How Often Do You Need to Clean Things? (with chart)

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Ever wonder how often you should clean everything in your home? Use this chart to stay on track and keep your home tidy year-round.

Clean homes don’t just happen — they take ongoing care and effort. That’s not to say you need to clean around the clock to be tidy. It’s more a matter of knowing how often to clean everything in your home, so you can stay ahead of the dirt. When you clean on a schedule, rather than waiting until something looks dirty or is falling apart, it’s easier to do. So, read on to learn what you need to clean every day, week, or month and what only needs attention once a season or even just twice a year.

Daily Cleaning Tasks

Some things require daily cleaning because any neglect can lead to household pests or health issues. That’s why you should clean the kitchen and bathrooms regularly. But, don’t make these tasks harder than they are. Wiping surfaces each day does not mean clearing everything off, then spraying and scrubbing. It simply means using warm, soapy water or a disinfecting wipe to go over the free space.

  • Make bed
  • Wipe kitchen table
  • Wash dirty dishes
  • Wipe kitchen counters
  • Wash your coffee pot
  • Disinfect kitchen sink
  • Wipe fresh oven spills
  • Sanitize the kitchen sponge in the microwave
  • Open windows to air house (5 minutes is enough)
  • Change dishcloths and towels
  • Empty kitchen trashcan
  • Change bathroom hand towels
  • Disinfect bathroom faucets
  • Disinfect toilet handle & seat
  • Squeegee shower walls
  • Wipe cellphone screen
  • Clean pet bowls
  • Scoop litterboxes

Bi-Weekly

Some tasks don’t need to be done daily, but your home will benefit if you do them more often than once a week. In a small household, you may only need to clean the kitchen floor on the weekend, for example. Busier homes will find that cleaning high-traffic areas mid-week helps keep dust under control. (Here are more ways to reduce household dust.)

  • Change bath towels (they’re a breeding ground for bacteria)
  • Dust mop hard floors
  • Sweep or vacuum entry mats
  • Mop high-traffic areas in the kitchen
  • Vacuum high-traffic areas if you have pets or kids
  • Wipe dining chairs

Weekly

Wiping counters and faucets every day keeps your home tidy and deters pests, but it isn’t a substitute for more intensive weekly cleaning. Kitchen and bathroom surfaces need weekly cleaning to control bacteria. You should change bed linens weekly to reduce dust mites and wash makeup brushes every week to eliminate dead skin cells, bacteria, and oils.

Your weekly cleaning schedule is the time to move things off surfaces before spraying and scrubbing or dusting and polishing. If you’re confident in your cleaning skills, follow the list below. For step-by-step directions, try one of my free weekly cleaning checklists.

  • Clean kitchen counters
  • Wipe kitchen cupboard fronts
  • Purge expired food in the fridge
  • Wipe kitchen appliances
  • Clean inside of the microwave
  • Clean dishwasher food filter
  • Clean garbage disposal
  • Sanitize bathroom surfaces
  • Clean jets in whirlpool tubs
  • Clean bathroom trashcan
  • Clean mirrors
  • Dust furniture
  • Vacuum upholstered furniture
  • Launder sheets & pillowcases
  • Vacuum or sweep & mop floors
  • Wipe light switches & doorknobs
  • Wipe stair rails & banisters
  • Sweep front porch, patio, deck
  • Clean makeup brushes
  • Clean toothbrushes in a cup of white vinegar and hot water

Monthly

Make time to do the tasks below at least once a month, although there’s no reason you can’t do them more often. If you have pets or allergies (or both), there are some tasks you might want to do more than once a month, like washing your duvet cover.

Seasonal (Every 3-4 months)

The seasons change every 3 months, so that’s an easy way to keep track of chores that don’t require more frequent attention. Do them all at once, or spread them through the season by doing a couple each weekend.

Bi-Annually

Cleaning often leads to the discovery of problems in less-visible areas of your home, like leaks under sinks or cracks in walls. And many times, cleaning overlaps with home maintenance tasks. Cleaning the gutters, for instance, lets you see loose flashings or shingles on the roof. Washing walls sometimes leads to discovering potential foundation problems or humidity issues, like small cracks or peeling paint.

Yearly

The list of annual tasks is short and straightforward but shouldn’t be skipped – especially the chimney inspection if you have a fireplace! You can certainly clean your upholstered furniture more often, but remember that doing so may make it wear out faster, too.

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Note: The following checklist is for personal use only. Not to be distributed or sold. Copyright 2023 Katie Berry.
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10 Comments

    1. Katie Berry says:

      You’re welcome!

  1. I’m a young adult with ADHD and this guide is very helpful. Thank you for creating it!

    1. Katie Berry says:

      You’re so welcome, Tiffany! I have ADHD, too, so the checklists you’ll find on my site are my tools for staying on track with things. I hope they help you, too.

  2. Fantastic list. It is very helpful. Enjoy all you tips and schedules. I use your cleaning solutions too. I am happy I found your site a number of years ago and refer to it frequently.

    1. Katie Berry says:

      Hi Charmane,

      I’m so glad you find it helpful!

  3. Megan Thorpe says:

    Love love love all of the cleaning checklists and motivation. I’ve saved almost all of them! Thank you, thank you!

    1. Katie Berry says:

      You’re so welcome, Megan!

  4. Amy Allen says:

    Awesome info and of course perfect timing!!! Thank you very much for what you do, most appreciated! ☺️

    1. Katie Berry says:

      Thanks for the kind words, Amy — I’m so happy to help. 🙂 Happy New Year!