Living Room Cleaning Guide (Step-By-Step Guide to a Sparkling Clean Space)

This step-by-step living room cleaning guide has everything you need for a sparkling clean space.

Living Room Cleaning Guide Introduction

No matter how large or small your living room is, our living room cleaning guide is designed to leave it looking its absolute best with minimal effort on your part. 

Plus, with the help of a few essential cleaning supplies (like a vacuum cleaner, microfiber cloths, and an all-purpose cleaner), you’ll be able to get your living room looking showroom perfect in no time.

Daily Living Room Cleaning Guide

Before we jump into the complete step-by-step, here are daily tasks that you need to do to keep your living room clean and tidy:

• Clear the clutter: Living rooms oftentimes become the place where clutter unintentionally accumulates. Removing clutter should take no more than 5 minutes per day.

• Fluff pillows and cushions: No one likes to go home to a flat pillow. Fluff them up and make sure they look comfy and inviting.

• Wipe down surfaces: Use a microfiber cloth or duster to remove dust and debris from surfaces such as coffee tables, shelves, and TV stands.

With these simple daily cleaning tasks done already, you can now move on to the entire living room cleaning guide.

How to Clean Your Living Room

Let’s get started with our living room cleaning checklist!

Step 1: Clean Light Fixtures

Lighting can hugely impact the overall ambiance of a place, but light fixtures are often overlooked when we think about keeping items clean.

Did you know that your light fixtures can be filled with layers of dust, dirt, germs, and bacteria?

Keeping these surfaces spic and span is an essential step in ensuring your space looks its best and remains hygienic.

The good news is that a simple scrub down with warm water and some mild detergent can do the trick.

Steps to clean your living room area lighting:

1. Remove the light bulbs: Carefully remove the light bulbs from the fixture. If the bulbs are hot, let them cool down before handling them.

2. Dust the fixture: Use a soft, dry cloth or duster to remove any dust or cobwebs from the fixture.

3. Clean the light bulbs: Use a soft cloth and a mild cleaning solution to clean the light bulbs. Be sure to handle the bulbs gently to avoid breaking them.

4. Clean the rest of the fixture: Use a mild cleaning solution and a soft cloth to clean the rest of the fixture. Be sure to reach all the nooks and crannies, and dry the fixture thoroughly when you are finished.

5. Replace the light bulbs: Once the fixture is clean and dry, replace the light bulbs.

6. Turn the power back on: Once the light bulbs are in place, turn the power back on to the fixture.

Step 2: Dust Surfaces

The next step is to dust.

Dust is one of the most common irritants and can aggravate allergies.

This includes furniture and hard-to-reach surfaces such as your ceiling fan, bookshelves, and door frames.

Using a damp cloth, or paintbrush can help you reach those tight spots and dust them quickly.

Make sure you don’t forget to clean the decorations, knick-knacks, picture frames, and electronics.

Steps to dust your living room:

1. Start at the top: Begin by dusting any ceiling fans or high shelving. Use a duster or a microfiber cloth to remove dust and cobwebs.

2. Move to the furniture: Use a microfiber cloth to dust all surfaces of your furniture, including the tops, sides, and legs. Pay extra attention to any decorative items or knick-knacks on your shelves.

3. Dust windows and window treatments: Use a microfiber cloth to dust your windows, window sills, and window treatments.

Step 3: Clean Windows and Mirrors

Clean windows allow natural light to enter the living room, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Therefore, make sure you clean both the inside and outside of your windows to get rid of smudges and streaks.

Don’t forget the mirrors — these surfaces attract dust more quickly than other items in your living room.

Cleaning the frames and glass regularly will keep your living room looking fresh.

Steps to cleaning your living room lights and mirrors:

1. Wash the windows: Dip your microfiber cloth or a sponge into the cleaning solution and use it to wash the living room windows, starting at the top and working your way down. Be sure to get the edges and corners of the window.

2. Rinse the windows: Use a squeegee or a clean microfiber cloth to remove any excess cleaning solution and streaks from the windows. If you are using a homemade cleaning solution, you may need to use a cloth or paper towels to remove any leftover vinegar.

3. Dry the windows: Use a dry microfiber cloth to dry the windows and remove any remaining streaks.

4. Clean the mirrors: Use a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth to clean mirrors. Be sure to get the edges and corners of the mirror.

5. Dry the mirrors: Use a dry microfiber cloth to dry the mirrors and remove any streaks.

Step 4: Vacuum Floors

Once all surfaces have been dusted off, it’s time to move on to the floors.

Vacuuming will remove dust, dirt, and pet hair and make your carpets look new.

Steps to vacuuming your living room:

1. Remove any clutter: Pick up any clutter from the floor and put it away. This will make it easier to vacuum and ensure that you don’t miss any spots.

2. Move furniture and rugs: This will help you get into those hard-to-reach places.

3. Vacuum the corners and edges: Use the crevice tool or a dusting brush to vacuum the corners and edges of the room, as well as any baseboards or molding.

4. Vacuum the larger areas: Use the main part of the vacuum cleaner to vacuum the larger areas of the floor, starting at one end of the room and working your way to the other. Be sure to overlap your passes to ensure that you don’t miss any spots.

5. Empty the vacuum: Once you have finished vacuuming, be sure to empty the dirt and debris from the vacuum cleaner.

Step 5: Polish Furniture

You know that feeling when you finally sit down on the couch after a long day to relax?

But then you notice that your furniture looks a little lackluster these days.

If you have wooden or leather furniture in your living room, a deep clean can help revive them and make your space feel brand new.

Store-bought polishes are usually best since they’re designed specifically for different materials.

Of course, you always want to test it out on a small area first to see how your furniture reacts.

Using the polish sparingly is also crucial since too much product can leave residue behind.

Steps to polish your living room furniture:

1. Dust the furniture: Use a soft, dry cloth to remove any dust or debris from the surface of the furniture.

2. Apply the furniture polish: Spray a small amount of furniture polish onto the surface of the furniture, or apply a small amount of paste wax with a soft cloth. Be sure to use a sparing amount and rub it in evenly.

3. Buff the furniture: Use a clean, dry cloth to buff the furniture, working in small circles until the polish or wax is fully absorbed. This will help to bring out the shine and protect the surface of the furniture.

4. Wipe down any excess polish: Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe down any excess polish or wax that may have accumulated in corners or crevices.

Step 6: Sanitize Surfaces and Light Switches

An often overlooked task when it comes to cleaning is sanitizing all the surfaces and light switches in your living room.

Not only are these used more frequently than one might think, but they also carry the potential for many germs and bacteria if not properly handled.

To ensure your home is clean and safe from any potential germs, it’s essential to clean your light switches and surfaces with a good scrubbing with soap or an appropriate sanitizer to ensure no pathogens will be lurking on them when you’re done.

While this may seem tedious, the extra effort you put in now will pay off later with a sparkling, clean home!

Steps to sanitizing surfaces and light switches:

1. Spray or wipe the surfaces: Spray the disinfectant onto the surfaces that you want to sanitize, or use disinfectant wipes to wipe down the surfaces. Be sure to cover the entire surface and let the disinfectant sit for the recommended amount of time as specified on the product label.

2. Wipe the surfaces: Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe down the surfaces and remove any excess disinfectant.

3. Repeat the process for light switches: Use the same process to spray or wipe down light switches, making sure to cover the entire surface.

Step 7: Freshen the Air

Freshening the air in your home can quickly be done with just a few products.

Candles and reed diffusers are always classic options to invite a light, calming scent into the room.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for an all-natural fragrance, essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus are excellent choices for creating pleasing aromas that can help boost your mood.

Just use an oil lamp or vaporizer to disperse the oils evenly across a room — no smoke or any other mess to worry about.

With these simple steps, you’ll make sure your living room smells clean and inviting every time you walk in.

Step 8: Wash Linens and Pillows

Keeping your linens throw blankets and pillows clean is essential to keeping your living room healthy and comfortable.

Washing them helps to prevent the accumulation of allergens, dust mites, and other irritants that can cause discomfort and health problems.

Furthermore, washing these items regularly helps keep them looking vibrant and fresh, so you don’t have to replace them as often.

A gentle detergent with warm water is usually enough to do the job.

If you’re looking for extra sanitizing power, a small amount of bleach can help kill germs and bacteria lingering on your linens.

Steps to wash linens and pillows:

1. Sort your linens and pillows: Sort your linens and pillows by color and fabric type. This will help to prevent color bleeding and ensure that everything is washed properly.

2. Pre-treat any stains: If you have any stains on your linens or pillows, pre-treat them with a stain remover before washing.

3. Load the washing machine: Load your linens and pillows into the washing machine, being sure not to overload it.

4. Add the laundry detergent: Add the appropriate amount of laundry detergent to the washing machine as directed by the manufacturer.

5. Wash the linens and pillows: Set the washing machine to the appropriate cycle and temperature for the fabric type, and start the wash.

6. Dry the linens and pillows: Once the wash is finished, transfer the linens and pillows to the dryer, being sure not to overload it. Set the dryer to the appropriate cycle and temperature for the fabric type, and start the dry cycle.

7. Fold and put away the linens and pillows: Once the linens and pillows are dry, fold them and put them away in their designated places or go ahead and place them back on the couch cushions.

Step 9: Organize Remote Controls, Magazines, and Other Items

It’s essential to be practical yet creative when organizing these items.

Consider getting storage containers that match your home décor but are also functional for your living space.

For example, an ottoman is an excellent way to store blankets, and a basket can house extra remote controls.

If you have items that are used more frequently, like a magazine or book, keep them in a decorative spot on the coffee table where they can easily be grabbed when needed.

Finally, make use of wall space and install shelves to display small family knick knacks or add artwork.

This will give your living room a unique touch and show off your style.

Living Room Cleaning Products

Ready to start on your living room cleaning routine? Here are some products that will help keep your space clean and organized:

• Microfiber cloths: A damp Microfiber cloth is great for wiping down surfaces and getting into hard-to-reach places.

• Dusting cloths: From wiping down electronics to dusting bookshelves and furniture, these cloths make the job easier. Make sure you have a ladder or stool handy to dust ceiling fans.

• All-purpose cleaner: Having an all-purpose cleaner on hand is essential for tackling tough stains and sanitizing surfaces. Supermarket products also work well, or you can make natural cleaners at home in a spray bottle with ingredients like vinegar and baking soda.

• Vacuum: To keep your carpets free of dust and dirt, vacuum regularly. Look for one that has an adjustable setting for different surfaces so you can get the job done quickly and efficiently.

• Mop and bucket: Hardwood and tile floors require occasional mopping. Use a pH-neutral cleaner with warm water to get the best results.

• Window cleaner: Streaks and smudges on windows can ruin the look of your living room, so keep a window cleaner handy to spruce up your view.

Other items that are helpful to have on hand include a broom, dustpan, and feather duster.

Living Room Cleaning Tips

Cleaning your living room can be intimidating, but with a few simple tips, it’s possible to make the job easier and more effective. 

To begin, here are some tips we recommend:

1. Have a Designated Place For Everything

Having a designated place for everything in your living room can make it easier to clean for a few reasons.

First, it helps to reduce clutter. When items are stored in their designated places, there is less chance of them being left out or scattered around the room. This can make the room look neater and more organized, and it will be easier to clean because there will be fewer items to move out of the way.

Second, it makes it easier to put things away. When you have a designated place for everything, it is easier to know where things belong, which makes it quicker and more efficient to put things away. This can save time when you are cleaning and make the process less frustrating.

Finally, having a designated place for everything can help to reduce the risk of items getting lost or misplaced. When items have a designated place, you know where to find them when you need them, which can save time and reduce frustration.

Overall, having a designated place for everything in your living room can help to make the space more organized, easier to clean, and more efficient to use.

2. Gather Supplies Before You Begin

Gathering all of your supplies before you begin cleaning your living room can make the process easier for a few reasons.

First, it helps to reduce the risk of having to stop and search for supplies while you are cleaning. When you have everything you need at hand, you can focus on the task at hand and not have to stop and look for supplies. This can save time and make the cleaning process more efficient.

Second, it helps to ensure that you have everything you need to get the job done properly. If you gather all of your supplies before you begin cleaning, you can be sure that you have everything you need, such as cleaning solutions dish soap, cloths, and any other necessary tools. This can help to make the cleaning process more thorough and effective.

Finally, gathering your supplies before you begin cleaning can help to reduce the risk of having to run to the store for something that you forgot. This can save time and effort and make the cleaning process less frustrating.

Overall, gathering your supplies before you begin cleaning your living room can help to make the process more efficient, thorough, and stress-free.

3. Take Time to Move Furniture

Moving your furniture when cleaning your living room can be helpful for a few reasons.

First, it allows you to access all areas of the room. When you move your furniture, you can get behind it and reach all of the corners and crevices that may be difficult to access when the furniture is in place. This can help to ensure that you are able to thoroughly clean the entire room.

Second, it allows you to clean the furniture itself. When you move your furniture, you can clean underneath and behind it, which can help to remove any dust or debris that may have accumulated over time. This can help extend your furniture’s life and keep it clean and well-maintained.

Finally, moving your furniture can help refresh your living room’s look. When you rearrange your furniture, you can create a new layout and give the room a fresh feel.

Overall, moving your furniture when cleaning your living room can help to ensure that the entire room is thoroughly cleaned, help to extend the life of your furniture, and refresh the look of the room.

Living Room Cleaning Guide Conclusion

And there you have it! A living room cleaning guide for a living space that feels lighter, brighter, and more spacious.

Follow these steps as often as needed to keep your living room looking its best.

And make sure to follow up with regular maintenance.

Following a few simple cleaning guidelines can help keep your living room looking new.

And, when you’re ready to move onto the next room, check out our other cleaning guides, or hire us to help:

1. Bedroom Cleaning Guide

2. Bathroom Cleaning Guide