Your Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist
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While we know there isn’t a one size fits all approach to spring cleaning, we could all use a little bit of guidance when it comes to getting our house in order. So we interviewed the experts to get the inside scoop on how to spring clean without stress. This checklist will take you room-by-room to ensure you cover the essential areas of your home. Before you know it, you’ll be back to doing what you enjoy, like going outside and entertaining with friends.
"Personally, I think you should start with the smallest project on the list," says KC Davis, licensed therapist and author of How To Keep House While Drowning. "Our brain registers to complete a project as a powerful reward and it produces motivation to keep going."
If you still don't know where to start, Professional Organizer and author Nikki Boyd, created a card deck, Beautifully Organized In Fifty-Two Weeks, to solve the problem. Boyd took all the tasks on a checklist and turned them into playing cards so you can challenge yourself and your family to tackle one a day.
Trust us, we know that spring cleaning is a giant chore, but after being cooped up in your home all winter, you and your home will appreciate a deep clean to get over those winter blues.
Gather Your Supplies
Before deep cleaning your home, grab a cleaning caddy and start loading your cleaning supplies, so everything you need is within arm's reach. There are countless cleaning products you can use like, DIY and environmentally friendly, and household name brands, so to keep it simple, we have a list of the top ten cleaning supplies. Remember to grab only what you need for the task at hand.
Cleaning Supplies:
All-purpose cleaner
Window cleaner
Baking soda
Mop and bucket
Vacuum
Garbage bags
Broom and dustpan
Sponges
Microfiber cloths
Rubber gloves
Kitchen
The kitchen can feel like one of the toughest areas to clean since it's constantly in flux. Between meal prep, snack time, and everything else, just keeping up with daily maintenance can feel stressful. The key? Break it down. "Try not to become overwhelmed," advises Melissa Porter, Owner of Neat Method in Hartford, Connecticut. "If decluttering your kitchen is your goal, start with the pantry and tell yourself that purging the expired items is enough accomplishment for a day. Before you know it, organizing your drawers, cabinets and counters will be getting checked off your list.”
Boyd shares this sentiment: " Just as we wash our dinner dishes each day, we need to find one small space to reset the organization each day," she says. "This helps keep your home maintained. When doing the dinner dishes, open a drawer in your kitchen and do a quick declutter and organizing reset."
Bathroom
In the bathroom, put in a little extra elbow grease to do a proper spring cleaning. Begin by washing your bath linens, shower curtain, and mat. Next, do an inventory of your medicine cabinet and shelving to throw out expired products. Then move into the labor-intensive work like scrubbing the toilet, removing grim from the bathroom tiles, and cleaning the tub. Tackle mopping the floor last, so it has time to air dry.
Living Room
The hangout spot for the whole house during the winter season needs more than just a few fluffed cushions and a new candle. All of your upholstery needs cleaning, and your sofa holds onto dead skin cells, stains, and countless crumbs from snacks that have slipped into the cracks of the cushions. It's time to pull up the rugs, shake them outside, and then do a pass with a carpet cleaner and a vacuum. Lastly, your TV screen and all surfaces, like the end and coffee tables, need a thorough wipe down. But remember to use a different rag and screen cleaner for your TV to avoid damage.
Bedroom
You should be washing your bed linens weekly, so during spring cleaning, take it to the next level by deep cleaning your mattress. Vacuum your area rug, and wipe down your dresser, nightstands, and knickknacks. Clear out any junk in your nightstand drawers, put together a donation bag, and get rid of the clothes you never wore over the winter season.
Laundry
The laundry room is a utilitarian space in your home that often falls under the radar when it comes to cleaning. It's more of a pass-through for you to come and go with your clothes. So carve out some time to slow down and wipe down the surfaces. Learn how to clean your washer and dryer vents, and scrub the interior of each machine. It's also a good idea to tidy up the cabinets, organize your detergents, and remove any unnecessary clutter.
Outdoors
Treat yourself to fresh air by going outside to clean your patio and outdoor spaces to get ready for spring entertaining with friends and family. Take off the outdoor cushion covers, and power wash your furniture and patio. Similar to the grout in the bathroom, get into the grooves of the patio and remove any weeds that cropped up during the winter. Sweep your front porch, and shake out your doormat. It's also not a bad idea to grab a new wreath for the front door to ring in the spring season (it doesn't all have to be a chore!).
All Over the House
Focus on cleaning the windows, wiping down walls and baseboards, and cleaning all surfaces at least once. Vacuum the floors and give yourself some grace.
"To have a successful spring cleaning you need to get all hands on deck and motivated," says Boyd. "If you live alone, grab your bestie to help you with your spring cleaning task." Turn spring cleaning into an event for everyone to look forward to." Alternatively, launch it as a fun event for the family: Share the cleaning plan so that everyone is on the same page, then have prizes for family members that complete the most tasks. Who says cleaning can't be fun?
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