The Ultimate Cleaning Checklist

Erica Finamore is Real Simple's home director, sharing her knowledge on decorating, organizing, cleaning and DIYing. She has over 10 years' experience and favors statement sofas, gallery walls and organizing books in rainbow order.

Let's face it: Very few people actually like cleaning. Sure, we like a clean house, but who wouldn't happily shun scrubbing a toilet or vacuuming the stairs (though there are plenty of models of vacuums to tackle that easily) to hang out with friends or disappear into a good book? There's a reason why robot vacuums were invented. You can even level up your hands-free game with a self-emptying vacuum. For everything else, there are ways to make cleaning less of a chore—even tackling the inside of your oven. By setting household jobs on a regular schedule—put your washer and dryer set to good use—you can keep your home clean without spending all your time with a sponge.

This cleaning checklist includes all of the essential chores to address all year long, so there’s no reason to spend the start of a spring scrubbing our hearts out. Instead, follow this plan to keep up with your home bit by bit throughout the year, and take it a little easier come March and April. Scroll down to check out this to-do list, then click the links to get into the nitty gritty of the trickier tasks.

Daily Cleaning Tasks

• Make your bed (you'll feel better, we swear!).
• Wipe down and sanitize the counters in the kitchen, bathroom(s), and laundry room.
  
• Empty/load the dishwasher.
• Take out kitchen trash (you can skip a day to two if it's not full and doesn't contain food waste)
• Do a nighttime sweep to put toys, loose papers, and other stray objects in their place.
• Wipe down kitchen counters, table, and sink.

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

• Vacuum and/or mop floors.
• Wipe down major appliances, like smudgy fingerprints on the fridge.
• Clean up any spatters or grease along the kitchen backsplash and inside the microwave.
• Wipe down and sanitize the counters in the kitchen, bathroom(s), and laundry room.
• Wipe down mirrors.
• Scrub and disinfect the kitchen sink.
• Disinfect the toilets. Hit the bowl, seat, sides, tank, and flusher.
• Clean and scrub showers and tubs.
• Launder your linens: sheets, all towels (the bath, hand, and dish varieties), and bath mats. Want to keep your towels smelling fresh? Here's how.
• Toss any food that has expired. It happens!
• Sanitize high-touch points: doorknobs, faucets, light switches, pulls and handles, keyboards, and remote controls.

Monthly Cleaning Tasks

Some spots take a little longer to get dirty. Tackle these every four weeks or less.

Everywhere

• Dust all surfaces: side tables, your TV and con-sole, bookshelves, picture frames, etc. You may need to do this biweekly. Read more about how to get rid of dust from all your surfaces.
• Spritz and wipe the inside of the windows with glass cleaner and a clean rag.
• Dust the baseboards with a microfiber cloth, then clean them cleaning solution.
• Dust blinds with the brush attachment on your vacuum, or wipe each slat with a microfiber cloth. If they're looking super filthy, consider a deeper clean.
• If you can, rinse your vacuum’s filter. (Deep-clean the entire machine once a year.)
• Dust ceiling fans and vents.

Bathroom

• Clean mirrors and fixtures. Spray solution onto your microfiber cloth instead of the mirror to keep spots from forming.
• Launder your shower curtain and liner if they can go into the washing machine. (Most can!) If you need to clean yours by hand, try an enzyme stain spray.

Kitchen

• Scrub stovetop, including icky sticky burner grates.
• Scrub the cabinet doors and appliance fronts with a microfiber cloth and warm, soapy water.
• Wipe out and disinfect wastebaskets.
• De-stink the dishwasher by running a cycle with just a bowl of distilled white vinegar on the top rack. And clean the filter. While you're at it, wash the door rack and gasket too.
• Dust and clean the top of the fridge if it’s exposed.
  

Living Room

• Vacuum the couch and other upholstered furniture. Use the appropriate attachment and remove the cushions to get every last crumb. Be on the look-out for loose change.
  

Laundry Room

• Deep-clean your washing machine. Don’t forget the gasket. Tip: Leave the door open between cycles to help prevent mildew.
  

Tasks to Do Every Three to Six Months

• Clean blinds
• Clean and condition leather and wood furniture
• Deep-clean your carpets and rugs.
• Polish stainless steel appliances
• Clean and descale coffee maker
• Launder throw pillow covers and fluff inserts.
  

Tasks to Do Every Six to 12 Months

• Deep-clean your oven. Clean the range hood too—and the toaster while you’re at it.
• Empty and clean cabinet and pantry shelves.
• Vacuum or dust refrigerator condenser coil.
• Vacuum your mattresses with the upholstery attachment. If you need to, spot treat it, too.

Seasonal Cleaning Tasks

It helps to mark the tasks on your calendar. Or just save these pages until you’re in the groove.

Spring

• Disconnect the dryer and use the hose attachment on your vacuum to remove lint from the vent and clean it.
• Clean the windows—this time, the outside! Hire someone to do the second story (or the entire task).
  

Summer

• Deep-clean your grill. Start by turning off the propane tank, carefully detach the gas tubes and burner, and then follow these steps.
• Sweep and power-wash the deck, patio, and driveway. Scrub mold off of unpainted siding with bleach and water and a stiff-bristle brush.
• Clean outdoor furniture and wipe down the cushions using a soft bristled brush. (Stash the cushions inside when not in use.)

Fall

• Give your HVAC system a checkup. Schedule a tech visit to make sure every-thing is in working order before the weather turns.Note: Filters should be changed every season.
• Do a yard cleanup and pick up errant sticks.
• Reset the garage. Dust, sweep, vacuum, and organize all that equipment.
• Clean out your medicine stockpile. Cold and flu season is approaching, and you don’t want. expired stuff taking up space in there. Remember, makeup and toiletries have expiration dates, too!

Winter

• Remove ash from the fireplace regularly. A yearly inspection by a chimney sweep will help keep the flue clear.
• Shake out and wipe down boot trays or shoe racks.
• Have rugs professionally cleaned (unless they're washable rugs).
• Pull out large appliances and furniture to clean behind and underneath.