It’s time to welcome spring by giving your home a thorough cleaning. After all, nothing makes your home more welcoming than a clean and tidy home. If the thought of spring cleaning your home overwhelms you, you have come to the right place. The trick to successful spring cleaning is to take it one room at a time.
Now you may be wondering – What is spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning is an annual deep cleaning done at the beginning of spring when warmer weather hits. This is a tradition in areas with harsh winter, which makes cleaning tough during winters. When the weather gets warmer, homes are cleaned from top to bottom.
Nowadays, people use the term spring cleaning generically to refer to deep cleaning during any season.
Here are 31 spring cleaning tips to ensure that your home sparkles by the end of it all.
Make a schedule
Planning is always the first step to any successful project. Look around and see the areas that need work. Go room by room and check out which areas need deep cleaning. Prepare a checklist of what needs to be thrown out, given away, or stored later in every room. Having a spring cleaning schedule will keep you focused and prepared.
Outside
Let us start spring cleaning from outside the house.
Clean light fixtures
Dust, dirt, and bugs can reduce the light output of your outdoor light fixtures by half if allowed to build up. To clean these fixtures, prepare a bucket of warm water mixed with dish soap and vinegar. Remove the globe or the cover of the light fixture and wash it in this bucket. For parts that cannot be removed, dip a rag in this soap solution, wring it dry and wipe down. Here in the south we typically have an outdoor ceiling fan on our porches so these need to be cleaned also. I will wipe mine down with damp paper towels and then turn it on to remove any moisture from the fan blades.
Clean patio furniture
Add liquid dish soap to a bowl of warm water and wipe down your patio tables and chairs. Wash the furniture with water and let them air dry.
Sliding door tracks
Vacuum the tracks to get rid of any dirt or debris. Mix any liquid dish soap in a bowl of warm water, scrub the inside of the tracks and wipe down with a rag.
Repair gutters
Gutters require little maintenance, but they can clog the downspouts when filled with leaves. Use a sturdy extension ladder and a leaf blower to clear out all the leaves from the gutter.
Doormats
Hose off, and air dry your doormats. You can use one doormat outside and one inside the door to trap more dirt and keep your home cleaner.
Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house, and you should tackle it first. We have broken down the spring cleaning tasks in the kitchen to simplify the process. Try our all purpose cleaner recipe for the best way to clean your kitchen with no toxic chemicals.
Cabinets and drawers
The cabinets and drawers inside the kitchen tend to get cluttered throughout the year. Work on the drawers one at a time. Take everything out and see if there is anything occupying space and is never used. Donate or discard any such item. Wipe clean the insides and outsides of the drawer and pay special attention to the corners.
Appliances
Appliances are bound to get dirty when we cook. All kitchen appliances get messy with spills and splashes. Take time and clean the cooktops, microwave, blender, coffee maker, knife block and more with the help of my essential oil degreaser.
Countertops
Clear everything placed on the countertops. Use a soft brush to eliminate dust or food particles from the surface. Spray my essential oil degreaser on the surface and let it sit for 30 minutes. Take a dish sponge and scrub in a circular motion to remove the grease. Use a rag to clean the excess degreaser off the countertops.
After the counter has been cleaned, organize the counter space and get rid of any clutter.
Refrigerator and pantry
All of us are guilty of buying something from the grocery store, putting it away, and forgetting that it's there. Start by checking the expiration dates of every item in your pantry and refrigerator and throwing away anything that is past its expiration date.
Now wipe down the shelves and drawers to clean up any food spills that attract bugs.
Chopping boards
Chopping boards can develop marks and stubborn stain even though you may be cleaning them regularly. The easy way to get rid of those dark stains, sprinkle some salt on the board and then rub the cut side of lemon on it. This will get rid of the stains and the smell as well.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are one of the most visited places in our home, so they deserve a thorough spring cleaning. Here are some valuable tips for spring cleaning your bathroom.
Clear out unnecessary clutter
Put away things that don’t belong in the bathroom and throw away all expired products in the trash. Clear your countertops, cabinets, and drawers. Place all the items on the floor, sort them and place them in their proper place – trash, bathroom, or where it belongs.
Wash bathmats
Take bath mats outside to give them a good shake then machine wash them. I usually set them outside to dry in the sun.
Clean the cabinets
Vacuum the inside of the cabinets. Remove any paper, hair, or remnants of make-up. If there are any stubborn spills, dip a microfibre cloth in vinegar and remove it.
Clean the counter and sink
Use our homemade essential oil shower cleaner to clean the bathroom sink and counter. Spray the solution on the counter and sink and let it stay for 30 minutes. Scrub thoroughly and rinse with plenty of water.
Clean the shower and tub area
Use one of our homemade shower cleaner recipes to clean the grout and grime from the shower and tub area of your bathroom. Spray this mixture on the shower head, shower tiles, bathtubs, glass shower door, and shower curtains. Let it stay for 30 to 40 minutes, and then rinse with water. For shower heads with tough stains and water deposits place a cup of our favorite shower cleaner recipe in a plastic bag. Then place the shower head inside the plastic bag and let is soak for a few minutes then clean with good scrubbing using a cleaning brush or clean cloth. Rinse with cool water.
Toilet
Use a toilet brush to clean the inside of the toilet. Check for dirt behind the toilet, below the knobs, and on top of the flush. Clean the toilet seat to remove any stubborn stains.
Shower drain
It is essential to clean drains regularly to keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean. To clean drains and freshen them up, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with ¼ cup of salt. Pour this mixture into the drain and add one cup of heated vinegar. Let it stand for 15 minutes and run hot tap water.
Living room
You may be tidying your living room regularly, but it’s a great idea to spring clean it once a year.
Curtains
Check the labels on your curtains to figure out if you can launder them at home. If they are formal curtains, they may need dry cleaning. You can toss your curtains in the dryer for 15 minutes on the air-only cycle to freshen them up.
Dust the structure
Move all furniture away from the walls and cover it. It will surprise you how many dust bunnies you have hidden behind furniture. Remove the artwork from the walls. Now take a long-handled duster and clean the fan, the walls, the roof, corners, tops of the window frames, and the window sills of the room. Clean the picture frames and return them to the walls.
Wash your walls
This might sound odd but giving your walls a quick wipe-down with a wet rag will do wonders for refreshing a room. I like to take a bucket and add a cup of vinegar, some hot water, and some essential oils then dampen a rag with the mixture and wipe down my walls. It takes less time than you think to clean walls and it really makes your living space so much cleaner.
Clean the furniture
Remove any blankets, throws, pillows, and cushions from the sofa. If the covers are removable, you can launder them. Use the upholstery attachment of the vacuum cleaner to clean the sofas and the couches. If you have a pet, you may be keen to get the dog smell out of your sofa. Read my post on how to use essential oils to remove the dog smell out of your couch.
Dust everything else
Remove every item from the shelves and coffee tables and dust it. Clean your books, lampshades, and bulbs. Use a damp cloth to clean the surfaces before putting all the items back.
Polish the wooden furniture
Use a lint-free cloth and wood polish to polish all your wood furniture and remove minor scratches.
Make the windows shine
Clean the windows of your house with this easy homemade glass cleaner. You can use this cleaner to clean other glass surfaces. Spray it all over the glass surface and wipe it with a crumpled newspaper for a streak-free shine.
Bedroom
When it comes to the bedroom, you shouldn’t wait until spring to do spring cleaning. Your bedroom requires a deep clean before the beginning of every season. Here’s the spring cleaning checklist for your bedroom –
Clear out what doesn’t belong
Bedrooms tend to get cluttered with things that don’t belong there. Gather up all these items and place them where they belong. Donate the items you no longer need.
Launder the linens
Remove the curtains, sheets, pillows, and cushions and clean the washable ones. For items that need dry cleaning, get them cleaned professionally.
Clean the mattress
Use the upholstery attachment of your dry cleaner to clean your mattress. Flip and rotate it and then vacuum again.
Clean surfaces and Clean Windows
Use a damp microfibre cloth to wipe down all furniture, door frames, and lamps. Start from the highest surfaces and work your way down. Remove clothes from your closet and wipe down all surfaces with a damp microfibre cloth. Let it dry completely before you put your clothes back in.
Clean pillows
It would be best if you cleaned your pillows every six months. You can hand wash down, or foam pillows with warm soapy water and air dry them. Cotton and nylon pillows can be washed in the washing machine with a soap that doesn't sud up a lot.
Some additional tips on spring cleaning
Involve the whole household
Spring cleaning the whole house can be quite a challenge. A great way to make it easier is to get the household involved, even the children. Give the children age-appropriate tasks so they feel included.
Opt for homemade cleaning products
Store-bought cleaning products contain chemicals and can cost a bomb. Use homemade cleaning products that contain essential oils, and you will have your home sparkling clean and smelling great in no time.
Buy storage containers
Your home can stay uncluttered if every item has a designated place. Buy storage containers and label them to know where each item goes, and you can access them easily in the future.
Some FAQs
When does spring cleaning start?
Traditionally spring cleaning can start anytime from March 1 to the end of April.
How do you spring clean in a day?
Spring cleaning involves deep cleaning that can usually take up to a week. If you want to do spring cleaning in a day, it is best to gather the services of your family and friends. You can also hire cleaning professionals to do the job for you.
How do you spring clean fast?
The trick to spring cleaning fast is to be organized and follow a schedule. Make a spring cleaning checklist and follow that.
Final notes
I hope these spring cleaning tips will help your clean your home more efficiently. After your home is deep cleaned and decluttered, take time to establish new cleaning habits. Get your family into the habit of tidying up every week, and you won't have to spend too much time spring cleaning. This way, you can relax and enjoy the spring season. Plus the mental health benefits we get from spring cleaning is a bonus too!