The short answer: keep house cleaning on a schedule: a few daily jobs, a weekly room rotation and a deeper monthly or seasonal list. How to clean a house gives the right order, room by room.
- Set a routine: weekly cleaning schedule template, room-by-room cleaning checklist and how to start a cleaning routine.
- Deep clean: see the deep cleaning and appliance guides or the spring cleaning checklist.
- Laundry and stains: how to do laundry, a laundry schedule and removing wine or oil stains.
Our picks for home cleaning
Printables
Cleaning Schedule
Daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal lists - plus a family chore chart.
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Printables
Household Binder
Family info, emergency plan, calendars, meals, groceries, cleaning, bills and sitter notes.
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Browse home cleaning by topic
Schedules, routines and checklists (8)
- ADHD cleaning plannerAn ADHD cleaning planner that keeps it small: a 2-task minimum day, 10-minute zones, visual checklists and a printable schedule yo…
- Apartment cleaning checklistFree printable apartment cleaning checklist: a weekly room-by-room list, a 10-minute daily reset, monthly jobs and a move-out list…
- Bathroom cleaning checklistA bathroom cleaning checklist with daily, weekly, monthly and every-few-months tasks, plus a free bathroom cleaning schedule print…
- Cleaning checklistA room-by-room cleaning checklist for the whole house: kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas, with daily, weekly and month…
- Daily, weekly & monthly cleaning scheduleCleaning schedule template with daily, weekly and monthly task lists, a sample week and holiday-prep tweaks, plus a $4.49 printabl…
- How to Start a Cleaning RoutineHow to start a cleaning routine in 7 steps: a 15-minute daily cleaning routine, a beginner weekly schedule, monthly tasks and tips…
- Kitchen cleaning checklistA kitchen cleaning checklist with a daily kitchen cleaning checklist, weekly and monthly jobs, deep-clean tasks and a free printab…
- Laundry scheduleFree printable laundry schedule: a weekly plan with one load a day, a family-of-4 example, how often to wash 15 items and a laundr…
Bathroom (6)
- How to Clean a BathroomHow to clean a bathroom in 11 steps, in the right order: supplies, fixture methods, mold, a 10-minute tidy vs a 30-45 minute weekl…
- How to clean a shower drainHow to clean a shower drain in 7 steps: remove the hair, scrub the slime, use baking soda and vinegar and fix smells. Includes a m…
- How to Clean GroutHow to clean grout step by step: what to use for everyday dirt, stains and mildew, how to scrub safely, how often to seal it and h…
- How to Clean Shower GlassHow to clean shower glass: lift soap scum with baking soda paste, dissolve hard water spots with vinegar, and squeegee after each …
- How to Unclog a DrainHow to unclog a drain in a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or bathtub: plunging, cleaning the P-trap, using a drain snake, and…
- How to clean shower moldHow to clean shower mold from tile, grout, caulk, the ceiling and the curtain, with safety rules and a simple routine that stops m…
Floors, windows and surfaces (8)
- Clean stone countertopsHow to clean stone countertops the safe way: daily, weekly and deep-clean steps for granite, quartz, marble, quartzite and soapsto…
- How to Clean BlindsHow to clean blinds: tilt the slats, vacuum both sides, wipe with mild dish soap on a damp cloth, dry each slat, and keep dust off…
- How to Clean CarpetHow to clean carpet at home: vacuum first, deep clean with a carpet cleaner, and remove wine, coffee, pet, mud, grease and blood s…
- How to Clean Hardwood FloorsHow to clean hardwood floors: sweep or vacuum daily, damp-mop with a pH-neutral wood cleaner, skip steam and vinegar, and treat st…
- How to Clean Stainless SteelHow to clean stainless steel: wipe with the grain using mild soap or a stainless cleaner, buff it dry, skip bleach and steel wool,…
- How to Clean WindowsHow to clean windows without streaks: the supplies, a homemade vinegar mix, squeegee steps, frames and tracks, high windows and ho…
- How to clean a stainless steel sinkHow to clean a stainless steel sink with dish soap, baking soda and vinegar: daily wipe-downs, a weekly deep clean, and fixes for …
- How to clean baseboardsHow to clean baseboards step by step: vacuum, wipe and remove scuffs, no-bend methods, what to use on painted or wood trim, and ho…
Laundry and stains (9)
- Remove dried ink from clothesHow to remove pen ink from clothes after drying: a step-by-step rubbing alcohol method, what to use on each fabric and ink type, a…
- Remove sticky residueHow to remove sticky residue from glass, plastic, wood, metal, fabric, walls and more: 10 safe methods using oil, heat, rubbing al…
- How to remove rust from metalHow to remove rust from metal with vinegar, baking soda, lemon and salt, a potato, a wire brush or a rust remover, plus how to kee…
- How to Wash PillowsHow to wash pillows: check the label, wash two at a time on gentle, dry low with dryer balls, spot-clean foam, and how often to wa…
- Best laundry detergentThe best laundry detergent for sensitive skin, budget, cold water, HE washers, Safer Choice and stains, based on Consumer Reports,…
- How to do laundryHow to do laundry in 7 steps: read care labels, sort, pretreat stains, load, pick detergent and cycle, then dry and fold. Includes…
- Stain removerMatch stain remover to blood, grease, ink, wine and more with a stain chart, fabric care tips, pretreatment steps and safer laundr…
- Remove oil stains from clothesHow to remove oil stains from clothes: absorb, pretreat with heavy-duty liquid detergent and wash hot, plus fixes for grease, butt…
- Remove wine stainsHow to remove wine stains fast: blot, salt, cool rinse and a vinegar-detergent soak, plus fixes for red wine on clothes, carpet, t…
More cleaning guides (3)
- How to Clean a House Start hereHow to clean a house step by step: the right cleaning order, a supply list, room-by-room tips, 15-minute and 1-hour plans, and how…
- Cleaning before holiday guestsClean house before holiday guests in three days: what guests notice, the order to clean in, guest room and bathroom checklists and…
- How to Clean Your RoomHow to clean your room in 10 easy steps: the right order, a 15-minute reset, a plan for a very messy room, a deep-clean list and h…
How to use this page
These guides sit inside home organization. Our cleaning schedule printable and household binder turn the checklists into pages you can keep on the fridge or in a binder.