Alright friends, listen up! Do you like to keep a clean house? Yeah, me too. Did you know there are several things you should deep clean at least twice a year to really clean your home?

A white farmhouse bedroom with shiplap walls and a metal bed

The Full List to Deep Clean

1. Your washing machine. Seems ironic doesn’t it, washing the washer? …But it needs to be done. Wipe down the top of the machine and dials as well as under the lid (and while you’re at it, do the dryer too!). Then run an empty cycle with 1 cup vinegar on hot. Follow that immediately with another empty cycle on hot with 1/2 cup baking soda. Boom, super clean! This trick works with front and top loaders and will remove any gunk and stink that can be associated with washers.

Pro Tip

You can use vinegar and baking soda to remove that mildewy smell from your towels too, just follow the same directions above. Might as well deep clean the towels too, right?

2. The lint trap behind your dryer. While we’re talking about laundry room stuff, pull out the washer and dryer. Use your vacuum to suck any debris out of the vent and hose. Vacuum the floor behind both appliances and when you’re done vacuuming, go ahead and wipe the floors under both appliances, I mean you’re already down there anyway!

3. The sink drain and garbage disposal. Ew. I hate this one, but it’s important to deep clean these. Using a toothbrush and baking soda (made into a thick paste) scrub your sink and the rubber lining down to your garbage disposal. Then pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar down the drain (no water). Allow the mixture to fizz for a few minutes, then turn the faucet on hot and let it run for 1 minute. Cut a lemon (or lime, or orange if that’s all you have) in half, and with the water running and garbage disposal on, put the fruit down the drain. Ahhh, so fresh and clean!

4. Blinds/shutters and window sills. Using a sock or a rag, wipe down all the blinds first, then window sills. Feeling really ambitious? Do the ceiling fans too while you’re on a roll. Then vacuum the whole room. Actually no, I take that back, don’t vacuum yet – do #5 first.

5. Baseboards. With a damp cloth, thoroughly wipe the top and front of all baseboards. Using a Bounce dryer sheet to wipe them down will help repel dust buildup. Total win! Now, vacuum the whole room.

An organized linen closet with tan storage bins and brown tags

6. Inside your drawers (kitchen and bathrooms). Remove all the drawer contents, drawer by drawer, room by room and vacuum and wipe out each and every drawer. Discard any unnecessary items. When loading up your drawers again consider using drawer organizers or small bins to keep everything in its own space.

7. The oven and the microwave. If you’ve done this recently, you can just use the self-cleaning feature on your oven and then wipe it out once it’s finished. But, if its been a while or you do a lot of cooking, you may need to go the Easy-Off oven cleaner route. If you have stainless appliances, give them a good wipe down with stainless cleaner when you’re all done so they really shine.

8. The pantry. I’m not going to lie, I kinda like this one. Throw out anything hiding that may be outdated or stale. Remove all the food and wipe out the shelves and then the floor. Run the vacuum if there’s a lot of debris. When you’re restocking, group like items together to help you find things quickly and easily and stay organized in the future. Use baskets, bins, shelves, and tags to keep everything together.

9. The refrigerator. You knew this one was coming didn’t you? It’s a big one. Start by pulling out your refrigerator and vacuuming the very scary dust bunnies under and around it – there will be many! Don’t forget to dust the top of the fridge too! Ick. Then clean out the drawers and shelves, discarding any old, yucky food. Wipe down all the shelves and inside of the fridge with warm soapy water, scraping off any buildup, until everything’s nice and clean. Again, when reloading, group like items together. If you’re crafty, try lining your shelves with Glad Press and Seal or plastic place mats and bins from Target or Wal-Mart to make your next cleaning (in 6 short months) a real breeze!

10. Your closest. Weed out any clothes, shoes, and accessories you haven’t worn in the past year. The organizer in me will tell you to make three piles, a keep pile, a discard pile, and a donate pile. Once you’re down to the essentials, reorganize your remaining clothes by season (or by season and by color if you’re a little bit OCD). Sack up your donate and discard items and put them in the garage. Then dust of any shelves you have and vacuum the floor. Then step back and admire your accomplishment. There’s nothing better than a clean, organized closet.

A Bonus!

10-1/2. I’d also recommend having your carpets and windows cleaned every 6 months, but you don’t have to do this one yourself, unless you want to and then I’m impressed! Find a good pro in your area.

There you have it, friends. A very thorough list of things we should all deep clean regularly. Check off this list and you’ll have yourself a really clean house!

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4 Comments

    1. Hi Anne! I know, I’m guilty too! 🙂 I’m glad you stopped by!

  1. Love this! i’m kind of an OCD cleaner in a lot of ways, but i do neglect a lot of things you mentioned simply because i don’t think of them. in my last apartment i had a bedroom ceiling fan that i just NEVER touched… one day it sprung on me that I should probably clean it, so i grabbed some pledge/rags and…wow. gross. thanks for reminding me about some other things i’m neglecting!

    1. Hi Ali! I know exactly what you mean and for me, it seems like the days fly by and then I’m left scratching my head trying to remember the last time I cleaned that ceiling fan, or behind the refrigerator, haha! I’d hoped that by writing this post and reminding myself to do these things, I remind all of you too. Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!