How Often You Really Need To Clean Everything In Your Home (Follow This Easy Schedule)

Rome wasn't cleaned in a day — that's how the saying goes, right? In any case, neither is your home. But with a reasonable, regular cleaning schedule — somewhere south of Martha Stewart but north of your average college student — every room in your home can stay spick and span, and healthy, year-round.

You might be surprised about just how dirty and germy the kitchen can get. Push up your shirtsleeves and get to work — the kitchen won't clean itself.

Once a day

• Wash your dishes
• Disinfect your cutting board (It has 200 times more coliform bacteria than a toilet seat)
• Clean your sponges (Microwave on high for 30 seconds, or throw it in the dishwasher)
• Wipe down kitchen counters
• Sweep up crumbs and spills
• Wash kitchen towels (If you've been handling raw meat)

• Clear your drains with hot water
• Refresh the garbage disposal (Half a lemon, some salt, and a few ice cubes should do it!)
• Spot clean any refrigerator spills (Time to toss produce and leftovers that might mold)
• Wipe down the fridge handle (High-touch surfaces like handles are magnets for bacteria)
• Vacuum or wash floors
• Clean the cooktop or range
• Wipe down the inside of the microwave
• Wash kitchen towels

• Deep clean the drains (This time with cleaning solution)
• Wipe down the fridge shelves (Especially the bottom shelf, where you're likely to defrost meat)
• Clean the in-door water dispenser
• Give the dishwasher a wash (Run it empty with this natural cleaning solution)
• Degrease the backsplash and/or the range hood
• Dust light fixtures
• Clean the coffee maker
• Clean oven racks

• Deep clean the fridge (Remove every single thing)
• Remove dust and debris from the fridge condenser coils and fan
• Degrease the oven

The bathroom is where you start and finish each day. Make sure to give yourself a nice, clean slate.

Once a day

• Wipe down the sink (If this seems excessive, think of the fecal matter. And try these reusable bathroom cleaning wipes)
• Squeegee any glass shower walls after each use

• Towels (Every three to four uses)
• Disinfect the toilet
• Disinfect the sink
• Spray down the shower liner or ...
• Wash the shower stalls
• Clean the mirrors
• Wash the floors

• Scrub the tub

• Soak your showerhead to remove scale
• Scrub the grout

It's easy to forget to clean the tools we use to stay clean ourselves.

Once a day

• Clean the lint catcher after every use

• Use the clean cycle on the washing machine

• Get annual service

People spend one-third of their lives in bed. Make sure it's both comfortable and clean.

Define the Fauna

Once a day

• Make your bed (People who make their beds every day are happier, says science)

• Wash the bedsheets (At the most, every other week)
• Clean the mirrors
• Vacuum rugs

• Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans
• Wash blankets and duvets

• Launder your pillows
• Vacuum and spot clean your mattress
• Polish wood furniture

It's predicted that people will spend more time online than watching TV in 2019 — a first, for America at least. But the couch potato gene is still going strong, with the average American clocking more than 170 minutes of old-fashioned screen time each day.

Stephen Paul

Once a day

• Straighten up

• Vacuum the rugs and carpet (to spot clean, try this chemical-free solution)
• Sweep
• Wipe down computer keyboards

• Wash the floors
• Dust or clean window treatments and light fixtures
• Dust vents
• Dust the TV and other electronics

• Empty your shelves and wipe it all down
• Wash any slipcovers
• Steam clean upholstery
• Polish wood furniture

• Deep clean windows and window screens (Better yet, hire a professional)
• Clean the fireplace
• Clean behind and underneath furniture