Many people anticipate to the made-up annual event known as “spring cleaning” as a time to finally tidy up the spaces in their lives. While we’re all about sticking to a routine and having something to anticipate to help guide your days, weeks, and months, we’re here to let you in on a little secret: You don’t have to wait until spring to clean your home. In fact, cleaning experts advise against it. Instead, you should break up your cleaning into weekly, monthly, and seasonal lists. Although it may seem tedious, doing so will actually help make cleaning less of a burden, while also helping you to live your tidiest life (should that be your goal). Now, to answer your question before you even have to ask it, ahead you’ll uncover the importance of deep cleaning in every season, as well as the ultimate season cleaning list, which breaks house items down into categories so that you know what to clean when, and how often. Ready to dive in? Grab a bucket and a mop (maybe put on a banger of a playlist) and keep reading to get to work.

A Case for Deep Cleaning

According to cleaning expert Sarah Paiji Yoo, co-founder and CEO of Blueland, an eco-friendly cleaning product brand, cleaning can be categorized as everyday, surface-level tidying and deep cleaning. “A deep clean entails more detailed cleaning work than a typical cleaning,” she says. “For example, cleaning hard-to-reach and hard-to-see places and inside cabinets and inside appliances [is a form of deep cleaning]. It’s also not just about sanitizing surfaces but can include identifying and removing clutter or things you don’t need or use.”

With that in mind, the notion of spring cleaning that we’ve all come to know and love (er, dread) is a classic case of deep cleaning. Although it’s most closely associated with spring—being the season of renewal and all—Paiji says that deep cleaning sessions should actually be done seasonally (as in not only in spring, but summer, fall, and winter, too). “But it really depends on how deep and frequent your regular cleaning is,” she adds. “The more thorough or frequent your regular cleaning is, the longer you can go without potentially needing a deep clean.”

With that in mind, keep reading for Paiji’s ultimate home cleaning schedule.

All Season Cleaning List

• Wipe down shoe racks
• Clean inside appliances (like toasters and blender motor bases)
• Clean shelves (inside your kitchen cabinets, pantry, medicine cabinets, etc.)
• Swap air filters
• Turn your mattresses
• Clean your duvet (this can be done once a year)
• Scrub grout

Monthly Cleaning List

• Clean under couches, beds, dishwasher, fridge, radiators, etc.
• Clean inside stove, microwave, etc.
• Dust high shelves, ceiling fans, blinds, lampshades
• Clean inside refrigerator
• Clean inside washing machine, dryer (including the lint trap), and dishwasher
• Clean dishwasher filter and drain
• Clean inside trash can
• Descale coffee machine and electric kettles
• Wash and clean Car

Weekly Cleaning List

• Wash sheets and towels
• Rinse down showers
• Clean toilets
• Mop and vacuum floors
• Rinse water pitchers
• Clean humidifiers
• Disinfect sponges and bottle brushes
• Vacuum and wash bath mats
• Wipe down faucets, doorknobs, and light switches
• Dust and tidy desks
• Wipe down tables
• Wipe down stainless appliances

A List of Cleaning Supplies To Always Keep Around in Every Season

In order to check every action item off your all seasons cleaning list and weekly home cleaning schedule, you’ll need to be well-equipped for the task of tidying and deep cleaning. Ahead, find a selection of cleaning products and tools that will help you get the job done.

Dyson Outsize Absolute+ Vacuum — $950.00

If you’re ready to get serious about your weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning, it’s time to invest in a high-quality vacuum that will stand the test of time. This durable cordless stick vacuum might come with a hefty price tag but it will leave your floors spick and span with minimal effort and zero struggle. The vacuum is designed to automatically adjust between floor types, it comes with a handful of attachments that make it easy to clean floors, furniture, cars, and more, and, best of all, it touts a 120-minute run time (which, BTW, is double the time most stick vacs offer).

Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Super Extendable Handle Dusting Kit — $13.00

Save yourself the struggle of standing on a wobbly chair or hoisting yourself up onto your kitchen counters to reach ceiling fans and on top of cabinets and shelves. Instead, stock your cleaning closet with one of these 6-foot extendable dusters. The kit comes with one pole and four dusters, which are designed to trap three times as many dust and allergens as a traditional duster. (Psst: As someone who swears by her Swiffer dusters, I can’t applaud this kit enough.)

Swiffer WetJet Floor Mop Starter Kit — $26.00

What can we say, Swiffer knows a thing or two about clean floors. The brand’s WetJet Floor Mop is beloved for its easy-to-use design which makes cleaning dirty tile and hardwood floors a breeze. The kit comes with a power floor spray mop, three extra power pad refills, two original mopping pad refills, a 500ml bottle of cleaning solution, and four batteries. In other words, everything you’ll need to clean your floors in the weeks and months to come.

The Pink Stuff Brush Kit — $44.00

Put down the old toothbrush and reach for the tools in this grout-cleaning kit, instead. Inside of The Pink Stuff Brush Kit, you’ll find the Miracle Scrubber Tool, three additional brush heads, and two jars of multipurpose cleaning paste. Simply dip the brush into the paste, turn it on, and start working your way across the grout. (P.S. The brush works well to clean around anything with small nooks and crannies that accrue stubborn build-up.)

Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach — $15.00

If your toilets keep growing black mold under the rim, it’s time to set aside the classic powder formula and bring out the big guns: Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach. The angled head makes squirting it under the rim less of a hassle and ensures that it reaches the source of the problem. In addition to killing 99.9% of bacteria, this gel toilet bowl cleaner will leave your porcelain thrown sparkly as can be.

OXO Good Grips Compact Toilet Brush & Canister — $17.00

Nobody wants to see or smell a used toilet brush (even if it’s been rinsed off). That’s why the OXO Good Grips Compact Toilet Brush & Canister is so popular—it stands the brush upright for quick use, while keeping the head covered to make it less of an eye (and nose) sore.

Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner Kit — $18.00

While regular antibacterial wipes work well on old-school fridges, stainless appliances call for a touch more TLC. This stainless steel cleaner kit, which includes wipes, spray, and a microfiber cloth, has everything you need to keep your stainless fridge, trash cans, and other appliances looking brand new.

Lilly Brush Pro Pet Hair Tool Kit — $29.00

Dog and cat parents love their fur babies but likely feel less enamored with all the fur embedded into their furniture, carpets, and car seats. Thankfully, the Lilly Brush Pro Pet Hair Tool Kit is here to help. The innovative rubber-edged tools are designed to remove stubborn pet hair so that you can easily scoop it up in clumps. (They even sell a mini version—which I happen to keep forever stowed in my car console for easy clean-ups.)

Blueland Multi-Surface Cleaner — $16.00

Having a multi-surface cleaner that you can use anywhere and everywhere in your home is such a game-changer—both for keeping your space tidy while also requiring less space under your sink. As for a top-quality, good-for-you-and-your-home cleaner, nothing compares to Blueland. “From stovetops to high chairs, from sealed stone to wood, this product is a multi-tasking powerhouse that can be used on most any surface across the home including your mirrors and bathroom,” Paiji says, noting that using it with the Blueland Cloud Cloth, which is part sponge, part cloth, makes it even more effective.

To Hire a Professional Cleaner or Not to Hire a Professional Cleaner

If all of the checklist items on the all-seasons cleaning list above make you cringe, it might be worthwhile to hire a professional cleaner. “The biggest benefit is that it ensures it gets done regularly,” says Paiji. “Deep cleans can be very time consuming, and so it can naturally get pushed back with busy schedules and desires to rest and relax on the weekends instead of deep cleaning.”

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