water to wipe off the vinegar. Some cabinets will swell if they encounter too much moisture, so be sure to always wring out your rag well before wiping down the wood, and dry the surface quickly with a paper towel after cleaning.
- Tip: After wiping down the top of the cabinets, cut a newspaper to size to fit the space. As the months go by, the paper — not your cabinets — will collect the dust, and you’ll only need to swap out the paper for next year’s spring cleaning.
Hoover out the refrigerator coils and vent. Use your hoover’s hose or brush extension to remove all the dirt and dust from the fridge coil and vent, or hire an air compressor to blow it out.
Clean out the fridge and defrost the freezer. Take everything out so that you can remove food debris from the shelves and inside walls — starting from the top and working your way down. When you put food back, be sure to check the expiry date and throw away anything that’s past its prime. Don’t forget to wipe down the fronts of the fridge and freezer, paying close attention to disinfecting the door handles.
Throw out old sponges. These kitchen tools are germ magnets. Even zapping them in the microwave won’t kill all the bacteria that find their way inside. Disinfect sponges every few days by letting them soak in a bleach/water solution (3/4 of a glass of bleach to 3 litres of water) for 5 minutes. After a couple of weeks, however, they should be thrown out completely and replaced, or swapped for reusable silicone scrubbers that can be more easily disinfected.
Scrub down the hob and vent. For cooker hoods and hobs covered in greasy dust, use a mineral oil to wipe away the film, and then remove the oil with some warm water and dish soap.
- Tip: Coat the surfaces of a gas hob (not the grates) with car wax, then wipe it off. This will make it easier to clean up future spills.
Clean the oven. If your oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning function, you can make a DIY cleaner by mixing 5 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda, 5 drops of dish soap and 4 tablespoons of vinegar into a paste and slathering it on the worst spots. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub at it with a sponge or non-abrasive brush. For extra stubborn grease stains, place a few drops of washing-up liquid on half a lemon, and rub it on the problematic areas. Then scrub or wipe clean.
Organise your food cupboards. After you’ve removed everything from the shelves and wiped them off, replace and organise the food items according to their purpose. For example, instead of having baking items stacked on a shelf or spread across different cupboards and cabinets, place all ingredients used exclusively for baking inside a clear tub. That way, when you’re ready to bake, you already have everything you need and can easily carry the items to the worktop and back. Similarly, use racks and clear containers to separate breakfast items from snacks or dinner ingredients, and so on.
- Tip: Put up a whiteboard on the fridge or a cupboard door to keep notes of what you have or what you need.
Clean out the microwave. Although a spaghetti-splattered microwave can seem daunting, this might be the easiest task when deep cleaning the kitchen. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar with a cup of water and microwave it on high for five minutes. The vapour from the boiling solution will coat every inch of food debris and make it easier to wipe away.
Disinfect the sink. If you cook with raw meat in your home, chances are the kitchen sink is the most germ-ridden spot in the whole house. Give the basin a good scrub with a disinfectant or bleach solution to kill any bacteria lurking inside.
Wipe down the worktops. Remove any items on the worktops, including appliances and knife blocks, and then use a disinfectant spray or cleaning wipes to get corners and spaces in the back that might not get as much attention throughout the year. While you’re there, wipe down the walls or backsplashes, too.
Common areas
Take off all cushions from couches and chairs, and hoover the spaces underneath. Pay special attention to the nooks and crannies where crumbs or dust might have made a home.
- Tip: Use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to remove stains from microfibre fabrics by dabbing it on with a white sponge (to avoid any dye transfers) and scrubbing with a white bristle brush.
Shampoo your rugs and carpets. Or, if you’d rather not spend the time, money or effort to shampoo the whole house, spot-clean stains using pet stain remover or a steam cleaner.
- Tip: In a pinch, the “steam” function on your clothing iron works great as a steam cleaner.
Polish your wooden furniture. Remove any items from bookcases or coffee tables to clean every surface with a dust cloth, followed by wood cleaner or polish. Fix scratches by rubbing a walnut along the scratch or by using a stain pen.
- Tip: Remove water stains on your wooden furniture by blasting it with a hair dryer at close range and treating the wood with a furniture polish or mineral oil.
Wipe down skirting boards, window treatments and light fixtures. Use a telescoping pole or hoover extension attachment to reach high ceilings and corners. Remove and launder the curtains and clean the windows with glass cleaner. Don’t forget to disinfect door handles!
- Tip: Use a lint roller on lamp shades to remove any dust or pet hair that have accumulated there.
Dust your decor. Gently wipe or brush away dust from all of your knick-knacks, picture frames and clocks. Depending on how many decorative items you keep in your home, this may be the most time-consuming part of your spring deep cleaning.
Clean your electronics. Another surprisingly germ-ridden place in your house is the TV remote. Just think of all the (sometimes sticky) hands that touch it. Give your electronics a good wipe down, including the top of your TV, streaming device and other equipment. Dust the front of any screens with a microfibre cloth or a feather duster, making sure to get the corners.
Bedroom deep clean
Wash the bedding, including fitted sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers. If some of the items are too big to fit inside your washing machine, take them to a launderette or dry cleaner’s. Don’t forget the pillows!
Flip your mattress. Or if you have a pillow top, rotate it to prevent grooves from forming due to sleeping in the same spot for too long. Freshen the mattress by sprinkling some bicarbonate of soda, letting it sit for 45 minutes to an hour and then hoovering it back up.
- Tip: Use foam shaving cream to remove mattress stains by letting it sit for 15 minutes before wiping it off with a slightly damp cloth dipped in a half-water/half-vinegar solution.
Dust neglected surfaces, like window treatments and headboards. If you have curtains, hoover or launder them, too.
Hoover or mop under furniture, including behind chests of drawers and wardrobes and under beds. Pay extra attention to corners and skirting boards.
- Tip: If your furniture is too heavy to move, use the hoover attachments or a telescoping pole to swivel a mop head or cloth into hard-to-reach places.
Do a wardrobe clear-out
Sort through items and get rid of anything you no longer need or use. If you really want to keep something, ask yourself:
- 1. Does it fit?
- 2. Is it flattering on me?
- 3. Have I used it in the past year?
If you answer “no” to any of the above, strongly consider donating or selling it.
- Tip: Turn around all of the hangers so that they are hanging backwards, and throughout the year, only put each one back the right way round if you’ve worn the item. If something is still hanging backwards during next year’s spring cleaning, you’ll know which items to get rid of first.
Rotate seasonal items. If you’re doing spring cleaning in the spring, pack up those bulky jumpers and heavy coats and store them on a shelf or in the back of your wardrobe till next winter. The same can be done in the autumn for summer clothing and accessories.
Hoover carpets and ceilings. Remove any items from the floor and hoover up any dust that might have built up under your shoe rack or nostalgia box. Don’t forget to get into the corners of the ceiling to capture any cobwebs or dust bunnies.
Wipe down shelves and inside drawers. Remove all items and wipe down the space with a damp cloth. As you replace the items, think about how they can be organised so that you’re more likely to keep the space tidy.
- Tip: Use drawer dividers or fabric baskets to organise small items like hand towels or underwear.
Laundry room
Wipe down washing machines and worktops. Use a damp cloth to remove the light dusting of lint that tends to settle on every surface in the laundry room.
Throw out any rogue dryer sheets and empty detergent bottles. Look between the machines, behind doors and under cabinets to catch any pesky dryer sheets or clumps of lint. Dispose of any outdated cleaning supplies, taking special care to follow local rules on rubbish disposal, as not all cleaning supplies may be thrown away with your regular household waste.
Organise supplies. If things have become cluttered, neatly line up cleaning supplies, so you can more easily see and access the items you need. If small children are in the home, ensure dangerous cleaning supplies are out of reach or kept in a secured cabinet.
Sanitise your washing machine. After every load of laundry, it’s a good idea to leave the washing machine door open to let it air out and prevent mould from growing inside. Once a year, however, it’s a good idea to sanitise the machine to remove any mould and built-up detergent. Use a multipurpose disinfectant or vinegar solution to clean the rubber seal around the door of the machine, as well as inside the dispensers. If your machine doesn’t have a self-cleaning cycle, run it empty using hot water and a little bleach.
Clean out your lint trap filter and dryer vent. Clogged dryer vents can pose a fire hazard for your home, and poor airflow can allow condensation to accumulate behind your walls, so it’s especially important to keep these passageways clean. After every load of laundry, remove lint from your lint trap, and at least once a year, hoover out any lingering debris on the trap itself, as well as the space where it’s housed inside the dryer. Then unplug the dryer and disconnect the dryer duct: a 4‑inch pipe, typically located in the wall directly behind the machine. Gently pull the dryer away from the wall just enough to access the duct. If you have a gas dryer, be extra cautious not to mess with the gas line. You can use a hoover or special duct cleaning kit to remove debris inside the line, as well as wherever the dryer’s vent is housed outside your home. When you’re done, reconnect everything and place the machine back into position.
- Tip: If your vent line is much longer than your hoover’s hose can reach, or the outside vent outlet is inaccessible, consider using a professional duct cleaning service every few years to ensure that the entire line is clear.
Mop or hoover the floor. When you’ve cleaned everything else in the room, hoover or mop the floor, taking care to reach the corners and behind the machines, using telescoping handles or extensions.
Hallway
Remove items and wipe down hooks and shelves. Use a damp cloth or multipurpose cleaner to clean dirt off any shelving and hooks, especially where shoes are kept.
Throw away or store unused items. Get rid of any items you no longer use or items family members have outgrown, including seasonal jackets or shoes. Wash and store items you want to keep, and donate or sell the rest.
Organise items by purpose and practicality. It doesn’t take much for this area of the house to fall into disarray. Give yourself and your family the best chance at keeping the space clean by thinking through where items are normally placed, and organise from there. If shoes are often thrown on the ground, for example, containers to store them should be on or near the floor. Baskets can be used to catch small items (like keys or earphones), and multiple hooks are great for storing winter gear and backpacks.
Garage, shed, loft or cellar
Declutter. Now’s the time to take a good, long look at everything in the garage and ask yourself: “Do I need this?” Dispose of old cleaners, broken equipment, abandoned projects and anything else that no longer has a use.
Sweep the floors. If you can, remove everything at ground level, and use a broom to sweep out the dust, leaves and mystery gunk that have settled there.
Maximise your space. Investing in sturdy shelves is a great way to store those rarely used items like Christmas trees or parasols. Bikes and seasonal garden equipment can be hung from the ceiling or high up on a wall to make the best use of available space.
Outdoor spaces
Get out the hose. Spray down patios, decks, porches, lawn furniture, playground equipment — and any other large item or area you have outside your home. You may also wish to hire or invest in a power washer to remove buildup on the outside of the house.
Tidy the garden. Pull any weeds sprouting up in your lawn, flower beds or vegetable patches. Lay down mulch or compost (if needed) and plant any flowers or veggies you’d like.
Once you’ve finished deep cleaning your house, it’s time to take the most critical steps of all: sit back, relax and enjoy.