Cleaning Checklist Templates: Residential, Deep Clean, Move-Out

"You didn't do the baseboards." If you've heard that after a clean, the problem usually wasn't the work. It was that nobody wrote down, before the job, whether baseboards were part of it.

Below are four cleaning checklist templates you can copy into a doc, a notes app or a laminated card: a standard residential clean, a deep clean, a move-out clean and a short-term rental turnover. Each is organized by room, each has time estimates (clearly marked as our estimates), and after them you'll find a worked timing example and a section on using checklists with a crew.

How to use a cleaning checklist template

Each list builds on the one before it. The deep clean is the standard clean plus extra tasks, and the move-out clean is the deep clean adapted for an empty home. That way your crew learns one routine and adds to it.

A few rules that make any cleaning checklist template work better:

• Agree on the checklist before the job. Send the list (or its name, like "standard" or "deep") with your quote, so scope is settled before anyone picks up a cloth. Our post on writing a cleaning bid shows where it fits.
• Work top to bottom, dry to wet. Dust high surfaces first, then counters, then floors last.
• Clean first, then disinfect where needed. The EPA's six steps for safe and effective disinfectant use say to pre-clean visibly dirty surfaces and keep the surface wet for the full contact time on the product label. Spray-and-wipe skips that.
• Delete what doesn't apply. No dining room? Cut the line. A checklist with irrelevant tasks teaches people to skim.

Tip: The times below are our estimates for one cleaner in a reasonably tidy home. They aren't industry standards. Time your own crew on three or four jobs and replace them.

Standard residential cleaning checklist

This is the recurring weekly or every-other-week clean. Estimated times assume one cleaner and a 3 bed / 2 bath home of about 1,800 sq ft.

Kitchen

• Wipe countertops and backsplash
• Clean the outside of appliances (fridge, dishwasher, oven, microwave)
• Wipe the inside of the microwave
• Clean the stovetop and knobs
• Scrub and rinse the sink, polish the faucet
• Wipe cabinet fronts where there are spots and fingerprints
• Wipe table and chairs
• Empty trash and replace liner

Bathrooms

• Clean and disinfect the toilet, inside and out, including the base
• Scrub the tub and shower, including walls and fixtures
• Clean the sink and counter, polish fixtures
• Clean mirrors
• Wipe cabinet fronts and towel bars
• Empty trash and replace liner
• Straighten towels

Bedrooms

• Dust reachable surfaces, lamps and headboard
• Make beds (change linens only if the customer leaves fresh ones out)
• Tidy surfaces without moving personal papers
• Empty trash

Living and dining areas

• Dust surfaces, shelves (open areas) and electronics
• Wipe light switches and door handles
• Straighten cushions and throws
• Spot-clean glass tables and doors

Entry, halls and stairs

• Dust railings and wipe banisters
• Spot-clean marks on walls and doors where safe for the paint

Floors throughout

• Vacuum carpets and rugs
• Vacuum or sweep hard floors, then mop

Deep cleaning checklist

Use this cleaning checklist template for a first visit, a seasonal clean or a home that hasn't had regular cleaning. Do everything on the standard list, plus the tasks below. As a rough estimate, a deep clean takes about twice the standard time in the same home, more if it's been a long time.

Kitchen

• Degrease the range hood and filter
• Wipe inside cabinets and drawers (if emptied by the customer)
• Clean small appliances on the counter
• Scrub grout and caulk lines on the backsplash
• Oven and fridge interiors only if quoted as add-ons

Bathrooms

• Scrub grout and remove soap scum and hard water buildup
• Clean the exhaust fan cover
• Wipe inside drawers and the medicine cabinet (if emptied)
• Wash or wipe the shower door tracks

Bedrooms and living areas

• Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures
• Dust blinds and window sills
• Vacuum under and behind furniture you can safely move
• Vacuum upholstered furniture

Whole home

• Hand-wipe baseboards
• Wipe doors, door frames and switch plates
• Dust and wipe air vents and returns
• Remove cobwebs from corners and ceilings

Move-out cleaning checklist

A move-out clean happens in an empty home, so everything is reachable and the inside of every cabinet is in scope. A landlord or property manager may check the home against a lease or move-out list. Ask the customer whether there is one, and add any line you see there.

Do the deep cleaning list, plus:

• Inside every cabinet, drawer and closet shelf
• Inside the oven, including racks
• Inside the fridge and freezer, including drawers and shelves
• Inside the dishwasher and around the seal
• Inside windows, sills and tracks
• Light fixtures and bulbs (wipe, and note any burned-out bulbs for the customer)
• Closet rods and shelves
• Wall spot-cleaning, only where the paint allows it
• Garage sweep and patio sweep, if quoted
• Final walk-through with photos of each room

As an estimate, a move-out clean in a home that's already been emptied takes roughly 1.75 times the standard time, plus about 30 minutes each for the oven and fridge. A home with heavy buildup can take far longer, so quote it after seeing photos. Our house cleaning price calculator post shows how to turn these hours into a price.

Short-term rental turnover checklist

Turnovers are about speed and a guest-ready finish. Airbnb's own host guide to keeping a place clean suggests stripping the beds and starting laundry first, and mopping floors last. Its checklist covers clean linens, refilled soap and shampoo, an empty fridge and trash taken out.

Our turnover template, in the order a crew would work it:

1. Walk through and photograph any damage or missing items before cleaning
2. Strip beds and start the first load of laundry
3. Collect trash and recycling from every room
4. Clear the fridge of guest food, wipe shelves
5. Wash, dry and put away dishes, and run the dishwasher if needed
6. Clean and disinfect toilets, sinks, showers and tubs
7. Dust and wipe all surfaces, including remotes, door handles and switches
8. Make beds with fresh linens, set out fresh towels
9. Restock toilet paper, soap, shampoo, dish soap and coffee to the host's par levels
10. Reset furniture, pillows and throws to the listing photos
11. Vacuum and mop, ending at the door
12. Final photos of every room, then lock up

Turnover time depends on the unit size, laundry setup and how guests left it. Agree with the host on what you do when a unit takes much longer than usual, such as messaging them with photos before you add charges.

Worked example: timing a standard clean from the checklist

Here's how the estimates turn into a schedule. Take a hypothetical 1,800 sq ft, 3 bed / 2 bath home on the standard checklist:

• Kitchen: 45 min
• Two bathrooms: 2 × 30 = 60 min
• Three bedrooms: 3 × 15 = 45 min
• Living and dining: 30 min
• Entry, halls and stairs: 15 min
• Floors: 25 min
• Total: 220 minutes, about 3 hours 40 minutes for one cleaner

With two cleaners splitting the list, that's about 1 hour 50 minutes on site, plus a few minutes to coordinate. One way to split: Cleaner A takes the kitchen, living areas and entry (90 minutes). Cleaner B takes both bathrooms and the bedrooms (105 minutes). Whoever finishes first starts the floors.

For a first-time deep clean of the same home, add the extra times from the deep cleaning table: 45 + 60 + 45 + 25 + 45 = 220 more minutes. That's about 7 hours 20 minutes for one cleaner, or about 3 hours 40 minutes for a pair, which matches the "about twice as long" rule of thumb. Block that time on your calendar so the next job isn't late; our guide to a cleaning scheduling system covers how to build buffers in.

Using checklists with a crew

A cleaning checklist template does the most good when it's the shared standard for everyone, not a document only the owner reads.

Make it the training tool. New cleaners shadow a full checklist on their first jobs, then work it alone while someone checks. If you're hiring your first person, our guide on how to start a cleaning business covers the setup steps around that.

Split by zone, not by mood. Assign rooms to each person at the start of every job so nothing is cleaned twice or skipped.

Use a sign-off. The lead walks the home with the checklist at the end and ticks each room. A photo of each room at the end helps if a customer later says something was missed or damaged. Our post on cleaning business insurance explains what coverage small cleaning companies usually look at.

Add a chemical safety line. OSHA's infosheet on protecting workers who use cleaning chemicals says employers must keep safety data sheets for hazardous cleaning products where workers can get to them, train workers before they use hazardous cleaners, and warn them never to mix bleach and ammonia products. Put "check product labels, never mix chemicals" at the top of every checklist.

Tip: Keep a short "customer notes" box at the bottom of each checklist: the dog that can't go outside, the alarm code location, the vase nobody touches. That box often saves more trouble than the rest of the list.

Do this today

1. Copy the standard cleaning checklist template above into whatever your crew reads on the job.
2. Delete the lines you never do and add the ones you always do.
3. Time your next three standard cleans by room and replace our estimates with your own.
4. Name your checklists (standard, deep, move-out, turnover) and use the same names on every quote and invoice. Our cleaning invoice template includes a scope line for this. If you quote in DusterBook, put the checklist name in the quote you send so the customer agrees to it before booking.
5. Put the safety data sheets for your products in a folder every cleaner can reach on the job.

FAQ

What should be on a house cleaning checklist?

A house cleaning checklist should list tasks by room: kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, entry and floors. For each room, include surfaces, fixtures, appliances and trash. Keep separate lists for standard, deep and move-out cleans so customers know exactly what each service includes.

What's the difference between a standard clean and a deep clean?

A standard clean maintains a home that's cleaned regularly: surfaces, bathrooms, kitchen and floors. A deep clean adds detail work like baseboards, vents, grout, ceiling fans and behind furniture. By our estimate it takes about twice as long in the same home.

How long does a move-out clean take?

It depends on the home's size and condition. As an estimate, an empty home takes around 1.75 times as long as a standard clean, plus extra time for the oven and fridge. Homes with heavy buildup can take much longer, so look at photos before you quote.

Should cleaners disinfect every surface?

Not necessarily. Cleaning comes first, and disinfecting is a separate step with its own label directions. Agree with each customer which surfaces you disinfect, such as toilets and high-touch spots. When you do disinfect, follow the product label, pre-clean dirty surfaces and keep the surface wet for the listed contact time, as the EPA advises.

Can I give my checklist to customers?

Yes, and it's a good idea. Sharing the checklist with your quote settles scope before the first visit and makes it easy to sell add-ons. Keep internal notes, like alarm codes, on a separate crew copy.