Cleaning an apartment is not hard. Cleaning it well, without spending your weekend on it, mostly comes down to order: clean in the wrong order and you mop a floor, then knock dust onto it from a shelf.
This guide is a complete apartment cleaning checklist for renters: the supplies you need, the order that saves time, a room-by-room deep clean, and a daily, weekly and monthly rhythm so you never have to do a marathon clean again. For more practical rental advice, browse our Apartment Guides.
TL;DR: How to Clean an Apartment
- Declutter first. Pick up, put things away, and take out the rubbish before you touch a cloth.
- Work top to bottom, room to room. Dust high surfaces first, clean the middle, and do floors last.
- Keep one cleaning kit together so you are not hunting for supplies in every room.
- Kitchen and bathroom first — they take the longest and need the most product dwell time.
- Vacuum, then mop. Mopping a dusty floor just moves the dirt around.
- Finish with a walkthrough and a quick wipe of high-touch surfaces: handles, switches and remotes.
The Cleaning Supplies You Actually Need
You do not need a cupboard full of specialist products. One small kit covers almost everything.
- Microfiber cloths — at least four: one for dusting, one for kitchen, one for bathroom, one for glass.
- All-purpose cleaner — for counters, sinks, tables and most hard surfaces.
- Glass cleaner — or a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar for mirrors and windows.
- Bathroom cleaner — a disinfecting spray for the toilet, tub and sink.
- Degreaser — for the hob, oven and range hood, where all-purpose cleaner is not strong enough.
- Scrub brushes — a stiff brush for grout and a soft one for the tub and sink.
- Rubber gloves, a vacuum cleaner, a mop and bucket, bin bags and a caddy to carry it all room to room.
Keep the kit in one place — under the kitchen sink is ideal — so cleaning starts with grabbing the caddy. If you are setting up a first home, our first apartment checklist covers which of these to buy first and what can wait.
The Order That Saves Time
The single biggest time-saver in apartment cleaning is sequence. Follow this order and you will stop re-cleaning the same surfaces.
- Declutter and pick up. Walk through with a laundry basket and collect everything out of place: dishes in the sink, clothes in the hamper, rubbish in the bin. Do not organise properly yet — just clear the surfaces you need to clean. If clutter is the real problem, our guide on how to organize a small apartment covers systems that keep surfaces clear.
- Spray and let it sit. Spray the toilet, tub, shower and kitchen sink and leave them while you work elsewhere. Most cleaners need 5–10 minutes of dwell time, and that waiting time is free.
- Dust top to bottom. Start with ceiling fans and light fixtures, then shelves and wardrobe tops, working down to tables and skirting boards. Dust falls downward, so this means you only clean each surface once.
- Clean room by room, kitchen and bathroom first. Work through the rooms below, finishing each one before moving on.
- Vacuum, then mop, floors last. Vacuum every floor, including under furniture and along edges, then mop hard floors. Floors go last because everything you have knocked loose lands on them.
Kitchen Deep Clean
The kitchen usually takes the longest, so start here while your energy is highest.
Counters and sink. Clear everything off the counters, wipe them down, and clean the sink, paying attention to the tap and drain area. Wipe cupboard and drawer fronts, especially around the handles, where grease builds up.
Hob and oven. Spray the hob with degreaser and leave it while you clean elsewhere. Wipe it down, then tackle the oven: remove the racks, spray inside, and scrub once the product has had time to work. Clean the range hood filter if you can remove it — soak it in hot soapy water, scrub and rinse. A greasy range hood is a common cause of lingering cooking smells; if odours persist after a deep clean, see how to get rid of smell in an apartment.
Fridge. Take everything out, throw away anything out of date, and wipe the shelves, drawers and door seals with warm soapy water. Put things back grouped by type.
Appliances. Wipe the microwave inside and out, clean the kettle and toaster crumbs, and empty and wipe the bin. Run the dishwasher empty on a hot cycle with vinegar if it smells, then take out the rubbish and recycling.
Bathroom Deep Clean
The bathroom is small, so it should be quick — but it is also where grime builds up fastest, especially around grout and behind the toilet.
Toilet. Spray the bowl with bathroom cleaner and leave it. Wipe the outside — the tank, seat, base and the floor behind the toilet, the spot most people miss. Then scrub the bowl, including under the rim, and flush.
Tub and shower. Scrub the tub or shower tray, the taps and the showerhead, and scrub grout with a stiff brush and bathroom cleaner. If grout stays dark or smells musty after cleaning, check for damp — our guide on how to get rid of mold in an apartment explains when a small patch is safe to clean yourself and when to tell your landlord.
Sink, mirror and fixtures. Clean the sink and taps, wipe the mirror with glass cleaner, and polish the fixtures. Replace the hand towel, hang a fresh bath mat, and wipe the light switch and door handle. Sweep or vacuum the floor, then mop, and leave the door open so the room dries out — a bathroom that dries between uses stays cleaner far longer.
Living Room and Bedrooms
These rooms are mostly about dust, surfaces and soft furnishings — the things that make a room look clean even when you have not scrubbed anything.
Dust high to low. Ceiling fans first — a pillowcase over each blade catches the dust instead of spreading it. Then light fixtures, shelves, picture frames, the TV and electronics. Wipe window sills and tracks, which collect dust and dead insects, and clean the inside of the windows if they are streaked.
Under and behind furniture. Pull the sofa and bed out a few inches and vacuum underneath, where dust and pet hair accumulate. Vacuum the mattress too, and air it by leaving the bedding off for an hour if you can.
Soft furnishings. Fluff cushions, fold throws, and vacuum the sofa with the upholstery attachment, including under the cushions. Wash cushion covers and curtains when they need it — they hold smells and dust far longer than hard surfaces. A clean, aired living room also looks bigger; see how to make a small apartment look bigger.
Floors and Upholstery
Floors go last, always. Everything you have dusted, scrubbed and knocked loose is now on the floor.
Vacuum first. Vacuum every room, including under beds and sofas and along edges, using the crevice tool in corners. On carpet, vacuum slowly — two slow passes pick up far more than one fast one.
Mop hard floors. Mop with clean water and a little floor cleaner, wringing the mop out well so the floor is damp, not wet. Work from the far corner toward the door and let it dry before you walk on it.
Upholstery and rugs. Vacuum rugs on both sides if you can lift them, and spot-clean stains promptly. For a full deep clean, a carpet cleaner rental is cheaper than replacing a rug or sofa, and once a year is usually enough.
High-Touch Surfaces Most People Miss
Germs concentrate on the things hands touch most, and these are the surfaces a quick clean usually skips:
- Door handles and light switches in every room
- Fridge, oven and cupboard handles
- TV remote, game controllers and keyboards
- Taps, toilet flush and shower controls
- Bannisters, stair rails and the front door handle
A quick wipe with all-purpose cleaner takes two minutes for the whole apartment.
Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Seasonal Rhythm
A deep clean is a project. Staying clean is a rhythm — the schedule below keeps an apartment clean without a weekly marathon.
| When | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Make the bed, wash dishes, wipe kitchen counters, take out rubbish if full, 10-minute reset | 10–15 min |
| Weekly | Vacuum and mop floors, clean bathroom, change bedding and towels, dust surfaces, wipe kitchen appliances | 1–2 hrs |
| Monthly | Deep clean oven and fridge, wash windows inside, clean light fixtures and ceiling fans, vacuum under furniture | 2–3 hrs |
| Seasonally | Deep clean carpets and upholstery, clean behind large appliances, declutter one area, clean window tracks and balcony | Half a day |
If you live with other people, split the weekly clean by room or task, rotate the jobs nobody likes, and agree what “clean” means. Our guide on how to live with roommates covers chore rotas that stop cleaning becoming the main argument in a shared apartment.
How Long Does It Take to Clean an Apartment?
As a rough guide for a proper clean — not just a tidy — expect about 2–3 hours for a studio, 3–4 hours for a one-bedroom, and 4–6 hours for a two-bedroom. A weekly maintenance clean, once the deep clean is done, is usually 1–2 hours.
To clean an apartment fast: declutter first, carry your kit with you, and set a timer per room — a kitchen needs to be clean enough, not spotless.
Clean first and unpack second — cleaning an empty apartment takes half the time. See how to move into an apartment for the order: clean, then unpack, bedroom first.
Final Walkthrough
Before you call it done, walk through with fresh eyes after a short break. Check in daylight: streaks, dust and crumbs show up far more clearly. Look behind the toilet and under the sink, and smell the kitchen and bathroom — if they still smell, it is usually the bin, the drain or the range hood filter. Put your kit away, wash the cloths, and empty the vacuum.
FAQ: How to Clean an Apartment
How often should I deep clean my apartment?
A full deep clean every 2–3 months is enough for most apartments, with a weekly clean in between. Kitchens and bathrooms need more attention — a weekly clean there, and a deep clean of the oven and fridge monthly. If you have pets or allergies, deep clean more often, especially carpets and upholstery.
What is the fastest way to clean an apartment?
Declutter first, then work top to bottom and room to room with all your supplies in one caddy. Spray cleaners and let them sit, vacuum before you mop, and set a timer per room. Most apartments take 2–4 hours — a studio about 2–3 hours.
What cleaning supplies do I need for an apartment?
Microfiber cloths, all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, degreaser, scrub brushes, rubber gloves, a vacuum, a mop and bin bags. Buy the basics first and add specialist products only when you have a specific job for them.
Should I clean top to bottom or room by room?
Both: clean room by room, but within each room work top to bottom — ceiling fan and shelves first, surfaces in the middle, floors last. Dust falls downward, so you only clean each surface once.
How do I keep my apartment clean between deep cleans?
Do a 10-minute daily reset — make the bed, wash the dishes, wipe the counters and put things back — plus a weekly clean of floors, bathroom and bedding. The daily reset stops a small mess becoming a weekend project.
Final Thoughts
How to clean an apartment well is less about products and more about order: declutter, spray and wait, dust top to bottom, clean the kitchen and bathroom first, and finish with floors. Keep the kit together and the rhythm going, and the deep clean becomes a quick top-up every few months. Start with one room — the kitchen is usually best — and work through it in order.
