How to Deep Clean Your House
As you go through each room in your home, begin with these deep cleaning tips to streamline the process.
1. Declutter Before Deep Cleaning
Find a new place for (or better yet, get rid of) any visible clutter that does not belong in the room. Save the stuff behind closed doors for another day to help simplify your deep cleaning checklist. Clearing clutter makes deep cleaning easier and seeing those tidy surfaces can help boost your motivation to keep going.
2. Start High, Go Low
Tackle large, hard-to-reach surfaces in this order: ceiling, ceiling trim, ceiling light fixtures (including bulbs), walls, the rest of the trim, and baseboards. The best tool for these surfaces is a clean microfiber mop ($12, The Home Depot) or a duster with a telescoping handle ($18, Bed Bath & Beyond). Bonus: These tools are typically thin enough to get behind the sofa without moving it. Above eye-level, a spritz of water is all you need on the mop. Surfaces closer to the floor tend to build up dirt and dust, so use warm water mixed with a drop of dish soap. In bathrooms, add a splash of white vinegar to the mixture to stop mold and mildew. For spots where using a mop is awkward or inconvenient, use a microfiber cloth ($3, Target). Rinse often and wring thoroughly.
3. Deep Clean Windows
Cleaning windows is fairly simple, and the payoff is huge. First, vacuum the sills and tracks. Then spritz the window with glass cleaner ($4, Target) from top to bottom. Let the cleaner do its thing for a minute, then squeegee it off. If you wipe in one direction on inside windows and another on outside ones, it will be easier to see and fix streaks.
4. Spruce Up Window Treatments
Save yourself the trouble of taking down blinds or shades. All you really need to do is vacuum them using the brush attachment. And instead of laundering and ironing curtains, just fluff them in the dryer for a few minutes while you wipe off the rod and rings. Then hang them right back up.
5. Remove Dust from Surfaces
Wipe all remaining hard surfaces (wood furniture, shelves, built-ins, etc.) using furniture cleaner and polish ($8, The Home Depot) and a soft cloth. For an extra-quick clean, put a clean cotton tube sock on your dominant hand to dust surfaces, moving objects out of the way with the other hand. Finally, take a lint roller to the lampshades.
6. Deep Clean the Floors
To do this right, you’ll have to move the furniture, even larger pieces like beds and sofas. To make moving heavy pieces easier, place furniture slides ($7, Target) under the legs of big pieces. Then break out your vacuum’s crevice tool to get at the dirt in corners and along baseboards. If you have a hard floor, clean it with a microfiber mop and the appropriate cleaner for the surface. If you have carpet, now is a good time to rent a professional-grade cleaner. And if you have pets and/or kids, think about investing in your own.
Room-by-Room Deep Cleaning House Checklist
Follow these steps to deep clean every room in your home.
How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom
How to Deep Clean the Kitchen
How to Deep Clean the Bathroom
How to Deep Clean the Living Room and Family Room
Supplies Needed to Deep Clean Your Home
Deep cleaning your home requires a wide variety of tools and cleaners. We asked four of our favorite cleaning pros (professional organizer Aby Garvey, cleaning blogger Becky Rapinchuk, and cleaning experts Leslie Reichert and Mary Findley) for their must-have supplies for cleaning an entire home:
Baking soda in a shaker Clean paintbrushes (for dusting delicate items) Dish soap (liquid or powdered) Distilled white vinegar Gloves Lint roller (for lampshades and upholstery) Microfiber cloths (both multipurpose and glass-only) Microfiber mop with covers for different types of floors Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponges Multipurpose cleaner Nylon non-scratch scrub pad ($2, Walmart) Rubbing alcohol Stiff-bristled, toothbrush-size brush (for shower door tracks, drains, etc.) Streak-free window and glass cleaner Telescoping duster with cobweb, ceiling fan, microfiber, and squeegee attachments, ($50, Bed Bath & Beyond) Wood cleaner/conditioner
