How Often Should You Clean Your Home? A Simple Schedule

Most homes don't need cleaning every day. They need the right jobs done at the right time. Here's a simple schedule that keeps a home clean without taking over your week.

Every day (5–10 minutes)

• Wash up, or load and run the dishwasher
• Wipe kitchen worktops and the hob after cooking
• Put things back where they belong
• Give the bathroom sink a quick wipe

These small jobs stop mess building up, which makes every other clean faster.

Every week

• Vacuum carpets and rugs
• Mop hard floors in the kitchen and bathroom
• Clean the toilet, sink, bath and shower
• Dust reachable surfaces and shelves
• Wipe kitchen cupboard fronts and appliance doors
• Change bed linen
• Empty all bins, including bathroom and bedroom bins

Every month

• Clean the microwave inside and out
• Wipe skirting boards, door handles and light switches
• Clean mirrors and the inside of windows
• Descale taps and shower heads in hard-water areas (most of London has hard water)
• Vacuum sofas and under cushions

Every 3–6 months

• Clean inside the oven
• Clean inside the fridge and freezer
• Wash or wipe kitchen cupboards inside
• Clean behind and under furniture and appliances
• Wash curtains or vacuum blinds

These are the jobs a deep clean covers. Many people book one every few months instead of doing them all themselves.

Weekly or fortnightly cleaner?

A weekly cleaner suits you if:

• you have children or pets
• several people share the home
• you work from home and use the kitchen all day
• you simply don't want to clean at all

A fortnightly cleaner suits you if:

• you live alone or as a couple
• you're happy to do the daily jobs yourself
• your home stays fairly tidy between visits

Every four weeks works well for smaller flats, or as a top-up to your own cleaning.

Make the schedule work

Write the weekly jobs on a list and split them between everyone in the home. If you book a cleaner, let them handle the weekly list while you keep up with the daily jobs. Your home stays clean all the time, not just on cleaning day.

Not sure what you need? Start with one deep clean to reset everything, then choose a weekly or fortnightly cleaning plan to keep it that way. Read more in Deep clean vs regular clean.