The problem with most cleaning checklists isn't that they're wrong — it's that they're designed for an ideal version of your life that doesn't exist. They either assume you have hours each day to dedicate to cleaning, or they're so vague that they don't actually tell you what to do.
This checklist is built around what's realistic. It divides tasks by frequency — daily, weekly, monthly, and occasionally — and gives you specific actions rather than broad categories. The goal is a home that stays in reasonable order with consistent, modest effort rather than sporadic major cleanups.
Daily: The Five-Minute Baseline
The most important thing you can do for your home's cleanliness is spend five focused minutes each day maintaining it. This isn't five minutes of actual cleaning — it's five minutes of tidying and resetting that prevents the kind of accumulation that makes cleaning feel overwhelming.
Kitchen
- Wipe the stovetop and counters after cooking while they're still warm — it's significantly easier than when residue has dried
- Wash dishes or load the dishwasher immediately after meals rather than letting them sit
- Empty the sink before bed — a clear sink the following morning has a disproportionately positive effect on how the rest of the day begins
General
- Put things back where they belong after use — this sounds obvious but is the single most impactful habit for maintaining order
- Quick sweep of visible surfaces: tables, coffee tables, counters
- Take bin bags out when full rather than compressing more in
These daily habits don't feel like cleaning. They feel like basic functioning. But they're the foundation that makes everything else easier.
Weekly: The Core Cleaning Routine
Once a week, spend 45–90 minutes going through the following. You don't have to do it all at once — some people prefer to split tasks across two or three sessions during the week. The important thing is that each item gets done once in a seven-day cycle.
Floors
- Vacuum all carpeted areas, including edges and under furniture if accessible
- Sweep or vacuum hard floors before mopping — mopping alone doesn't remove loose debris effectively
- Mop hard floors with appropriate cleaner for the floor type (avoid too much water on hardwood)
- Spot-clean any visible stains or marks on carpet immediately; don't leave them for the weekly vacuum
Bathrooms
- Clean the toilet bowl, seat, lid, and outer surfaces
- Wipe the sink, taps, and surrounding area
- Clean the shower or bath — walls and floor, not just the surfaces you can see
- Wipe the mirror
- Rinse the floor and empty the bin
Kitchen (Beyond Daily)
- Wipe cabinet fronts where handprints accumulate — near the handles particularly
- Clean the inside of the microwave
- Wipe down the outside of the fridge
- Mop the kitchen floor separately from other hard floors — it typically needs it more often
- Check the fridge for anything past its date
Living Areas
- Dust surfaces — shelves, windowsills, TV stand, lamps
- Vacuum upholstered furniture if you have pets or children
- Wipe the TV screen gently with a dry microfibre cloth
- Tidy and reset cushions, throw blankets, items on tables
Bedrooms
- Change bed linen — weekly is ideal; bi-weekly at minimum
- Dust bedside tables and dressers
- Vacuum the floor, including under the bed periodically
- Clear items that don't belong in the bedroom
Monthly: The Deeper Tasks
These are the things that genuinely don't need doing every week but do need attention once a month. Leaving them any longer and they start to become visible problems.
- Inside the oven — baked-on grease builds up quickly and becomes harder to remove the longer it's left. A monthly clean prevents this from becoming a major job.
- Inside the fridge — remove shelves and drawers, wipe all interior surfaces, check the door seals
- Descale the kettle — run a citric acid or vinegar solution cycle if you're in a hard water area
- Wash bathroom bins and kitchen bins — not just empty them
- Clean light switches and door handles — among the most frequently touched surfaces in a home, rarely cleaned
- Wipe skirting boards — these accumulate dust and scuffs in ways that aren't always visible until you look directly at them
- Clean washing machine — run an empty hot cycle with a washing machine cleaner or plain citric acid
- Vacuum under large furniture — sofa, bed, wardrobe bases
Quarterly and Seasonally
Some tasks are genuinely occasional — doing them every few months is appropriate and trying to do them more often would be impractical.
- Windows (inside) — every 2–3 months for most households; more often if you have children or pets near the windows
- Deep clean the oven — even with monthly attention, a quarterly thorough clean is worth doing
- Mattress care — vacuum the mattress and rotate it 180 degrees (or flip, if double-sided)
- Clean curtains or blinds — these collect dust and aren't usually part of the weekly routine
- Declutter — not cleaning per se, but related: a thorough pass through a room removing items that don't belong there makes maintaining cleanliness much easier going forward
- Behind and under large appliances — fridge, washing machine, oven — dust and debris accumulate in these areas and should be dealt with periodically
The Tools That Actually Make a Difference
You don't need many cleaning supplies. You need the right ones, used correctly. Most homes are adequately served by:
- Microfibre cloths — washable, more effective than paper towels for most surfaces, and don't leave lint behind
- An all-purpose cleaner suitable for your kitchen and bathroom surfaces
- A separate bathroom cleaner with disinfectant properties
- A toilet bowl cleaner
- A floor cleaner appropriate for your floor type
- A glass cleaner or a diluted vinegar solution for mirrors and windows
- A good vacuum — this is worth investing in; a vacuum that doesn't pick up effectively makes floor cleaning genuinely frustrating
Avoid buying specialist products for every surface unless you have a specific need. Multi-purpose products done well cover the vast majority of household cleaning tasks.
When Routine Maintenance Isn't Enough
A regular cleaning routine handles day-to-day maintenance well. But there are situations where a deeper, more comprehensive clean is needed:
- When moving into or out of a property
- After a significant period where routine cleaning was disrupted
- Before or after hosting guests for an extended period
- As a seasonal reset
In these situations, professional cleaning is a practical option rather than a luxury. A trained team can address things that are genuinely difficult to handle without the right equipment or products — heavy grout staining, deep carpet cleaning, oven restoration, or thorough post-renovation cleaning.
If you're at the point where routine maintenance feels unmanageable, or you want to start fresh with a clean baseline, our deep cleaning service is designed for exactly that. Get in touch to discuss what would make sense for your situation.
Making This Work for You
The most important thing about any cleaning routine is that it fits your life — not a hypothetical perfect version of it. If you have children, pets, a demanding schedule, or a particularly large home, your routine will look different from someone who doesn't. What matters is that you've identified the key tasks, assigned them a realistic frequency, and built habits around doing them consistently.
The checklist here is a starting point. Adjust it to reflect what actually needs cleaning in your home more or less frequently, and don't worry about following it perfectly. A routine that gets done 80% of the time consistently is far more useful than a perfect one that gets abandoned after two weeks.
This article was written by the Korvynex team. For professional cleaning services in Canada, see our services page. You might also find our article on maintaining a clean workspace or the benefits of professional cleaning helpful.