Weekly cleaning keeps surfaces honest, but the bigger jobs have no week to live in — so the oven slides for six months, the washing machine cleans everything except itself, and inside windows wait for a move-out. This schedule gives every monthly job a week of the month to call home. Week 1 takes the kitchen and bathroom deep jobs, Week 2 the bedrooms and living areas, Week 3 the appliances and glass, and Week 4 the floors, laundry corner and the reset.
Each week is about one extra hour on top of your weekly clean, and the list ticks and saves like the other IlmHunt checklists. Cleaning only — for prevention and repair jobs like filters, alarms and seals, the sister maintenance calendar, linked below, runs the year.
The short version: 72 tasks, about 8.7 hours in total if you do it in one go — and every task can be ticked off in the checklist above as you finish it. The full list is written out below, so the page still works printed or saved.
Week 1: Kitchen and Bathroom Deep Jobs
- Week 1: Deep-clean the oven inside, racks and door glass
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Oven cleaner (monthly rotation) - Week 1: Degrease the hob, splashback and extractor hood; soak the hood filters
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser - Week 1: Empty the fridge, wash the shelves, and audit every date inside
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 1: Scrub the kitchen sink and descale the taps
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Limescale remover or citric acid - Week 1: Wash the cabinet fronts and handles where grease film builds
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Degreaser - Week 1: Clean the microwave ceiling and turntable properly
~5 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 1: Wash the kitchen bins inside and out
~6 min · Easy - Week 1: Scrub the bathroom grout lines section by section
~12 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner - Week 1: Descale the shower head and the bathroom taps
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Limescale remover or citric acid - Week 1: Treat any mould spots on the silicone before they spread
~8 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner - Week 1: Wash or replace the shower curtain or liner
~8 min · Easy - Week 1: Clean the bathroom exhaust fan cover
~6 min · Easy - Week 1: Deep-clean the toilet: base, seat fixings, brush and holder
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Bathroom cleaner - Week 1: Wash the bathroom bin and the laundry basket
~5 min · Easy - Week 1: Wipe the bathroom cabinet fronts and the mirror edges
~4 min · Easy · Needs: Glass cleaner - Week 1: Check silicone and seals while you clean; note any damage for the maintenance calendar
~3 min · Easy - Week 1: Mop the kitchen and bathroom floors, including the edges
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Mop and bucket - Week 1: Replace sponges, cloths and the toilet brush if they are past their best
~3 min · Easy
Week 2: Bedrooms and Living Areas Deep Jobs
- Week 2: Vacuum the mattresses and pillows with the upholstery tool
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 2: Vacuum under the beds and behind the bedroom furniture
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 2: Wash the mattress protectors
~6 min · Easy - Week 2: Dust the tops of wardrobes, tall shelves and door frames
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 2: Clean the ceiling fans and lampshades
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 2: Deep-vacuum sofas and armchairs, under the cushions included
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 2: Spot-clean upholstery and cushion stains
~8 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 2: Vacuum behind the sofa and the TV unit
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 2: Wash throws and cushion covers on rotation
~8 min · Easy - Week 2: Dust the bookshelves properly: items off one shelf at a time
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 2: Wipe the skirting boards in the bedrooms and living room
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 2: Clean the bedroom mirrors and picture glass
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Glass cleaner - Week 2: Vacuum rugs deeply and shake the small rugs outside
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 2: Wipe light switches, door handles and banisters
~5 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 2: Air the bedrooms and living rooms fully, windows wide
~3 min · Easy - Week 2: Sort one drawer, shelf or cupboard in these rooms — the rotating wild card
~10 min · Easy - Week 2: Clean houseplant leaves and check the pots for pests
~5 min · Easy - Week 2: Wash pet bedding and vacuum pet sleeping spots, if you have them
~6 min · Easy
Week 3: Appliances, Glass and the Machines Themselves
- Week 3: Run the washing machine empty on a hot cycle with cleaner or vinegar
~5 min · Easy - Week 3: Wipe the washer's gasket, detergent drawer and door seal clean of mould and residue
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 3: Run the dishwasher empty on its hottest cycle; clean its filter and spray arms
~8 min · Easy - Week 3: Empty the vacuum; wash or replace its filters and cut the hair from the brush roll
~10 min · Easy - Week 3: Descale the kettle and the coffee maker
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Limescale remover or citric acid - Week 3: Clean the air fryer's basket, drawer and the area around the element
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Degreaser - Week 3: Empty the toaster crumb tray and shake out the crumbs
~3 min · Easy - Week 3: Clean the inside windows throughout the home
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Glass cleaner - Week 3: Clean the window tracks and sills
~8 min · Easy - Week 3: Wash or vacuum one set of curtains or blinds
~10 min · Easy - Week 3: Vacuum the fridge coil area and the top of the fridge
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 3: Wipe the tops of the kitchen cabinets, where the grease lands
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Degreaser - Week 3: Clean the iron's soleplate and empty its water tank
~4 min · Easy - Week 3: Wipe down the laundry machines' tops and the laundry sink, if you have one
~4 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 3: Clean the extractor fan covers in the kitchen and bathroom
~6 min · Easy - Week 3: Polish taps, shower fittings and handles dry, across the home
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 3: Clean the mirrors throughout the home, edges included
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Glass cleaner - Week 3: Check every machine for odd noises or smells and note them for repair
~3 min · Easy
Week 4: Laundry, Entry, Floors and the Monthly Finish
- Week 4: Reset the laundry area: surfaces wiped, products sorted, lint traps cleared
~8 min · Easy - Week 4: Wash the laundry baskets, and the ironing board cover if it is grim
~6 min · Easy - Week 4: Deep-clean the entryway: mats out, shoe area emptied and wiped
~10 min · Easy - Week 4: Wash both doormats and let them dry fully
~6 min · Easy - Week 4: Edge-vacuum every room, right where the floor meets the skirting
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 4: Mop all the hard floors, moving light furniture to reach underneath
~12 min · Easy · Needs: Mop and bucket - Week 4: Spot-treat carpet and rug stains
~8 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 4: Clean the floor under the kitchen bins and the recycling
~4 min · Easy - Week 4: Wash or replace the mop heads and the cleaning cloths
~5 min · Easy - Week 4: Audit the cleaning supplies: note what is running out on the shopping list
~4 min · Easy - Week 4: Restock bin liners, sponges and cloths so next month starts ready
~4 min · Easy · Needs: Trash bags - Week 4: Do the month's one postponed job — the task you ticked around all month
~15 min · Medium - Week 4: Wipe the front door inside and out and polish the handle
~4 min · Easy - Week 4: Vacuum the stairs fully if you have them, edges and all
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with attachments - Week 4: Clean one truly forgotten spot: behind a door, a high ledge, a cupboard top
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 4: Reset the checklist and glance at next month's Week 1, so it holds no surprises
~2 min · Easy - Week 4: Take a photo of the two rooms you cleaned most: your before-and-after record
~2 min · Easy - Week 4: Put every cleaning tool back in its home — the month ends at zero
~3 min · Easy
Pro Tips
- The schedule beats motivation. A job with a week attached to it happens; a job waiting for 'a free Saturday' waits forever.
- Clean the machines that clean: washer, dishwasher and vacuum sit in Week 3 because dirty machines quietly undo the work of your other weeks.
- Keep each week near an hour by pairing one big job with small ones. If a week grows teeth, move its hardest task to Week 4's wild-card slot — not to next month.
- This page is cleaning only. Filters, alarms, seal repairs and bleeding radiators live on the maintenance calendar; the two pages are sisters, not rivals.
- Missed a week? Slide it one week on and let Week 4 absorb the smallest items. Never stack two full weeks into one day — that is how schedules die.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between this and the weekly cleaning checklist?
The weekly checklist covers the surfaces that get dirty in seven days — counters, toilet, mirrors, floors, linen. This schedule covers the deeper jobs that need doing monthly — oven, grout, machines, inside glass — and places each one in a specific week of the month.
How is this different from the monthly home maintenance calendar?
That calendar is upkeep and prevention: filters, alarms, seals, gutters, heating checks. This schedule is cleaning only: the deep-cleaning jobs. They are sister pages, designed to run side by side without overlapping.
How long does each week take?
About one extra hour per week, on top of your normal weekly clean. Week 1 runs longest (it is oven week); Week 4 is mostly finishing jobs. Split any week across two evenings whenever you need to.
What if my month has five weeks?
Use Week 5 as a bonus round: repeat the wild-card sort, deep-clean one cupboard, or take the week off entirely. The schedule is built on four weeks; a fifth is a gift, not a debt.
More Checklists and Guides
- All Home Checklists, Calendars & Idea Lists — every list in one place
- Fall Deep Cleaning Calendar — The autumn deep clean in four weekly plans: kitchen, wardrobe swap, heating prep, guest-ready finish.
- Bathroom Cleaning Checklist — Daily habits, the weekly clean and the monthly chemistry jobs — grout, descaling, fans and seals — in one list.
- Sister page: the home MAINTENANCE calendar — prevention and repair jobs. This page is cleaning; that one is upkeep
- The weekly loop this schedule sits on top of — surfaces every week, deep jobs by the week of the month
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