Cleaning Check List

Nooks, crannies, corners and cobwebs. We admit it, house cleaning is a chore. This house cleaning checklist will get you on the right track.

We promise it is not impossible to get it all done But it does take a bit of determination, focus and time to make your house shine. Use a copy of our house cleaning check list to keep yourself (or your delegates!) on track, and you can be sure to have your house clean in no time.

Depending on the specifics of your home, not all of the items will apply. But if you follow this list, checking off the items that do apply, every corner your house will shine.

House Cleaning Checklist Help and Tips

House cleaning is not at the top of most peoples list of fine things to do, and if you let your mind wander too much, you'll spend even more time cleaning. Focus on what you're doing, make every move count, and you'll finish more quickly. Household organizing and cleaning can be done quicker than you think.

Clean top to bottom, back to front, right to left and work your way around the room, cleaning as you go, just one area at a time. Carry your cleaning supplies with you in a basket or cleaning bucket so you don't waste time having to go back to retrieve them.

Dust first, vacuum last. Start dusting from the top of the highest shelves, the tops of cabinets. These tend to be less dusty than lower shelves. Even if you dust quickly, you'll be moving the dust down to a lower level, usually the floor, where it is easily vacuumed away.

• Make a schedule, and stick to it. The mess gets worse the longer you put it off. If the house is too big, hit a floor at a time, or clean all the bathrooms on Tuesdays.
• Identify your trouble spots, and determine how you're going to get them cleaned up. Do you need any special cleaning products? Is soap scum or mold and mildew taking over the bath? Select the tools you'll need, and who you can assign the task to.
• Get help. If there are others living and breathing in the house with you, who are most certainly contributing to the mess, get them to help. My favorite is to assign tasks to each child for a week at time, and rotate tasks. Don't forget to throw in deep cleaning items, like the mess under the sink, or spraying down and wiping the trash compactor.
• Gather all your cleaning supplies and place in a bucket or tote. Don't waste time running around getting a broom or cleaners or whatever you need to complete the task that you're doing. Your bucket should contain glass cleaner, disinfectant, detergent degreaser, soup scum remover, comet, soft scrub, scrub brush, sponge, toothbrush, and a green scrubber for starters.
• Use the right product for the job. Use natural cleaning products if possible. We don't use fancy products but it's important to use good quality, heavy duty cleaning products that do a great job. This doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money either. We use a solution of vinegar and water to damp mop linoleum or vinyl floors. It works great.
• Dump your junk. Get clutter free. This is a hard one. I like stuff too, and I was raised in a family of pack rats, so this doesn't come naturally to me either. The room will feel kind of bare at first, but trust me, you'll get used to it (you'll actually come to prefer it), and it makes clean up a breeze.

The Cleaning Checklist is available in Excel format.

Download this cleaning checklist.