Start with the surfaces people touch often and the places where food is prepared. Then clean anything visibly dirty, and give extra attention to shared surfaces when someone at home is sick or at higher risk. This practical order reflects public-health guidance; it is not an official annual ranking or a requirement to deep-clean every room.
What should you clean first?
Use four cues to decide where to begin: how often a surface is touched, whether it is visibly dirty, whether food has contaminated it, and whether illness or elevated health risk changes the situation.
- Frequently touched shared surfaces: Wipe doorknobs, light switches, counters, handrails and similar touchpoints. Clean more often after visitors or when someone in the household is ill. CDC home-cleaning guidance and its respiratory-virus hygiene guidance identify these kinds of surfaces.
- Kitchen food-contact surfaces and utensils: Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counters with hot, soapy water after use, especially after contact with raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs. Wash dishcloths often using the hot cycle. FoodSafety.gov’s food-safety steps explain safe handling and cleanup.
- Other visibly dirty surfaces: Clean with a product suitable for the material. For soft furnishings and laundry, follow care instructions and dry items completely.
- Electronics: Clean phones, tablets, keyboards and remotes according to the device maker’s instructions. A wipeable cover can make cleaning easier, but is optional.
- Refrigerator, when there is a reason: A food recall is one clear trigger. Follow the recall instructions and discard recalled food and other food stored with or touching it. Empty the refrigerator without leaving food out for more than two hours. Wash removable parts and the interior with hot, soapy water, rinse, and optionally sanitize using the CDC procedure.
Cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting are different
Cleaning uses soap or detergent and scrubbing to remove dirt and germs. Sanitizing reduces remaining germs to a level considered safe for a particular context. Disinfecting kills remaining germs after cleaning. CDC says, “In most situations, cleaning alone with soap and water can remove most germs, such as harmful viruses or bacteria, on surfaces.” CDC’s guidance says household disinfection is generally unnecessary unless someone is sick or at higher risk.
If disinfection is warranted, clean first and follow the product label: observe the required contact time, keep the surface wet for that period, and ventilate indoor spaces as directed. Never mix cleaning chemicals. Keep products away from children and pets, and use protective equipment such as gloves or goggles when the label calls for it.
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#1 Best Overall
- LYSOL DISINFECTANT WIPES: Tested and proven to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria*, including COVID-19¹⁴ and 8 cold and flu viruses¹⁰. Disinfects, cleans, removes allergens and deodorizes on 100+ surfaces.
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What not to prioritize
Do not spray disinfectant over sidewalks, roads or other low-touch outdoor areas. CDC says this is not necessary, effective or recommended. High-touch plastic or metal outdoor objects can be cleaned when visibly dirty. CDC guidance on cleaning and disinfecting facilities explains this distinction.
There is no universal list of items every home must clean first each year. Routine soap-and-water cleaning is usually enough; target effort to touch frequency, visible dirt, food contamination and household health circumstances.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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Rank #2
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- Some items may vary.
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