How Often Should You Clean Everything in Your House?

Japanese tidying consultant Marie Kondo says, “The object of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.” Cleaning prevents allergies and breathing problems, keeps germs at bay, and prolongs the lifespan of your home’s materials.

Conversely, an untidy and dirty home can negatively affect your physical well-being and mental health.

To keep everything spic and span, there are some tasks you should do daily to avoid the excess build-up of dust and grime, while others can be tackled monthly and even yearly. It can feel like a chore, but with our cleaning experts at EuroMaids, you can build a healthy habit with professional house cleaning tips and knowing how often to clean your house.

Experts Advise: How Often Do You Need to Clean Your House Checklist

Conquer the clutter and banish the dust bunnies! Before we dive in, take a look at our cleaning checklist PDF. It will guide you through how often to clean every area of your house, from daily touch-ups to deep dives. With a plan in place, keeping your home clean and sparkling will be a breeze.

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Wondering how often to tackle different parts of your home? The list below breaks it down:

• Floors: Sweep and mop at least weekly. More frequent cleaning is needed with pets.
• Bathrooms: Clean once a week, or more often for heavy use.
• Kitchen: Daily cleaning includes wiping countertops, cleaning appliances, and washing dishes.
• Bedrooms: Change sheets and pillowcases weekly, dust surfaces as needed.
• Living room: Vacuum and dust furniture weekly, increase frequency with pets or frequent guests.
• Windows: Monthly cleaning is recommended, clean more often if they get dirty.

How Often Does the Average Person Clean Their House?

Research by the American Cleaning Institute found that many Americans spend nearly 6 hours every week cleaning, while a third wonder if they are cleaning enough and correctly. Most homeowners clean the floor, vacuum, clean the bathroom, and dust furniture once a week.

Cleaning kitchen counters and sweeping high-traffic areas are usually done on a daily basis.

How Often Should I Clean My House?

Determining how often to clean a house depends on size, how often rooms are used, and the types of furniture and surfaces you have. Certain things require more frequent attention and need to be cleaned every day, while a general clean can be done once a week, and a deep clean every few months or annually. To make cleaning easier, you should:

• Keep clutter to a minimum.
• Wash hands regularly and wipe shoes on entry rugs or mats.
• Keep bathrooms clean to avoid different types of mold and mildew. If you've detected any, learn how to get rid of mold in your bathroom.
• Immediately clean up crumbs and spills.

Daily

Dirty Dishes

Rinsing dishes right after use prevents caked-on food and a sink full of grime. A few minutes spent washing daily keeps your kitchen sparkling and avoids attracting unwelcome pests.

Kitchen and Bathroom Floor

Sweeping your kitchen floor every day will get rid of crumbs, while mopping eradicates the build of grease from food prepping. How often should you clean your bathroom? Mopping bathrooms daily eliminates safety hazards and also prevents the formation of mold and mildew.

Bathtub

Don't let your bathtub become a breeding ground for bacteria. Soap, body oils, and dead skin cells remain there and turn into a bacterial-laden biofilm. A quick daily clean keeps your tub fresh and prevents the buildup that can lead to unpleasant odors and potential health risks.

Countertops

Mold, fungi, and bacteria can grow in porous countertops made from natural stone. Keeping their surface dry and clean removes bacteria that can make you sick. Using soapy water or pH-friendly detergent and wiping down with a dry cloth should suffice.

Every Few Days

Sinks

Regular preventative maintenance is the best way to keep your bathroom and kitchen sink drains clean. Remove pop-up stoppers or drain guards to get rid of any accumulated debris. Pouring hot water or a DIY vinegar solution down the sink drain every few days will ensure pipes stay unclogged.

Clutter

Clutter accumulates dust that may contain dander and mold or pollen spores, which are common allergens. It also becomes more of a schlep to wipe down surfaces with too many things lying around. It’s almost impossible to keep busy areas in the home clutter-free, which is why setting time aside every few days will ensure clutter is minimal.

Weekly

Carpets and Floors

How often should you clean your carpet? Unless you bring in a lot of dirt, live in a dusty area, or have pets, you only need to vacuum carpets and floors once a week. Even if your floor requires mopping, vacuuming loose dirt first is more effective than sweeping.

Showers, Tubs, and Toilets

Bathrooms are prone to gathering moisture that causes mold to form on grout, tile, and shower curtains. So, how often do you need to clean your house’s bathroom? You should give your bathroom a deep clean at least once a week, disinfect the toilet and sink, and scrub the tub and shower.

Bed Linen

Wash bed linen once a week to get rid of germs, sweat, bodily fluids, allergens, pollen, dead skin, pet dander, and dust mites. Not changing linen often enough can disrupt your skin’s ecosystem. If you suffer from allergies or let pets sleep in your bed, you should probably change linen every 3-4 days.

Dirty Laundry

Don't let the laundry pile reach the ceiling! Sort your basket after 2-3 wears, tackling sweaty clothes daily. Conquer the cycle - wash, dry, fold, repeat - and enjoy fresh clothes all week long.

Every Few Weeks

Dusting

Occasionally clients ask us, “How often should you dust your house?” Once a month for easy-to-reach areas and every three to six months for out-of-reach places like ceiling fans, door frames, and high shelves. Be sure to use a damp cloth, as merely running a duster over surfaces just redistributes dust throughout your home. It’s also important to know how to clean your house if you have a dust allergy.

Microwaves and Dishwashers

Keep dishwashers and microwaves clean and working well by cleaning them once a month. Cleaning away debris and running a hot water cycle with a cup of distilled white vinegar and a cup of baking soda will remove grease and odors from your dishwasher. For microwaves, you should wipe down the surfaces, as well as the handle and touchpad, with disinfectant to kill germs and bacteria.

A Few Times a Year

Pantries and Closets

Getting rid of expired food and donating unwanted clothes helps take stock of what you have before going into a new season. Cleaning closets and pantries ensures unwanted pests won’t damage clothes, food won’t spoil, and latent dust is eradicated.

Oven

Dirty ovens can affect food quality and cooking capabilities and increase the risk of fire. We recommend cleaning your oven every three months or so, and more often if you frequently use it for baking and cooking.

Dryer Vent

Every 6-9 months is recommended for households with large families or multiple pets, as they tend to generate more lint in the dryer. More frequent cleaning may be necessary if you notice that clothes take longer than usual to dry, the dryer itself is becoming hotter than normal to the touch, or there's a burning smell coming from your laundry area.

Annually

Light Bulbs

If you wonder how often you should deep clean your house, you’re looking at giving it a good scrub and thoroughly cleaning it once a year. One annual task is dealing with light fixtures and bulbs. It sounds pedantic, but grim builds up over time and can dim the light’s intensity.

Curtains and Upholstery

Washing curtains once a year and cleaning upholstery helps to get rid of dust and animal dander that otherwise gets caked into the fabric. Textiles also absorb odors over time, so it’s good to keep them fresh with an annual wash or deep clean.

Cleaning Hacks for Busy People

• Speed Cleaning Sessions (Daily/Weekly): Dedicate 10-minute cleaning bursts daily or weekly to high-impact areas like kitchen counters, bathroom surfaces, and living room floors.
• Power of Multitasking (Daily): Whenever possible, combine chores. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts while you fold laundry or dust.
• Cleaning Caddy Companion (As Needed): Keep a caddy stocked with cleaning supplies for each floor of your house. This eliminates wasted time searching and keeps you focused during cleaning sessions (refill as needed).
• Natural Cleaning Powerhouse (Daily/Weekly/Monthly): Vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice are effective and natural cleaning agents. They're budget-friendly and often gentler on surfaces than harsh chemicals. Use them for daily tasks (countertops, sinks), weekly cleaning (showers, tubs), and monthly maintenance (washing machine cleaning cycle).

Pet-Friendly Cleaning Considerations

• Frequent Vacuuming (Daily/Weekly): Pets shed fur, so adjust your vacuuming schedule accordingly. Daily vacuuming might be necessary in high-traffic areas, with weekly vacuuming throughout the rest of the house for pet owners.
• Enzyme Cleaners (As Needed): Accidents happen. Enzyme cleaners are specially formulated to break down pet stains and odors. Keep them on hand to address accidents as soon as possible.
• Furniture Protection (Ongoing): Cover furniture with throws or invest in pet-friendly materials to minimize pet hair buildup and potential scratching. Consider replacing furniture with pet-friendly options when possible.
• Regular Brushing (2-3 times a week): Regular brushing removes loose fur from your pet's coat, reducing the amount that ends up on your furniture and floors. Brushing 2-3 times a week is a good starting point, adjust based on your pet's fur type.

Conclusion

Putting things away when you’re finished using them and wiping down surfaces once you’re done will make daily cleaning a lot easier. Drawing up a checklist and setting aside a specific time for weekly cleaning alleviates scheduling stress.

Our professional cleaners at EuroMaids can ​save you time and provide greater peace of mind – you know that you'll have a clean and tidy space. Call us at (630) 737-1080 or contact us on the website to schedule regular or one-time cleaning for your home in Naperville, IL!