Kenneth Quaranta is a professional at hiring professional house cleaners.He recently called upon the services of Top Cat Cleaning LLC of Riverview, Fla. He says the Tampa-area house cleaners were "by far and away the best we have experienced in the last 10 years"

Whether you do all the house cleaning yourself or hire a professional house cleaner to help out, it is useful to have a checklist to keep your cleaning on track. To make the checklist, divide the chores that need to be done by room, then divide each task by frequency.

Daily checklist

Create a daily checklist that includes all the tasks that need to be done around your home each day. If you have a house cleaner, display the list prominently and put her name next to the chores you want him/her to complete. For example, you can be responsible for putting your laundry in the hamper or away and for loading and running the dishwasher. Your house cleaner can be responsible for cleaning the floors and dusting surfaces. Other daily tasks to include are wiping down the shower and sink in the bathrooms, making the beds, and straightening objects on your nightstand, couch and dresser.

Weekly tasks

Some tasks can be done weekly. You can reserve window cleaning, deep floor cleaning, such as mopping the bathroom and kitchen floors and vacuuming the carpet for weekly tasks. If a lot of people live in your house or you have young children, you may want to vacuum and wash the floors more frequently. It is also a good idea to vacuum the upholstery on your living room furniture weekly. Every week, launder the bath towels, bed linens and bath mats.

Angie's List member Caroline Vance opts for professional bi-weekly cleaning with the help of Master Cleaning Service of Sunland, Calif. "They've been able to accommodate last-minute requests and my ever-changing schedule," she says of the Los Angeles-area house cleaning company.

Monthly and special occasion chores

Your cleaning checklist should include a few chores that you only need to do once a month or even less often. The person who cleans your home can assist you with these tasks, depending on his or her schedule and the inclination for the chores.

Monthly chores include deep cleaning your refrigerator and freezer. Remove and discard any spoiled food and wipe down the shelves inside the refrigerator. You should also wipe down the exterior. Each month you should also wash any comforters or mattress pads and any window or shower curtains. Unpleasant tasks, such as scrubbing the grout between bathroom tiles and cleaning the baseboards should be done each month.

Tia Kolbaba recently hired Happy Brooms Cleaning Service of Metuchen, N.J., after "wanting a cleaner for years." Though she says she keeps atop of regular cleanings, the benefits of a professional are endless.

"I'm about to call and book a cleaning like this once a month," she says of the New York City tri-state-area house cleaners.

Seasonal

Some tasks only need to be done seasonally. For example, you should clean your oven four times a year and turn the mattresses in the bedrooms semi-annually or seasonally. If you have a fireplace, it should be cleaned every few months.

Each season, check on the contents of your pantry. Discard any cans that are expired and any open packages of food that you have eaten in a few months or that you never plan on using. Wipe down the shelves of your pantry and organize the remaining food by type and date.