Deep Cleaning Checklist for Mississauga Homes

Updated September 2026 By Daniel Parsons 7 min read

How to use this list

Work one room at a time, top to bottom: ceilings and vents, then shelves and counters, then floors last, so the dust you knock down gets picked up. Each room lists the must-dos first, then the extras. If you're hiring a cleaner, print the list or send them the link, and tick what you want. It becomes your written scope, and you'll both know exactly what "deep clean" means.

Best times to do it in Mississauga: April or May, once the salt season ends, and October, before it starts again. Also before a move, a baby, a home sale, or when you take over a place from someone else.

Kitchen

• Clear the counters completely and wipe them and the backsplash
• Degrease the stovetop, burner grates and control knobs
• Degrease the outside of the range hood. Soak the metal filter in hot water and dish soap
• Wipe the outside of the fridge, dishwasher, oven and microwave, including the handles and top edges
• Clean the inside of the microwave (steam a bowl of water and lemon for 3 minutes first)
• Scrub the sink, faucet and drain. Wipe the rubber dishwasher door seal
• Wipe cabinet doors and handles, where most of the fingerprints and grease build up
• Empty, wash and dry the garbage and recycling bins, and clean the floor under them
• If you have time: inside the fridge, the oven and the dishwasher filter
• If you have time: inside the cabinets and drawers

Bathrooms

• Toilet: bowl, seat (top and underside), hinges, tank, base and the floor behind it
• Scrub the sink, faucet and counter
• Shower or tub walls, floor and fixtures. Pay attention to corners and grout lines where soap scum and mildew start
• Clean the mirror and the shower glass, inside and out
• Pull off the exhaust fan cover and wash it. A dusty fan barely moves any air
• Wipe cabinet fronts and handles
• Wash the floor, including behind the door
• Empty the garbage and wash the bin
• If you have time: descale the showerhead and taps, wash the shower curtain and liner, and wipe inside the cabinets

Floors & entry

• Vacuum every floor, including the edges and under the furniture you can reach
• Damp-mop hard floors with a neutral cleaner. In spring, go over the entry and hallway twice to get the salt film off
• Vacuum carpets and rugs slowly, in two directions, with the crevice tool along the edges
• Wash the entry mats, or replace them if they're flattened
• Wipe the baseboards in the entry and hallways, where salt splash leaves white marks
• If you have time: every baseboard in the house, and under the couch, beds and fridge

Living rooms & bedrooms

• Dust every surface, shelf, picture frame and electronic (turn things off first)
• Vacuum the couch, including under the cushions
• Wipe light switches, door handles, remotes and railings
• Clean mirrors and glass tables
• Vacuum or mop the floors
• Wash the sheets, mattress protector and pillowcases. Flip or rotate the mattress
• If you have time: interior windows, light fixtures and ceiling fans, and behind and under big furniture

Everywhere else

• Vacuum and wipe the window sills and tracks. Winter condensation leaves grime and sometimes mould here
• Wash the inside of the windows you can reach
• Wipe the interior doors and door frames in high-traffic areas
• Vacuum the heating vents and cold air returns, and change the furnace filter
• If you have time: balcony or patio (check your condo rules first), the laundry room, and dust left over from a renovation

Notes for Mississauga homes

Late winter and early spring: salt residue is the big one. It's on the floors, the baseboards, the bottom of the entry closet and the boot tray. Check the window sills for grime from condensation, and the bathroom ceiling for grey spots after a winter of closed windows.

Fall: do the reset before salt season. Get fresh mats down and the floors sealed or refinished if they need it, so you start winter with a clean slate.