Ask any professional cleaner, and they’ll tell you that the basic cleaning checklist is one of the most important tools in their arsenal. It might be difficult for some homeowners to believe, but this to do list greatly impacts their ability to do their jobs.
If you look closely at successful cleaning companies in your area, you will find that they have one thing in common: quality service.
To a large extent, it all hinges on the proper execution of a cleaning routine. A well-made professional cleaning checklist for a cleaning service company helps ensure that you do not miss anything, whether you are doing a deep or regular cleaning.
Why Do You Need a Standard Cleaning Checklist?
House cleaning sounds like a simple task, which is true for the most part. The question is, how efficient are you?
For professional cleaners like us who do this for a living, it is important to be as methodical as possible for several reasons.
Firstly, the success or failure of our business rests on customer satisfaction. We won’t be getting repeat clients if we fail to deliver high-quality cleaning services.
Secondly, our business model has to be viable because that is what we are—a business. We must be able to generate impressive results consistently without consuming too much time, energy, and cleaning products.
This way, we make good on our promise to our clients and be profitable at the same time.
A maid service checklist helps us do all these and more. Aside from the spotless kitchen cabinets or the immaculately clean walls, a completed checklist assures our clients that the job was done properly.
It also serves as a guide for our cleaners, ensuring that the current best practices are followed with each cleaning session.
If you are a homeowner trying to up your cleaning game, there is no reason that you won’t benefit from the same approach. A maid cleaning checklist allows you to create an effective cleaning routine, helping you delight your customers or family.
Most Used Cleaning Checklists for Cleaning Company Professionals
As mentioned above, a cleaning list for cleaning service professionals will also be helpful to homeowners. Here’s what this cleaning aid looks like for every part of the house:
Kitchen Cleaning Task List
Most people agree that the kitchen is the heart of the home. This applies whether you have a small house or a large property.
It is where meals are prepared, bodies are nourished, and memories are made. It is also where the most mess are generated.
If you want to protect this part of your house, you must keep it spotlessly clean. The best way to do this is with a comprehensive cleaning checklist.
Here’s a rundown of the things that you need to do in the kitchen when house cleaning:
- Spot clean walls and the exterior of kitchen cabinets
- Clean microwave interior and exterior
- Clean the exterior of other kitchen appliances
- Wipe the outside surface of the refrigerator
- Clean and disinfect surfaces of the sink
- Clean shelves and dust/wipe all the surfaces that are accessible
- Mop areas of the floor that you can reach
- Empty trash cans
Bathroom Cleaning Service Check List
Aside from the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the most renovated parts of the house. It goes to show how important the bathroom is for many homeowners.
That said, it is hard to maintain, and things could easily get out of hand if you miss a few times of cleaning.
To keep things under control, you need a house cleaning checklist for the bathroom. Here’s what it looks like:
- Wash and sanitize sinks and toilets
- Dust baseboards and cabinets
- Dust blinds and window sills
- Spot clean cabinet fronts
- Clean showers and tubs
- Clean doors, sanitize door knobs, and wipe light switches
- Empty trash
Bedroom Cleaning Checklist
For most people, the bedroom is good for not much more than sleeping. That said, sleep is a key component of a person’s overall health. It means you should not play down how important it is to clean this part of the house.
Note that the condition of the bedroom depends mostly on its occupant. So its cleaning needs would vary from one household member to another.
That said, an effective cleaning checklist would help you maintain a bedroom, whatever the occupant’s habits are. Here’s what a house cleaning checklist for the bedroom looks like:
- Dust baseboards, cabinets, and cabinet fronts
- Window cleaning and dusting
- Wipe down light fixtures
- Change sheets
- Vacuum carpets or floors
Living Area Cleaning Checklist
The living room is a place where families spend a lot of time together. Think movie nights, game nights, entertaining close friends, and more.
Like the kitchen and the bathroom, the living area could get dirty if you neglect it. The good thing is that it is pretty easy to manage when it comes to cleaning and decluttering.
As long as you do not miss any of the following tasks, you are good to go:
- Use a microfiber cloth to dust surfaces from top to bottom
- Clean TV screens and coffee tables
- Vacuum upholstered furniture
- Wipe down picture frames
- Clean window screens
- Vacuum carpets or vacuum floors
- Mop floor if non-carpeted
Other Rooms Cleaning Checklist
If you have a big house with a guest room, home office, or other types of rooms, you have your work cut out for you. That is because you have a lot more house cleaning to do than some other people.
While it might seem daunting at first, there are ways to make the task more manageable. One is by breaking it down into individual items using a house cleaning checklist.
Here’s an example of a typical checklist for cleaning company:
- Dust blinds, baseboards, and other surfaces
- Dust or vacuum heavy furniture
- Wipe the exterior of appliances or equipment
- Vacuum floors and carpets
- Mop floor if non-carpeted
Windows Cleaning Checklist
Window cleaning is a small part of the house cleaning checklist for other areas. However, windows require a slightly different approach if you want a more thorough cleanup.
It is harder to do than a standard cleaning, but the good thing is that you only have to do it around twice a year:
- Replace drapes or curtains or wipe down blinds
- Vacuum dust and debris from the window frames
- Scrub down the window sills and frames with soap and water
- Wipe the window sills and frame dry with a microfiber cloth
- Clean window screens and window tracks
- Clean the interior and exterior with a glass cleaner
- Wipe the exterior of the window frames
Pool Cleaning Checklist
A pool is a good investment. It increases the value of a property and provides a place for a family to cool off during hot days. You could also entertain guests here, which would be great for your social life.
That said, a pool requires a certain level of upkeep. If you fail to implement it, you might start seeing green things around the edges of your pool.
Fortunately, you do not need cleaning experts to keep this from happening. Just make sure that you have a weekly cleaning checklist for your pool, like this one:
- Pull out and clean the skimmer basket
- Clean the filter
- Skim the surface of the water
- Scrub the pool walls
- Test the water
- Add chlorine
Backyard Cleaning Checklist
There are a lot of things to clean within the four walls of your home. That said, you should not neglect your outdoor space.
Here is a house cleaning checklist for your backyard:
- Sweep the porch floor, walls, and ceiling
- Replace outdoor rugs, cushions, and other similar items
- Wash your patio furniture
- Clear out your gutters
- Clean outdoor light fixtures
- Scrub the grill
You could add more cleaning tasks to this checklist depending on the size and layout of your backyard.
Difference Between Basic Cleaning and Deep Cleaning
You can break down home cleaning into two major categories: regular cleaning and deep cleaning. Both cleaning methods apply to the same parts of the house and may involve similar cleaning tasks.
However, basic cleaning focuses more on weekly tasks designed to prevent the accumulation of too much dust or dirt. They don’t take up too much time, but they are critical if you want a clean home.
On the other hand, deep cleaning is done to remove deep-seated dirt and clean hard-to-reach spots. It is a more detailed cleaning process that focuses on areas that you might neglect.
Since you clean these places less frequently, they tend to accumulate more dust and dirt. That is why deep cleaning takes more time to do.
To illustrate the difference, consider the task of dusting. With regular cleaning, you dust slatted blinds, baseboards, and surfaces that are within reach. When you do deep cleaning, you use a step ladder to wipe ceiling fans and other spots you can’t easily access.
If you deep clean carpets, it is also more in-depth compared to regular vacuuming.
Finally, when deep cleaning appliances, you clean the interior, such as stove drip pans. The two methods are very different in terms of the cleaning process, and you can’t use one to replace the other.
Both are important if you want to keep the entire home clean and safe for the family.
What Should a Standard Cleaning List Include?
As mentioned above, standard cleaning involves weekly tasks designed to help you maintain a certain level of cleanliness. So a basic cleaning checklist for a cleaning service company should include items like dusting and wiping accessible areas, cleaning fixtures and appliance exterior, and vacuuming and mopping floors.
How to Create a Detailed Cleaning Checklist for a Cleaning Service Company
To create a comprehensive checklist, break down the cleaning task into separate areas of the house. This way, you can go from room to room without missing anything. Creating a separate list for deep cleaning is also a good idea.
What Is the Fastest Way to Deep Clean a House?
For the most efficient deep cleaning, prepare all the necessary tools and cleaning products. Next, remove all clutter before you start cleaning. This way, you won’t have to stop from time to time to pick up a magazine, toys, or other items.
Once the house is clear, you can start cleaning one area at a time. Make sure you have your checklist with you, so you do not forget any tasks.
If possible, make deep cleaning a group activity. Two hands are better than one, but multiple hands are even better. Finally, practice makes perfect, so the more you do it, the faster you will get.
We Are Here to Help
A big part of your responsibility as a homeowner is keeping your house clean inside and out. However, not everyone has the time or energy to clean their own homes.
If you need help, Master Maid is here. We are bonded and insured, and our professional cleaners are highly trained.
Let us do the heavy lifting so you can focus on things you and your family can enjoy together.
