Cleaning guides for Tokyo and Japan
Practical, plain-language guides on routines, products, deep cleans and choosing a cleaning service.
Cleaning tips
Practical routines for Japanese apartments and houses.
A weekly cleaning schedule for a small Tokyo apartment
A realistic weekly and monthly cleaning rhythm for one-room and 1LDK apartments in Tokyo, with times for each task.
Preventing mould in a Japanese unit bath
Why unit baths grow mould, how to stop it, and when mould needs more than cleaning.
Cleaning grease from gas and IH stovetops
How to remove cooking grease safely from gas burners, IH glass tops and range hoods.
Deep cleaning guides
Checklists and schedules for a thorough reset.
Deep cleaning checklist: room by room
A complete deep clean checklist for kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living areas.
How often should you deep clean your home?
Recommended deep-clean frequency for homes, rentals and offices in Japan.
Ōsōji: year-end cleaning in Japan, explained
What ōsōji is, what to clean and how to spread the work over December.
Cleaning service guides
How to choose, book and brief a cleaning service in Japan.
How to book a cleaning service in Tokyo
Step-by-step: choosing a service, preparing your home and what to expect on the day.
Minpaku turnover cleaning: a host's guide
Time, tasks and checklists for turnover cleaning in Japanese short-term rentals.
Move-out cleaning checklist for renters in Japan
What to clean before handing back a rental in Japan, and what a cleaning service cannot do.
What you will find in these guides
These guides are written for people who live in or manage homes in Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures. They are practical and specific: how to keep a Japanese unit bath free of mould, how to clean gas and IH stovetops, how to plan a weekly routine in a small flat, how to prepare for ōsōji, how to turn over a minpaku room and how to leave a rental in good condition. They are written in plain language, without hype, and they say clearly when a job is better left to a professional.
How we write them
Each guide is based on how cleaning is actually done in homes and rentals in Japan, including the building types, products and rules you are likely to meet. We avoid promising results that cleaning cannot deliver, and we name the limits: mould that has gone into silicone, limescale that has etched glass, damage that is not dirt. Where a topic involves safety, such as mixing products, we say so directly. If you notice a mistake or want a topic covered, tell us.
Where to start
If you are new to Japan, start with the guides on cleaning products and the essential kit, then the weekly schedule for a small apartment. If you host guests, read the minpaku turnover guide. If you are moving, read the move-out checklist. If you want a thorough reset, use the deep cleaning checklist and the ōsōji guide. When you would rather hand the job over, the service pages explain what is included and what it costs, and you can book online with fixed prices.
Using the guides with our services
The guides are free to read, whether or not you ever book with us. They link to the service pages when a task is better handled professionally, so that you can compare doing it yourself, splitting it or hiring help. Our services have fixed prices for standard work, written quotes for specialist work and replies in English or Japanese within one hour. If a guide leaves a question unanswered, send it to us and we will answer it and may add it to the guide.
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