Deep cleaning house before baby arrives (free checklist pdf)

One way to ensure the first month with your new baby is less stressful is to ensure that your house is well prepared and that you have done some deep cleaning before baby arrives! This deep cleaning checklist will help you make sure you don’t miss a spot!

The last thing you are going to want to be doing in the first few weeks of bringing your new baby home is doing housework or cleaning pretty much anything.

Most women experience what is referred to as ‘nesting’ which is an instinct to clean and prepare for your baby in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Embrace this sudden burst of energy and willingness to clean and use it to work your way through the preparing for baby and deep cleaning checklist below.

You house will not be this clean for a long time after baby is born, so do it before baby arrives if you can.

How do I prepare my house for a newborn?

A tidy, well organized house is much easier to keep clean. Take the time to set up things for baby, but don’t over-buy and make your home too cluttered with baby things.

Babies don’t need as much as companies would like to tell us that we do. Of course the more you buy from them, the more money they make!

Check out our newborn essentials guide to see what you need and nothing you don’t!

1. Somewhere to Sleep

Whether you co-sleep or have a separate cot or bassinet for baby, one of the key things you will need to prepare for your new baby before you bring them home, is somewhere that they can sleep safely.

If you are using a cot , co-sleeper or bassinet , it pays to have it set up and ready to use from 36 weeks onwards, just in case baby makes an early arrival.

2. Somewhere to Change

Babies don’t need a fancy change table , a simple mat on the floor is sufficient. However, I did find having a change table to keep diapers, cloths, creams and clothes all in one place in the lounge really helpful.

3. Somewhere to Eat

If you are planning on breastfeeding, set yourself up with a breastfeeding basket next to a comfortable and supportive chair.

If you are expecting to bottle feed, make sure you have a selection of baby bottles and formula as well as a bottle brush and a bottle sterilizer.

4. Something to Look at

Babies to start with just want to be held, which is great. Until you need a shower! I found a bouncer seat and a baby mobile really helpful for distracting baby while I quickly showered.

5. Something to Wear

Don’t go too crazy with baby clothes, they do grow out of them very fast! A few grow suits and singlets will be enough to get you through the first few weeks.

Baby will also need a large supply of diapers! I prefer to use cloth diapers , I have saved thousands of dollars on disposables, plus sent very little to the landfill.

6. Something to Travel in

You will need a carseat to take your baby home from the hospital in. You don’t have to buy new, but it is recommend to do so. Car seats do expire, and most brands are 6 years from manufacture, so check the date of manufacture BEFORE buying either a new or secondhand car seat.

You may like to also buy a stroller, or I really loved a wrap carrier as my babies hated the stroller, and I could wear the wrap carrier around the house with my unsettled newborns.

Have you heard that Amazon has a baby registry that will send you a free box of goodies, and special discounts just for you? You can make a list of everything you want and then share it with your friends and family!

Deep Cleaning Your house Before Baby Arrives

Once you have all the items that you will need for baby sorted, now you can focus on getting the rest of the house clean and tidy for baby’s arrival.

Are cleaning products safe for babies or pregnant women?

Many cleaning products are full of harsh (and some toxic) chemicals. Ideally you will avoid using these if you are pregnant.

Most house hold cleaning can be done with vinegar, baking soda and/or dish detergent.

Chemical carpet cleaners and oven cleaners often contain harsh chemicals that can be toxic in large volumes. Ideally you would get someone else to do this for you, and leave plenty of time from getting your carpets cleaned before you put baby on them ( 1 ).

Steam cleaning is a safe alternative to using chemicals and you can use steam to clean carpet, curtains and even ovens! I love my steam cleaner !!

How should I clean my house before having a baby?

Cleaning your house before you give birth is kind of like the ultimate spring cleaning. You want to go from room to room, and top to bottom.

This might be something that you want to do yourself, or as a couple. OR it might be something that you want to hire a house cleaning service to do for you, or a bit of both.

Most commercial cleaning companies also have a home cleaning service available if you ask them, you may also want to have them come in as a regular housekeeping service while you have a newborn baby in the house.

If you do hire someone, I would recommend one with good reviews and that you can pay after the job is done.

Getting started spring cleaning your house

Before you start going room to room, pause first to put on some great, lively music. That’s better. Now, follow this cleaning routine in each room. I suggest you start at your front door and work your way through the house.

Follow these tips to keep yourself healthy and safe:

• Be sure to ask for help from friends, family, your kids and your partner
• DON’T OVER EXERT YOURSELF
• Take lots of breaks
• Spread it out over several days
• Don’t climb ladders or up on chairs or countertops!
• Wear a dust mask and eye protection when working with dust above your head
• Be kind to yourself and honest with what you can safely and realistically achieve.

1 Declutter

First go and pick up clutter and mess, and as you go, feel free to second-guess your belongings and put them a either a throw- away or rehome pile near the front door.

Once you get rid of the clutter it is so much easier to clean.

Go room to room and scrutinize books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, furniture, toys the kids have outgrown, old computers you’ve outgrown, old clothes and shoes in the closets.

This is the time to tackle those cupboards you are afraid to open, that almost squash you when you open the door. Haul it all out and sort through it.

NOW you are ready to deep clean your house and prepare home for your new arrival.

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Cleaning supply List

Here is what you will need to deep clean your house before baby arrives:

• Old rags, disposable cloths, scrub pads or towels that you don’t mind throwing away
• Two buckets: one for the dirty/gross water and another for fresh clean hot water
• Your favorite degreaser soap, dish soap and disinfectant spray
• A pair of rubber gloves
• An abrasive scrub pad or scrubbing brush
• A spray bottle with 1:1 vinegar and water
• An old toothbrush
• Handyman skills or paid handyman services

2 Dusting

Tackle each room’s dusting one room at a time, you may choose to vacuum each room once it is dusted, or if you are doing it all at once, do one big vacuum at the end. The biggest task will probably be the living area.

When you dust go left to right, top to bottom with a damp microfiber cloth. If you are working above your head, tie the cloth over the head of your broom so you can reach without standing on anythin.

The damp cloth will lower the amount of dust allergens thrown in to the air and reduce how much of it lands on you.

Dampened cloths tied to the ends of mops and brooms work great for removing cobwebs as well.

For slatted blinds, use the string to close them one way and dust, then close them the other way and repeat – this is so much easier than doing it one slat at a time!

Don’t forget the tops of doors, fans, light fixtures, picture frames and all of your knick-knacks and photo frames!

For the glass of framed photos, TV screens, and computer monitors, use a little glass cleaner or quality dish detergent on a microfiber cloth to avoid streaking.

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3 Vacuum

Make sure your bag/compartment isn’t already full, and use the right settings and attachments.

Floors

Once you have gotten all the dust off the shelves and thrown it all over the floor, it is time to vacuum it all up.

Either do the floors in the whole house, and upholstered furniture or work your way through room by room.

Furniture

Remove all cushions and vacuum the creases where pet fluff and cracker crumbs love to call home. Also, move the couch to clean underneath it and behind it if it sits against a wall.

Up high

Don’t forget the hard-to-reach spots – windows, light fixtures and above cabinets.

Basically, all the places that are too hard to reach during your normal cleaning routine.

Cupboards, Cabinets and Drawers

Empty cabinets and drawers one at a time and give them a vacuum and wipe with a clean wet rag or your favorite cleaning spray. Wipe down all cabinet faces as well.

4 Clean the Carpets

Spot clean stains on carpet and upholstery, or get a carpet cleaning service in to give the carpet a good going over.

5 Mop Hard floors

Sweep/mop/treat floors hard floors. For mopping, start at the farthest corner of the room and move back toward the entrance.

Rinse mop after completing each 4 x 4 foot area.

6 Wax Furniture

Every now and then, some wooden furniture needs a good waxing. Rub it on and buff it off. It looks after the wood so it lasts longer, while smelling nice and looking clean and shiny.

7 Wash the Windows

Get some good window washing solution and a squeegy and wash those windows and doors, inside and out. My favorite way is using old bath towels ripped into manageable sized cloths.

One with hot water and a quality dish detergent on it and the other dry. Wash with one, dry with the other – no streaks!

8 Deep Cleaning the Bathroom

The bathroom is one of those places that really needs a weekly, if not monthly cleaning to keep it in really good shape.

Grout

White grout can really brighten the appearance of a bathroom. There are many special grout cleaners to make this deep cleaning job easier. Give it a good scrub and then a wipe down with a clean cloth.

Shower Curtain

Wash your shower curtain if it’s washing machine safe or simply replace it.

Toothbrush Holder

This thing gets pretty nasty. Give it a good scrub and splash out on new tooth brushes while you are at it.

Rubbish

Remove rugs/wastebaskets (if you haven’t already when vacuuming earlier).

Bath/Shower

Remove everything from tub/shower and clean what needs to be in there, and get rid of spares and rubbish.

Wet tub/shower walls with warm water. Apply tile and grout cleaner, allow to sit.

Scrub tub/shower walls and door (use grout brush in-between tiles as needed).

Apply tile and grout cleaner to tub/shower floor and scrub.

Clean shower rack/soap dishes and shower track.

Rinse off walls of tub/shower and dry with cloth.

Everything Else

Spray/clean everything with all-purpose cleaner except toilet, vanity, shower/tub, mirror.

Floors

Fill bucket with ¼ cup all-purpose cleaner and water to prep for floor cleaning.

Wash the floor with solution in the bucket and allow to dry.

Vanity

Spray tile and grout cleaner in sink, soap dish and spray the countertop with all-purpose cleaner.

Scrub sink using a grout brush along faucet and drain.

Rinse the sink and your rag then wipe the vanity countertop, and cabinet fronts.

Shine the faucets.

Clean mirror

Spray glass cleaner on soft cloth and buff.

Toilet

Clean toilet, pay attention to the base and behind it as well.

Faucets

De-scale faucets / showerheads throughout the home with vinegar. Clean out aerators.

Vent Covers

Remove HVAC vent covers and wash them in the sink with warm soapy water.

Ceiling Fans

Wipe down ceiling fan blades.

9 How to Deep Clean the Kitchen before you have your baby

The kitchen is the hub of the home, and this is even more so when you are hungry all the time and up at all hours of the night with a baby. Now is the perfect time to get it all in good order.

Oven and stove top

Before you crank up the heat on your “self-cleaning” oven, take out all the stuff that can be a fire hazard.

Please be aware that the fumes that a self cleaning oven releases can be toxic, so leave your windows OPEN!

If you don’t have a self cleaning function, spray the oven with oven cleaner and leave it for the time that it says on the directions.

Take out the wire racks and give them a good scrub.

Remove the pot grates from the stove top and soak in hot soapy water.

If you have a ceramic top, use a glass scraper to carefully scrape it clean.

If you have an electric oven, you can remove/unplug the coils to make cleaning easier. Some oven/cook tops have a slide-out tray beneath the burners to catch food – don’t forget this!

Scrub down all surfaces and control knobs with a soapy sponge and then a clean wet rag. Don’t forget the hood fan and the hood fan filter.

Microwave

Loosen the food splatters with water, lemon and vinegar in a mug on high for 3 minutes.

If your microwave is tucked into an enclave in the cabinets, or on the counter top, don’t forget to move it to clean underneath/around it.

Use glass cleaner for the microwave face and keypad.

Toaster

Tip out all the bread crumbs and give it a wipe down.

Kettle and other small appliances

Wipe the outsides with a microfibre cloth.

Cupboards and Pantry

Now is the perfect time to go through and sort out your food cupboards. Remove expired food, place all those half empty packets in to their proper storage containers and wipe everything down.

Refrigerator/Freezer

Defrost your freezer if it needs and give everything inside and outside a good wipe down.

Throw away old, rotten or expired food (or stuff you don’t know what it is anymore!)

Don’t forget the rubber gasket around the door seals; clean these with warm soapy water and then disinfect.

Sink and Taps

After all that cleaning, your kitchen sink is going to be filthy.

Wipe out your sink with hot soapy water, paying attention to the crevices in the back splash, and around the faucet.

A disinfectant spray with bleach can help with stubborn stains.

Dishwasher

Use baking soda and vinegar to clean your dishwasher to remove soap residue and build up that accumulates over time. Just run it empty, on a hot wash with a cup of vinegar and ½ cup baking soda.

10 General Wiping, Washing and Deep Cleaning

Doors: Wipe down doors and door frames for fingerprints and smudges.

Garbage Cans: Wipe out and sanitize garbage cans, recycling bins and wastebaskets.

Walls: Give them all a good wipe down

Window stills: If these have missed your attention so far, give them a good wipe down.

Potting soil: Potting soil is only meant to last for 6-12 months; no doubt we often exceed this time limit. Plants can look brand new and the pots they live in should also get a nice wash to make everything look all fresh and shiny.

Curtains: Shower curtains, window treatments and curtains should be cleaned at least once a year. In the bathroom replace the shower lining or wash it if you can effectively, but also give the outer curtain a good wash and possibly an ironing to freshen it up.

The window curtains may need to be dry cleaned if they’re not machine-washable, but it will be worth it.

FREE Deep Cleaning checklist PDF

Want a copy of this deep cleaning checklist that you can print off? Grab it here

What should I do before baby arrives at home?

What do I need to do before baby comes is one of the questions almost every first time mom asks.

There are a few things you should have in order before your due date to make transition to parenting as easy as possible.

1 Clean

Get your house sparkling! If you can’t be bothered, or physically cannot do it, this is the time to call in the professionals!

2 Prep some freezer meals

You may have amazing friends and family that will help feed you in the early weeks, but the more meals you have tucked away in the freezer that just need reheating, the better.

Your future self will thank you!

Not sure what to cook? Birth Eat Love have a super affordable Freezer Meals Cookbook where you get 17 delicious recipes that actually freeze well, a bunch of tips on bulk cooking and freezing food and a pre-made grocery list! Pretty amazing for under $10!!

3 Make a contact list

It is worth working out who you are going to phone or message now, so when you remember someone else, you can add them!

4 Get some activities for older children

You will be quite busy with the baby. This is a great time to organize new activities and outings with friends and grandparents for once baby is here.

5 NAP and Laugh

Get in as much rest and recuperation now as you can! Eat well, spend lots of fun time with your partner, maybe even book in a few date nights.

Spend some time together now and strengthen that bond, as you may well just feel like ships passing in the night for a while once baby arrives.

Deep cleaning your house before baby is a step above your regular cleaning routine and it will get your house and babys nursery ready as it can be for this precious but busy time.

Using a maid service is a great gift to yourself, a weekly cleaning service will keep the house in great shape. Print off or make a house cleaning checklist for the rest of the family or for paid help, so you can put your feet up and relax with your new baby.