Bedroom Cleaning Checklist
Help Kids Know Expectations For This Chore

A bedroom cleaning checklist can help solve a problem you may be having in your home currently -- getting your kids to do everything necessary to clean their rooms.

I myself have been working with my kids recently to get them helping with chores more consistently and independently.

However, a lightbulb went off in my head recently, when I realized they don't know my expectations for keeping their room clean, since I've never actually told them. Duh! Thus, the idea of a checklist was born.

Advantages Of Using A Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

This checklist is a way to tell my kids what my expectations are for what constitutes a clean room, written almost like a step by step guide, so they know what steps to take to get the job done. I think lots of times my kids don't know what to do next, and what things need to get done at all. This seems to help.

Further, I can't remember where I heard this, but it stuck with me. Kids "respect what you inspect." Using the checklist helps them know what I want, but also lets me run down the list when doing an "inspection" of their room, so I make sure I hit the high points.

I'll share my list with you below, plus you can have your own printable checklist here (opens into a new window as PDF) if you wish to use my exact list for your kids. However, I urge you to sit down with your kids and think of your own list, together, based on their bedroom problem areas, the layout of their room, and their age. You can get ideas from my list below though.

What's On My Kids' Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

I have two parts to my checklist, a daily component and a weekly component. That is because I want to instill in my kids the habit of tidying up their room daily, and also doing a bigger clean up about once a week.

I will confess what you see below is a composite list of what you'd see in an older kid versus a younger kids list, since I don't let my littlest vacuum yet, for instance. But I do have "chores" for each of them to do in their room each day, even if those chores only take about five minutes. (Click the image of the printable below to get your own PDF copy.)

Daily Checklist

• Make bed
• Put dirty laundry in laundry baskets, and shoes in closet
• Put away any clean clothes and laundry on your bed
• Clear floor of anything that does not belong
• Place toys back in correct bins or containers
• Tell Mom or Dad when you're done and we'll come inspect

Weekly Checklist

• Vacuum carpet
• Empty trash can
• Change sheets and blanket and put old ones in dirty clothes
• Dust
• Tell Mom or Dad when you're done and we'll come inspect

Get Your Printable Checklist Here

If you want to use the checklist I've already created you can grab a copy here, by clicking on the image of the checklist itself.

Click here for your free checklist
(Opens into new window as PDF)

When creating the bedroom cleaning checklist for your child you can be as specific as needed to make sure they complete the tasks you want them to.

We had a real problem in our home, for example, with lots of shoes being left out even when I asked them to put away dirty laundry, so I just added it to the list and now I don't trip over shoes in a supposedly cleaned room.

I hope this idea for a bedroom cleaning checklist helps, and makes the chore wars easier for both you and your child!

I'd also love to hear from you below, in the comments, telling me things you make your kids clean up in their bedrooms, and how you check on their progress.

Funny Because It's True Moment: Is This How Your Kids Clean Their Room Too?

This is one of my favorite graphics I've ever made, because it is so true. Of course, using the checklist can help this, a bit, but yeah, this still can happen!

Reader Spotlight: Alternate Checklist To Beat The Clock

While I've provided the checklist above for you as an example and if you don't want to create one yourself, you are certainly not bound to what I've created. A reader, Adamilka, sent in a photo of the checklist she created for her kids after being inspired by this article.

I like how she added a time component, and told them to beat the clock. Working against a timer is a strategy that often works well for kids (and for adults too!)

Do You Want To Deep Clean Your Bedroom?

The checklist above is perfect for getting your kids to clean and tidy their bedrooms regularly, but what if you want to deep clean the bedroom?

If so, then check out this article with 10 things you don't want to forget when you deep clean your bedroom.

Want More Inspiration For Your Bedroom?

I'm honored to have been asked to join a great group of blogging ladies who all discuss topics from around our homes. Each month we choose a different room as our theme, so we can all get some inspiration in this area of our homes. We call it the Room by Room Inspiration for Every Room in Your Home.

This month each of us is discussing some aspect of the bedroom. Please check out these other great blog posts from the group:

• Christine from I Dream of Clean is talking about spring cleaning your bedroom, with a checklist for this task.


• Lauren from Mama's Laundry Talk is giving advice on tackling the issue that can make maintaining order in the bedroom almost impossible, getting rid of clothing clutter in the master bedroom


• Jami from An Oregon Cottage will inspire you with her frugal decorating expertise in a post titled Shop The House To Refresh A Bedroom


• Finally, if all this bedroom talk depresses you because yours is a disaster, check out the amazing transformation Nony from A Slob Comes Clean accomplished in her own disastrous master bedroom in less than ninety minutes!

Sixth photo by Elizabeth/Table4Five

Related Pages You May Enjoy

How To Clean Anything Even If You're Not June Cleaver

Toy Ransom Box: Method To Get Kids To Pick Up After Themselves

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.