Step-by-Step Guide to Deep Cleaning Every Room in Your House
You’re either a lover or a hater of cleaning, and the thought of a deep clean will either be your idea of a good time or the worst hours of your life.
We can define this by how much time you love to spend on CleanTok and whether you were Mrs. Hinch’s number 1 fan.
Love it or loathe it, a deep clean is essential, at least every two weeks, if not every week. Not necessarily every step and every nook and cranny, but there are a few non-negotiables.
Below, we’ve created a step-by-step guide that should
Step 1: Understand What Needs a True Deep Clean
First, understand what needs a true deep cleaning. Technically, everything does, because beyond the regular daily tidying, hidden areas quickly build up with dirt, bacteria, and dust.
To make it clear, regular cleaning should be of visible surfaces and involve wiping, vacuuming, dusting, or spraying down the toilet.
Deep cleaning gets into the neglected areas, such as behind furniture, inside appliances, grout, etc.
Step 2: Deep Cleaning the Bedroom
Start in the room that may not require the most intense work but does still need a deep clean.
Once per week
Weekly, you should be washing your bedding, including the sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers, in a 140°F hot wash. Anything less won’t kill the bacteria and germs properly. Every high-quality bedding, like Nest Bedding, will tolerate a weekly hot wash.
Mattress care is also so neglected. When you wash your sheets, vacuum the mattress surface to remove dust and debris.
Then, move to dusting: skirting boards, bedside tables, headboards, light fixtures, and ceiling corners. As a golden rule, any visible surface should be touched with your cleaning products.
Finish by vacuuming thoroughly, including edges, and/or mopping hard floors.
Every two weeks
Once every two weeks, have a quick reorganization of your wardrobe and drawers if they’re looking chaotic. Remove items, wipe the insides of the wardrobes and drawers, and put them back, taking care to move furniture and the bed to clean underneath.
Once per month
If they’re suitable, you can also wash the pillows and duvets on the same hot wash as the bedding.
You can also wash the curtains, cushions, and throws.
And always open the windows when you’re cleaning.
Step 3: Deep Cleaning the Living Room
You spend a lot of time in your living room, and, naturally, it can become cluttered, dirty, and dusty.
Once per week
Once a week, you should be decluttering surfaces and organizing remotes, unused items, and putting magazines or books where they belong.
Dust the shelves and tables, and don’t neglect the electronics. Follow that with vacuuming the sofa, making sure you remove the cushions and go down the middle of each seat (if possible).
Finish by vacuuming the floors and rugs, or if you have hard floors, vacuuming and then mopping with a floor disinfectant suitable for the flooring.
Every two weeks
Two-weekly cleaning of the living room is a similar chore to that of the bedroom. You should spot clean upholstery and remove any stains. Clean the windows, sills, and mirrors, and a top tip is not to use kitchen roll, as it can smudge. Buy a specific window cleaning cloth.
You should then dust behind the TV, skirting boards, above the door frame, and in any corners.
Once per month
This is furniture-moving time again. Move your sofa, TV cabinet, and anything that doesn’t usually move to clean underneath it and behind it by vacuuming. Don’t forget your light fixtures!
Deep clean the carpets and rugs, either with a machine or by throwing down carpet cleaning powder solution, letting it set, and vacuuming it up again. That said, if you do have a house full of carpet, investing in a carpet cleaning vacuum is a great idea.
Finish by washing your cushion covers and throws and dusting the light fixtures.
Step 4: Deep Cleaning the Bathroom
The bathroom needs the most attention. We don’t need to tell you how dirty it can get in there.
Once per week
Clean and disinfect the toilet (bowl, seat, and surrounding area), sink and taps, and shower and/or bath surfaces. Any surface you can touch, disinfect it, even the walls. You can buy specific bathroom cleaning tools to help you do this more easily.
Always use a bleach-based product, or at least a spray that kills 99% of bacteria and is made for bathrooms. Use bleach gel and a toilet brush for the bowl of the toilet.
Wipe mirrors and countertops again, using a specific cloth and not a kitchen roll to avoid streaking.
Finish by mopping the floors thoroughly with a disinfectant bathroom floor cleaner.
Every two weeks
Remove limescale from the taps, showerheads, and tiles; scrub grout and remove any mildew buildup; and empty and wipe bathroom cabinets and drawers.
This is on top of everything you do weekly.
Once per month
You might dread the once-per-month bathroom deep cleaning, but it’s essential.
Deep cleaning extractor fans and vents that notoriously collect dust. Then, wash the shower curtains on a hot wash, or you might have to hand-wash them. Check the label.
Clean behind the toilet and under fixtures.
Do a full product clear-out and reorganize everything so it looks neat.
There’s also the kitchen, but we’ve given you a lot to work with already, so follow this guide for the kitchen. Deep cleaning is a mammoth task, but it keeps your home smelling and feeling fresh, and there’s nothing better than that!
