A Cleaning Checklist for Daily, Weekly, & Monthly Tasks [Printable]

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There is a unique satisfaction that comes from entering a meticulously maintained home. However, with a demanding work schedule and busy weekends, it can often be challenging to uphold a cleaning routine that ensures your space remains inviting and tidy. That’s where our comprehensive home cleaning schedule comes into play.

By dividing household tasks into manageable segments categorized by day, week, month, season, and year, you can streamline your cleaning efforts. This approach enables you to engage in cleaning without the uncertainty of where to start or the surprise of unexpected seasonal tasks. While the annual deep clean can feel like a significant milestone, our detailed checklists provide guidance on what needs to be done and when, fostering a more sustained and balanced approach to home maintenance.

These cleaning tips are collected from Madeline Buiano, editor of MarthaStewart.com

Daily Cleaning Checklist

Regular, brief cleaning sessions can significantly enhance the appearance and atmosphere of your home. Additionally, this proactive approach helps prevent small messes from escalating into larger issues in the future.

When considering daily cleaning tasks, it may be beneficial to focus on areas from the waist down, such as floors and countertops. This practice is particularly crucial in the kitchen, where food-contact surfaces that aren’t cleaned daily can potentially harbor and transmit germs that may lead to foodborne illnesses, as noted by Mary Gagliardi, a cleaning expert and scientist with Clorox.

Make the bed
Wipe down kitchen counters
Sanitize high-touch surfaces
Wipe down bathroom counters
Sweep floors
Wash dirty dishes
Put away clothes

Weekly Cleaning Checklist

Maintaining a clean and organized home involves not only daily cleaning but also regular weekly maintenance tasks. These tasks are essential for managing dust, dirt, pet dander, and general clutter throughout the home.

According to Melissa Poepping, founder of The Chemical Free Home, it’s beneficial to focus on high-traffic areas and commonly used rooms during weekly maintenance. While some of these spaces may receive daily attention, they also merit inclusion on your weekly cleaning list, as they require more thorough care that cannot be postponed for an entire month.

Wash bath mats, towels, and washcloths.
Clean toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks.
Dust surfaces like furniture, objects, and light fixtures.
Empty trash bins and wipe both the inside and outside.
Vacuum and mop the floors.
Vacuum upholstery.
Wipe mirrors.
Change and wash sheets and pillowcases.
Throw away the magazines and catalogs that you don’t want; keep the ones you do.
Fluff pillows and comforters.
Wash machine-washable throw rugs and runners.
Sort through your inbox: pay bills, file paid bills, and organize paperwork.
Flush the kitchen drain with boiling water.
Wipe kitchen counters, sink, ventilation hood, refrigerator, and cupboard doors.
Clean the inside of the oven, microwave, and toaster oven.
Wipe away handprints and pet prints from windows and glass doors.

Monthly Cleaning Checklist

Conducting monthly cleaning offers an excellent opportunity to refresh areas of your home that might not receive regular attention, despite being frequently used.

According to Poepping, “This is a chance to address those out-of-sight areas that, if overlooked, can require more effort to clean later on or potentially affect the longevity of some household items.”

Additionally, this is a perfect time to assess upholstered furniture for any stains, allowing you to maintain its appearance and keep your belongings looking their best, she emphasizes.

Scrub the grout.
Wipe the insides of medicine cabinets.
Clean the tub and shower surrounds.
Wash pillow protectors, mattress pads, and shams.
Dust shelves and storage bins.
Vacuum the floors and baseboards.
Throw out food in the freezer that has gone bad.
Clean the ventilation hood filters.
Vacuum the fireplace screen.
Wipe the insides and outsides of trash and recycling bins.
Buff the floors made of stone, masonry, concrete, and wood.
Floors
Dust portable fans and ceiling fans.
Flush the drains with a mixture of vinegar, boiling water, and baking soda.
Vacuum window treatments, moldings, and windowsills.
Wipe the inside and outside of doors and trim.
Wipe the switch plates.
Wipe telephones.

Seasonal Cleaning Checklist

Creating a seasonal cleaning checklist is crucial for maintaining your home in optimal condition. According to Gagliardi, it’s important to adopt a comprehensive approach by considering “floor to ceiling, and everything in between.” Engaging in semi-annual or seasonal cleaning allows you to pay special attention to your major appliances, identify any potential concerns, and ultimately extend their lifespan.

Wash pillows
Flip mattresses
Vacuum mattresses, box springs, and bed frames
Clean and polish the pot rack and copper cookware
Deep clean the oven
Organize and wipe down the pantry
Empty kitchen cabinets and clean them
Throw away expired food
Wipe the kitchen ceiling
Clean the inside of the refrigerator
Rotate stacked books to avoid warping
Clean leather furniture
Sweep out the fireplace
Clean baseboards and moldings
Wash the filter on the washing machine
Change seasonal clothes and store unneeded items
Donate old clothes
Clean the makeup drawer and discard expired items
Clean shower heads and faucet filters
Vacuum and mop floors

Annual Cleaning Checklist

Cleaning certain areas of your home can require a significant investment of time, making it challenging to address them regularly after work or during busy weekends. However, it’s essential to ensure that these tasks are not overlooked entirely, as neglecting areas such as gutters or air vents can lead to more significant issues later on. As Gagliardi suggests, “Every surface ultimately benefits from a thorough cleaning.” For those hard-to-reach spaces that demand considerable effort, it’s perfectly reasonable to designate a specific time, such as once a year, to manage these responsibilities.