Let’s be real: “Deep Cleaning” sounds like a task that needs its own bank holiday. It’s the dreaded scrub-down that always gets pushed to next month in favour of a trip to the market or a walk in Bute Park. We know that feeling!
This isn’t a lecture on how to clean. It’s the practical, real-world checklist our professional teams use for clients across Cardiff—broken down into simple, achievable steps. Use it yourself, or just see exactly what you’re paying for when you hire a professional to truly reset your home
What Really Separates a ‘Tidy’ Clean from a ‘Deep’ Clean?
When you tidy, you’re putting things away and wiping down surfaces. It makes the house look presentable for guests.
When you deep clean, you are focusing on the grime and build-up that stress you out and can actually impact the air quality and lifespan of your appliances.
Think of it this way:
-
Tidy Clean: Wiping the counter and loading the dishwasher.
-
Deep Clean: Scrubbing the grout, wiping down the inside of kitchen cabinets, and vacuuming the dust build-up behind your fridge.
This process is about hitting the forgotten, high-grime areas that a regular weekly spruce-up simply misses.
The 3-Hour Deep-Clean Blitz: Your Room-by-Room Checklist
To make this feel less overwhelming, we break the job into time chunks. If you’re tackling this yourself, aim to finish one room before moving to the next.
A. The Kitchen – (The Grease Zone) Approx. 60 Minutes
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it’s also where grease and food splatter accumulate in sneaky spots.
-
Oven: This is the big one. If you’re going DIY, use an oven cleaner and let it soak while you tackle the rest of the room. Don’t forget the glass door—it needs cleaning on both sides!
-
Appliance Exterior: Wipe down the sides and tops of your fridge and microwave. Use a degreaser on the hob hood, paying special attention to the filter/mesh.
-
The Fridge Gasket: That rubber seal around the fridge door is a magnet for crumbs and spills. Wipe it clean with a toothbrush and a vinegar-water solution.
-
Cabinets: Wipe the fronts of all cabinets, especially near the handles and below the hob, where steam causes a sticky build-up.
-
Floor Edges: Pull out the kick plates (if you have them) and vacuum the dust and debris underneath.
B. The Bathroom – (The Grout & Grime) Approx. 45 Minutes
Hard water and humidity mean moisture and mineral build-up are your main enemies here.
-
Limescale & Hard Water: Use a strong acid-based cleaner or a simple vinegar soak for showerheads, taps, and glass screens. For tough stains, you may need to let the product sit for 15 minutes before scrubbing.
-
Grout: Mix a paste of baking soda and water and scrub the grout lines with a stiff brush. This makes a huge visual difference.
-
Ventilation: Wipe down the ceiling fan/extractor vent—it’s usually caked in dust and lint.
-
Behind the Toilet: This area is often missed. Scrub the base and the pipework thoroughly.
C. Living Spaces & Bedrooms – (The Dust Magnets) Approx. 75 Minutes
Dust causes a house to look and feel dirty, even if everything is put away. Tackle dust from high to low.
-
Skirting Boards: These collect a surprising amount of dust, especially behind furniture. Wipe them down with a slightly damp cloth.
-
Blinds & Curtains: If you have Venetian or slatted blinds, wipe each slat individually. If you have fabric blinds or curtains, give them a good vacuum with the brush attachment.
-
Light Fixtures: Wipe ceiling fans, chandeliers, and lamp shades.
-
Upholstery: Vacuum under and in between sofa cushions. Don’t forget the legs and sides of the furniture.
-
Window Frames: Wipe the inside of the window sills and the frames, where dirt and grime from the outside often collect.
Stop Wasting Money –
Here are Quick Hacks for Common Cleaning Pains
Living in a coastal city like means dealing with a lot of moisture and dust. Here are a couple of fast, reliable tricks we use:
-
Dealing with Mildew: In humid bathrooms, a light spray of white vinegar (diluted 1:1 with water) once a week after showering can prevent mould spots from taking hold on shower curtains and tile grout.
-
Sparkling Windows: To avoid streaks after cleaning your windows, don’t use a cloth. Use a rubber squeegee or crinkle up a piece of newspaper to buff the glass dry.
Making the Environment Cleaner, Too
We believe a clean home shouldn’t come at the expense of a healthy planet. When you’re done deep cleaning, ensure you dispose of any old cleaning products or chemicals correctly. Find the Cardiff council guide to recycling and wastes services or the complete UK’s Guidance for Waste collection services for local authorities for updated steps for proper disposal
Also, if you’re switching to eco-friendly products, make sure you know which ingredients work best for your surfaces. See detailed read from the BBC about 2 of the most used eco friendly cleaning agents Vinegar and baking soda here
Ready to Get Your Weekend Back?
Feel free to use this checklist to conquer your home! It’s satisfying to tackle these jobs, but we also know that deep cleaning takes time—time you could be spending relaxing at the Taff Trail or enjoying a meal on City Road.
If you get halfway through and decide your weekend is more valuable than a scrubbing brush, remember that this exact, thorough checklist is what our local Deliberate Hands Cleaning Services teams use every day. We handle the “Deep” so you can enjoy your time weekend and time Off.
Want us to handle the hours of scrubbing?
Check out our guaranteed Deep Cleaning Service for a free, fast quote today! 👉🏻 https://deliberatehandscleaningservices.uk/get-a-quote/
Hi, this is a comment.
To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.