A deep cleaning checklist covers the jobs your weekly cleaning skips. These include limescale on taps and shower glass and grease in the kitchen extractor filters. They also include dust behind radiators and on top of cupboards, and the frames and seals of your windows. Work from top to bottom, one room at a time, and start with the kitchen and bathroom because they take the longest.
Below you will find the full list, room by room, for a typical German apartment. It also covers the order that saves time and the mistakes that make a deep clean drag on. You can copy it or print this page and tick things off as you go.
What makes a deep clean different from regular cleaning
Regular cleaning keeps the visible surfaces in order. You vacuum, wipe the counters, clean the toilet and mop the floor. A deep clean goes to the places you normally walk past. You clean inside appliances, behind and under furniture, in joints and seals, and on every surface above eye level.
Many people deep clean once or twice a year, or before or after a move. Others do it after a long winter, or when regular cleaning no longer seems to make a difference. Imagine an apartment in Bilk or Pempelfort where the kitchen looks fine at first glance. Then you open the extractor hood and the filters are sticky. The fridge seal has dark spots and the oven door glass is brown between the panes. That is the kind of dirt a deep clean is for.
Before you start: order, tools and products
A deep clean goes much faster with a clear order. The basic rule is top to bottom and dry before wet. Dust falls down, so you clean ceiling corners, lamps and the tops of cupboards first. Floors come last.
Get these basics ready before you begin:
- Microfibre cloths in two or three colours, so the bathroom cloth never ends up in the kitchen
- A descaler for the bathroom and kitchen (vinegar or citric acid works on many surfaces)
- A degreasing washing-up liquid, a soft scrubbing sponge and an old toothbrush for corners
- A vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool and a stable step stool
Never mix cleaning products, especially chlorine-based cleaners with acidic descalers. Do not use vinegar or citric acid on natural stone such as marble, because acid can damage the surface. If you rent, be careful with strong products on worktops, parquet and fittings. If you are unsure, check your own rental contract or ask your landlord first.
Your deep cleaning checklist room by room
Plan one room per block of time and finish it completely before moving on. The list follows the order that makes the most sense in most apartments.
Kitchen
The kitchen usually takes the longest because grease sticks to everything, including surfaces you never touch.
- Take out the metal grease filters of the extractor hood and soak them in hot water with washing-up liquid. Many are dishwasher safe, but check the manual. Carbon filters are usually replaced, not washed.
- Empty the fridge, wash the shelves and drawers, and wipe the door seal carefully with a cloth.
- Clean the oven inside, including the trays, the racks and the door glass.
- Wipe cupboard fronts and handles, then the tops of the wall cupboards.
After that, descale the tap and the area around it. Clean the sink drain, wipe the tiles behind the hob and pull out the small appliances to clean underneath. Last, clean the inside of the bin cupboard and the floor, including the corners along the plinth.
Bathroom
In the bathroom the main enemies are limescale and moisture. Wherever water dries, limescale builds up, and wherever it stays, mould has a chance.
- Descale the shower head, tap aerators and shower glass. Unscrew small parts and let them soak.
- Clean the silicone joints and tile grout. If mould has grown deep into the silicone, cleaning often does not remove it fully and the joint may need to be replaced.
- Clean the toilet thoroughly, including under the rim, the hinges of the seat and the base behind it.
- Take the hair out of the shower and sink drains.
Then wipe the mirror cabinet inside and out, the extractor fan grille if you have one, the radiator or towel rail and the door frame. Many German bathrooms have a washing machine. Clean its detergent drawer and the rubber seal in the door, where water and fluff collect.
Living room and bedrooms
Here the work is mostly dust, and most of it is hidden. Start high. Wipe lamps, curtain rails, the tops of wardrobes and door frames.
- Clean radiators between the fins, ideally with a radiator brush or a long, thin tool.
- Move the sofa, bed and smaller furniture and vacuum underneath.
- Wipe skirting boards, light switches, sockets and door handles.
- Vacuum upholstery and mattresses, including the seams.
If your sofa or rug has stains that go beyond surface dust, treat that as a separate job. It needs more time and the right method for the material.
Hallway, windows and the whole apartment
The hallway collects grit from shoes, so clean the shoe cabinet, the doormat area and the front door on both sides. Then come the windows. German tilt and turn windows, the Kippfenster, have a lot of hidden dirt in the frame, in the rubber seals and around the hinges. Open the window fully, wipe the frame, the seal and the drainage slots at the bottom, then clean the glass. Only clean windows you can reach safely from inside or from a stable step stool.
Finally, go through the whole apartment once more. Wipe all door leaves, check ceiling corners for cobwebs and mop every floor, starting in the room furthest from the front door.
Quick overview of the deep clean check list
If you want everything on one page to print, this table sums up what gets forgotten most often.
| Room | Often forgotten | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Extractor grease filters, fridge seal, oven door glass | Soak filters first, clean the rest while they soak |
| Bathroom | Shower head, tap aerators, silicone joints | Let small parts soak in descaler while you clean the toilet |
| Washing machine | Detergent drawer, door seal | Pull the drawer out completely and dry the seal afterwards |
| Living room | Radiator fins, tops of cupboards, under the sofa | Dust high areas first so dirt falls onto the uncleaned floor |
| Bedroom | Under the bed, mattress seams, wardrobe top | Air the room while you work |
| Windows | Kippfenster frames, seals, hinges, drainage slots | Glass last, frames first, so dirty water does not run onto clean glass |
| Hallway | Shoe cabinet, front door, light switches | Shake out the doormat outside before vacuuming |
Common mistakes that make a deep clean take longer
The most common mistake is starting with the floor. You mop, then dust the shelves, and the floor is dirty again. Keep to top to bottom, even when the floor is what bothers you most.
The second mistake is scrubbing limescale and grease dry. Both come off much more easily when the product has time to work. Spray or soak, start the next task, and come back.
Many people also plan the whole apartment for one day. For a two-room apartment that can work if you start early. For a family apartment with a full kitchen it often does not. Splitting the job, for example kitchen and bathroom on Saturday and the rest on Sunday, gives better results than rushing everything at the end.
Finally, too much product. More cleaner does not mean cleaner surfaces. It leaves streaks and residue, especially on glass and high-gloss kitchen fronts.
How much work a deep clean really is, and when help makes sense
If you look at this list honestly, it is a lot. Moving furniture, descaling every fitting, cleaning every window frame and the inside of every appliance takes real time and energy. That is fine if you enjoy it or have a free weekend. It is harder if you work full time, have small children or pets, or the apartment has not had a deep clean for a while.
This is where we can help. Spotless is a young cleaning company, and our insured team does deep cleaning in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area. For deep cleaning we bring our own products, and eco-friendly products are available on request. You tell us which rooms and which items matter to you and send a few photos. Then you get a free, non-binding quote with a final price. If something is not right afterwards, our 24-hour satisfaction guarantee means we come back for free.
Even if you do it all yourself, this checklist shows what a proper deep clean includes. If you would rather hand it over, have a look at our deep cleaning service for apartments and houses. You can also send us a short quote request with your rooms and a few photos. You will get an offer with a final price.
Frequently asked questions about deep cleaning
What should a deep cleaning checklist include?
It should cover everything regular cleaning skips. That means inside appliances, extractor filters, limescale on fittings, silicone joints, radiators, skirting boards, under furniture, door frames and window frames and seals.
In which order should I deep clean my apartment?
Work room by room, top to bottom and dry before wet. Start with the kitchen and bathroom, then the living areas, then the hallway, and mop the floors last.
How often should I deep clean?
Many households do it once or twice a year, and often before or after a move. If regular cleaning no longer seems to make a difference, it is usually time.
How do I remove limescale from taps and shower heads?
Soak removable parts in vinegar or a citric acid solution and wipe fixed parts with a descaler, then rinse with clear water. Do not use acid on natural stone such as marble.
What does a professional deep clean from Spotless cost?
Deep cleaning is priced by individual quote. Send us your rooms and a few photos and you get a free, non-binding quote with a final price.