Are You Cleaning Your Home in the Right Order? (2024)

When you clean your house, do you randomly start in one room and then move to the next with little rhyme or reason? If you do, you’re not alone. In 2020, the CDC surveyed over 500 people and found that many engaged in unsafe cleaning practices that could lead to serious health problems.

Cleaning isn’t difficult, but it’s important to design a plan, so you don’t overlook specific areas and give each room the attention it deserves. If you don’t, your cleaning won’t be as thorough as you want, and you risk germs and bacteria running amuck. Plus, planning your cleaning makes the task more manageable and helps you save time.

So, what’s the right order to clean the house? Let’s take a look.

Start with Cleaning the Bathroom First

The bathroom may be one of the smaller rooms in the house, but it’s also more time-consuming to clean. Why? Because it’s the room that gets the dirtiest and requires more attention to remove harmful bacteria. In fact, the germiest place in the bathroom is your toothbrush holder. (Trust us, we were just as shocked.) Many of your bathroom’s surfaces carry the herpes virus, HPV, E. Coli, and Staphylococcus, all of which can make you seriously ill. So, it’s vital to take time when disinfecting your bathroom, scrubbing the shower and tub, toilet, sink, all those little fixtures, and, of course, the toothbrush holder.

Because cleaning the bathroom is time and labor intensive, making it the first room you clean is a good idea. Afterward, all your other chores will seem easier. If you save the bathroom for last, you may be so tired from all your previous cleaning that you may not be as thorough as necessary.

Up Next is Dusting and Organizing

Next in your cleaning journey is tackling the dusting throughout your house. When you clean, all that dust has to go somewhere, right? Typically, that place is on the floor. If you clean the floors before you take on the dusting, you’ll have dirty floors again, and no one wants to have to re-sweep and re-mop. There’s just no time for that.

Make your way throughout the house using a microfiber duster, dust mop, and vacuum cleaner. As you dust surfaces like the tops of coffee tables and dressers, take the time to organize disheveled areas. You’ll want to ensure you get those easily forgotten areas such as ceiling fans, baseboards, and blinds.

Move on to Mopping and Vacuuming

After dusting, your floors will likely be covered with dust particles (even if you can’t see them). Vacuum throughout the house, and don’t forget carpets, area rugs, and under couches. You’ll want to do this even on hard-surface tile and wood floors, as vacuuming is much easier than sweeping and yields even better results.

Once you’re fairly sure all debris is gone, you can mop and disinfect your floors as needed. In rooms like the bathroom and kitchen, you may need to mop the floor each time you clean your house. Floors in other rooms, however, might not need to be cleaned every single time unless there are frequent spills or pet accidents.

Cleaning the Kitchen Should Be Your Final Stop

Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of your cleaning excursion. It’s time to take care of the kitchen and disinfect the surfaces where you prepare food, and simply live your best life. Cleaning the kitchen should be a breeze if you regularly wipe down the counters and tackle spills when they happen. After all, the floor is already clean, remember?

To properly clean your kitchen, wipe the outside of your refrigerator, cabinets, and appliances. You’d be surprised the amount of dried, caked-on food you’ll find on handles and pulls. Next, clean your stovetop, microwave, oven (inside and outside if time allows), and sink. And that’s it for the kitchen. Easy, right?

If You Don’t Have the Time for Cleaning, Merry Maids® is Here!

Our precise cleaning plan is best for a designated weekend. You don’t want to rush through your home cleaning sporadically. Still, we understand that the weekends may be just as busy as the weekdays, and that’s okay! If you need a deep clean to prepare for routine upkeep, your local cleaning professionals at Merry Maids® are happy to get you started. Rely on us for comprehensive cleaning services that give you back much-needed time for self-care.

Call (888) 490-4227 and ask about a free cleaning estimate today!