House cleaning checklist for cleaning businesses, room by room

A professional house cleaning checklist lists, room by room, the tasks done on every visit and the deeper tasks that rotate through the visits. It sets the standard for a new cleaner, tells the customer exactly what they are paying for, and settles any argument about whether something was included.

Work top to bottom and dry to wet in every room: dust high surfaces before low ones, and vacuum before mopping. Clean surfaces before disinfecting them; the CDC notes that cleaning with soap and water comes first and disinfecting is for high-touch surfaces or when someone is ill.

Kitchen

• Every visit: wipe benchtops and splashback; clean the sink and taps; wipe the outside of appliances; clean the stovetop; wipe cupboard fronts where marked; empty bins and wipe lids; vacuum and mop the floor.
• Rotating: inside the microwave; range hood filter; cupboard fronts in full; skirting boards; light switches and door handles in detail.
• Extras, priced separately: inside the oven; inside the fridge; inside cupboards.

Bathrooms and toilets

• Every visit: clean and disinfect the toilet inside and out; clean the basin, taps and vanity; clean the shower screen, walls and floor; clean mirrors; wipe towel rails; empty bins; mop the floor.
• Rotating: descale shower heads and taps; grout lines; exhaust fan cover; inside the vanity drawers.

Bedrooms

• Every visit: dust reachable surfaces; make beds or change linen if requested and left out; vacuum floors including under the edges of the bed; empty bins.
• Rotating: skirting boards; window sills and tracks; light fittings; under the bed in full.

Living and dining areas

• Every visit: dust surfaces and electronics (dry cloth only on screens); vacuum sofas’ seats; vacuum and mop floors; wipe the dining table and chairs.
• Rotating: skirting boards; blinds; ceiling fan blades; cobwebs in corners; glass doors inside.

Whole house

• Every visit: high-touch points (door handles, light switches, railings); empty all bins; a final walk-through of every room.
• Rotating: doors and door frames; air vents; hallway walls where marked.

How rotating tasks work

A fortnightly clean does not have time to do every task every visit. Split the rotating tasks into two or four groups and do one group per visit, so everything is covered every month or two without the visit running long. The cleaning schedule template sets this out as a four-visit rota.

The free cleaning checklist maker prints this list with tick boxes, for the rooms and extras in each home.

Before leaving

1. Walk every room against the checklist.
2. Photograph anything damaged or unusual, and tell the customer.
3. Note anything to do next visit.
4. Lock up, set the alarm and return keys as agreed.

Using the checklist on the job

A checklist on paper is easy to skip. In Primemgr, the cleaning pack’s checklist is filled in on a phone at each visit, room by room, with notes and photos saved on the job, so the customer’s history shows what was done each time. For end-of-lease work, see the end-of-lease cleaning checklist. Pricing for the extras is covered in how to price cleaning services.