It’s time to start thinking about giving your home the deep spring cleaning it deserves. When summer comes around, you will want to enjoy the weather, so get a head start and think about what your home needs this season.
Make time in your regular cleaning schedule or add additional time for tasks that will take longer than you usually set aside. Start by adding smaller jobs to your to-do list during the week, and tackle the more significant projects on the weekends.
Make it a family project and clean out the house together! It can be a difficult and overwhelming task to try to do on your own to bring in backups because you will be so much happier with a clean and clutter-free house when the weather gets nice.
Let’s get into the top 52 spring cleaning tips for your home.
1. Set up a Schedule
Scheduling your spring cleaning makes what may seem like an impossible task very possible indeed. Keeping an organized plan will allow you to approach cleaning one step at a time, and this will help you focus on the little details in each space you want to tend to. It will also help you allocate tasks for each family member so they know what to do each time you clean.
2. Clean Room by Room
Clean room by room, space by space, throughout your home. The more organized you are about working through your areas, the better the house will turn out when you are finished!
3. Declutter and Organize Each Space in Your Home
As you work on each space, the goal is to reduce and reorganize. Make a donation pile and trash pile for each space. Then you can easily reorganize and get rid of everything when you are finished in each area.
4. Set New Cleaning Habits for Yourself & Your Family
You can use this as a new clean start for yourself and your family. Take these spring cleaning goals, and pair them down to the essentials that should happen daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Prioritize those necessities as you go through the year (so next year’s spring cleaning will be a breeze!)
5. Take Care of Any Seasonal Items on Your List
This is the perfect time to plan for seasonal chores such as cleaning the grill and setting up the yard for warmer weather. You can also clean the gutters and swap out seasonal clothes, curtains, and decor for the coming warmer months.
6. Clean Your Windows and Dust or Replace Curtains & Blinds
Cleaning windows lets more light into the house, brightening your home! Spring cleaning is a great time to wash the winter off those windows and get them ready to let in the summer sun. The best time to wipe down the windows is on a cloudy day when you can see all the smudges and fingerprints on the glass. The best way to clean the windows is with newspaper or a microfiber cloth.
Even if you don’t change your curtains seasonally, you should machine wash them sometimes, and you can take the opportunity to wipe down the blinds if you have them. Time to get rid of all the dusty window dressings collected!
7. Wipe Down Your Walls and Doors
It is crucial to cleanse your walls to rid the room of the dust they collect. Your walls also pick up fingerprints and splatter from spills, cobwebs, and maybe even some markers if you have a little one. Take the time to start bottom to top or top to bottom, and you will be pleased with how the house looks and feels. Clean walls allow you to see one major part of your house’s best appearance.
8. Clean off Your Doormats
Doormats pick up a lot of dirt and dust throughout the year. It is crucial to clean them out periodically, or you will just be wiping dirt on more dirt and then bringing it into your clean house! The best way is to hit them together to remove the dirt and dust.
If you only have one mat, you can hit it against the house. After that, hose it down, let it dry, and then vacuum the front and back of the mat to ensure it’s all clean.
9. Deep Clean and Refresh Your Carpets
While it helps to vacuum regularly with your standard vacuum, you should do a deep clean on your carpets every once in a while. You can rent a shampooer if you are feeling very ambitious, or you can freshen up the scent of your carpet by using a soft brush to work baking powder or carpet deodorizer into the carpet and letting it sit for 20-30 minutes before vacuuming it. This will help deodorize your carpet without the complete shampoo treatment.
10. Freshen up The Odor in Your Garbage Disposal
Sometimes it’s hard not to notice the smell coming from your kitchen sink because the garbage disposal needs to be freshened up. The process is so quick and easy you will wonder why you put up with the smell! Just take some lemon rind pieces, drop them into the garbage disposal, and let it run. The smell will be a distant memory.
11. Deep Clean Your Microwave
So many of us rely on our microwave to cook so many things, but how often do you spend the time to clean it out? It’s easier than you think to give your microwave a steamy deep clean.
To start, you will need to fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and a few teaspoons of vinegar or with citrus, such as a sliced orange, and run the microwave for 3-5 minutes on high, then let it cool for 5 minutes before opening it up and wiping it down. You won’t believe the results!
12. Wipe Down Your Kitchen Cabinets
Similar to the walls, but often worse, your cabinets pick up dust, grease, fingerprints, and more. You won’t believe how crisper your cabinets will look after a fresh wipe-down! Make sure to give an extra scrub in the areas that pick up the most grease, such as above the stove. You only need a suitable wood cleaner and a soft cloth to start scrubbing!
13. Rejuvenate and Clean Your Granite Countertops
Granite cleaners work best to give your granite countertops the love and scrub they need. Just spray on and wipe them down. It seems simple, and it is! Sometimes a little wipe-down with the right cleaners is all you need!
14. Clean Your Hardwood Floors
Hardwood cleaner is the best option for your floors. Mopping them with water and soap may damage them over time, so your best option for fresh, clean floors is a good wipe-down with the floor cleaner of your choice!
15. Change or Clean The Bedding
Do you like to change your bedding seasonally? It’s a great way to give your bedroom a fresh look, and you can use a lighter blanket with the weather warming up. Spring cleaning is a great time to make that seasonal change and wash away the winter germs before packing up your bedding for the season. You can also throw your pillows in the wash before putting them back on the bed to ensure everything is fresh, clean, and ready for the new season.
16. Wipe Down The Stainless Steel Appliances
Have you been avoiding your stainless steel appliances because they are always covered in fingerprints, and when you clean them, they come out streaky? You’re not alone – but if you know what to use, it makes the task of cleaning them much more manageable. A stainless steel cleaner is an excellent option for wiping down those stubborn appliances, but there are DIY methods you can also use, such as mixing one quart of hot water and a teaspoon of dish soap. It works like a charm when you wipe it down with a microfiber cloth to rub it onto each surface. Rinse, dry, and you’re done!
17. Wipe Down Tile Surfaces
Sometimes we want to look the other way from grimy bathroom tiles, but now it’s time to tackle this task head-on in the most efficient way possible. You can use a tile cleaner or a natural method using half a cup of baking soda mixed with 2 gallons of water to mop or clean with a sponge. Your tile will be sparkling before you know it!
18. Deep Clean The Refrigerator
Sure, you clean out the fridge weekly when you change out for fresh food, but it is crucial that you scrub down the inside and outside of your refrigerator now and then to make sure it’s clean and to keep your food fresh. Make sure you take out the drawers and shelves to cover every inch, and make sure it’s ready to keep your food cool again.
19. Clean or Replace Area Rugs
Look around and see what area rugs made it through this past year and which must be replaced. For the remaining carpets, you can vacuum or shampoo them to freshen them up and reduce the dust and germs they hold. There are even rugs that will go in the wash now – go with your best option and enjoy!
20. Deep Clean The Dishwasher
It is helpful to run a deep cleaning cycle on your dishwasher to keep the germs and caked-on food out. You can also get a specialty cleaner for cleansing your dishwasher if you choose to.
21. Wash or Replace Your Reusable Bags
It may not be at the top of your list, but wash down your grocery bags every once in a while. You can throw them in the wash, or wipe them down with soap and water. You can also toss bags that look like they will only make it a bit longer. They save on plastic use, but they pick up a lot of germs as you shop with them over time, so make sure you freshen up!
22. Deep Clean-stained Cutting Boards
Are you tired of cleaning your cutting boards and having them still come out stained? All you need to do to take those ugly stains out is to rub a lemon on the board over the cuts, and when you rinse it off, the stains will be gone!
23. Shine and Deep Clean Pots and Pans
You clean your pots as you use them, but you should make sure to deep clean them to wash off the stubborn stains from the cooking you do throughout the year. To loosen those stains, boil water with liquid dish soap and let it simmer on the stovetop. When it’s done, you can use a small pad or a sponge to scrub the mess off.
For bits that are cooked on and won’t come off, try letting ketchup sit on it and see how easily it comes off with this out-of-the-box at-home method.
24. Deep Clean The Oven
Does your oven smoke up the house when you try to bake something? Good chance the oven is filthy. Do a deep clean of your oven and get all that burnt food out of there so you can make delicious dinners again. Use a heavy-duty oven cleaner or take a more natural route by pouring some baking soda into your oven with white vinegar and letting it bubble up so you can wipe everything away without fighting the stubborn grime too much.
25. Collect and Properly Dispose of Expired and Unused Medications
As you go through your cabinets and medicine cabinet, check all the expiration dates on the bottles for your medications. There are drop-off spots for unused medicines that will be appropriately disposed of and not accidentally get into the wrong hands, such as the police station. Only keep what’s current and needed in the house as the safest option.
26. Clean Out The Junk Drawer
Going through your junk drawer can be fun because you always need to figure out what to find. Many people have a drawer or a spot in which they dump everything. Why not take the surprise out of it, throw out what you don’t need, and organize what’s left? Use small containers to organize the small items that make your junk drawer so cluttered for a functional drawer you can access easily without fighting the clutter.
27. Wash The Shower Curtain
It’s good to throw your shower curtain into the wash to clean out any mold it has picked up during the year. You can also wipe down the plastic layer to ensure everything is clean before putting the shower curtain back up.
28. Throw Out Old and Expired Cosmetics
You can organize your cosmetics more easily by throwing out expired creams, makeup, and soaps. Using products past their expiration date is unsafe. It also creates clutter to keep things forever, even if you aren’t going to use them, so start throwing things out and make room for your cabinets to breathe.
29. Clean or Replace Your Makeup Brushes
Makeup brushes get caked up with the products you use regularly and must be washed or replaced throughout the year. You can use baby shampoo to wash out the brushes and make them as good as new.
30. Deep Clean Your Washing Machine
Your washing machine is on the front line for all the germs and grime that come into your house. Doing a deep cleaning rinse on it is crucial for keeping your clothes fresh when they go in for a wash. You can run the machine with bleach and water on the machine’s self-clean setting. If your washing machine doesn’t have a self-clean cycle, run it on a hot water cycle with bleach and then again without bleach to ensure it’s rinsed out and ready for your clothes.
31. Wipe Down Outdoor Furniture
Preparing for warm weather is fun (you can almost feel summer approaching!) So grab a wipe and some spray cleaner for metal or plastic, depending on what you have, and wipe it all down so it’s ready to use in the coming weeks as it gets warmer.
33. Reorganize and Clean Out All Closets
Clean out your closets by sorting clothes into piles to keep and to throw away. Once you know what you’re keeping, put the items back in your closet in an organized fashion so you can keep the closet organized moving forward.
34. Repaint The Walls
Repainting interior walls can give your home such a facelift. Either stay with the same colors or change things up. It takes a bit of effort, but painting can feel so therapeutic; you’ll enjoy yourself once you fall into the process.
35. Clean or Replace Your Broom
Cleaning off your broom periodically will help reduce the dust in the house because you won’t be sweeping dust with more dust. It’s crucial to clean your broom by dipping it in warm soapy water and using the vacuum hose to pull any stubborn dust out of it that doesn’t want to come out.
36. Organize and Clean The Book Shelves
Spring cleaning is a great time to empty your bookshelves, wipe them down, and go through your books to make a keep-and-donate pile. Once you decide what you want to keep and what’s going on, you can reorganize the books and other decorative items back on the shelves in an organized way, such as by cover color, author, or type of book.
37. Vacuum and Restuff Your Soft Furniture
The soft furniture in your home needs some love and dust reduction too! Vacuuming the couch, soft chairs, your mattress, and any other soft furniture you don’t usually wipe down is a crucial way to reduce dust. It also helps keep the soft furniture clean and nicer looking for longer because it’s taken care of. This is also a great time to restuff any cushions that need it!
38. Wipe Down The Lights and Ceiling Fans
Lights and ceiling fans pick up tons of dust over time. It is crucial to wipe them down so they look nice, but also to reduce the dust buildup that can make a house feel dirty and trigger allergies for guests or yourself as the homeowner. Take a wet microfiber towel to wipe off the dust and then dry to ensure no streaks.
39. Wipe Down Baseboards and Moldings
This is another spring cleaning task that is often overlooked, but having the baseboards and moldings wiped down makes a big difference. Similar to your walls and cabinets, they pick up dust and germs throughout the year, even if you regularly clean them, so it is important to remember to wipe them down to reduce the dust and germs in your house every so often to keep the dust down.
40. Clean Your Pillows
Keep your bed, couches, and chairs comfy, dust, and germ-free by sticking your pillows and throw pillows in the dryer to fluff them back up and clean them. You spend time relaxing and enjoying them, so why not give them a clean and fluff up while reducing dust and making them look nicer?
41. Clean or Replace Grout
Baking soda mixed with water is the DIY solution your grout needs to show nice clean lines again. It pulls the stains and discoloration right out! For the spots that don’t clean up well or are too broken down to clean, you can scape away the old grout and put new on for a nice clean look. Either way, your bathroom will thank you when it looks brand new again.
42. Freshen up Your Drains
Drains will start to emit a funky smell over time due to everything we wash down them. An uncleaned drain is a breeding ground for bacteria. Leave it too long, and you’ve got a clogged pipe! Get on your drain game and clean it out every once in a while. The best natural solution is baking soda and vinegar, followed by boiling water to unclog and keep it flowing clearly.
43. Deep Clean Hard Water Buildup on Faucets and Shower Heads
Hard water stains make your bathroom look dirty and can affect how well your shower head and faucets work. You can use cleaning supplies to wipe it off with a sponge, but if that doesn’t work, you can use a home solution of vinegar and water. Put half and half in a bag and let it soak around the faucet or showerhead and then wipe any leftover residue left on them at the end.
44. Replace The Filters in Your Air Conditioner and Air Purifiers
Keeping the air in your home clean is as important as anything else. Make sure you change out the filters in your air conditioners and air filters to keep the air in your home clean and dust free.
45. Sanitize and Clean Out Your Kids’ Toys
This is a great time to go through your children’s toys, either with or without them. Make a donation pile for the toys your children don’t use anymore and wipe down the toys you are keeping because they tend to pick up a lot of germs over time. Clean toys and an uncluttered space make for much more quality playtime for your kids, and you don’t have to worry that they will get sick from the germs on their toys.
46. Donate Old Clothes
Make a keep pile and donate pile as you go through your closets. Get rid of the clothes you don’t wear anymore and free up space in your closets so they are not so packed so you can keep things organized and wear the clothes you still use.
47. Clean The Fuzz and Dust Out of The Dryer
This is such an essential item on your spring cleaning list. Unfortunately, fires are more common than we think because people need to clean the lint and dust out of their dryer hoses and filters. It may clog and cause a fire. If you cannot clean the hoses out on your own, you can hire a professional to clean them out once a year.
48. Disinfect Your Electronics
Your electronics are touched by so many people and get put down on so many things they are bound to pick up germs. It is crucial to keep items like your remotes, phones, headphones, and any other electronics you regularly use to keep them safe and clean from germs.
49. Clean Your Vacuum
Keeping your vacuum cleaner will give it a longer life and allow it to work better for you. Rinse off the dust and empty it often so you can get good suction as you move forward and clean your house.
50. Clean The Trash Cans
Trash cans often pick up germs, dirt, and dust from use, even if you use a trash bag. It is important to wipe them down and clean them out to reduce germs in the house. Just use a kitchen cleaner and wipe it inside and out for a fresh start with your next garbage can.
51. Wipe Down Your Mirrors
Now it’s time to get the dust that collects on everything off of your mirrors as well. Wipe down the glass on your mirrors using a microfiber cloth and glass cleaner for the best results, and say goodbye to stubborn fingerprints and dust for a fresh, clean look.
52. Clean or Replace Pet Beds
Take a look at your pets’ beds as well. Can it just go in the wash to come out looking new, or do they need a new one? You know they don’t last forever, but washing them periodically will extend the time they can be used. Either way, your fur babies deserve a clean, dust, and germ-free bed as you do!
Final Thoughts
Spring cleaning can be a huge task, but you can make it more enjoyable by including your whole family. This will allow you all to do a deep clean on your house, so you’re ready to enjoy the nice weather with a clean, organized space.
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geek and has been republished with permission by Mama Say What?!
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock /Drpixel
