How to Make a Cleaning Checklist That You’ll Actually Use All Year Long
Apartment Therapy’s January Cure is a free 20-day program that’ll help you refresh your home for the year ahead. Sign up here and get all assignments delivered to your inbox.
I love a to-do list. It helps me stay on track with my tasks, and I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I get to check off something I’ve done. The best to-do lists are ones that are realistic and spelled out, so that even the smallest wins are recognized. After all, it’s the small things that lead to a big project getting finished.
You can have a to-do list for virtually anything — errands for the day, work-related assignments, and home projects — and nothing makes as much of an impact as having a checklist dedicated to cleaning tasks. A cleaning checklist can be so instrumental to getting all sorts of things done — from something as simple as clearing the counter regularly to sweeping and washing the deck/patio in the springtime. Below, we’ll help you put together a cleaning to-do list you can use all year long.
Day 2: Make a cleaning to-do list.
Today, you’ll be crafting your cleaning to-do list for the year to the best of your ability. You can use pen and paper or go digital for this, but make sure that whenever you are putting this together, you’re able to return to it when you need it.
When it comes to cleaning your home, there will be tasks that you’ll have to do daily, weekly, monthly, and even seasonally. These can be separated or grouped together to your liking. This is your call! (For your daily and weekly, consider having it posted up somewhere visible, as you’ll be referring to it more frequently.)
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Cleaning Tasks
Put together things you clean regularly as well as ones that need to be cleaned just once a week or month. For instance, you might wash the dishes every night, clean your sheets every week, but only clean your blinds monthly. Here are some guides to help you put together your very own to-do list.
Seasonal Cleaning Tasks
There are certain things that need to be taken care of as the seasons change. Consult the following checklists and add anything that makes sense for your home!
PRO TIP: Keep adding to your lists as you remember tasks that need to be taken care of — or that you’ve already done! It’s OK to put something you’ve taken care of previously because it shows how much you’ve gotten done so far.
What made it onto your cleaning to-do list? Tell us in the community forum.
More ways to participate in the January Cure:
Sign up for email updates.
Visit the 2025 January Cure page and catch up on assignments.
Download the January Cure calendar.
Join the conversation by checking out the Cure board in our community forum.
Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall January Cure progress here!
The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.
Further Reading
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Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
