Awesome Free Printable House Cleaning Checklist pdf

Snag this awesome free printable house cleaning checklist pdf to help you with your daily cleaning tasks.

Cleaning. It is something we all have to do. Some people are naturally gifted with the cleaning gene. While others need to work hard at getting motivated to clean; 15 Ideas to motivate yourself to clean. I’m some where in the middle. I enjoy certain cleaning chores, like vacuuming, and struggle with others, like cleaning the bathrooms.

One of the best ways to motivated me to clean is to have a checklist. I love checking items off a list. It always helps me feel accomplished. This free printable house cleaning checklist should help you out.

Common House Cleaning Questions:

How often should I clean? 

There are a few different factors to keep in mind when knowing how often you need to clean your home. It all depends on how messy your home gets every day, how many people are living there, if you have children or pets, etc. The list goes on and on.

But I recommend at least cleaning for 15-30 minutes five days a week or 1-2 hours one or two days a week.

Below I have a few questions to help you decided how often to clean.

Once you know the answer to those questions you can decide how often you would like to clean your home.

This cleaning checklist works if you prefer completing a two-hour cleaning chunk or a few 15-minute chunks more often.

Do I need to clean my home room by room or focus more on a task?

Below I have laid out the two other ideas about how you actually go about cleaning your home.

Once you know your preference you can adjust and modify your cleaning routine to match what you already like to do.

What is my cleaning style (task driven vs zone driven)? 

I enjoy doing all of the different styles. Mainly because I become bored with one set style. I like to mix up my cleaning habits to keep me on my toes. 

To illustrate, one day a week I will do a weekly re-set on Saturday morning for about 30-40 minutes. Then the other four days I will do a 15-20 minute chunk in one room. Once that room is completed I will move onto another room in our home.

But again do what works for you and your family. 

How to stay motivated to clean? 

If you are feeling unmotivated, set a 2-minute timer. Then pick an easier cleaning task. But the key is to be consistent. Check out, How to Motivate Yourself to Clean, for more ideas.

What cleaning supplies will I need to complete this house cleaning?

Focus on simplicity when it comes to cleaning supplies. Use whatever cleaning products that make you happy and motivated to clean. I prefer to use only a few products which are:

• all-purpose cleaner
• bar keepers friend cleaner 
• distilled white vinegar 
• cleaning rag
• steel scrubber
• magic eraser
• sponge 
• toilet brush
• broom
• vacuum 
• mop 

How do you clean when you have young children around? 

Encourage involvement from your children. I love how eager my children are to help me out. It is so sweet and one of my favorite parts of the day. This is also another reason why I try and use non-toxic cleaners whenever possible.  

Here are a few ideas you do to get your kids involved with you:

1. Give them a dry cleaning rag and have them dust the baseboards
2. Hand them a wet baby wipe and have them wipe down the bathtub or shower 
3. Give them a slightly damp cleaning rag and help clean the dining room table and chairs 
4. Have them help you sweep and mop

My children love helping out with cleaning. Keeping their involvement light and fun helps too.

Guide to this FREE Printable House Cleaning Checklist pdf :

I recommend you start at the top of the list. If you are only cleaning for one or two days of the week, set a 1-hour timer. However, if doing more frequent cleaning then set a timer for 15-30 minutes.

See how far you get in the time limit. Stop once the time is up. Markdown how far you got on the list. Then pick up where you left off the next time you clean.  

It all depends upon the size of your home, the speed at which you work, and how much stuff you have to clean. But for me, it usually takes about 5 weeks to complete the entire list. 

There are three components to this free printable house cleaning checklist pdf:

1. PM Checklist.
2. 30-minute Weekly Reset.
3. Main Cleaning Checklist.

1. PM Checklist:

There are a few tasks I recommend you do every day before you relax for the evening, Simple Cleaning Routine. These tasks should only take a bit of time and will help set you up for success the next day. I hope this helps you but change and modify to best serve you and your family well.

• do the dishes
• plan next day activities
• set out clothes
• tidy up kitchen
• tidy up the living room

2. Weekly Reset:

Once a week spend 30-40 minutes re-setting your home. The goal of this isn’t to perfectly clean your home. But is meant to get your home back to a good enough, clean-ish level. 

Set the timer for 10 minutes for each task and if the task isn’t finished that’s alright. Pick it back up the next week. Once you do this every single week, it should be easier to keep up this weekly re-set. The point is to get the home clean enough. 

• Dust
• Vacuum
• Trash
• Bathrooms 

3. Main Cleaning Checklist:

Set a 15-30 minute timer. Then work through the checklist. Start in where you feel will give you momentum to clean. Once the time is up then check off where you finished. Then pick back up the next day. Do this a few times a week, I recommend at least 3-4 times a week.

Kitchen

The kitchen tends to take a longer amount of time to clean which is why I start here.

• dust lights, walls, & baseboards
• wipe down cabinets, & counters
• clean interior windows 
• wipe down the refrigerator and stove 
• wipe down other appliances (microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker) 
• clean the floor (sweep & mop or vacuum)

Dining Room

Another area that can get grimy, especially if you have children or pets. But I have found that this area usually only takes about 30 minutes in total to complete. 

• dust lights, walls, & baseboards 
• clean the interior windows
• clean the table & chairs
• clean the floor (sweep & mop or vacuum)

Living/Family Room

If able, move your furniture around so you can discover the hidden treasure found under. 

• dust lights, walls, & baseboards 
• dust furniture
• clean the interior windows
• clean the floor (sweep & mop or vacuum)

Hallways

This should be a quick zone to complete.

• dust from top to bottom
• clean doorways & doors
• clean floor (sweep & mop or vacuum)

Bedroom(s)

As you are cleaning this zone remember to clean under the bed. I have found that that is the one area that can become very dirty. 

• dust lights, walls, & baseboards 
• dust furniture
• clean the interior windows
• clean the floor (sweep & mop or vacuum)

Bathroom(s)

When cleaning the bathrooms make sure you start cleaning in the least dirty area first and finish with the dirtiest zone last (like the toilet and floor). Be sure to switch out cleaning rags a few times so you avoid cross-contamination.

Oh, and in place of a regular toilet bowl cleaner, I use a 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar. Works like a charm every single time. The recipe can be found HERE. 

• dust lights, walls & baseboards
• wipe down the vanity, windows, & mirrors
• clean the tub/shower 
• clean the toilet
• sweep & mop

Laundry Room

Finally, one of my favorite zones to clean; how to love doing laundry. Before I throw a load into the washer, I will take a rag and clean the outside & inside of the washer & dryer. Then will wipe down the floor. Super easy and only takes 5 minutes or less. 

• dust lights, walls,& baseboards
• clean the washer & drier
• sweep & mop

Additional Questions about the Cleaning Checklist:

What task or zone do you start in first?

I like starting in the kitchen because I find that kitchens tend to take a fair amount of time to clean. Plus, if my kitchen is clean then I feel like I can conquer anything. But it is up to you where you would like to start.   

How long does it take to complete checklist? 

Absolutely take as much time as you need to work through the list. It usually takes me anywhere from 3-5 weeks to complete the whole list.

I have an open floor plan house, how do I create zones?

We have this problem in our kitchen/dining room. Find a natural stopping point in the two rooms, like a piece of furniture or a cabinet. You can use that natural landmark, if you will, to separate out the two spaces. Or clean both rooms at the same time if that works for you!

Free Printable House Cleaning Checklist pdf Conclusion:

Even if, cleaning might not be your favorite activity. But I hope this checklist gives you some guidance and encouragement that you can have a clean home no matter what stage of life you are in. Just keep at it one 15-minute cleaning session at a time. 

Discover what others are reading about CLEANING: 

How to love doing laundry

Easy 10 minute Cleaning Routine

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