Quick Answers
How often you clean each room depends on factors like how much traffic the room gets, if pets live there, and what activities happen in the room. Here are some general guidelines for how often to clean common rooms:
- Kitchen – Daily
- Bathrooms – 1-2 times per week
- Bedrooms – Weekly
- Living rooms – Weekly
- Dining rooms – Weekly
- Home office – Weekly
Keeping a clean home is important for health and hygiene. Dirt, dust and grime can build up quickly, especially in high-traffic areas. But how often should you be cleaning each room in your house? The ideal cleaning frequency depends on many factors.
In this article, we provide recommended cleaning schedules for every room based on how prone each area is to mess and bacteria buildup. We also discuss key considerations to keep in mind as you determine your own home’s cleaning needs.
How Often to Clean the Kitchen
The kitchen should be cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis. This high-traffic room is vulnerable to grease, food spills, and germs that can spread bacteria around the house.
Daily Kitchen Cleaning
- Wipe down countertops
- Clean the sink
- Sweep floors
- Take out garbage
- Clean appliances used that day
Do a deep clean of the entire kitchen at least once a week. Thoroughly scrub surfaces, clean the inside of the refrigerator and microwave, mop floors, descale kettles, sanitize dishcloths and sponges, etc.
Weekly Kitchen Deep Cleaning
- Clean inside of refrigerator and microwave
- Wash removable sink parts
- Descale electric kettle
- Take everything out of cabinets and drawers to clean
- Wash dishcloths and sponges
- Mop floors
How Often to Clean the Bathroom
Bathrooms should be cleaned at least 1-2 times per week. The warm, moist environment of bathrooms makes them breeding grounds for mold, mildew, and bacteria. Thorough cleaning is essential.
Daily Bathroom Cleaning
- Wipe down sink and counter
- Clean toilet bowl
- Clean mirror
- Take out garbage
Weekly Bathroom Deep Cleaning
- Scrub bathtub and shower walls
- Clean inside of toilet bowl thoroughly
- Wipe down exterior surfaces of toilet
- Clean flooring – sweep and mop tile, vacuum rugs
- Dust all surfaces
- Take out garbage
- Clean shower curtains/doors
How Often to Clean the Bedrooms
Bedrooms should be cleaned once a week. This includes vacuuming carpets, sanitizing bed linens, dusting surfaces, and decluttering floors and furniture. Deep clean bedrooms every 1-2 months.
Weekly Bedroom Cleaning
- Make bed with fresh linens
- Vacuum carpets and area rugs
- Dust furniture and surfaces
- Clean mirrors and windows
- Declutter floors and items that don’t belong
Monthly or Bimonthly Deep Bedroom Cleaning
- Vacuum mattress and wash bedding
- Wipe down walls, baseboards and doors
- Clean under furniture
- Sanitize surfaces and high-touch areas
- Shampoo carpets
- Dust ceiling fans and lights
How Often to Clean the Living Room
Living rooms should be cleaned once a week. Prioritize vacuuming, dusting, window cleaning and clutter removal weekly. Do a deep clean seasonally or every few months.
Weekly Living Room Cleaning
- Vacuum carpets, area rugs and upholstered furniture
- Dust surfaces and décor
- Clean main windows and mirrors
- Straighten up clutter like magazines, toys, blankets, etc.
- Take out garbage
Quarterly or Seasonal Deep Living Room Cleaning
- Vacuum baseboards, vents and under furniture
- Clean walls, crown molding and corners of dust and cobwebs
- Wash windows thoroughly including sills and screens
- Shampoo upholstered furniture and carpets
- Dust ceiling fan blades
- Clean out clutter from coffee tables, media cabinets, etc.
How Often to Clean the Dining Room
Dining rooms should be cleaned weekly. This includes vacuuming floors, sanitizing table and chairs, dusting, and decluttering surfaces.
Weekly Dining Room Cleaning
- Vacuum or sweep floors
- Clean table and chair surfaces
- Dust any décor and serving areas
- Remove items cluttering the table and serving areas
- Take out garbage
Do a seasonal deep clean of the dining room every few months.
Seasonal Dining Room Deep Cleaning
- Clean walls, baseboards, vents and light fixtures
- Wash windows, sills and window treatments thoroughly
- Shampoo rugs
- Clean out cabinets and hutch
- Polish wood surfaces
How Often to Clean the Home Office
Home offices should be cleaned weekly. Prioritize dusting, vacuuming, sanitizing desks and electronics, and decluttering paper and supplies.
Weekly Home Office Cleaning
- Dust desk, computer, electronics and decor
- Vacuum floors and clean any rugs
- Sanitize phones, keyboards and mice
- Organize paper clutter and files
- Take out trash
Do seasonal deep cleaning every few months.
Seasonal Home Office Deep Cleaning
- Dust bookshelves, walls, baseboards and vents
- Wash windows and sills
- Vacuum under furniture and shampoo rugs
- Clean out and organize drawers and cabinets
- Shred unneeded paper documents
Factors That Impact Cleaning Frequency
When setting your home cleaning schedule, keep these key factors in mind:
- Family size – Larger families create more dirt and require more frequent cleaning.
- Pets – Furry family members increase cleaning needs, especially for vacuuming and washing floors.
- Traffic – High-traffic rooms need to be cleaned more often than unused spaces.
- Activities – Rooms used for crafts, exercise or hobbies get dirty faster.
- Seasons – During rainy or winter seasons, outdoor dirt gets tracked inside more.
- Occupants’ health – Immune deficient or allergy sufferers require more frequent and thorough cleaning.
Establishing a Cleaning Schedule
To design your home’s customized cleaning schedule, follow these steps:
- Make a list of each room and area in your home.
- Note which rooms are high-traffic zones or frequently used.
- Identify problem areas prone to clutter, dust, stains, or odors.
- Decide daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning tasks for each room.
- Be realistic about what you can maintain consistently.
- Schedule cleaning tasks on your calendar or set reminders.
- Adapt the schedule as needed based on changing habits or schedules.
Having a defined cleaning routine makes it easier to maintain cleanliness. Just be flexible – life happens! If you miss some cleaning one week, get back on track the next.
Cleaning Supplies to Have On Hand
Having the right cleaning tools and products helps streamline cleaning tasks:
- All-purpose cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Disinfecting wipes and sprays
- Bathroom cleanser
- Mold and mildew remover
- Vacuum
- Mop and broom
- Dusters
- Cleaning cloths and sponges
- Gloves
Make sure to replace cleaning cloths, sponges, and supplies like vacuum filters regularly to prevent germ buildup.
Cleaning Tips and Tricks
Follow these tips for easier and more effective cleaning:
- Clean top to bottom to avoid drips on already cleaned areas.
- Open windows to air out rooms while cleaning.
- Use microfiber cloths and mops which trap more dirt.
- Change mop heads frequently to avoid spreading dirt.
- Let sinks and tubs dry after cleaning to prevent mildew.
- Sanitize sponges and dishcloths weekly in boiling water or the dishwasher.
- Use a toilet scrub brush for hard water stains and gunk buildup.
- Rinse out dust mops and rags after each use.
Conclusion
Regularly cleaning your home’s rooms and spaces will pay off with a healthier, more hygienic indoor environment. Tailor your cleaning routine to your family’s needs and traffic patterns for each room. With a consistent cleaning schedule and the right tools, maintaining a clean house will feel easy and automatic.