Pre-Thanksgiving cleaning checklist: what to clean, and when

What to clean, and when

Work back from Thanksgiving Day. Each step builds on the one before, so the last days stay light.

1. Two weeks before

   Week of November 9

   • Walk through the rooms guests will use (entry, living and dining rooms, the guest bathroom) and clear out what doesn't belong there.
   • Clean the inside of the oven. If you use the self-cleaning cycle, check the manual and run it now, not in Thanksgiving week: it runs very hot for hours, and if a part fails there's still time for a repair.
   • Degrease the range hood filter, or replace it if it's the disposable kind.
   • Wash what's been stored away: the tablecloth, cloth napkins, guest sheets and throw blankets.
   • Take down the serving dishes, platters and roasting pan, and wash anything dusty.
   • Want help? Book your cleaning now, while there's still a choice of days.

2. One week before

   Week of November 16

   • The best week for a deep clean: baseboards, doors, vents, cabinet fronts, grout and under the furniture. Done now, it only needs light touch-ups later.
   • Get the guest room ready (checklist below).
   • Dining room: dust the light over the table, wipe the table and chairs, and count the seats.
   • Make room in the coat closet for guests' coats.
   • By Saturday, November 21, clear out the fridge and freezer and wipe the shelves. A frozen turkey thaws in the fridge at about one day for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 20-pound bird needs to go in by then.

3. Two days before

   Tuesday, November 24

   • Guest bathroom: clean it top to bottom and stock it (checklist below).
   • Kitchen: clear the counters, run and empty the dishwasher, and take out the trash and recycling.
   • Entry: sweep the porch and steps, shake out the doormat and check the porch light.
   • Vacuum and mop the rooms guests will see.
   • Check whether your trash pickup moves for the holiday.

4. The day before and the morning of

   Wednesday, November 25 and Thanksgiving morning

   • Set the table the night before.
   • Give the guest bathroom a five-minute reset: sink, toilet seat, mirror, fresh hand towels and an empty trash can.
   • Before cooking starts, empty the dishwasher and the trash, and fill the sink with hot, soapy water for pans and tools.

Guest bathroom

Start here. Every guest uses it, usually more than once.

• Counter cleared: toothbrushes, medicine and personal things go in a drawer or a basket
• Toilet inside and out, including the base and the floor around it
• Sink, faucet, counter and mirror
• Light switch, door handle and flush handle
• Floor mopped and bath mat washed
• Trash emptied, with a spare liner at the bottom of the can
• Fresh hand soap and a stack of hand towels
• Two spare rolls of toilet paper in plain sight, and a plunger nearby
• Overnight guests: tub or shower cleaned, and a towel set for each person

Kitchen

Your busiest room all week. Do the slow jobs early and keep the last two days for cooking.

• Inside the oven, two weeks ahead
• Range hood filter degreased or replaced
• Inside the microwave
• Fridge and freezer cleared and wiped before the big grocery run
• Dishwasher filter cleaned, if your model has one
• Cabinet fronts and handles wiped: they get grabbed all day
• Counters cleared of everything you won't cook with
• Dishwasher and trash empty before cooking starts

Entry, living and dining rooms

The first and last thing guests see. The sun sets before 5 PM in late November, so make sure the way in is clear and well lit.

• Porch, steps and walk swept, and the leaves cleared
• Doormat shaken out or replaced
• Front door, storm door glass, door handle and porch light wiped; dead bulbs replaced
• Room in the coat closet, or a bed cleared for coats
• A place for shoes, if yours is a shoes-off home
• Living room dusted, including the TV screen and remotes
• Under the sofa cushions vacuumed
• Light over the dining table dusted, table and chairs wiped

Guest room

For family staying over. Almost all of it can be done the week before.

• Stored sheets and blankets washed, and the bed made
• An extra blanket and pillow where guests can find them
• An empty drawer and some closet space, with a few hangers
• Surfaces dusted and the floor vacuumed, including under the bed
• Nightstand cleared and trash emptied
• A working lamp, and a night-light in the hall or bathroom
• Towels, a phone charger and the Wi-Fi password

When to book a deep clean

The best time is one to two weeks before: the week of November 16. The slow jobs get done, a quick tidy keeps them looking good, and Thanksgiving week stays free for shopping and cooking.

Already have regular cleanings? Then you don't need a deep clean: a standard clean between Monday, November 23 and Wednesday, November 25 is enough.

We're a small family business with only a few visits each day, so book early if you want a day close to the holiday. Online booking shows real open times up to 60 days ahead, you can cancel free up to 48 hours before, and nothing is charged until after the clean. Our prices don't go up for the holidays.

What it costs

Useful add-ons before guests

• Inside the oven $50
• Inside the fridge $50
• Interior windows $5 / window
• Change bed linens $12 / bed

What a deep clean adds

On top of the kitchen, bathrooms, dusting and floors in every standard clean:

• Hand-wipe cabinet fronts and handles
• Detail tile and grout
• Hand-wipe reachable baseboards
• Wipe doors, door frames and window sills
• Dust vents, blinds and reachable light fixtures
• Under and behind reachable furniture

Not part of our cleans: dishes, laundry, putting things away, and anything outside, like the porch or the outside of the windows. Those stay on your list.