Where to Start Cleaning the House: Which Area to Clean First

Start cleaning the house by decluttering and pre-treating the oven and bathroom, then clean room by room from the top down and from dry tasks to wet ones, finishing with the floors. As for which area of the house to clean first, most professionals start with the rooms furthest from the exit (usually bedrooms and upstairs), do the bathrooms and kitchen once the products have had time to work, and finish with the hallway and floors on the way out.

Why does the order of cleaning matter?

Dust and debris fall. If you mop the kitchen floor and then dust the top of the cupboards, you’ll be mopping again. Cleaning in the right order means each job only has to be done once. It also lets tough products do the hard work: a limescale remover or oven cleaner left for the time on the label needs far less scrubbing than one wiped off straight away.

Where do you start when cleaning a house?

Before you touch a cloth, spend 15 minutes on these four steps. They make everything after them quicker.

1. Declutter. Put things away, bag up rubbish and recycling, and strip beds. On a move-out clean, the property should be empty before cleaning starts.
2. Gather your kit. Microfibre cloths (separate colours for kitchen, bathroom and toilet), a vacuum with attachments, a mop and bucket, a scourer, rubber gloves, and the right products for each surface. A caddy you carry from room to room saves a lot of trips.
3. Open windows. Ventilation helps surfaces dry and clears fumes from cleaning products.
4. Pre-treat the hardest jobs. Apply oven cleaner, limescale remover to the shower screen and taps, and toilet cleaner, following the label. Then leave them to work.

Never mix cleaning products, especially bleach with acidic limescale removers or ammonia-based products, as this can give off harmful gases. For mould, the UK government’s damp and mould health guidance recommends mould and mildew products in preference to bleach, and protective gloves, a mask and goggles.

Which part of the house should be cleaned first?

This order works for most homes:

Order	Area	Why here
1	Declutter the whole home	Clear surfaces make every later step faster
2	Pre-treat oven, bathroom and toilet	Products work while you clean elsewhere
3	Bedrooms and upstairs rooms	Furthest from the exit; mostly dry dusting
4	Living and dining rooms	Dusting, glass, upholstery and skirting
5	Bathrooms	Pre-treated limescale is ready to rinse off
6	Kitchen	Usually the longest job; the oven has soaked
7	Stairs and hallway	Collects dust from every other room
8	Floors, working back to the front door	Last, so nothing falls on a clean floor

What room should I clean first if I’m short on time?

If you only have time for one room, do the kitchen, then the bathroom. They matter most for hygiene, they’re where grease and limescale build up fastest, and on a move-out they’re where inspectors look hardest. If guests are coming, add a quick tidy of the hallway and living room, because that’s what people see first. If you feel overwhelmed, pick the room that bothers you most: finishing one space completely is more motivating than half-cleaning five.

How should you clean each room, step by step?

1. Ceilings, corners and light fittings

Remove cobwebs from ceilings and corners with a long-handled duster or vacuum extension. Dust lampshades and light fittings (switched off and cool) and the tops of door frames.

2. High surfaces and shelves

Dust the tops of wardrobes, shelves, picture frames and curtain poles. Vacuum dusty curtains with the upholstery brush on low suction.

3. Windows and glass

Clean interior glass, frames and sills. Wipe condensation channels and check the seals for mould spots. Do this before the lower surfaces, as drips will run down.

4. Furniture and surfaces

Dust first, then wipe with a damp cloth. Clean light switches, door handles and sockets (with a barely damp cloth). Move furniture where you can to clean behind and under it.

5. Skirting boards and radiators

These gather the dust that falls from everything above, so do them after the surfaces and before the floor.

6. Floors

Vacuum first, including edges and under furniture, then mop hard floors. Start at the far corner and work backwards towards the door.

What order should you clean a bathroom in?

1. Pre-treat limescale on the shower screen, taps and shower head, and put toilet cleaner in the bowl.
2. Dust the extractor fan cover and light fittings.
3. Clean the mirror and any glass shelves.
4. Clean the sink and taps, then the bath and shower, rinsing off the limescale product.
5. Scrub grout and wipe tiles.
6. Clean the toilet last, from the cistern and handle down to the base, with its own cloth.
7. Wipe the skirting, then clean the floor.

How do you clean a kitchen step by step?

The kitchen takes longest, so follow the same top-to-bottom, dry-to-wet rule and let products soak while you work.

1. Clear the decks. Wash up or load the dishwasher, empty the bin, and move small appliances and clutter off the worktops.
2. Start the oven. Apply oven cleaner or bicarbonate paste and soak the racks. Our guide to cleaning a filthy oven has the full method.
3. Empty the fridge. Bin out-of-date food, wash the shelves and drawers in warm soapy water, and wipe inside with a mild bicarbonate of soda solution. Defrost the freezer beforehand if needed.
4. Degrease high up. Clean the extractor hood and soak its metal filters, then the tops of wall cupboards and the tiles or splashback above the hob.
5. Cupboards. Wipe inside then outside, top ones first, paying attention to handles and the edges of doors where grease collects.
6. Small appliances. Steam-clean the microwave with a bowl of water and lemon, descale the kettle and empty the toaster crumb tray.
7. Worktops. Wipe down with a suitable cleaner for the surface (be gentle on wood and stone), then finish and rinse the oven and hob.
8. Sink and taps. Descale, clean the plughole and polish dry.
9. Low down and floor. Wipe cupboard plinths and skirting, vacuum or sweep, then mop, working back towards the door.

For a weekly kitchen clean, steps 1, 7, 8 and 9 are usually enough.

How do you keep the house clean afterwards?

• Ten minutes a day. Wipe the hob and worktops after cooking, squeegee the shower screen after use, and put things back where they live.
• One zone a day. Rather than a weekly marathon, pick one room each day for a quick top-to-bottom tidy and wipe.
• Keep products where you use them. A spray and cloth under the bathroom sink gets used far more often than one in a cupboard downstairs.
• Ventilate every day. Opening windows after showers and cooking cuts condensation, which keeps mould off sealant and window frames.
• Book a deep clean once or twice a year for the jobs that build up slowly, such as limescale, skirting boards and the oven.

Is the order different for an end of tenancy clean?

The principle is the same, but the standard is higher. You’re matching the condition recorded in the check-in inventory, and the property should be empty. Inspectors look inside cupboards and appliances, at limescale, and at skirting boards and door frames. Our end of tenancy cleaning checklist sets out every item, and our guide to cleaning a very dirty house step by step helps if the property needs more than a normal clean.

Frequently asked questions