When you clean your house, do you randomly start in one room and then move to the next with little rhyme or reason why? If you do, you’re not alone.

However, it’s important to map out a plan of attack when it comes to cleaning house. If you don’t, your cleaning won’t be as efficient. Additionally, planning your cleaning makes the task more manageable.

So what’s the right order for cleaning house? Take a look.

Clean the Most Difficult Room First

The bathroom may be one of the smaller rooms in the house, but it’s also more time-consuming when to clean. You not only have to wash the shower and tub, but there’s also the toilet, the sink and all those little fixtures that need to be scrubbed and polished.

Because cleaning the bathroom is so time and labor intensive, it’s a good idea to make it the first room you clean. Afterwards, all your other chores will seem easier. Additionally, if you save the bathroom for last, you may be so tired when you get to it that you abandon the task.

Up Next: Dusting and Organizing

Now you’ll want to tackle the dusting throughout your house. Why? When you clean, all that dust has to go somewhere, right? Typically, that place is on the floor. And if you clean the floors before you take on the dusting, you’re just going to have dirty floors again.

Make your way throughout the house using a duster, dust mop and a vacuum cleaner. You’ll want to be certain you get those easily forgotten areas such as ceiling fans, baseboards and blinds. As you dust surfaces like the tops of coffee tables and dressers, take the time to organize disheveled areas.

Move on to Mopping and Vacuuming

Now your floors are covered with dust, so it’s time to clean them. First, vacuum throughout the house first. You’ll want to do this even on hard-surface floors, as vacuuming is much easier than sweeping and has the same end result.

Afterwards, you can mop or clean your floors as needed. In rooms like the bathroom and kitchen, you may need to mop the floor each time you clean your house. Floors in other rooms, however, might not need to be cleaned every single time unless there have been spills or pet accidents.

Final Course: Cleaning The Kitchen

If you regularly wipe down the counters and tackle spills when they happen, cleaning the kitchen should be fairly easy. After all, the floor is already clean.

To clean your kitchen, simply wipe down the outside of your refrigerator, cabinets and appliances. Next, clean your stovetop, microwave and sink. And that’s it for the kitchen. Easy, right?

Now this plan is best used for a weekend session of cleaning house that’s meant to help you maintain your home. If you need a major clean to prepare for routine upkeep, your local FreshClean will be happy to get you started.