A home cleaning checklist, and how to brief a cleaner with it

Why a checklist helps

A checklist turns "please clean the house" into a list of tasks that you and a cleaner can agree on. It makes sure nothing important is skipped, helps a new cleaner get up to speed quickly, and makes it easier to compare what different companies offer.

This article gives a room-by-room checklist you can adapt, suggests which tasks suit a regular visit and which suit an occasional deep clean, and explains how to use the list when you book. For a wider view of the trade, the home cleaning guide covers how to compare cleaning companies.

Living and dining areas

These are the rooms everyone sees, so they tend to get the most attention.

• Dust surfaces, shelves, the TV console and picture frames.
• Wipe switches, door handles and remote controls.
• Vacuum and mop the floors, including under the sofa and dining chairs where reachable.
• Wipe the dining table and chairs.
• Empty bins and replace the liners.
• Wipe window sills and the reachable inside of window grilles.

Kitchen

Kitchens collect grease and food residue quickly in a humid climate, so they benefit from attention at every visit.

• Wipe countertops, the backsplash and cabinet fronts.
• Clean the hob and the outside of the hood.
• Wipe the outside of the fridge, microwave and other appliances.
• Clean the sink and the tap, and clear the sink strainer.
• Sweep and mop the floor, paying attention to corners.
• Take out the rubbish and recycling.

Deeper kitchen tasks, such as degreasing the hood filters, cleaning inside the oven or wiping inside cabinets, usually suit an occasional deep clean rather than every visit.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms need regular cleaning to keep mould and soap scum under control.

• Scrub the toilet bowl, seat and the base around it.
• Clean the basin, tap and mirror.
• Scrub the shower area, including tiles, the screen or curtain and the floor trap cover.
• Wipe shelves and fittings.
• Mop the floor and leave the room to dry with the window open or the fan on.

Bedrooms

• Change the bedsheets and pillowcases if you want this done.
• Dust bedside tables, wardrobes and shelves.
• Vacuum and mop the floor, including under the bed where reachable.
• Tidy surfaces without moving personal items you would rather not have touched.

Laundry, balcony and service yard

These areas are easy to forget, and they are worth adding to the list if you want them covered.

• Wipe the top and front of the washing machine and clean the detergent drawer.
• Sweep and mop the service yard or balcony floor.
• Wipe the laundry rack or pole holders that you can reach safely from inside.
• Clear the floor trap cover of lint and leaves.

Agree in advance whether laundry, ironing or folding is part of the visit. Some companies offer these as part of a regular session and others treat them as separate services, so it is better to settle it before the first visit than to discover a mismatch on the day.

Regular visits versus a deep clean

A regular visit, whether weekly or fortnightly, keeps the home in good shape. It usually covers the surface tasks in the lists above. A deep clean goes further: inside cabinets and appliances, behind furniture, window tracks, grout and fittings that do not need attention every week.

Many households book a regular cleaner and add a deep clean before a festive period, after a renovation or when moving in or out. If you are planning one of those, the deep cleaning guide and the move-out cleaning guide explain what to expect.

What part-time cleaning costs, from published rates

Part-time cleaning is usually priced by the hour or by the session. The table below shows the lowest matching rate each company publishes for part-time or regular cleaning, with the source and capture date. These are advertised rates with conditions, not quotes; check minimum hours, whether supplies are included and whether the rate depends on a package.

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published part-time cleaning rates

For the most common unit (per hour), the lowest published rates from 15 companies run from S$16 to S$26. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a market average or a quote.

See 15 published part-time cleaning rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Elara Home Pte Ltd	Part-time cleaning	S$16 per hour	elarahome.com.sg
Go Cleaners Pte Ltd	Part-time cleaning	From S$18 per hour	gocleaners.sg
One Heart Cleaning Pte Ltd	Residential Cleaning	From S$18 per hour	oneheartcleaning.com.sg
6 Days Cleaning	Weekly/ Fortnightly Part Time Cleaning	From S$20 per hour	6days.sg
Cleatra Pte Ltd	Evening Cleaning: (2 hours)	S$20 per hour	getcleatra.com
Avalon Services	Part-time helper, weekly / fortnightly (min. 3 bookings)	From S$21 per hour	avalon-services.com.sg
Easyclean SG	Hourly cleaning service	From S$22 per hour	easycleansg.com
GJourney Services	Support for HDBs, Condos and Landed Homes	S$22 per hour	g-journey.com
Natural Clean	Part-time cleaning	From S$22 per hour	naturalclean.com.sg
Part Time Home Maid Service Singapore	Part-time cleaning	From S$22 per hour	parttimehomemaid.com
KleanSG	Part-time maid, per cleaner (incl. GST, min 2 hours)	S$23.98 per hour	kleansg.com
Beck And Call	Part-time cleaning	S$24 per hour	beckandcall.com.sg
Clean Off	Weekly home cleaning, day slot (min 3 hrs/session, 4 sessions)	S$24 per hour	cleanoff.com.sg
Helperoo Pte Ltd	Recurring Cleans */Hour	From S$24 per hour	helperoo.com.sg
CSS Integrated Pte Ltd	Part-time cleaning helper, one-time service	S$26 per hour	cssintegrated.com

How to brief a cleaner with your checklist

Use the checklist to agree the scope before the first visit, not during it.

• Mark which tasks you want at every visit and which only occasionally.
• Note the size and type of your home, the number of bathrooms and any pets.
• Say whether you will provide cleaning supplies and equipment, or whether the cleaner should bring them.
• Agree how long each visit should take and what happens if the list runs over.
• Point out any rooms or items that should not be touched.

If you hire through a company, it is reasonable to ask whether it holds a licence. NEA's cleaning business licence page explains which cleaning businesses need one.

Review the checklist after the first few visits. Most arrangements settle into a routine once both sides know what to expect.

Questions

What should a regular cleaner do at every visit?

Most regular visits cover dusting, vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning the kitchen surfaces and sink, scrubbing bathrooms and taking out the rubbish. Agree the exact list before the first visit.

What belongs in a deep clean rather than a regular visit?

Tasks such as cleaning inside cabinets and appliances, degreasing hood filters, scrubbing grout and cleaning window tracks usually suit an occasional deep clean.

Should I provide cleaning supplies?

It depends on the arrangement. Some companies bring supplies and equipment and some expect you to provide them. Ask before you book, since it can affect the rate.