Welcome spring by giving your home a good deep clean. Our handy guide breaks down the must-do chores into a three-step system. First are the spring cleaning checklist and to-dos, the once-a-year tasks ideally suited for spring. Next, tackle exterior spring cleaning with tips on fix-ups and repairs for the outside of your home. Finally, room-by-room cleaning tips will help you declutter and tidy up specific areas.
Spring Cleaning List
Spring is the perfect time to deep-clean your house or embark on an apartment-cleaning marathon. Work these chores into your cleaning schedule and get ready to face warmer days with a space that sparkles. Before you tackle the project, use our checklist to get organized, or make a cleaning checklist tailored to your home and needs.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Wash Windows
Be sure to pick a cloudy day to wash your windows. “If it’s too sunny, the cleaning solution will dry too fast, and you’ll have streaks,” says cleaning expert Donna Smallin Kuper. Water and a microfiber cloth will typically clean windows more effectively than chemicals. Otherwise, make your own glass cleaner solution with 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/3 cup vinegar, and distilled water.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Sliding Door Tracks
Sliding glass door tracks probably aren’t the first spots you’d think to clean, but you’ll be glad you did it before the outdoor entertaining season gets going full swing. Smallin suggests scrubbing the tracks with an old, dry toothbrush to loosen debris, then using your vacuum hose to remove it. Finish with a wet sponge.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Overlooked Surfaces
Spring cleaning is an opportunity to address those surfaces you overlook on a daily basis. Once a year, give your baseboards, door frames, and walls a good thorough cleaning. Wash them with a sponge and a squirt of dishwashing liquid mixed in a bucket of warm water.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Deep-Clean Carpets
To maintain a new carpet’s warranty, you may need to have it cleaned professionally every 12-18 months, Smallin says. Otherwise, you can tackle DIY carpet cleaning by renting a deep cleaner or buying a professional-style model designed for home use. Follow the directions for mixing the cleaning solution, rinsing, and drying carefully to ensure you get the best clean.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Clean Under Furniture and Appliances
Before vacuuming the floors, ask a partner to help you move your sofa and chairs and roll up the area rugs. Move kitchen appliances away from the wall as much as you can. “In some cases, you can pull them out enough that a vacuum hose will reach,” Smallin says.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Freshen Furniture
Restore smooth leather with an upholstery cleaner and conditioner. Use a suede brush to perk up nubuck leather. For wood furniture, use Smallin’s recipe to make an all-natural cleaner and polish: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 cup of vinegar or lemon juice in a plastic spray bottle; shake well and spray onto a microfiber cloth.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Refresh Window Treatments
Curtains and draperies aren’t typically dirty enough to launder. So instead, go over them thoroughly with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. “To remove dust from sheer curtains put them in the dryer on low with a fabric-softener sheet,” Smallin says.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Dust Light Fixtures
Use a microfiber or lint-free cloth ($9, Target) to dust fixtures and bulbs you can reach. For ceiling fans, skip the ladder and use an extendable duster ($11, The Home Depot). To clean grimy bulbs, lightly dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe. Caution: Be sure bulbs are cool to the touch, and your hands are dry. Tackle light fixtures before cleaning the rest of the room, so any falling dust doesn’t disrupt already-clean surfaces.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Get Organized
Pick up and eliminate clutter in each room before you start cleaning. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by clutter, designate some organizing “power sessions” into your spring cleaning schedule. As you declutter, equip yourself with a few boxes for sorting: one for garage sale items, another for items to donate, and a garbage bag for items to toss. Return the things you intend to keep to their rightful places and rooms.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Make a Wardrobe Transition
Storing items you aren’t currently wearing or using in a tucked-away place will help streamline your closet and keep seasonal essentials at the forefront. Put away gloves, winter clothing items, and boots, so you’ll have plenty of space for warm-weather clothing. Always label the bins and boxes so you’ll know where to find your winter gear next year.
Spring Cleaning To-Dos: Safety Inspection
Consider spring cleaning your prompt to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Perform all the required safety checks around your home. If you don’t own a fire extinguisher, purchase one. Learn how to use it, and keep it in the kitchen. You may want to purchase another for your garage.
Exterior Spring Cleaning Tips: Exterior Paint
While spring cleaning, consider freshening the face of your home with a new paint job. An updated color scheme can take your house from forgettable to the best on the block. The average exterior paint job lasts ten years, so make sure it’s done right. If your home doesn’t require a complete paint makeover, consider a touch-up, which can prolong the life of your siding and trim.
Exterior Spring Cleaning Tips: Power Wash
Spruce up your home’s exterior surface by power-washing the siding and windows. Cleaning these surfaces helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew that feeds on grime. If you’re worried about whether your home’s exterior can handle the force that pressure-washingnozzles exert, hire a professional to do the work.
Exterior Spring Cleaning Tips: Gutter Maintenance
Your roof’s drainage system diverts thousands of gallons of water annually from your home’s exterior and foundation walls. This hardworking system merits a semi-annual inspection. Clean and repair gutters and downspouts every spring before heavy rains begin and late in autumn after leaves have fallen.
Exterior Spring Cleaning Tips: Seasonal Change
Hit the garage to store or unpack seasonal items at the return of spring. Put snow shovels, salt, scrapers, and other winter gear in an out-of-the-way storage spot to make room for garden tools and potting supplies. Also, consider servicing your snowblower before storing it for spring.
Exterior Spring Cleaning Tips: Outdoor Furniture
Get ready for outdoor living by cleaning exterior furniture. Clean and repair the furniture on your deck, porch, or patio, including chairs, tables, and benches. Use outdoor spray enamel to touch up chips on painted outdoor furniture.
Room-by-Room Cleaning Tips: Bedrooms
Devote a portion of your spring cleaning efforts to giving every room in your home a thorough cleaning. In the bedroom, rotate and flip mattresses. Wash blankets and comforters, or take them to be cleaned. Wash mattress pads and bed skirts. Clean area rugs or have them dry-cleaned. To clean your pillows, send them to a professional cleaner, hang them outside in the fresh air, or freshen them with your clothes dryer’s air (no heat) cycle.
Room-by-Room Cleaning Tips: Bathrooms
You may scrub your bathroom every week, but now it’s time to conquer clutter and toss old and expired products. Go through your medicine cabinets and safely discard any outdated items. Replace worn bath mats, shower curtains, and liners, or wash and dry shower curtains and liners.
Room-by-Room Cleaning Tips: Kitchen
To spring-clean your kitchen, take time to declutter your pantry, kitchen cabinets, and drawers. Wipe them out and install fresh shelf paper. Store or donate equipment you don’t use, such as small appliances or cookware. Discard stale spices or expired items. Clean the refrigeratorand freezer. Vacuum the cooling coils under or behind your refrigerator.
Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens
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