When talking about cleaning in French, you’ll need to describe chores, cleaning activities, and supplies. Here’s how to use the vocabulary from daily life to deep cleaning.

Describing Common Household Chores

Le ménage includes all the tasks you do to keep a house clean. For example, when you need to clean the kitchen, use la cuisine. Washing the dishes is called la vaisselle, and doing laundry is referred to as la lessive. If something is dirty, you say it is sale; once you finish cleaning, it is propre. Dusting is called la poussière, while wiping surfaces is essuyer. Tidying up a room is le rangement. Making the bed is le lit or arranging la literie. La moquette needs special care if it is dusty or stained. Taking out the trash is la sortie des ordures or dealing with les poubelles.

Examples: * Je dois faire le ménage ce week-end. * Il faut nettoyer la salle de bain chaque semaine. * Le sol est sale, il faut balayer. * N’oublie pas de sortir les poubelles. * Les vêtements sont dans la machine pour la lessive.

Describing Cleaning-Related Activities

When you talk about these routine activities, nettoyer is the verb to use for cleaning. Doing a more specific task like wiping the fridge (frigo) or a surface is essuyer. To wash, use laver; for laundry it’s la lessive. You can say something is poussiéreux for dusty, and la propreté signals cleanliness. Use ranger for putting things away, and la saleté for dirt.

Examples: * Après le dîner, je fais la vaisselle. * Je dois essuyer la table. * Le frigo a besoin d’un nettoyage. * Cette pièce est poussiéreuse. * Je range toujours ma chambre le dimanche.

Describing Cleaning Supplies

You need different items for different tasks. Le balai is the broom for sweeping, and balayer is to sweep. To mop, use la serpillère (or la vadrouille), usually with a seau (bucket). La brosse refers to a brush, and éponges or sponge for sponges. Use gants (gloves) to protect your hands and produits de nettoyage for any cleaning products. Détergents and savon are common; serviette or tissu covers cloths. Don’t forget the poubelle for trash!

Examples: * Je balaie le sol avec un balai. * J’utilise une éponge et du savon pour la vaisselle. * La serpillère est utile pour nettoyer le sol. * Il faut porter des gants pour utiliser les produits de nettoyage.

Describing Deep Cleaning

For in-depth cleaning, use le nettoyage en profondeur. To désinfecter is to disinfect and kill germs. Détartrage handles limescale, especially in the bathroom or kitchen. Récurer is scrubbing for stubborn stains or la graisse (grease). Industrial or large cleaning jobs might take place in l'entrepôt. Use la machine à laver for washing clothes.

Examples: * Je désinfecte la salle de bain chaque mois. * Le nettoyage en profondeur de la cuisine prend du temps. * Je récurer la baignoire pour enlever la graisse. * Un détartrage du robinet est nécessaire.

In France, cleanliness is culturally appreciated and is often part of a set routine each week, especially to keep small city apartments comfortable and welcoming.