Deep Clean Like You Mean It: Exhaustive House Cleaning Checklist

Table of Contents

1. Cut the Clutter
2. Clean Storage Areas
3. Kitchen
4. Bathroom
5. Whole House Deep Clean
6. Finishing Touches

If you are gearing up to sell your home you will need to get it ready for potential buyers to view. Over 91% of real estate agents agree that homeowners should deep clean their homes before they try to sell their house.  This means it is time to roll up your sleeves, get our mop and bucket, and get ready for a deep clean.

Now, let’s discuss this in detail below.

Cut the Clutter

Clean counters and polished floors will never be seen if your home is filled with clutter.  This is why over 98% of real estate agents believe that homeowners should declutter before trying to sell their homes.  Everything from knick-knacks to stacks of papers on your shelves and counters will make your home look dirty.

Luckily, decluttering your home is relatively easy and only a bit time-consuming.  Begin your decluttering journey by removing excess knick-knacks from your shelves, tables, countertops, walls, desks, and dresser tops.  Don’t worry, you don’t need to throw away your clutter.  You can always pack it away and store it for later use.

While you’ve removed extras from around your home, take a look at your furniture.  Are there any pieces that are ripped or worn?  Are there random pieces that don’t coordinate with the main furniture pieces?  If there are, now is the time to remove them.

Clean Storage Areas

While you are on a roll removing excess from around your house, you should take a look at your storage areas.  Any closet or cabinet that comes with your property will be viewed during a n open house. When potential buyers are touring your home, you’ll want all of your closets and cabinets to be free of clutter.

This will make it possible for buyers to fully view the storage space that comes with your home.  Remove extra towels, sheets, and blankets from your linen closet, keeping only a few neatly folded items.  Take the time to go through your bathroom cabinets and clear out those half-empty bottles of lotion and toothpaste.

When you’ve cleared out the excess, reorganize your toiletries so that they are stored away allowing ample open space.  The same clearing out process should be done in your kitchen cabinets, pantry, and entryway closets.  Now, let’s move to the Kitchen section and know this in detail.

Kitchen

After the clutter has been cleared it’s time to get down to the deep cleaning.  Start in your kitchen since it is the most used room in your house and by far the messiest.  A deep clean in the kitchen should start with your appliances.

A multi-surface antibacterial spray will be the best cleaner for your refrigerator, dishwasher, and cabinets.  Any sticky stains should be pretreated with the multi-surface cleaner until it is loose enough to be scrubbed off.  Pay close attention to the back of your refrigerator and cabinets where crumbs can hide.

Next, focus on your stovetop and oven.  You can clean your oven with its automated setting or you can scrub it yourself with an oven cleaning solution and a non-scratch sponge.  Lastly, wipe down cabinet hardware and countertops. Read below to know this in detail.

Bathroom

Your bathroom has quite a few hidden nooks and crannies that will need extra attention. Bathrooms are constantly oscillating between humidity levels, which means they are prone to mold and mildew. The most common spot where mold or mildew can show up is on the caulk around the shower and bathtub.

You can remove old caulk with a utility or putty knife. When the old caulk is removed, clean the area with an antibacterial cleaner specially formulated to destroy mold and mildew.

When the cleaning solution is dry you can apply a new layer of caulk.  Just this simple step will brighten the area around your bathtub or shower and make your bathroom look much cleaner.

Your next area to clean in the bathroom is around and behind the toilet.  This is an area often overlooked but is prone to a build-up of dust and dirt.

Spray the area with an antibacterial cleaner and let it sit for the recommended time before wiping it.  Finally, clean the vanity and sink as well as the mirrors, glass, and faucets.

Whole House Deep Clean

Your entire house is decluttered and your storage areas are cleared of excess.  Your bathrooms and kitchens are sanitized and disinfected.  Now, it’s time to deep clean the rest of your house.  Start by scrubbing your walls.  Yes, every single wall in your house.  This includes the baseboards, door frames, and window frames.

All you need for this job is a bucket of soap water and a large sponge.  After your walls are sparkling clean you can move on to dusting.  This is a job for multi-surface dusting cleaner and microfiber cloths both of which will trap dust on ceiling fans, light fixtures, and shelves.

After every last dust bunny has been removed you can turn your attention to your floors. Sweep all your floors focusing around the edges where dust and dirt can linger.

Finally, it’s time to mop.  Start in the living spaces before you move to the kitchen and lastly the bathroom. So, this is how a whole-house cleaning checklist works.

Finishing Touches

Every room in your home is sparkling clean.  Now it’s time to put the finishing touches on your rooms.  Straighten your throw pills and make all the beds.

Wipe down countertops and surfaces that need extra attention.  Finish by vacuuming carpets and rugs.  Give every room a last look to make sure your house looks perfect.

Deep cleaning is a bit time-consuming but in the end, the extra work will make your home stand out with potential buyers.

Thus, this is all that you should know about the house cleaning checklist. Let me know if you come across any doubts in the comment section below and I will get back to you at the earliest.

Thank you for reading!