Free 4-Week Cleaning Checklist: Stay Organized and Tidy

When’s the last time you remember cleaning and organizing everything in your home?

Having a hard time remembering?

We did too. We get it. Finding the motivation to clean your home can be tough. Especially when it’s 9 o’clock at night on Sunday and watching The Night Of while enjoying your favorite Seamless order outweighs everything.

It’s also tough to see each room, and each aspect of each room, as a separate component, not one huge task you need to accomplish all at once.

That’s why lists are awesome. And why we made this awesome 4-week cleaning challenge checklist just for you:

The first week you’ll tackle your kitchen. You’ll clean your fridge, oven, and floors, and throw out all the food that’s been overstaying your fridge’s welcome rent-free for far too long.

The second week you’ll work on your bathroom. You’ll sanitize your tub, sink, and toilet. You’ll also organize your medicine cabinet, and toss anything you no longer need but is still eating your precious space.

The third week you’ll head to your bedroom. You’ll clean your linens and bed, declutter your closet and dresser, and let some light in by cleaning your windows. It’ll make your room much more inviting and relaxing, which might even improve your sleep.

The final week is devoted to cleaning your garage. You’ll organize your seasonal stuff, service your lawn equipment (which probably needs some love), and pressure wash your house and deck (if you have one, can we come over?).

By the end of this 4-week cleaning challenge, your floors will be so clean you’ll want to eat off them (we don’t recommend doing that). Your bedroom will be so organized you’ll want to stay in bed forever (we don’t recommend doing that). And your kitchen will look so healthy you’ll want to go Paleo (if you don’t want to eat like a cavewoman/caveman, we don’t recommend doing that).

What we do recommend doing is following these two simple steps before you take this cleaning challenge:

1. Arm yourself with your finest vacuum, mop, rags, and cleaning supplies.
2. Arm your face with your finest grime-busting expression.

You might even want to lure your friends over like Pokémon with a bottle of wine and pizza, and then smooth-talk them into helping you scrub your floors.

It’ll be like a party. Except instead of leisurely chatting and lounging around, you’ll be on your hands and knees scrubbing dirt off your floor and chatting.

Click here to download our 4-week cleaning challenge checklist. Then print it out and tape it to your fridge so you can easily track your progress.

We’ve also included the steps of our cleaning challenge below along with some links to help you conquer them. With or without your friends.

Cleaning Challenge Week 1: Kitchen

1. Organize and toss any expired food from the fridge and pantry.
2. Scrub and sanitize the fridge.
3. Scrub and sanitize the oven, stove, and microwave.
4. Scrub and sanitize the sink, and organize items underneath it.
5. Scrub and sanitize any remaining cooking appliances.
6. Scrub and sanitize the cabinets, walls, and garbage can.
7. Mop and wax the floors.

Cleaning Challenge Week 2: Bathroom

1. Scrub and sanitize the toilet, sink, and mirrors.
2. Scrub and sanitize the tub and shower.
3. Scrub and organize the medicine cabinet.
4. Wash your towels, shower curtain, and bath mat.
5. Organize and declutter the linen closet.
6. Toss old medicine and bath and beauty products.
7. Scrub and sanitize the walls and floor.

Cleaning Challenge Week 3: Bedroom

1. Clean curtains, blinds, windows, and mirrors.
2. Clean bedding, throw pillows, and seat cushions and covers.
3. Clean the TV and other electronics.
4. Clean your mattress and wash your pillows.
5. Declutter your lamp table, nightstand drawer, and any piles.
6. Declutter and organize your bedroom closet and dresser.
7. Wash the walls, clean under large furniture, and shampoo carpets.

Cleaning Challenge Week 4: Garage

1. Clean and service your vacuum, washer, and dryer.
2. Declutter your stored seasonal belongings.
3. Vacuum, mop, and sanitize the walls and floors.
4. Clean your outdoor patio furniture.
5. Clean the inside and outside of your vehicle and lawn equipment.
6. Clean and service your lawn equipment.
7. Pressure wash your house, patio, and deck.

Pro Tip: Schedule a Clutter pickup to effortlessly store anything you don’t need in your home right now, like your seasonal clothes, shoes, sports equipment, and furniture. We’ll pick up, store, and deliver your stuff back so you have more free time to do the things you love instead of visit a self-storage unit.

Top image via Sumables

This article was written by Hannah Van Arsdale, a freelance writer and dog person based in Portland, OR.