Need inspiration to help you get started with spring cleaning? Complete this spring cleaning checklist, with 42 spring cleaning tips and tricks for decluttering, organizing, and cleaning your home!
- All-Room Spring Cleaning
- Bedroom Spring Cleaning
- Living Room Spring Cleaning
- Kitchen Spring Cleaning
- Bathroom Spring Cleaning
- Bonus Rooms Spring Cleaning
All-Room Spring Cleaning
Photo via @maidintheusallc
Keeping a clean house means tackling big chores in every room. If you want to deep clean this spring, try out these cleaning projects that can make any room shine.
Make a Plan
A spring cleaning schedule is an excellent way to maximize your time and ensure you don’t get overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. Plan for what you can take on today, identify home chores for the week, designate projects for the month, and set overarching cleaning tasks and goals for the season. Creating a well-crafted plan will help you prioritize what surfaces need scrubbing, which rooms could benefit from decluttering, and where new home organization systems should be put into place.
Declutter First
Before you dust, vacuum, or clean surfaces, declutter your home. Donating or disposing of old papers, clothing, and unused knick-knacks can help you feel more productive and less cramped in your living space. Is your spring cleaning checklist calling for even more change? These minimalist home organizing tips will help you embrace the art of living with less.
Clean Your Cleaning Supplies
Spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to reset and stop old supplies from spreading more dust, dirt, and grime around your home. Change your vacuum filter, disinfect all your cleaning brushes and washcloths, and replace your toilet wand.
Try Eco-Friendly Fixes
Living an environmentally-friendly life isn’t just a trend! Embracing green cleaning fixes can lower cleaning costs, cut down on plastic waste, and reduce the number of harsh chemicals in your home. A sustainable spring cleaning hack is to cut up old t-shirts, towels, or socks to use as washcloths or dusters. You can also make DIY cleaning products that are both eco-friendly and affordable.
Test Safety Features
In addition to keeping your family safe from harsh chemicals and allergens in your home, take time during your seasonal cleaning to test and replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. If you have a home security system installed, make sure to test that it’s armed and working properly.
Change Air Filters
Be sure the air in your home stays fresh by swapping out your furnace and air conditioning filters. While you’re at it, switch out your furnace filter with a fresh one—which may carry the effects of your spring cleaning well past summer and well into autumn!
Dust Everywhere
Dusting might seem like a basic chore to put on your spring cleaning list, but have you thought about all of those typically-forgotten cracks and crevices? Ceiling fans, air vents, window blinds, picture frames, bookshelves, light fixtures, mirrors, and baseboards should all be on your list! If your dusting is typically a quick once-over, use this time to move trinkets and clear clutter. One pro tip is to use different vacuum attachments to reach hard-to-dust spaces.
Wash Windows & Screens
Wondering the best ways to deep clean your home? Let yourself enjoy fresh spring air after you wash windows and their screens! Not only does this give you the opportunity to wipe away dust and dirt, but it lets you release the static air particles trapped in your home.
Scrub Walls & Baseboards
Cleaning the baseboards, ceilings, and walls are tasks to include on any spring cleaning checklist. Many renters and homeowners go for long periods of time without doing this chore. But if you really want a sparkling clean home, wipe away grime and dust from these areas with warm, soapy water, which is safe for most painted walls and baseboards.
Vacuum Carpets & Rugs
Carpets and area rugs are perfect for making a space warm and cozy, but it’s important to vacuum carpets and clean area rugs so crumbs, dust, and dirt aren’t being tracked around your home! Spring cleaning is the perfect time to get a start on this so you can have a clean space for entertaining and relaxing.
Deep Clean Carpets & Rugs…
After vacuuming, take your spring cleaning a step further by shampooing your carpets and rugs! Whether you have a machine at home, need to rent one from the store, or want to hire a professional, deep clean your carpet to remove dust, pet hair, allergens, and bacteria from your space.
…And Upholstery, Too
If you’re already hiring a professional to clean your carpets, check if they have any deals so you can get your upholstery steam cleaned at the same time! More of a DIY home cleaner? Add upholstery and furniture cleaning to your spring cleaning checklist. To make this spring chore a breeze, use the specialty tools on your vacuum to refresh curtains, mattresses, and fabric couches. Most fabric upholstery can be scrubbed with a homemade mixture of gentle soap, water, and vinegar, while leather upholstery can be treated with specialty products or olive oil and vinegar.
Wax Hardwood Floors & Furniture
In addition to extending the life of hardwood floors and furniture, wax adds a nice shine and helps prevent scratching and stains. After removing all furniture and household objects from your floors, vacuum and mop your home’s floors. Then, apply the wax using protective handwear. When choosing what products to use when waxing the floors, be sure to review the manufacturer’s instructions so you don’t void a warranty or damage your floors.
Organize All Closets
Some of the best tips for spring cleaning and organizing involve tackling cluttered storage spaces. Because they tend to get stuffed with items that don’t have a home or things you want to keep out of sight, deep cleaning your home closets is a must!
Don’t Forget to Disinfect
Once you’ve covered the major areas of your spring cleaning list, it’s time to clean the smaller household details that are often forgotten! Disinfect keyboards, computer mice, doorknobs, cabinet handles, light switches, remotes, electronics like phones and video game systems, home gym accessories, kids toys, pet toys, and anything else that’s frequently touched.
Tend to Houseplants
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to check in with your houseplants as they wake up from their winter hibernation! Removing dead leaves, trimming scraggly stems, and giving dusty foliage a good wipe with a mild, soapy solution and a soft cloth sets your indoor plants up for a fantastic season. Springtime is also great for fertilizing dry or nutrient-depleted soil and repotting plants that have outgrown their planters.
Try New Home Layouts
Welcome the new season by mixing up the layout of your home! Need ideas for how to get started? These feng shui tips for your bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom can inspire you to create a natural flow in each room and invite in good energy. Plus, moving around furniture can aid your spring cleaning by allowing you to dust, vacuum, or wash hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
Finish by Donating Items
Once you’ve decluttered, reorganized, rearranged, and disinfected your space, it’s time to donate excess items or furniture. Be sure you know where to donate household items so you don’t have to throw something away unnecessarily.
Bedroom Spring Cleaning
Photo via @gingerbarber.interiordesign
The bedroom can be the most relaxing, welcoming space in your home if you maintain your mattress, linens, and wardrobe. Check out these bedroom cleaning tips for when you’re spring cleaning!
Wash Bedroom Linens
Not sure how to spring clean your room? Set up a clean bedroom by washing all your bedroom linens. While bed sheets are typically washed one or two times a month, seasonal cleaning is the perfect time to launder your comforter, duvet, pillows, curtains, and rugs, or take them to a dry cleaner.
Care for Mattresses
To prolong the life of a mattress, add flipping it over and cleaning it to your room cleaning checklist! Mattress care includes flipping it biannually, making spring cleaning the perfect time do it—just make sure your mattress is designed to be flipped and slept on both sides! Clean your mattress by sprinkling a layer of baking soda on the surface, letting it sit, and vacuum it off. Then, put allergy covers mattress protectors, bedsheets, pillows, and blankets back on your bed!
Switch Out Your Seasonal Wardrobe
Give your winter sweaters and coats a good wash and replace them with your warm-weather clothing. This is also a great time to reorganize clothing and discard rarely worn pieces, tidy up shoes, and mend any clothing pieces that are ill-fitting or have rips and stains.
Living Room Spring Cleaning
Photo via @dabblingindecorating
A clean living room is great for entertaining, watching movies, or simply having a relaxing night in. Check out these spring cleaning ideas to get your living space ready for whatever comes your way!
Wash Pillows & Throws
Since throw blankets and pillows add flair and comfort to your space, take the time to care for them while tackling your spring cleaning checklist! If you’re wondering how to wash throw pillows, read the care label to see if you should use the delicate cycle on your washing machine, hand wash them, or take them to a dry cleaner. Also, be sure to consider material when washing your blankets!
Deep Clean Your Couch
Start deep cleaning your sofa by brushing off dirt, dust, or hair, and then vacuum your cushions, armrests, and chaise lounges. Next, remove cushions from your sofa, and be sure to vacuum up any crumbs that may have slipped through the cracks. If necessary, be sure to clean couch stains with the sofa’s material in mind. Thoroughly dry the area before using the couch again.
Take Care of Fireplaces
While a fireplace is great for warming up a space during the colder months, it won’t be getting as much use in the spring, so now is the perfect time to give it a deep clean! Removing soot and burnt logs from wood-burning fireplaces, vacuuming vents in electric fireplaces, and cleaning glass doors in gas hearths are excellent places start to when cleaning a fireplace.
Tend to Electronics
Since electronics are a major part of daily life, it’s important to include their sanitization and reorganization in your spring cleaning list. This is the perfect time to test if your electronics still work, replace old batteries, and even upgrade outdated systems. Afterward, practice cord management with a cable management box or cable organizers and ties. And be mindful of how to correctly dispose of or recycle electronics when spring cleaning!
Wipe Down Decorative Pieces
Candles, vases, photographs, decorative books, gaming systems, and more are prime dust-collectors. By giving these items a once-over, your space can stay clean longer. To round out your seasonal cleaning in the living room, don’t forget to dust and disinfect any seasonal or holiday decor before putting it into storage for the season.
Kitchen Spring Cleaning
Photo via @rymcdon
A clean kitchen makes it easier to be productive when preparing meals. Make the most of your space and keep a clean house with these spring cleaning tips and tricks for your kitchen!
Empty Your Fridge & Freezer…
It’s easy for your fridge and freezer to accumulate expired food and ice buildup, so make a note on your spring cleaning list to tackle this area. Empty this kitchen appliance and throw out expired food before wiping down your fridge and freezer. Remember to get the coils, too! While your freezer is defrosting, pull the fridge away from the wall so you can vacuum and mop the floor underneath it. Then be sure to let all the ice from your freezer melt before plugging your appliances back in.
…& Deep Clean Kitchen Appliances
To fully clean your kitchen, scrub the stovetop, run the clean cycle on your oven, clean the kitchen sink, and tend to your range hood. If stains are stubborn, leave a water and baking soda paste on overnight before scrubbing away at burnt food. Don’t forget that deep cleaning your dishwasher or coffee maker can be as painless as running vinegar through each machine, and getting a clean microwave can be as simple as heating a bowl of water, vinegar, and a lemon slice before wiping down the inside. Finish sprucing up your kitchen and replace your hand towels, sponges, and cleaning brushes.
Clear Out the Pantry
It’s easy to put off pantry organization, so why not add it to your spring cleaning checklist? Buckets, bins, and tubs can all be labeled and organized by frequency of use to create a pantry that’s as functional as it is visually appealing. Spring cleaning encourages you to remove outdated canned goods, expired food, and unwanted non-perishable items from your pantry. Purging your pantry also allows you to restock shelf-stable items and options that you’ll actually use.
Tackle Your Cabinets
Clean kitchen cabinets or drawers by emptying them and vacuuming out loose debris and dust. Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down shelves, cabinets, and kitchen hardware. Declutter your kitchen and donate any unused pots, pans, dinnerware, or silverware. Plus, seasonal deep cleans are the perfect time to organize your kitchen!
Care for Kitchen Counters
To determine how to clean kitchen countertops, it’s important to know what they’re made of! First, reassess what’s taking up countertop space and store away or donate any infrequently-used appliances. Then, use water and mild dish soap to easily clean marble and granite countertops, or warm water and distilled white vinegar for butcher block countertops. Spring cleaning is a great time to consider updating countertops, too!
Bathroom Spring Cleaning
Photo via @weltondesigngroup
Keeping your bathroom clean means diving into overlooked corners and reorganizing makeup, medicine, and more. Here are some spring cleaning tips to help you keep your bathroom in tip-top shape.
Scrub Tile & Grout
Even if you regularly clean your shower, when was the last time you really put your back into it? Whether you use a toothbrush or have a special cleaning tool, make sure scrubbing the tile and grout throughout your bathroom is on your spring cleaning checklist. Clean the toilet—including the base—and don’t forget the sink and bathroom vanity, either!
Soak Faucets in Vinegar
Whether it’s your shower head, bathroom faucet, kitchen sink, or anywhere there’s running water, calcium buildup can become a problem. A simple spring cleaning hack is to use a wet dishrag or full plastic bag to soak these spouts in white vinegar. This spring cleaning task helps break down any buildup before you scrub away at water spots and stains.
Launder Bathroom Linens
Use your spring cleaning time to freshen up your bathroom linens! To clean towels, separate them by color to stop color bleeding, follow the care instructions, and use fabric softener or white vinegar to keep their fluffy feel. Most bathroom rugs are machine washable on a gentle cycle with high heat, but other materials may require hand-washing with a mixture of water and laundry detergent. And if you’re wondering how to clean a shower curtain or liner, take them off their hooks and pop them into the washing machine. Be sure to use warm water for cloth curtains and cool water for plastic liners.
Reorganize the Medicine Cabinet
As with closets, medicine cabinets can often become spaces for clutter. Take time during your spring cleaning to properly dispose expired medications, restock emergency supplies, and organize over-the-counter medicines and other bathroom items so they’re easy to find and use.
Maintain Brushes
Spring cleaning is about cleansing your living environment, so don’t skip out on the tools you use every day! Deep clean your makeup brushes to keep your skin clear, your makeup station organized, and bacteria to a minimum. Though typically done every three or four months, replacing your toothbrush is an excellent spring cleaning checklist addition. Repurpose your old toothbrush to clean your hairbrush by scrubbing at the base and bristles with a soapy water solution.
Clean the Mirror
Fingerprints, watermarks, and dust can all make a mirror dirty and difficult to use, so add mirror cleaning to your spring cleaning list! Whether it’s a medicine cabinet or bathroom mirror, a full-body mirror, or a shaving mirror, glass cleaner can help get rid of pesky marks. Then use dish soap, shaving cream, or vinegar to help prevent fogging in the future.
Bonus Rooms Spring Cleaning
Photo via @liveprettyonapenny
Have a bonus room you need to add to your spring cleaning list? From storage areas like the garage and basement to multi-use rooms, here are some ways to deep clean these areas of your home this spring!
Be Mindful of Your Laundry Room
Whether you have an entire laundry room to organize or combined washer-dryer in the closet, use your spring cleaning time to tidy this area and clean your washing machine. This will ensure your clothes smell fresh and are getting as clean as possible. It’s as simple as adding vinegar or bleach to your machine and running it on the hottest and longest cycle. And don’t forget to empty your lint trap and dryer vent to prevent mold, save energy, and increase your dryer’s lifespan.
Don’t Forget About Outdoor Spaces
Taking patio furniture out of storage for the season? Give them a good spring cleaning before you start entertaining guests! To elevate your space further, pressure wash your front patio, deck, and siding. Don’t forget to clean out your gutters, rinse your garbage and recycling bins, and tend to your yard, garden, and other landscaping needs. Pools and other backyard water features will likely need some maintenance before summer hits, so adding them to your spring cleaning checklist is the perfect way to ensure everything is ready in time. And once you’ve given your space a good cleaning, you may even want to give your backyard a makeover!
Take Care of the Garage
Lawn care season is almost here! Make sure your spring cleaning list includes shed organization. It’s also important to declutter and organize your garage so you can quickly find tools, yard clippers, and gardening shears when they’re needed. Plus, you’ll be able to make space for cars, motorcycles, and small recreational vehicles again before spring showers hit! If you have an abundance of tools or seasonal items, consider setting up a spring cleaning garage sale to help declutter your space. Or free up space by designating an at-home space or storage unit for seasonal storage like snow blowers and snow shovels.
Keep the Home Office in Mind
With a rise in work-from-home jobs and virtual activities, home offices have become additional places for clutter to collect. Add office organization to your spring cleaning checklist to create a calmer, more organized workspace! Check and replace writing utensils or commonly used office supplies, and make sure to reorganize and declutter bookshelves by donating or selling books, decorations, and other items.
Consider Flex Rooms & Basements
Whether you’re using a flex room as a playroom, kids room, home gym, or craft room, keeping things tidy and organized will help you get the most of out of your space! If your kids use these areas, be sure to add cleaning toys to your spring cleaning checklist. Take time to disinfect games that are frequently touched, dust decorations, and organize everything into bins or shelves so it’s all easier for your kids to find while playing. Clean and organize your basement while going through your spring cleaning checklist. To finish your spring cleaning, consider rearranging your basement furniture to give your space a makeover and increase its usability.
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