A daily cleaning checklist – 6 cleaning tasks you should be doing every day, according to experts

If you’re feeling bogged down by the constant need to clean your house, you may benefit from a cleaning schedule for the home. After all, this can break everything down into manageable chunks. 

A clean and tidy home can instantly lift your mood and give your home their chance to shine. But for some people, a yearly cleaning calendar (split into months) is still too much to get their head around. So, if you’re someone who prefers a daily to-do list, a daily schedule for house cleaning may suit you better. 

Of course, we understand that daily cleaning tasks sound daunting. But all of the jobs on this list will take just a few minutes, allowing you to get on with your day without the thought of a dirty and messy home niggling in the background. 

A daily cleaning schedule for the home

‘Establishing a daily cleaning schedule can significantly contribute to maintaining a healthy and pleasant living environment,’ explains Ava Wilson, chief editor at Unclutterer. But for those who aren’t sure where to start, we’ve put together this daily schedule for house cleaning that’ll make it so much easier.

1. Make the bed

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who make their bed in the morning and those who don’t see the point (because you’re just going to get back into it later, right?). 

But one of the first things that Lynsey Crombie, AKA @Lynsey Queen of Clean, does every day is make her bed - and she urges everyone else to do the same. She says, ‘Take a moment to neatly arrange the bedding and make the bed for a tidy appearance.’

This is echoed by Ava, who believes that making the bed will have a profound impact on your day. ‘Starting your day by making the bed sets a productive tone and instantly tidies the appearance of your bedroom. It creates a positive psychological effect, giving a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning.’

Just remember to let your bed ‘breathe’ for a while before making your bed. In fact, some experts would advise waiting an hour before making your bed to allow sweat to evaporate and prevent the spread of germs. 

Lynsey Crombie

Known as the 'Queen of Clean', Lynsey is the best-selling author of The 15-Minute Clean and regularly shares her tips on her social media. She starred in TV's Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners and is a regular guest on This Morning and Good Morning Britain.

2. Wipe down kitchen worktops

If you’ve brought your dream kitchen worktop idea to life, we’re going to assume that you want to keep it looking pristine. However, one of the biggest kitchen worktop mistakes you can make is not cleaning them often. 

In fact, most experts agree that wiping down your kitchen worktops should be part of your daily cleaning schedule for the home. 

Ava explains, ‘After each meal, wipe down the counters and dining room table to remove crumbs and spills. This prevents pests, maintains hygiene, and keeps the surfaces ready for their next use.’

But you don’t have to spend hours cleaning your kitchen worktops or buy fancy cleaning products. ‘Use a damp cloth to wipe over the worktops, ensuring they are clean and free from any debris,’ says Lynsey.

Of course, you can use a kitchen cleaner for this job, but you should always make sure that the product you use is suitable for your specific kitchen worktops. For example, you should never use a disinfectant when you want to clean marble worktops, as this can damage the stone. 

Ava Wilson

Ava Wilson, Unclutterer’s Chief Editor with 25 years in cleaning, started with a mop and now leads a team of 20. Merging hands-on experience with management expertise, she transforms cleaning into inspiring lessons. Ava's eco-focused insights make Unclutterer a go-to for sustainable cleaning wisdom.

3. Clean the floors of high-traffic areas

By focusing your daily cleaning schedule on high-traffic areas, you can keep the main areas of your home as clean and tidy as possible while reducing the amount of time you have to spend cleaning them at the weekend

With this in mind, you should clean the floors of these high-traffic areas (such as your kitchen, living room, and bathrooms) daily. The method you use to do this ultimately depends on the type of flooring you have and the cleaning tools you prefer. 

For example, Ava is particularly fond of using a dustpan and brush. She says, ‘Daily sweeping prevents the accumulation of dirt and food particles, which can attract pests and lead to unsanitary conditions.’

However, Nicola Rodriguez, AKA @essexhousedolly prefers to use one of the best vacuum cleaners and one of the best mops instead. 

‘I hoover and mop my floors every day because I have a dog,’ she says. ‘For me, this is a must, and I would recommend it to anyone, even if they don’t have a dog. Also, when your front door is open, I feel the outside comes in.’

So, by cleaning these high-traffic floors daily, you can clean up any mud that’s been brought in from the outside or just sweep away any leftover crumbs from breakfast. 

4. Do the washing up

Many people are guilty of leaving their dirty plates and bowls in the sink overnight, but taking just 10 minutes out of your day to wash up can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your home. Plus, it’s way more hygienic. 

Ava says, ‘Washing dishes or loading the dishwasher daily prevents the buildup of bacteria and odours in the kitchen. It also avoids the daunting pile of dishes that can accumulate if left unattended.’

Of course, this task is even easier if you have a dishwasher, and you can even get the whole family involved if you have one of these handy electrical appliances. You can take turns loading and unloading the dishwasher, and this ensures that you’ll always have clean crockery available. 

Plus, did you know that hand washing is actually more expensive than using a dishwasher?

5. Pop on a load of washing

Hands up if it feels like you spend your whole weekend putting clothes in the washing machine, loading them up on the heated airer, and then repeating the process until you eventually empty your laundry basket? Well, you’re not alone. 

If you have a large family, it’s easy for these clothes to quite literally pile on top of you. But one of the best ways to maintain a daily cleaning schedule is to pop on a load of washing daily - and this will leave you free to enjoy your weekends again.

‘Depending on the size of your household, doing a small load of laundry daily can prevent the task from becoming overwhelming and helps ensure that clean clothes are always available,’ explains Ava. 

And if you don’t have a heated airer, you could opt for tumble drying your clothes afterwards. However, Lynsey urges, ‘Before using a tumble dryer, check and remove any lint buildup to ensure efficient operation.’

6. Tackle the clutter

Although most homeowners like to think that they’re on top of their storage and organisation, there’s a high chance that you still struggle with clutter around the house. 

You may work from a home office and have paperwork and stationery lying around the house, or your kids may constantly throw their toys all over the place. Whatever the case, tackling a bit of clutter as part of your daily cleaning schedule can make a huge difference. 

Ava suggests, ‘Take a few minutes each day to put things back where they belong. This reduces clutter, which can alleviate stress and make it easier to clean other areas when the time comes.’

Of course, everyone’s clutter is different, but Lynsey knows that most people have clutter in her bedroom. So, she advises everyone to ‘Gather any dirty clothes scattered on the floor and place them in the laundry basket for washing.’

Becca Stern, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Mustard Made suggests focusing most of your attention in the bedroom, too. She says, 'When looking at simple hacks to keep your home clean, ensuring you are ticking off a daily declutter is a great place to start.'

'The bedside is one of the first and last things you see, so keeping this space neatly organised is really important - especially for having a clear mind to start and finish the day. If your bedside table is looking like a tangle of cords, a collection of cups, and a stack of unread books collecting dust, opting for cupboard storage such as a bedside locker, means you can easily shut away all your bedside essentials, phones and other electrical devices to prevent a disrupted sleep.'

This doesn’t have to take too long, either. There are so many ways to declutter, but the 10-minute declutter challenge is definitely our favourite. 

FAQs

What is a good schedule for house cleaning?

The best way to clean your house is to separate your cleaning tasks. To do this, split them into daily tasks, weekly tasks, and then bigger monthly tasks. This way, you know exactly what you want to clean each day and what you want to tackle throughout the month. 

For example, you want to clean the floors of high-traffic areas of your home every day, then you want to change your bed sheets every week, and then deep-clean your sofa and clean your mattress once a month.

What cleaning should be done every day?

If you want to ensure you have a happy, clean, and healthy home, there are certain things that you should be cleaning every day. Aim to clean the floors in high-traffic areas of your home, your kitchen worktops, and do the washing up.

Ideally, you should also tackle a small portion of clutter a day and put on a load of washing if you have a busy household. 

There are also things that you should clean after use (which might not necessarily be every day). These include a coffee machine, your shower tray and shower, your sink, and your computer keyboard. 

So, how does this daily cleaning schedule for the home sound? Does it seem manageable?