Deep cleaning checklist: room by room

Kitchen

Degrease stovetop and hood exterior, descale sink and taps, clean cupboard fronts and handles, wipe backsplash, clean inside microwave, empty and wipe the fridge, mop floor.

Bathroom

Descale taps and mirror, scrub tile joints and silicone, wash drain cover and trap, clean ventilation cover, wash floor and bath apron, sanitise toilet and basin.

Bedroom

Strip and wash bedding, vacuum mattress, wipe skirting boards and wardrobe doors, vacuum under bed.

Living area

Dust shelves and light fittings, wipe switches and door handles, clean windows and sills, vacuum edges and corners, wash curtains if possible.

Entrance and balcony

Sweep and wipe the entrance, clean shoe cabinet exterior, sweep balcony and wipe glass.

Order of work

Top to bottom, dry tasks before wet tasks, and floors last so dust from above does not land on clean floors.

How to use this checklist

A deep clean is a different job from your weekly routine, so it helps to go room by room in a set order, starting from the dirtiest area and working to the cleanest. Work from top to bottom within each room, so that dust falls onto areas you have not yet cleaned. Open windows for ventilation, wear gloves and keep products you are using separate. Do not mix cleaning products, particularly chlorine and acid-based ones. Allow several hours for a small flat, or split it over two days.

Kitchen and bathroom first

Kitchen: clean the range hood exterior and filter, degrease the stove surround, descale the sink and tap, wipe cabinet fronts and the inside of the microwave, clean the fridge shelves and drain the floor edge. Bathroom: treat silicone seams and tile joints, descale the mirror and fittings, clean the drain trap and the ventilation cover, and scrub the floor and tub. These two rooms hold the most moisture and grease, and they give the biggest visible improvement.

Bedrooms, living areas and entrance

Move furniture where you can and vacuum behind and under it. Wipe skirting boards, door frames, switches and door handles. Dust the tops of wardrobes and shelves. Wash or air bedding, and vacuum the mattress. Clean windows and sills, including tracks. In the entrance, wipe the shoe cupboard, clean the floor and shake out the mat. Finish by vacuuming and mopping floors, leaving the doors you have just come through to last.

Know what to leave to a professional

Some tasks are better done by a professional: the inside of the air conditioner, the interior of the range hood fan, heavily etched stone or limescale, mould inside silicone and anything at height. A professional deep clean, quoted from photos, can be combined with your own work. Many people clean the easy areas themselves and hire help for the bathroom, the kitchen and the air conditioner, which are the hardest.

A suggested order and time estimate

For a one-bedroom flat: kitchen 90 minutes, bathroom 90 minutes, bedroom 45 minutes, living room 45 minutes, entrance and floors 30 minutes. Total around five hours for one person, shorter with two. Start with the product that needs to sit, such as the bathroom mould remover or kitchen degreaser, then do other work while it takes effect. Take breaks and drink water, because deep cleaning is physical work.

Quick answers

Should I deep clean before or after a move? Both are useful: after for the new home and before for the old. Should I clean windows in winter? Yes, but on a dry day. How do I deal with limescale on glass? Use a limescale remover safe for glass, and accept that etched marks may stay. How do I protect floors? Use appropriate pads and avoid too much water on wood.