As spring rolls around thoughts turn to warm weather pursuits: picnics in the park, a leisurely bike ride on the weekend and, of course, house cleaning. Deep cleaning the house is important to rid it of the must, dust and debris that tends to accumulate during the long months of winter confinement. It’s also a good way to take account of the state of your home and determine what, if any, repairs or improvements should be scheduled for the warm weather months. Deep cleaning the house doesn’t have to be an ordeal. The key is to approach it in a logical, even methodical manner. Below we’ll provide a way to do just that.

How to Deep Clean Your House: Setting the Stage

Before you begin following our room by room guide make sure you and your equipment are ready to go for the deep clean.

  • Check your supplies before starting – Before you lift a finger to deep clean a counter or sweep a floor make sure you have all the brooms, mops, buckets, cleaning solutions, clean rags, dust masks, gloves and other things you’re going to need.
  • Check the vacuum cleaner bag – Don’t start your spring deep clean with a vacuum bag that’s nearly full. Make sure you have a nice empty bag to work with because you’re going to hit all the floors in every room.
  • Grab our list – Before beginning your house cleaning odyssey make sure you have a copy of the list we’re about to provide with you. It will make the entire process much easier and faster and provide a handy reference should you begin to lose your way.

Deep Cleaning the House: A Room by Room Guide

Now that you’re certain you have all your ducks in a row it’s time to proceed with the task at hand. Follow the checklist below and you’ll breeze through the major points of contention with relative ease.

The Kitchen

We begin with the most popular room in the home for a couple of good reasons. Not the least of which is that it often requires the most work. So getting it out of the way up front will make the rest of the day seem like a downhill stroll. Here are the steps to tackling the kitchen:

  • Open the windows – One of the primary goals of spring cleaning is to purge that closed-in musty smell from your home. So open the kitchen windows before you start cleaning.
  • Banish the pet(s) – You love your furry friends and they love watching you work. But they’ll only get in the way while you’re cleaning. So put them outside or in another room.
  • Clear out the refrigerator – Remove all food from the fridge and clean the inside thoroughly. Before repopulating the fridge toss any items old enough to remember Gordon Brown.
  • Clean out the cupboards – Do this in a methodical fashion, left to right or right to left and top to bottom. Toss everything that is out of date and wipe down the shelves.
  • Clean the countertops – Deep clean all countertops next. Be sure to move appliances so you can clean under them.
  • Clean the floor – Next, move down to the floor. Sweep it, mop it and, if applicable, wax it. Make sure to move anything that can be moved and to clean under those items.

See our 10 tips for deep cleaning your kitchen for even more detailed advice on tackling your kitchen cleaning.

The Toilet

Next comes the toilet. Cleaning the toilet is no one’s idea of a fun day. But it’s an important component of deep cleaning the house, so let’s get on with it.

  • Open the window – For the same reason you opened the window in the kitchen: to purge the musty winter smell (and to help facilitate drying the floor and other surfaces).
  • Clean all glass surfaces – That includes the mirror or mirrors as well as the shower enclosure (if you have one).
  • Clear out the medicine chest – Now is a good time to take stock of what’s in the medicine chest. Throw out any medications that are past their expiration date. Then clean the shelves and return what medicine is left.
  • Clear out the cabinet under the sink – Clear it out, dispose of anything that is of no use, clean the cabinet and replace useful items.
  • Wash the shower or bathtub – If you’re concerned about deep house cleaning costs use vinegar and baking soda to remove soap scum.
  • Clean the toilet thoroughly – Ugh! Sorry but it has to be done. So slip on your rubber gloves and give the toilet a thorough cleaning top to bottom, outside to inside.
  • Clean any tiles – If you have tiles on the walls of your WC clean them before washing the floor. Using a grout cleaner to remove mould from between the tiles.
  • Mop the floor – The last thing to do is mop the floor. Make sure you get it all by moving any items that can be moved and mopping under them.

The Bedroom

The bedroom is typically the easiest to clean since it doesn’t get nearly the traffic the kitchen or bathroom gets.

  • Clean out the closet – This the toughest part of cleaning the bedroom so don’t delay. Do it first and be done with it. Dispose of anything that you no longer use. Make a box for things you can donate to charity.
  • Clean the curtains – If your curtains are machine washable toss them in the washer now. Dust the blinds and wipe down the window sills.
  • Clean the bookcase and dresser – Remove everything from the bookshelf, wipe it down and put everything back in an orderly fashion. Clear the top of the dresser, clean it and put everything back that belongs there in a well organised fashion.
  • Organise the dresser – Go through the drawers discarding things you no longer use and organising what’s left.
  • Change the linens – That includes sheets, blankets and pillow cases.
  • Vacuum the floor – Move anything that needs to be moved in order to vacuum under it. Ask for help if need be.

Once you’ve finished all the main rooms you will be plenty tired. So save the hallways, the porch, windows and finally the yard (if applicable) for day two of your deep cleaning house project. Don’t leave it too long until your next clean so that dirt and mess build up, so find out how often you should clean your house.

See also: The Ultimate House Cleaning Guide

Alternatively, call in our professional cleaning services London to save you valuable time and stress. There are so many benefits to hiring regular domestic cleaning service.