Deep cleaning a flat: a complete room-by-room checklist

The easiest way to deep clean a flat is to follow a fixed order: first clear out and sort your belongings, then in each room work from top to bottom and from dry cleaning to wet. Treat the kitchen and bathroom as a separate block, wash the windows only after dusting, and mop the floors at the very end. Below you will find the equipment, the principles of working safely with chemicals and a room-by-room checklist.

Before you start: plan and equipment

Deep cleaning differs from regular cleaning in that you also reach the places that are not touched during a weekly clean: behind appliances, on top of wardrobes, inside the oven, on window frames and in grout lines. For an average flat, allow a whole day, and several days if it is heavily soiled or contains a large number of belongings.

If you only have a weekend, split the work: on the first day clear out, then do the kitchen and bathroom; on the second day, the living areas, windows and floors. Prepare your equipment in advance so that you do not have to keep interrupting your work:

• a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery nozzle and a crevice tool,
• several microfibre cloths, separate ones for the kitchen, bathroom and toilet,
• a bucket, a mop, a window squeegee and a soft brush for grout lines,
• a sponge that will not scratch the surface,
• a mild all-purpose cleaner, washing-up liquid, bicarbonate of soda and a descaler suitable for your surfaces,
• rubber gloves, a stable stepladder and bags for sorted waste.

Two rules of order: top to bottom, dry to wet

Dust and small particles fall downwards. Start with the corners of the ceiling, light fittings, curtain rails and the tops of wardrobes and cabinets, and leave the floor until last. If you mopped first and then dusted the shelves, the dust would end up on a clean floor.

In each room, first remove dry dust with a vacuum cleaner or a dry cloth, and only then clean with water. A wet cloth on a dusty surface merely smears the dust into streaks.

Go through the whole flat in this sequence:

1. Clear out and sort your belongings, and throw away what you do not need.
2. Wash curtains, bedspreads and other textiles that can go in the washing machine.
3. Vacuum and dust the whole flat, working from the top down.
4. Clean the kitchen, including appliances.
5. Clean the bathroom and toilet.
6. Wash the windows and window sills.
7. Vacuum and mop the floors, working from the room furthest from the door towards the door.

Using cleaning products safely

Deep cleaning usually involves using more products at once than regular cleaning. Before use, read the label and the dilution instructions, wear gloves and ventilate while you work. Try any new product first on an inconspicuous spot.

Never mix products containing chlorine with other cleaning agents, especially acidic descalers, vinegar, toilet cleaners and products containing ammonia. The US CDC explicitly states that bleach should not be mixed with ammonia or any other cleaner, and recommends opening windows and doors (CDC: Cleaning and Sanitizing with Bleach). If you suspect poisoning, call the Toxicology Information Centre (Toxikologické informační středisko) on 224 91 92 93 or 224 91 54 02; in a life-threatening situation, call the emergency medical service on 155.

Checklist: kitchen

• Empty the fridge, throw away food past its expiry date and remove the shelves and drawers.
• Wash the inside of the fridge with lukewarm water and a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda, using only a well wrung-out cloth around the lighting and controls, and wipe the door seals with a soft cloth. This is the procedure described in the Electrolux manufacturer's guide, which also advises against ammonia, bleach and alcohol on glass shelves and the control panel, and recommends not washing removable drawers in the dishwasher.
• Clean the oven only when it is switched off and cool. Bosch warns that cleaning products damage the enamel in a hot oven, and advises against chlorine-based or abrasive cleaners (Bosch: How to clean an oven).
• Soak oven racks and trays for several hours in hot water with washing-up liquid, then scrub, rinse and dry them. If your oven has a pyrolytic cleaning function, remove all the racks before starting it.
• Wash the oven door glass without a scraper and without applying much pressure to the open door.
• Extractor hood: wash the metal grease filter according to the instructions, and degrease the casing and the surrounding cabinets.
• Clean and descale the microwave, kettle and coffee machine according to their instructions.
• Cabinets outside and inside, the worktop surfaces, the splashback behind the worktop, the sink and the tap.
• Wash the waste bin and leave it to dry.

Checklist: bathroom and toilet

• Empty the shelves and throw away empty packaging and out-of-date cosmetics.
• Dust the corners of the ceiling, the ventilation grille and the light fittings.
• Descale the tiles, shower enclosure, bath and washbasin with a product that the manufacturer permits for the given material. On marble and other natural stone, use only products expressly intended for stone.
• Scrub the grout lines with a soft brush and check the silicone for mould. For details, see the article how to clean grout in the bathroom.
• Remove hair from the bath, shower and washbasin drains.
• Clean the toilet, including the back of the bowl, the seat hinges and the flush button, using a separate cloth reserved for the toilet only.
• On the washing machine, wipe the door seal, rinse out the detergent drawer and clean the filter according to the instructions.
• Clean mirrors and glass last, so that drops from the other work do not fall on them.

After cleaning, ventilate the bathroom and let the surfaces dry. Wash towels and bath mats separately.

Checklist: living room and bedroom

• Dust the light fittings, the tops of wardrobes and cabinets, curtain rails, pictures and frames.
• Wash curtains and drapes according to the label.
• Empty bookcases and shelves in sections, wipe them down and put back only what you want to keep.
• Wipe electronics with a dry or only slightly damp cloth; never spray cleaner directly onto a screen.
• Vacuum the sofa and armchairs with an upholstery nozzle and treat stains according to the label, see how to clean a sofa at home.
• Vacuum, air and turn over the mattress, and wash the mattress protector and bedding. The procedure is described in the article how to clean a mattress.
• Move the bed and lighter furniture away from the wall, and vacuum under and behind them.
• Wipe switches, handles, doors and door frames with a damp cloth.
• Dust the radiators and the space behind them.

Checklist: hallway and windows

• Empty the shoe cabinet and the coat cupboard, clean the shoes and store seasonal clothing.
• Wash the front door on both sides, including the peephole, handle and doorbell.
• Shake out the doormat or wash it according to the label.
• Only dust the electricity meter cabinet and the fuse box carefully; never clean them with water.

Wash the windows only after dusting the room, and preferably on days without direct sunlight, when the solution does not dry on the glass so quickly. It is enough to wipe plastic window frames with a soft cloth and lukewarm water, possibly with a little neutral cleaner; the profile manufacturer VEKA advises against abrasive powders, steel wool, solvents and steam cleaners (VEKA: Care and maintenance). You will find the whole procedure step by step in the article how to wash windows without streaks.

Floors as the last step

First vacuum the floors thoroughly, including skirting boards, corners and the space under furniture, and only then mop. Work from the furthest corner towards the door, so that you do not have to walk on the wet floor.

Mop wooden, laminate and vinyl floors only with a well wrung-out mop and a product permitted by the floor manufacturer. Vacuum carpets slowly and in both directions; ingrained stains and odours can usually only be dealt with by upholstery and carpet shampooing.

How much time to allow and what to leave to others

The time needed depends more on the number of belongings and the degree of soiling than on the size of the flat. The oven, windows and emptying cupboards usually take the most time. If you are tackling them for the first time in a long while, allow some extra time and save enough energy for the floors.

Some jobs are sensible to leave to others: windows at a height without safe access, upholstery and carpet shampooing of sofas and carpets, or cleaning up construction dust after a renovation. What a booked deep cleaning includes and how the price is calculated can be found in the price list.