Free Resource
The Ultimate
Cleaning
Caddy
CHECKLIST
A complete checklist of essential cleaning tools, plus 8 practical housekeeping tips used onboard to help you clean efficiently, safely, and confidently.
Includes cleaning caddy essentials and real onboard housekeeping tips.
Most stews are never told what actually belongs in a cleaning caddy
When you start working onboard, you’re expected to clean confidently and efficiently from day one — but no one explains what tools you should actually be carrying.
Some yachts provide fully stocked caddies. Others don’t.
Without a proper setup, you lose time going back and forth, miss important details, or risk using the wrong product on sensitive surfaces.
This checklist gives you a clear, practical reference based on real onboard experience.
What’s included in the checklist
This checklist covers both the tools you need and the cleaning habits that improve efficiency and results.
Inside, you’ll find:
• Complete cleaning caddy contents checklist
• Recommended cleaning products used onboard
• Color-coded microfiber cloth system
• Surface-specific cleaners for glass, wood, marble, and leather
• Detail-cleaning tools for hard-to-reach areas
• Protective items like gloves and stain removers
• 8 practical housekeeping tips used by professional yacht stews
Includes 8 onboard housekeeping tips
Beyond the checklist, this guide includes practical housekeeping tips that help you clean efficiently and avoid common mistakes.
You’ll learn how to:
• Clean in the correct order to avoid redoing work
• Move efficiently and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth
• Plan your cleaning route properly
• Maintain consistent interior standards
• Catch small details guests notice immediately
• Build good cleaning habits from the start
These are the habits that make your work faster, easier, and more professional.
Designed for real onboard use
This checklist is simple, practical, and easy to follow onboard.
Use it to:
• Set up your cleaning caddy properly
• Improve your housekeeping routine
• Train junior stews
• Prepare for your first yacht job
Want the full housekeeping routine?
This checklist works alongside the free online Yacht Stew Housekeeping Guide, where I explain:
• How to clean guest cabins step-by-step
• What to carry in your cleaning caddy
• How to clean different surfaces safely
• How to work efficiently onboard
Who this checklist is for
This checklist is useful whether you’re working as:
• Junior Stew learning interior standards
• Sole Stew managing the interior yourself
• Chief Stew setting up systems for your team
• Deck Stew assisting with housekeeping
• Cook Stew balancing galley and interior duties
It’s also ideal if you’re preparing for your first yacht job.
Created from real onboard experience
I’ve been working as a yacht stew since 2006, including roles as Chief Stew, Sole Stew, Deck Stew, and Cook Stew.
This checklist is based on the tools and systems actually used onboard.
These are the resources I wish I’d had when I started.
Need help building confidence in your stew role?
If you want guidance on interior standards, job preparation, or real onboard situations, you can book a one-to-one mentoring session with me.
One-to-one mentorship for yacht stews.
Download questions
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The download is in PDF format. You’ll need the free Adobe Reader or a similar PDF viewer to view the document.
