The Ultimate Hotel Housekeeping Cleaning Checklist for 2025

Hotels thrive on cleanliness — a crucial factor for guest health, safety, and satisfaction. Routine and thorough cleaning reduces germs, improves guest experience, and can boost hotel revenue. Cleanliness consistently ranks as a top priority for travelers; studies show more than 80% of travelers choose hotels based on cleanliness.

This guide provides practical, up-to-date housekeeping checklists and schedules for 2025 to help standardize procedures, improve training, and ensure consistent guest satisfaction.

What Cleaning Supplies You Need to Clean a Hotel Room

To effectively clean a hotel room, have a well-stocked housekeeping trolley with detergents, cleaning tools, fresh linens, and items for the mini-bar.

Before moving between floors, ensure your housekeeping cart is fully equipped to maximize efficiency. Essential items include a variety of detergents, tools, fresh towels/sheets/pillow covers, a welcome kit, and mini-bar items.

Cleaning supplies checklist

• ✓ Vacuum cleaner — for carpets and upholstery
• ✓ Mop and bucket — for floors and hard surfaces
• ✓ Cleaning cloths — different types for different uses
• ✓ Antibacterial products — alcohol-based sanitizers for germ control
• ✓ Microfiber cloths — dusting and polishing without scratching
• ✓ General cleaners — glass cleaners and multipurpose detergents
• ✓ Laundry detergent — quality detergent for linens and towels
• ✓ Disposable gloves — hygiene and hand protection
• ✓ Broom and dustpan — for sweeping hard floors
• ✓ Squeegee — for streak-free mirrors and glass

How Do You Clean a Hotel Room?

Housekeeping should be meticulous and discreet. Plan, follow a consistent routine, and use effective products to maintain high standards while minimizing guest disturbance.

Before starting, take a moment to plan the cleaning approach to save time and energy. Regularly test and evaluate cleaning products to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.

Hotel room cleaning checklist

• ✓ Linen inspection — remove bed linens, check for stains, examine the mattress
• ✓ Trash removal — check all areas for trash
• ✓ Dusting — dust every surface thoroughly
• ✓ Disinfecting — focus on high-touch areas (remotes, door handles, switches)
• ✓ Bed making — replace linens and make beds neatly
• ✓ Bathroom sanitization — clean and disinfect entire bathroom
• ✓ Restocking — replenish toiletries and refreshments
• ✓ Floor cleaning — vacuum, sweep, and mop as needed
• ✓ Odor and temperature check — ensure a fresh smell and comfortable temperature
• ✓ Final review — perform a walk-through to confirm standards are met

How Do You Clean a Hotel Bathroom?

Bathroom cleaning requires effective products and safety measures. Prioritize ventilation and protective equipment to protect staff from strong chemicals and avoid cross-contamination.

Safety and hygiene tips:

• Ensure good ventilation — open doors/windows where possible when using cleaning products
• Wear protective gear — goggles, gloves, and aprons as needed
• Avoid cross-contamination — use dedicated tools (spray bottles, rags, mops) for bathrooms

Hotel bathroom cleaning checklist

• ✓ Towel collection — wash all towels (used or unused)
• ✓ Sink disinfection — clean sinks, faucets, handles, drains; check for leaks
• ✓ Bathtub and shower cleaning — clean and disinfect, including drains and fixtures
• ✓ Surface cleaning — clean walls, mirrors, countertops, and doors
• ✓ Toilet sanitization — clean bowl, handle, lid, seat, and tank thoroughly
• ✓ Vent cleaning — dust and clean ceiling fans or vents
• ✓ Cabinet scrubbing — clean and dry cabinets and handles
• ✓ Floor maintenance — sweep, mop, and clean grout; hand-clean where needed
• ✓ Trash and air quality — replace trash bags and refresh deodorizers after floors dry
• ✓ Restocking — replenish soap, shampoo, paper products; remove guest items from previous stays

How Do You Clean a Hotel Kitchen?

Hotel kitchens require structured management: strict schedules and clear task assignments ensure no cleaning step is missed and food safety is maintained.

Hotel kitchen cleaning checklist

• ✓ Surface sanitization — disinfect all food prep areas
• ✓ Grill cleaning — brush and clean grills thoroughly
• ✓ Laundry sorting — collect and separate rags and aprons for laundering
• ✓ Cooking surfaces — wipe down and clean cutting boards and preparation surfaces
• ✓ Grease trap maintenance — clean grease traps regularly and deeply
• ✓ Floor upkeep — wash rubber mats and mop floors
• ✓ Utensil cleaning — wash knives, pots, pans, and other prep items
• ✓ Wall cleaning — scrub kitchen and dish room walls as needed
• ✓ Hood filter care — remove and clean ventilation hood filters regularly

How Do You Clean a Hotel Lobby?

A clean, welcoming lobby sets the tone for guests’ entire stay. Use appropriate techniques for carpets and hard surfaces, and keep staff alert to cleaning needs throughout the day.

Hotel lobby cleaning checklist

• ✓ Floor care — sweep and mop hard surfaces; post “Slippery When Wet” signs after mopping
• ✓ Carpet maintenance — vacuum carpets, mats, and rugs daily; use odor control as needed
• ✓ Furniture cleaning — wipe and vacuum furniture; use specialized cleaners for glass and polish for wood/metal
• ✓ Trash management — empty and clean bins frequently; place air fresheners near trash areas
• ✓ Dusting — dust shelves, counters, décor, and other surfaces
• ✓ Surface polishing — polish metal and wood surfaces
• ✓ Window and door cleaning — keep windows and doors streak-free
• ✓ Sanitizing high-touch areas — disinfect door handles, desks, elevator buttons regularly
• ✓ Entryway mat upkeep — ensure mats are clean and presentable
• ✓ Lighting inspection — check and replace dim or flickering bulbs

How Often Should a Hotel Room Be Cleaned?

Standard practice:

• Daily light cleaning during a guest’s stay
• Full, comprehensive cleaning between guest stays

Daily cleaning typically includes trash removal, bed making, bathroom cleaning, and restocking amenities. Daily vacuuming and dusting may be performed as needed rather than every day.

Daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules

For consistent hygiene and guest satisfaction, maintain daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning routines.

Streamlined daily cleaning checklist

• ✓ Surface cleaning — vacuum and mop floors; dust woodwork, electronics, and furnishings
• ✓ Sanitization — disinfect high-touch items (remotes, phones)
• ✓ Mirror and artwork care — daily wet dusting
• ✓ Amenity restocking — refill toiletries and room supplies
• ✓ Bathroom maintenance — clean floors, tubs, toilets; empty sanitary bins (twice daily where required)

Weekly cleaning checklist

• ✓ Lights and switches — check and clean weekly
• ✓ Wall dusting — weekly maintenance
• ✓ AC vent cleaning — weekly dust prevention
• ✓ Headboard cleaning — damp-dust twice weekly
• ✓ Furniture dusting — dresser and nightstand cleaning twice weekly
• ✓ Lamp maintenance — dust weekly
• ✓ Soft furniture cleaning — vacuum chairs and sofas twice weekly
• ✓ Frame polishing — polish picture/mirror frames twice weekly
• ✓ Closet and safe dusting — twice weekly
• ✓ Mini-bar maintenance — wet dust twice weekly
• ✓ Mirror polishing — twice weekly
• ✓ Tissue holder maintenance — check and clean weekly

Monthly cleaning checklist

• ✓ Ceiling cleaning — dust and remove cobwebs monthly
• ✓ Floor tile buffing — monthly maintenance for shine and cleanliness
• ✓ Drape and track cleaning — monthly dust removal
• ✓ Window cleaning — thorough monthly cleaning
• ✓ Shower head cleaning — monthly lime scale prevention
• ✓ Shower curtain maintenance — monthly scrubbing and washing
• ✓ Exhaust vent cleaning — ensure air quality; consider bi-monthly (every two months) deep cleaning

Clean Hotel Makes for Happy Guests

A comprehensive cleaning checklist ensures that every aspect of guest rooms and public spaces is attended to consistently. Standardized procedures help streamline training for new staff and provide a reliable reference for experienced employees.

Integrating digital tools can enhance these efforts. Platforms like HelloShift optimize housekeeping operations with features such as automated guest messaging, staff collaboration tools, task and checklist management, and mobile apps for up-to-date room status. Adopting such software can improve communication, efficiency, and guest engagement.

HelloShift customers report 30% fewer guest complaints and 2x faster issue resolution. Our AI handles routine guest requests, digital guidebooks reduce front desk calls by 40%, and preventive maintenance checklists prevent costly breakdowns.

Ready to transform your hotel? Get started in 5 minutes with our free trial, or schedule a demo to see HelloShift in action at a property like yours.