Deep cleaning the house room by room

The weekly routine keeps the floors, the bathrooms and the bed linens in hand. Deep cleaning is the work on top of that, done monthly, each season or once a year, and it goes fastest one room at a time with a caddy of supplies.

Kitchen

• Clean inside the cabinetsA small foam paint brush reaches the tight spaces between cabinets and under appliances.
• Deep clean the oven and the refrigeratorDon't use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning or continuous-cleaning oven, since it can damage the surface.
• Wash the backsplashUse a degreaser or soapy water.
• Degrease the range hood and its filter
• Empty the dishwasher filter and clean the coffee maker
• Clean the stainless steelWipe it with a cloth soaked in warm water and towel it dry. If dirt remains, add a little mild dish detergent, rinse and dry, and check that any cleanser's label says it's safe for stainless steel.

Living areas

• Wash the curtains and blinds
• Clean the ceiling fans and the baseboards
• Move the furniture and clean under and behind it
• Clean the rugs and upholstery

Bedrooms

• Vacuum the mattress and clean under the bed
• Deep clean the closet
• Wash the blinds and the inside of the windows

Bathrooms

• Scrub the grout
• Descale the showerhead and faucets
• Clean the medicine cabinet and the ventilation fan
• Clean behind the toilet

Cleaning products

• Read and follow the label for use, storage and disposal
• Never mix cleaning productsProducts that are safe alone can give off dangerous fumes when mixed.
• Keep products in their original containers, away from food and out of reach of children and petsNever leave a bucket of cleaning solution where a young child or a pet can reach it.

To avoid streaks on a large wall, wash from the bottom up, overlapping as you go in a circular motion. Keep strong acid or alkaline products, such as toilet bowl cleaner, drain opener, rust remover and oven cleaner, off the countertops, since they can discolor the surface for good.