The house cleaning checklist, room by room (free printable)
A short list for every room, the quick jobs first and then the deep ones, with how often each one comes round and the minutes it takes.
The short answer
A house cleaning checklist goes room by room. Each room has its quick jobs, like the counters, the toilet and the sheets, which come round every few days or every week. It also has its deep jobs, like the oven, the grout and the mattress, which come round once a month or once a season. Ours gives every row the minutes CozyHaus gives it, so you can see what each room asks of you before you start.
Download the PDF (US Letter) A4
2 pages, about 220 KB: the short list for every room, with a box to tick. No email needed.
How to use this checklist
Every room below has a short list of up to ten rows: the quick jobs first, then the deep ones. The rest of the room’s chores are underneath it, for when you want everything.
- Start with the short lists. They hold the jobs that keep a room nice, and the deep ones most people forget.
- The deep jobs come round in turn. Each has its own rhythm, so you never need a whole deep-clean day. There’s more on that below the rooms.
- Skip what your home doesn’t have. No dishwasher, no yard, no cat: cross it off.
- A missed week doesn’t double. Start again with this week’s quick jobs, and the rest comes round in its turn.
- Living alone? Expect less. One person makes fewer dishes and less laundry, and a small apartment has less floor.
The minutes are the estimates CozyHaus gives each chore, for a home with one bathroom and a dishwasher. The ones marked easily forgotten are among the 55 chores CozyHaus counts as easy to miss, like the toilet brush and the fridge coils.
Kitchen cleaning checklist
The kitchen is the busiest room on the list: 30 chores, with quick jobs that come to about 205 minutes a week and deep ones to about 103 minutes a month. The biggest share is the dishwasher, in and out every day: 56 minutes a week.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Wipe the counters | Every day | 3 |
| Wipe the stove and grates | After cooking | 4 |
| Load and unload the dishwasher | Every day | 8 |
| Scrub the kitchen sink (easily forgotten) | Every 2 days | 4 |
| Sweep the kitchen floor | Every 2 days | 4 |
| Clear out old food from the fridge (easily forgotten) | Every week | 6 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Clean the dishwasher filter (easily forgotten) | Every month | 8 |
| Clean the oven | Every month | 25 |
| Deep clean the fridge (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 30 |
| Vacuum the fridge coils (easily forgotten) | Twice a year | 10 |
The kitchen is also where the germs are. In NSF International’s 2011 household germ study, the kitchen, not the bathroom, had the most: coliform bacteria turned up on more than 75% of dish sponges and rags and on 45% of kitchen sinks. That’s why the sink comes round every two days, and why CozyHaus swaps the sponge every week, as the authors of a 2017 study of used kitchen sponges suggest.
No dishwasher? Washing up by hand is 10 minutes a day in CozyHaus. When you deep clean the fridge, check that it’s at 40°F or below, the temperature the FDA gives. Our dishwasher guide covers the filter.
The rest of the kitchen 19 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Wash the dishes (no dishwasher) | Every day | 10 |
| Wipe down the coffee machine | Every 2 days | 2 |
| Take out the compost | Every 2 days | 2 |
| Swap the dish towels and cloths (easily forgotten) | Every 2 days | 2 |
| Swap the kitchen sponge (easily forgotten) | Every week | 2 |
| Sanitize the cutting boards (easily forgotten) | Every week | 5 |
| Clean the air fryer | Every week | 6 |
| Wipe the cabinet fronts | Every week | 6 |
| Wipe the hood and the wall behind the stove | Every week | 8 |
| Plan next week’s dinners | Every week | 8 |
| Clean the microwave | Every week | 10 |
| Descale the coffee machine | Every month | 5 |
| Wash out the kitchen trash can (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Clean the knife block and can opener (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Clean out the junk drawer (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Wash the utensil drawer tray (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 10 |
| Defrost the freezer | Every 3 months | 20 |
| Organize the pantry (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 20 |
| Wipe inside and on top of cabinets (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 20 |
Bathroom cleaning checklist
A bathroom asks for about 55 minutes a week of quick jobs and 60 minutes a month of deep ones. The rhythm is small and often: the toilet and the sink twice a week, the shower wiped down every week, and the whole bathroom, floor included, every two weeks.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Wipe the bathroom sink and faucet | Twice a week | 3 |
| Clean the toilet | Twice a week | 5 |
| Clean the toilet brush and holder (easily forgotten) | Every week | 4 |
| Wipe down the shower and tub | Every week | 6 |
| Clean the whole bathroom | Every 2 weeks | 35 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Wash the shower curtain and liner (easily forgotten) | Every month | 5 |
| Clear the shower and sink drains (easily forgotten) | Every month | 8 |
| Deep scrub the shower and grout (easily forgotten) | Every month | 25 |
| Descale the showerhead (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 10 |
Our guide to how often to clean the bathroom goes part by part, and the shower head guide covers the descaling. A second bathroom adds 30 minutes every two weeks in CozyHaus, and a half bath 12 minutes a week.
The rest of the bathroom 11 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh towels out | Every week | 2 |
| Wash the toothbrush holder (easily forgotten) | Every week | 3 |
| Clean the other toilet (a second toilet) | Every week | 5 |
| Clean all the mirrors | Every week | 6 |
| Clean the half bath (a half bath) | Every week | 12 |
| Wash the bath mat (easily forgotten) | Every 2 weeks | 3 |
| Clean the second bathroom (a second bathroom) | Every 2 weeks | 30 |
| Vacuum and wipe the bathroom fan | Every month | 5 |
| Descale the shower doors | Monthly, with the bathroom clean | 10 |
| Swap in new toothbrushes (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 2 |
| Clear out the medicine cabinet (easily forgotten) | Twice a year | 15 |
Bedroom cleaning checklist
The bedroom’s quick list is short: make the bed, dust and change the sheets, about 30 minutes a week. Most of its jobs are deep ones that come round every month or every season, about 37 minutes a month: the mattress protector, under the bed, the duvet, the mattress and the pillows.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Make the bed | Every day | 2 |
| Dust the bedroom | Every week | 6 |
| Change the sheets | Every week | 10 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Wash the mattress protector (easily forgotten) | Every month | 5 |
| Vacuum under the bed (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Wash the duvet or comforter | Every 3 months | 15 |
| Vacuum the mattress (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 15 |
| Wash the pillows (easily forgotten) | Twice a year | 15 |
Our guides go further on how often to wash your sheets, how to wash pillows and when to replace a mattress and pillows.
The rest of the bedroom 4 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Change the sheets in the other bedrooms (more bedrooms) | Every 2 weeks | 10 |
| Air the pillows in the sun (easily forgotten) | Every month, in spring and summer | 5 |
| Rotate the mattress | Twice a year | 10 |
| Swap summer and winter clothes | Twice a year | 30 |
Living room cleaning checklist
The living room’s own jobs are small ones: the cushions, the plants, the bookshelf, under the sofa cushions and the rugs, about 24 minutes a week. Its floors, windows, blinds and baseboards are jobs for every room, so they’re in the list for every room below.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Plump the cushions | Every day | 1 |
| Water the plants | Every week | 4 |
| Dust the bookshelf | Every week | 5 |
| Vacuum under the sofa cushions (easily forgotten) | Every 2 weeks | 8 |
| Shake the rugs outside (easily forgotten) | Every 2 weeks | 8 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Wash the throws and cushion covers (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 10 |
Laundry room cleaning checklist
Laundry is three quick jobs that come round every few days, about 33 minutes a week, and three deep ones for the machines.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Switch the laundry | Every 2 days | 2 |
| Run a wash | Every 3 days | 5 |
| Put the laundry away | After each wash | 6 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Clean the dryer filter and seal | Every month | 4 |
| Clean the washing machine (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Clean the dryer vent duct (easily forgotten) | Every year | 30 |
Empty the dryer’s lint screen every load as well. The US Fire Administration says to clean it before and after each cycle, because a dryer with a dirty lint filter and vents is more likely to catch fire. The monthly job in CozyHaus is the proper clean of the filter and the door seal. Our washing machine guide has the monthly clean step by step.
Every room: floors, windows and the rest
Some jobs belong to the whole home: the floors, the windows, the baseboards, the light switches. They come to about 58 minutes a week of quick jobs and 103 minutes a month of deep ones. Work each room from the top down, and do the floor last.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Empty the small bins (easily forgotten) | Every week | 5 |
| Wipe switches, handles and remotes (easily forgotten) | Every week | 8 |
| Mop the floors | Every week | 20 |
| Vacuum all floors | Every week | 25 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Test the smoke alarm | Every month | 2 |
| Check the air filter (easily forgotten) | Every month | 3 |
| Dust the cobwebs and light fixtures (easily forgotten) | Every month | 12 |
| Wipe down the baseboards (easily forgotten) | Every month | 15 |
| Clean the windows | Every month | 30 |
Two of them are for safety. ENERGY STAR says to check the air filter of a furnace or central air every month. The US Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms every month and to replace a 9-volt battery at least once a year.
The rest of the jobs for every room 7 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Clean the vacuum cleaner (easily forgotten) | Every month | 8 |
| Dust the blinds and curtains (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Wipe the doors and wall scuffs (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 15 |
| Vacuum the vents and radiators (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 15 |
| Clean the window tracks (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 15 |
| Replace the smoke alarm battery | Every year | 5 |
| Deep clean the carpets and rugs (easily forgotten) | Every year | 90 |
Outside and yard
Outside, the rhythm follows the season: the lawn every 10 days in spring and summer, the leaves every two weeks in autumn, and the snow every few days in winter. An apartment may have nothing more than a doormat and a balcony.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Take the bins out | Every 3 days | 3 |
| Shovel the snow | Every 3 days, in winter | 20 |
| Shake the doormat and sweep the entry | Every week | 5 |
| Mow the lawn | Every 10 days, in spring and summer | 30 |
| Rake the leaves | Every 2 weeks, in autumn | 30 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Sweep the patio and paths | Every month | 20 |
| Tidy the garden | Every month | 40 |
| Wash the outside of the windows | Twice a year | 45 |
| Clear the gutters (easily forgotten) | Twice a year | 60 |
The rest of the jobs outside 7 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Put the garbage bin out | Every week | 3 |
| Put the compost bin out | Every 2 weeks | 3 |
| Put the recycling out | Every 2 weeks | 3 |
| Sweep the balcony | Every 2 weeks | 10 |
| Put the paper out | Every 4 weeks | 3 |
| Rinse out the outdoor bins (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 15 |
| Wipe down the balcony railing and furniture (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 15 |
Garage, attic and storage
These are all deep jobs that come round a few times a year at most, about 59 minutes a month when they’re spread out.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Deep clean | ||
| Test the garage door safety (easily forgotten) | Every month | 3 |
| Sweep out the garage (easily forgotten) | Every month | 15 |
| Check the attic for leaks and pests (easily forgotten) | Twice a year | 10 |
| Declutter the garage | Twice a year | 60 |
| Have the chimney swept (easily forgotten) | Every year, before winter | 30 |
The rest of the garage, attic and storage 5 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Dust and sweep the storage room (easily forgotten) | Every month | 10 |
| Swap the seasonal decorations | Every 3 months | 20 |
| Tidy the storage room (easily forgotten) | Every 3 months | 20 |
| Declutter the attic | Every year | 60 |
| Have the chimney inspected (easily forgotten) | Every 3 years | 20 |
If you have a pet
A cat or a dog brings daily jobs of its own. In CozyHaus the litter box is scooped every day and the pet hair comes up every three days.
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Quick jobs | ||
| Scoop the litter box | Every day | 3 |
| Pick up after the dog outside | Every 2 days | 5 |
| Vacuum up the pet hair | Every 3 days | 8 |
| Wash the pet bowls (easily forgotten) | Every week | 3 |
| Change the cat litter | Every week | 10 |
| Deep clean | ||
| Wash the dog’s bed | Every month | 15 |
The rest of the pet jobs 3 more chores
| Chore | How often | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Feed the cat | Every day | 2 |
| Feed the dog | Every day | 2 |
| Clean the cage or the tank | Every week | 15 |
A deep clean is a rhythm, not a day
Most deep cleaning checklists treat the deep clean as an event: a whole weekend, once or twice a year. CozyHaus gives every deep job its own rhythm instead: the dishwasher filter and the grout every month, the fridge every three months, the pillows twice a year, the dryer vent once a year.
Spread out like that, the deep jobs of a home with one bathroom come to about 322 minutes a month across the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, laundry and the jobs for every room. That’s about 11 minutes a day, and never a deep-clean Saturday.
If you’d rather do it in one go, take one room at a time. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension spreads a full deep clean over six weeks, one room or kind of room each week. It works each room from the ceiling down: dust and vacuum while everything is dry, then wipe and wash, and do the floor last.
Questions people ask
How often should you deep clean your house?
There’s no one date, because each deep job has its own rhythm. In CozyHaus the oven and the grout come round every month, the fridge every three months, the pillows twice a year and the dryer vent once a year. Spread like that, a home with one bathroom needs about 11 minutes a day.
What is included in a deep clean of a house?
The jobs inside, behind and under things: the oven and the fridge, the grout and the drains, the mattress and the duvet, the vents, the baseboards and the window tracks. In each room’s list above, they come after the quick jobs.
What order should you clean a house in?
Top to bottom, and dry before wet: dust the high places, then vacuum, then wipe and mop, and finish each room with the floor. That’s the order the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension gives.
What’s the difference between a deep clean and a regular clean?
A regular clean keeps up with what you use every day: the dishes, the counters, the toilet, the floors. A deep clean reaches what builds up slowly, out of sight: inside the oven and the fridge, the grout, under the bed.
Do you need to disinfect when you deep clean?
Not usually. The CDC says that in most situations, regular cleaning is enough to prevent the spread of germs. Disinfect as well when someone at home is sick.
How should I clean my apartment if I live alone?
Start with the short list in each room, and expect it to take less time: one person makes fewer dishes and less laundry, and a small apartment has less floor. Skip what you don’t have, and let the deep jobs come round in their turn.
Sources
- Chores, minutes and how often: the CozyHaus chore catalogue (125 chores).
- NSF International, 2011 Household Germ Study, summary of findings (PDF)
- Scientific Reports, Microbiome analysis and confocal microscopy of used kitchen sponges (19 July 2017)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Are you storing food safely? (18 January 2023)
- U.S. Fire Administration, Clothes dryer fire safety (PDF)
- U.S. Fire Administration, Smoke alarms (reviewed 13 October 2026)
- ENERGY STAR, Maintenance checklist
- University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, Torrie’s Top Tips for Deep Cleaning Your House (Carroll County)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, When and how to clean and disinfect your home (31 January 2025)
Let your phone keep the checklist
CozyHaus plans the chores that fit your home, a few small ones a day plus one big job, and does the remembering for you.
See what it does