Whether you’re preparing for guests, doing a seasonal refresh, or just tackling months of built-up grime, a proper deep clean makes your home feel brand new. Here’s a practical, room-by-room checklist tailored for Sydney homes.
Before You Start
Gather your supplies first. You’ll need: microfibre cloths, a quality all-purpose cleaner, white vinegar, baking soda, a scrubbing brush, rubber gloves, a vacuum with attachments, a mop, and a bucket. For Sydney’s hard water areas (particularly common in the Western Suburbs), a limescale remover is essential for bathrooms and kitchens.
Work from top to bottom in every room — dust and dirt falls downward, so clean ceilings and light fittings before floors.
Kitchen Deep Clean
Oven: Remove racks and soak them in hot soapy water. Apply oven cleaner to the interior and leave for the recommended time. For a natural alternative, paste baking soda and water inside overnight, then spray with vinegar and wipe clean.
Rangehood: Remove and degrease filters in hot water with dishwashing liquid. Wipe the exterior and interior of the hood.
Fridge: Remove all items, discard expired food, and remove shelves. Wash shelves in warm soapy water. Wipe interior with a baking soda solution (2 tablespoons per litre of warm water) to neutralise odours.
Benchtops & splashback: Clean with an appropriate product for your surface type. Stone benchtops (common in newer Sydney apartments) need pH-neutral cleaners — avoid vinegar on marble or granite.
Cupboards: Wipe inside and outside of all cabinets. Pay special attention to handles where grease builds up.
Bathroom Deep Clean
Shower: Spray glass screens with a vinegar-water mix and leave for 15 minutes before wiping. For soap scum buildup, use a paste of baking soda applied with a non-scratch scourer. Clean grout lines with a stiff brush and grout cleaner.
Toilet: Apply cleaner inside the bowl and under the rim. Clean the exterior, including the base and behind the cistern — areas often missed in regular cleans.
Tiles & grout: Sydney’s humid climate (particularly in coastal suburbs) makes bathrooms prone to mould. Spray mould-prone areas with a bleach solution or dedicated mould remover, leave for 10 minutes, then scrub and rinse.
Exhaust fan: Remove the cover and wash it. Vacuum dust from the fan blades — a dusty exhaust fan is far less effective at preventing moisture and mould buildup.
Bedrooms
Mattress: Strip all bedding and sprinkle baking soda over the mattress. Leave for 30 minutes to absorb odours, then vacuum thoroughly. Flip or rotate the mattress if applicable.
Wardrobes: Empty completely, wipe shelves and hanging rails, and vacuum the floor. This is a good time to declutter clothes you haven’t worn in 12 months.
Under furniture: Move beds and bedside tables to vacuum underneath. Sydney’s dry winters blow dust under furniture more than you’d expect.
Living Areas
Upholstery: Vacuum sofas with the upholstery attachment, getting into crevices. For fabric sofas, sprinkle with baking soda, leave 15 minutes, then vacuum. Leather sofas need a dedicated leather cleaner and conditioner.
Curtains & blinds: Vacuum curtains with the brush attachment. For blinds, wipe each slat with a damp microfibre cloth — an old sock over your hand works brilliantly for Venetian blinds.
Skirting boards: Wipe all skirting boards with a damp cloth. These collect dust quickly and are often overlooked.
Floors
Carpets: Vacuum thoroughly, then consider a steam clean for high-traffic areas. Professional carpet cleaning is recommended at least once a year.
Hard floors: Vacuum or sweep first, then mop with the appropriate cleaner for your floor type. Timber floors (common in Sydney’s older Inner West and Eastern Suburbs homes) need a wood-specific cleaner — never saturate timber with water.
When to Call in the Professionals
A full deep clean of a 3-bedroom house typically takes one person 8–12 hours. If that’s more time than you have, professional deep cleaners can complete the same job in 4–5 hours with a team. Rates in Sydney typically range from $45–$65 per hour per cleaner.