Spring cleaning may not sound like the most exciting of tasks, but this all-important annual ritual is a great way to reacquaint yourself with every corner of your home, eliminate clutter— and leave yourself and your entire space refreshed and energized. Just as the spring season brings in a breath of fresh air, deep cleaning can breathe new life into your house.
Dedicate a day or two to spring cleaning so you’ll have time to get to spots around the house you usually skip over. Now choose the perfect cleaning playlist (or customize one yourself), and get ready to have some fun with your cleaning routine.
Not sure how to get started? Follow our best house cleaning tips, which cover every room of your home:
Bathroom Cleaning Tips
You likely mop your bathroom and wipe down the surfaces regularly, but giving it a deep clean every spring is a must. That way you can disinfect all the areas your family uses every day, and take time for the tasks you typically avoid (like unclogging the drain). This essential guide to cleaning your bathroom makes the job simple and painless. Plan to hit every area of your bathroom:
- Deep clean the shower/tub: Make things easy on yourself by grabbing a long extender brush and scrub brush before you get started.
- Scrub the sink and toilet: A set of deep-cleaning brushes will help you scrub grime and get to all the hard to reach areas.
- Wipe down all surfaces: Remove all items, from toys to shampoo bottles and soap dishes, and use a DIY cleaner to scrub away any stains.
- Throw away any expired products: Keep a notebook or your phone nearby so you can make a list of what needs to be replaced.
- Disinfect the trashcan: You’ll want to empty your bathroom trashcan and sanitize it with warm water and a bleach solution, if needed. Rinse thoroughly and turn it upside down to let it dry.
Bedroom Cleaning Tips
You might only use your bedroom for sleeping and lounging, but dust and dirt can build up in there, too. The start of spring is a great time to wash the floors, vacuum under the bed and tackle other neglected tasks. You can also use this time to declutter your closet and get new bedding, too, if yours is starting to show signs of wear. This guide to spring cleaning your bedroom gives detailed tips on how to clean each of those areas, quickly and thoroughly. Here are some of the important tasks you’ll cross off your list:
- Clear out the area under the bed: Throw out any items you don’t need anymore and clean that hidden floor space, using a microfiber floor duster for hard to reach areas.
- Flip the mattress: It’s probably been a while since you’ve done this!
- Reorganize your closet and dresser: Remove all items from your closet floor and vacuum the dust bunnies that gather in the corners. Eliminate anything you don’t wear anymore, and use drawer dividers to keep items tidy in your dresser.
- Wash your pillows, curtains, bedcovers and decorative bedding: Anything that hasn’t had a deep clean in a while should get washed, according to the instructions on the tag.
- Eliminate clutter from the surfaces of your dresser, your nightstands or any spaces where random stuff tends to collect.
Kitchen Cleaning Tips
Start by clearing out all your cabinets, shelves and drawers and emptying the fridge. This will allow you to find and toss any old or expired foods, and to prepare the empty spaces for a thorough cleaning. It’s a good idea to remove and clean your pots and pans, too. Now you can get down to business. Make sure to follow these easy tips for giving your kitchen a deep spring cleaning, including how to:
- Clean all surfaces: You’ll want to wipe down every shelf and storage space in your kitchen, and don’t forget the outsides of your fridge, cabinets, dishwasher, stove and other major appliances. Reorganize your pantry, cabinets and fridge too, as you’re putting everything back in.
- Tidy your kitchen drawers: A utensil organizer will come in handy.
- Tackle your countertop: Wipe it down, then organize your appliances and countertop items to keep clutter to a minimum.
- Clean the stovetop. Use deep cleaning brushes to help clear grime out from around knobs and hard-to-reach spaces.
- Scrub down the kitchen sink: It’s time to give the sink a thorough cleaning. Make sure to replace any sponges you’ve been using for more than a week or two.
- Clean the coffee maker: Use a special descaling solution to avoid getting any vinegar taste near your morning brew.
Living Room Cleaning Tips
Your family likely spends a lot of time in the living room. You may vacuum regularly, but make sure to go deeper when you spring clean. Check out these tips for spring cleaning your living room for details on how to:
- Clean the floors and furniture: You may need to move the couches, chairs and tables around so you can remove the dirt underneath.
- Wipe the windows: Grab a squeegee for an easy way to give your windows a sparkling look.
- Wash the walls, fans and lamps: Dirt and grime can build up on the living room walls and ceiling, especially in hard to reach places. Use a long reach dusting system tool to maneuver around and get these areas clean.
- Dust shelves and other surfaces: A microfiber duster will make your job easier.
Kids’ Room Cleaning Tips
This is a great chance to teach your children how to clean up, by choosing age-appropriate chores for the little ones. Use this complete guide to spring cleaning your kids’ rooms. Here are some of the tasks to take on:
- Sort through clothes in the closet and dresser: Donate any items that no longer fit, and use drawer dividers to keep everything in the dresser (including small socks) tidy. Have your kids help you line up and match their shoes.
- Store and organize all toys and books: To clean out toys your child no longer plays with, you may have to wait until she’s asleep. (Don’t ask her if she wants to keep something, since she’ll probably say yes even if she hasn’t played with it in a year.) Store and organize anything that’s left in Pop Containers and bins with labels.
- Clean the walls and floors, including the area under the beds.
- Flip the mattresses, and wash any bedding or other items (curtains, pillows) that you don’t clean on a regular basis.
Tech Cleaning Tips
Spring cleaning is not just about the rooms and floors of your home: Don't neglect your electronic devices. That includes wiping down your phones, computers, tablets and anything that fingers touch regularly. Check out these tips for cleaning your electronic devices, including how to:
- Wipe off earbuds and headphones: You’ll need a smaller cleaning brush for hard-to-reach spots.
- Clean your laptop and tablet surfaces: A deep-cleaning set that includes a microfiber cloth will remove fingerprints and get all the surfaces clean, since you should avoid using water on your devices.
- Eliminate dirt from cords: Power cords and chargers hidden behind your desks and tables need to get cleaned, too.
What about other areas and items in your home that need a spruce-up? Check out our cleaning FAQs for tips on getting those often-forgotten parts sparkling-clean, so you can prepare yourself and your entire home for a fresh new season.