How Often You Really Need To Clean Everything In Your Home (Follow This Easy Schedule)
Rome wasn't cleaned in a day — that's how the saying goes, right? In any case, neither is your home. But with a reasonable, regular cleaning schedule — somewhere south of Martha Stewart but north of your average college student — every room in your home can stay spick and span, and healthy, year-round.
Kitchen
You might be surprised about just how dirty and germy the kitchen can get. Push up your shirtsleeves and get to work — the kitchen won't clean itself.
Once a day
- Wash your dishes
- Disinfect your cutting board (It has 200 times more coliform bacteria than a toilet seat)
- Clean your sponges (Microwave on high for 30 seconds, or throw it in the dishwasher)
- Wipe down kitchen counters
- Sweep up crumbs and spills
- Wash kitchen towels (If you've been handling raw meat)
- Clear your drains with hot water
- Refresh the garbage disposal (Half a lemon, some salt, and a few ice cubes should do it!)
- Spot clean any refrigerator spills (Time to toss produce and leftovers that might mold)
- Wipe down the fridge handle (High-touch surfaces like handles are magnets for bacteria)
- Vacuum or wash floors
- Clean the cooktop or range
- Wipe down the inside of the microwave
- Wash kitchen towels
- Deep clean the drains (This time with cleaning solution)
- Wipe down the fridge shelves (Especially the bottom shelf, where you're likely to defrost meat)
- Clean the in-door water dispenser
- Give the dishwasher a wash (Run it empty with this natural cleaning solution)
- Degrease the backsplash and/or the range hood
- Dust light fixtures
- Clean the coffee maker
- Clean oven racks
- Deep clean the fridge (Remove every single thing)
- Remove dust and debris from the fridge condenser coils and fan
- Degrease the oven
Bathroom
The bathroom is where you start and finish each day. Make sure to give yourself a nice, clean slate.
Once a day
- Wipe down the sink (If this seems excessive, think of the fecal matter. And try these reusable bathroom cleaning wipes)
- Squeegee any glass shower walls after each use
- Towels (Every three to four uses)
- Disinfect the toilet
- Disinfect the sink
- Spray down the shower liner or ...
- Wash the shower stalls
- Clean the mirrors
- Wash the floors
- Scrub the tub
- Soak your showerhead to remove scale
- Scrub the grout
Laundry
It's easy to forget to clean the tools we use to stay clean ourselves.
Once a day
- Clean the lint catcher after every use
- Use the clean cycle on the washing machine
- Get annual service
Bedroom
People spend one-third of their lives in bed. Make sure it's both comfortable and clean.
Define the Fauna
Once a day
- Make your bed (People who make their beds every day are happier, says science)
- Wash the bedsheets (At the most, every other week)
- Clean the mirrors
- Vacuum rugs
- Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans
- Wash blankets and duvets
- Launder your pillows
- Vacuum and spot clean your mattress
- Polish wood furniture
Living Room
It's predicted that people will spend more time online than watching TV in 2019 — a first, for America at least. But the couch potato gene is still going strong, with the average American clocking more than 170 minutes of old-fashioned screen time each day.
Stephen Paul
Once a day
- Straighten up
- Vacuum the rugs and carpet (to spot clean, try this chemical-free solution)
- Sweep
- Wipe down computer keyboards
- Wash the floors
- Dust or clean window treatments and light fixtures
- Dust vents
- Dust the TV and other electronics
- Empty your shelves and wipe it all down
- Wash any slipcovers
- Steam clean upholstery
- Polish wood furniture
- Deep clean windows and window screens (Better yet, hire a professional)
- Clean the fireplace
- Clean behind and underneath furniture