How to Deep Clean Your Whole House in One Day [Guide] | Branch Basics

Deep cleaning your whole house is a major undertaking. Doing it all in one day, however, can seem overwhelming - especially if you struggle to find time to clean the house in the first place. But we’re here to tell you, it is possible and well worth the effort. 

From top to bottom, this guide will show you how to efficiently and safely deep clean your whole house in one day. With focus and determination, you can say “goodbye” to dirt and grime, and “hello” to a healthy & refreshed home.

Before Getting Started 

Believe it or not, it is possible to clean your whole house in one day. The key is to stay on task, follow a plan, and don’t throw in the rag. You’ll be surprised at just how much you can accomplish in one day.

But before you get started, consider doing a few things to help you plan and prepare for an efficient day of cleaning:

• Make a game plan: To clean your whole house in one day, you’ll need to make a schedule or task list for each room - also consider setting time limits for each. This will help keep you focused and will ensure everything on your list gets cleaned.
• Prioritize: Next, highlight tasks or rooms that need the most attention. Focus your energy and time here first, moving on to secondary tasks and rooms later.
• Gather cleaning supplies: Gather all cleaning supplies to make sure you have everything you need. If you’re using Branch Basics, dilute the Concentrate to make the various sprays, laundry soap, and floor cleaners you’ll use throughout the day.
• Remove clutter: Remove any items, clothing, books, etc. that do not belong in each room and put them away. Donate or throw away any unwanted items.
• Go top to bottom: Work top to bottom cleaning ceilings and walls, working your way downwards. This pushes dust, dirt, and grime to the floor for easy cleanup later.
• Recruit help: For such an intensive day of cleaning, who couldn’t use an extra pair of hands? Request the help of family and friends to speed up the cleaning process.

For keeping your house clean moving forward, check out How to Set a Stress-Free House Cleaning Schedule You Can Live With.

What You Need 

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to tackle a full day of cleaning:

• Spray bottles
• Branch Basics cleaning supplies:
• Branch Basics Concentrate
• All-Purpose Spray
• Bathroom Spray
• Streak-Free
• Laundry
• Oxygen Boost
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• 2-3 Microfiber cloths and mop heads
• Sponges and scrub brushes
• Duster
• Vacuum (we recommend HEPA sealed systems for best results)
• Broom and dustpan
• Mop and bucket
• Dry Steam cleaner - optional
• Heavy-duty cleaning gloves
• Stepladder (to reach ceilings)
• Trash bags

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen 

The kitchen is a high-use, high-trafficked room in the house. Because it often requires more attention, we recommend dedicating at least an hour. 

Remove items on the kitchen counters that don’t belong and put them away. Vacuum and damp-wipe ceilings and walls, working your way down. Wash windows and window sills with Streak-Free. Next, empty cabinets, drawers, and the pantry closet of all items. Wipe inside and out, working top to bottom. Put all items back, organizing as you go.

Using All-Purpose spray, wipe down countertops and small appliances. Move to large appliances, cleaning the stovetop, oven, and outside of the dishwasher. Using white vinegar, baking soda, and Branch Basics, deep clean your dishwasher.

Next, remove food from the refrigerator. Wipe down all shelves, compartments, and its exterior. Put food back, tossing any outdated or spoiled items.

Spray the sink with All-Purpose. Give it a good scrub, then rinse.

Sweep or vacuum the floors and any rugs. Mop tile, vinyl, or hard floors with a diluted ratio of ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of Concentrate to 2 cups of distilled water.

Have more time allotted for cleaning the kitchen? We’ve got more ideas. Check out our Best Safe Kitchen Cleaning Tips for 2023.

How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom 

Remove everything from the bathroom floors and countertops like small tables, rugs, and toiletries. Spray down the shower, tub, sinks, and toilet with Bathroom spray. Let sit, while you work on other areas of the bathroom.

Vacuum and damp-wipe ceilings, walls, and baseboards. Remove all items from cabinets and drawers, vacuum out, and wipe down. Put items back in their place, decluttering and organizing as you go.

• Tip: Toss expired items. Look for old makeup, creams, unused items, etc.

With a dry microfiber cloth or duster, dust light fixtures. Clean any windows, window sills, and mirrors with Streak-Free.

Move back to scrub the tub, shower, sinks, and toilet. Rinse.

Lastly, vacuum or sweep the floors and rugs. Mop hardwood, tile, or vinyl floors.

Related Read: How to Clean Your Bathroom Naturally with Branch Basics

How to Deep Clean Your Laundry Room 

Start by deep cleaning and detoxing your washing machine, as the self-cleaning cycle will take some time. While the washer is going, vacuum and damp-wipe the room from top to bottom, including the tops of the washer and dryer. 

Remove laundry products and items from shelves and cabinets, wiping down their interior and exterior. While the shelves are drying, take a quick look at the products in your laundry room. Toss any laundry products with harmful ingredients, and replace them with human-safe products such as Branch Basics Laundry, Oxygen Boost, and natural Wool Dryer Balls.

Next, move to the dryer. Remove the dryer’s lint trap and vacuum it out. Using a microfiber cloth and All-Purpose spray, wipe down the inside drum of the dryer and its door. Work your way outwards, wiping down the exterior of both the washer and dryer. After the washer’s cleaning cycle is complete, open the door, wipe the inside with a dry towel, and leave the lid open to air out.

Wipe down any tables and countertops, including sides, undersides, and legs. If you have a utility sink, spray it with All-Purpose and let it sit for a few minutes. Give it a good scrub, and rinse.

Finish with vacuuming or sweeping the floors. If you have any rugs, take them outside to shake off any dirt and debris. Mop vinyl, tile, or hard floors.

How to Deep Clean Your Floors

Thoroughly vacuum all floors. Wipe down baseboards with a microfiber cloth lightly sprayed with All-Purpose.

Hardwood Floors, Tile, Cork, and Vinyl

• Hardwood floors with protective finishes don’t need much soap to deep clean. A dilution of ⅛-¼ teaspoon of Concentrate per 2 cups of distilled water works for most wood floors.
• Instead of a mop and bucket, we recommend spraying the soap mixture onto a slightly damp mop. Dry any wet spots with a towel to prevent damaging the floor.
• For tile, cork, and vinyl floors, a mop and bucket method is sufficient, using the same dilution recipe. 

Carpet

• HEPA vacuum carpet making three passes over each area.
• Spot treat any stains with All-Purpose. Agitate with a brush or rag until the stain loosens and disappears. For stubborn stains, use a scoop of Oxygen Boost.
• If time permits, consider dry steam cleaning or shampooing all carpets.

For a more thorough floor cleaning, follow our Branch Basics Ultimate Guide to Healthy Floor Cleaning: It’s Easier Than You Think!

How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom 

Finally, give your bedroom a good deep clean. Vacuum ceilings, ceiling fans, walls, window sills, and baseboards. Use a microfiber cloth and All-Purpose spray to wipe down all furniture and items including shelves, picture frames, decor, dressers, nightstands, lamps, and bed frames.

Clean bedroom windows and window sills with Streak-Free. Dust blinds and vacuum or wash curtains.

Strip and wash all bedding, including comforters, quilts, blankets, sheets, pillowcases, decorative pillows, mattress toppers, and encasements. Next, vacuum the mattress to remove dust, dust mites. pollens, and animal dander that can contribute to asthma and allergies.

If you have a dry steam cleaner  take advantage of the opportunity to clean, deodorize, sanitize, kill dust mites and bed bugs in one step. A dry steam cleaned mattress will dry almost instantly*. Advap offers a 20% discount with this coupon code - BRANCHBASICS

*We only recommend dry steam cleaning a mattress, because conventional steam cleaners put too much moisture into the bedding. 

• Tip: Looking to buy new, safe, and natural bedding? Check out A Quick Guide to Natural, Non-Toxic Bedding.

Lastly, vacuum or sweep the floors. Don’t forget under the bed where dust bunnies tend to collect. Finish up with mopping hard floors or spot-clean carpets.

Get Started With Branch Basics

Congratulations! If you made it this far, you’ve successfully cleaned your whole house in one day. It just takes a little willpower, a prioritized schedule, and effective & safe cleaning products.

For more How-Tos, check out our other Safe & Effective Cleaning Hacks: 21 Unique Ways to Use Branch Basics.

Keep your whole house clean and free of toxins with Branch Basics. Stay well stocked with our Branch Basics Starter Kit, or give our Trial Kit a try.