Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes, or even give them a complete reset. The 2021 National Cleaning Survey found that 69% of people engage in spring cleaning every year, 11% do it every other year, and 10% of people never do any spring cleaning at all. The top three reasons people gave for spring cleaning are to give their house the thorough cleaning that it needs (60%), to remove clutter (22%), and to remove asthma or allergy triggers (12%).
While giving your home a deep clean always feels good once it’s done, getting started can sometimes seem overwhelming. Lots of times that’s because people don’t even know where to begin. The kitchen (26%), bathroom (19%), closets (19%), bedroom (18%), and family room (13%) are the biggest priorities for most people when they spring clean, but that’s a lot of different areas of your home to focus on. So, do you start with your kitchen or the bedroom, or your bathroom or the family room? Or maybe you decide not to do any spring cleaning at all because there are just so many different areas of your home to clean and you just don’t have the time and energy to do it all right now. If that sounds familiar, here are six spring cleaning tips to help you get started, as well as a spring cleaning checklist to keep you on track.
SPRING CLEANING TIPS
Come Up With A Spring Cleaning Plan
Are you someone who prefers to break up big projects and turn them into smaller, more manageable tasks that you can do over time? Or do you need to finish what you start on the same day? Regardless of your preferred working style, one of the ways that you can set yourself up for spring cleaning success is by creating a rough outline of everything that you need to do. By making a spring cleaning schedule for yourself you’ll have a clearer vision of exactly what needs to get done. Then you can either do your spring cleaning all in one day, or over the course of a few weeks.
Have Your Supplies (And Any Helpers) Ready To Go
Nothing is more frustrating than starting a project and then realizing in the middle of it that you don’t have everything that you need to complete the job. So, before you start spring cleaning, make sure that you have all of your necessary cleaning products. If you prefer to use natural cleansers, one of the best natural combinations for cleaning is white distilled vinegar, baking soda, and water. And if any family members or friends are helping you out with your spring cleaning, make sure to let them know the day (or days) that you need their help ahead of time. This way you’ll all be on the same page and ready to get to work.
Make Decisions Based On Time
Certain items on your spring cleaning to-do list won’t require that much hands-on time to complete. So, instead of just sitting around and waiting for the laundry to finish, you can put your clothes or bedding in the washing machine when you first start cleaning, and then go work on another task that’s hands-on. When the wash cycle is completed, you can head back to the laundry room and put everything in the dryer (or hang it outside), and then continue working on your other tasks. And if you have lots of dirty dishes in your sink, load your dishwasher and let it run while you work, as well.
Clear The Clutter
A survey found that home organization is a major source of stress for Americans. In fact, when the clutter in our home starts mounting, our stress levels rise along with it, according to a study. That’s why decluttering our homes is often one of the biggest parts of spring cleaning. A systematic four-step approach that’s helpful is to identify problem areas, analyze reasons for the clutter, determine solutions, and then implement these remedies. You can also sort your belonging into four categories – trash, give away, store, or put away. Then once you have everything sorted, make sure to move the clutter out as soon as possible.
Work From Top To Bottom
By starting from the ceiling down you’ll force debris downward, which will keep you from having to re-dust or vacuum your space. So, focus on getting cobwebs and dust from your ceilings and fans first, and then clean your furniture, tables, chairs, cabinets, and any other items before you vacuum dust and debris off your floors. This strategy is sure to save you time in the long run.
Clean Room By Room
While your goal may be to clean your entire house, that doesn’t mean that you have to do everything all at once. In fact, cleaning room by room might actually be the most effective way to deep clean it. You can also skip areas that have been cleaned recently, and really focus your attention on the parts of your home that were pretty much neglected over the winter. Creating cleaning checklists for each room will also help keep you organized, and remind you of the areas that need extra attention. So, here’s a room by room spring cleaning checklist to help you stay on track with all of your spring cleaning tasks.
SPRING CLEANING CHECKLIST
Supplies:
- Vacuum
- Mop (Or Steam Cleaner)
- Paper Towels
- Broom
- Boxes
- Cleansers
All Rooms:
- Wipe down baseboards
- Clean air vents
- Dust blinds and windows
- Declutter any drawers and any messy areas
- Clean windows
- Vacuum and/or mop floors
- Replace HVAC/Furnace Filter
Bathroom:
- Wash throw rugs
- Throw away expired cosmetics
- Change the shower curtain
- Wipe the ceiling and walls
- Clean in, around, and behind the toilet
- Unclog drains
- Wash mirrors, countertops, windows, and the sink
- Vacuum
- Spray and soak
- Rinse the floor
Bedroom:
- Wash drapes, linens, sheets, and pillows
- Clean window treatments
- Wipe the ceiling and walls
- Dust all surfaces
- Wash mirrors and the insides of windows
- Vacuum mattress
- Clean and vacuum under the bed
- Shampoo or steam carpets and rugs
Kitchen:
- Get rid of outdated spices and foods
- Defrost and clean the refrigerator and freezer
- Degrease cooking appliances
- Clean window treatments
- Dust the top of cabinets and above the refrigerator
- Wash all surfaces, cabinets, and utensils
- Declutter drawers
- Clean the oven
- Clean pantry shelves and around the trash area
- Seal countertops made from granite or stone
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop the floor
Family Room/Living Room:
- Dust ceiling fans, bookcases, and shelves
- Clean window treatments
- Wipe lightbulbs
- Wipe the ceiling and walls
- Clean sofa upholstery
- Dust around and behind the TV
- Clean and dust electronics
- Sweep out the fireplace
- Vacuum the floor
- Clean the carpets or polish the hardwood floor
Laundry Room:
- Move the washing machine and dryer and then clean behind them
- Check the dryer vent
- Clean out cabinets and drawers
Closets:
- Donate old clothes and shoes
- Pack up winter clothes
- Wash and then hang up spring clothes
- Dust and wipe down shelves
- Clean or replace the laundry basket
- Vacuum the floor
Outside:
- Clean light fixtures
- Wash outdoor furniture
- Clean sliding glass door tracks
- Steam clean cement/cracks
- Plant flowers
- Clean and repair gutters
- Clean and organize the garage