Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist and Tips

These 50+ cleaning tips and the free 6-page spring cleaning checklist will help you with a thorough spring cleaning of 10 areas of your home.

Giving your house a deep cleaning after a long winter is the best time to clean your entire home. It’s allows you to remove the dust and debris of life and all the time spent indoors. This is the perfect time to clean away spring pollen and great the season of renewal with a clean house and fresh home environment.

How do you spring clean and declutter a house?

• Create your own spring cleaning list or use the free 6-page checklist available below
• Decide whether you will focus on your spring cleaning plan on one entire weekend or a little every day for several weeks.
• Clean and declutter systematically
  • One room at a time, cleaning everything in that room before moving onto the next room
  • One category of cleaning at a time, for example clean all the curtains and then all the windows
  • Determine whether you need the help of a professional organizer to declutter. You can work with me virtually with your professional organizing needs.
• Clean top to bottom
  • This allows you to clean up any dust or dirt that falls from above when you clean the floor or carpet
  • Start with lights, fans and ceilings
  • End with the floor
  • Clean individual items from the top down
• Schedule cleaning on your calendar so you don’t forget any tasks
• Involve family members to make the tasks go more quickly and so that they learn life skills
• Gather all the cleaning supplies you’ll need. This free 2-page Cleaning Supplies Checklist will help. At a minimum you’ll need:
  • All-purpose cleaner
  • Paper towels
  • Cleaning cloths
  • Access to hot water and cold water for cleaning
  • Bucket
  • Long-handled duster
  • Broom
  • Vacuum
  • Mop

Spring Cleaning Checklist and Tips

Basic Steps for Cleaning Every Room

Start cleaning from top to bottom. This allows you to clean up any dust or debris that falls from upper surfaces when you clean the floors as the last cleaning step in the room.

Move from one corner around to the rest of the room. This is an easy way to make sure you don’t miss any areas.

Dust ceiling fans, crown molding, ledges and ceiling corners. Concentrate on cleaning ceiling fan blades so they don’t scatter dust around your home.

Dust light fixtures. Remove glass or plastic that can be handwashed.

Clean walls with a duster or brush attachment on your vacuum. Spot clean marks and dirt.

Dust picture frames and wall décor.

Dust doors and clean spots and smudges.

Clean light switches and door handles.

Clean leaves and pots of houseplants.

Vacuum upholstery, rugs and carpet to remove dust and dust mites.

Vacuum curtains and window treatments if they cannot be machine washed or dry cleaned.

Wash windows, window screens, tracks and frames. See my tips on getting the whole family involved to clean windows.

Rooms to Clean

Kitchen

Deep clean the exterior and interior of kitchen appliances and be sure to include small appliances.

Be sure to clean under the appliances. This bendable and washable tool makes cleaning under large appliances easy.

I’ve found that these wipes are the best at cleaning stainless steel appliances, and I’ve tried everything.

Dust on top of upper cabinets.

Clean the exterior of kitchen cabinets and the interior of doors. Check the cleaning recommendations for your cabinet finish, but I’ve found that warm water with a few drops of dish soap and a damp soft cloth works well. Be sure to wipe with a clean damp cloth and dry well.

Clean cabinet handles and pulls.

Remove all items from countertops, clean and disinfect well. I’ve shared my favorite tips on keeping granite counters clean:

• How to Care for Granite – Knowing how to care for your granite countertops and stone counters will protect your investment and keep them looking beautiful.
• Cleaning Granite Counters – Tips for cleaning granite counters in the kitchen & more. Knowing how to clean your granite counter tops will keep them beautiful for years.

Deep clean and sanitize the kitchen sink. Remove mineral deposits on faucets and handles.

Dining Room

Vacuum and spot clean upholstery.

Wipe down chairs and table according to recommendations.

Clean all décor.

Remove china, crystal and other items from drawers and cabinets. Dust items, wipe down shelf and return items. Clean glass surfaces.

Bathroom

Clean the shower curtain and liner.

Deep clean the shower, bathtub and shower walls. Deep clean tub jets.

Clean mineral deposits from fixtures and shower head. You can fill a plastic baggie with white vinegar, tie it around the shower head with a rubber band and leave it overnight to clean stubborn mineral deposits.

Clean grout well to remove mildew and stains.

Dust and clean:

Clean bathroom cabinets following the instructions for kitchen cabinets. Wipe out the interior of all drawers and cabinets.

Clean countertops, sinks and faucets.

Wash all rugs well. Clean all baseboards and the floor behind the toilet and bathtub well.

Living room & Family Room & Play Room

Vacuum and clean all upholstery.

Clean pillows and throw blankets

Vacuum all lampshades.

Dust all toys. Clean all plastic toys well.

Clean all remotes.

Dust and clean TV screen with product designed for electronics.

Removed items from shelves. Dust items and shelves well. Declutter and return remaining items to shelves.

Deep clean rugs and carpets.

Bedroom

Clean ceiling fan blades and all window coverings well.

Dust all surfaces well.

Clean mirrors.

Remove all bedding, including bed skirts and mattress pads. Vacuum the mattress and rotate it.

Wash blankets, mattress pads, quilts, comforters and all bedding. If your pillow cannot be washed, place in the clothes dryer for 20 minutes or hang it on a clothesline in the sun.

Vacuum under and behind the bed.

Vacuum under and behind furniture.

Declutter and clean the closet.

• Declutter clothes using the free checklist How Many Clothes Do You Really Need?
• Dust and clean light fixtures.
• Remove items from closet shelves and dust well.
• Dust clothes rods.
• Clean light switch covers.
• Remove items from closet floor and sweep or vacuum well.
• Dust baseboards.

Home Office

Remove books, papers and items from shelves. Dust items and shelves well before returning them.

Declutter the office using the free 9-page How to Declutter Your Office checklist.

Clean keyboards, screens and electronic items well. Research what is appropriate for the specific equipment you have.

• Screen cleaner
• Wipes for electronics
• Computer keyboard cleaning putty
• Keyboard vacuum
• Compressed air

Dust cords and the floor around them.

Dust baseboards and vacuum the floor well.

Laundry Room

Dust and clean light fixtures. Remove and clean light covers.

Dust on top of any wall cabinets.

Remove items from shelves, dust items and the shelves.

Clean the exterior and interior of cabinets with steps listed for kitchen cabinets.

Clean the exterior of the clothes washer and dryer. Be sure to clean under and behind the appliances. This bendable and washable tool makes cleaning under appliances easy.

Clean the utility sink and faucet. Check out my favorite natural way to clean a utility sink.

Wash throw rugs.

Dust baseboards. Sweep and mop the floor.

Garage

Declutter the garage. This free 17-page checklist on how to declutter the garage will help you make those difficult decision.

Remove all cobwebs.

Clean all light fixtures and on top of garage door opener units.

Wipe down all walls.

Clean the interior and exterior of garage doors. Wash windows in the doors.

Clean light switch covers, door knobs and garage door opener buttons.

Clean behind shelving units.

Clean throw rugs.

Sweep and mop the floor. Using a leaf blower to clean debris from the garage floor is much easier than sweeping.

Don’t Forget to Clean These, too

• Your home’s entryway
• Smoke detectors
• Declutter expired food from the pantry, refrigerator and freezer
• Interior and exterior of the garage door
  • The interior door into the home
  • The exterior door to the garage
• Plastic toys
  • Bath toys
  • Outdoor toys
  • Toys in the home
• Clothes washing machine
• Clothes dryer and dryer vent
• Spring cleaning is a good opportunity to also:
  • Update your first aid kit
  • Replace batteries in your smoke detectors
  • Check the status of fire extinguishers

How to print the Spring Cleaning Checklist step-by-step

You can get your own free copy of the Spring Cleaning 30-day Challenge Checklist when you sign up for our free weekly newsletter below.

How do I access the free printable Checklist?

Fill in the form above. When you submit the form, you will immediately be sent an email from Organized 31 with a link to the VIP Resources Library, including detailed instructions on how to access your printable. If you can’t find the welcome email after 3-4 minutes, check your spam folder. If you have any difficulty, you can email me and I’ll help you resolve any problems.

How do I print the pdf file?

The pdf usually opens right up when you click on the link in the VIP Resources Library. When that happens, simply right click on the pdf and either print or save the document to your device.

If the pdf does not pop up for you, you’ll most likely find it in your computer’s Downloads folder. You can also select “Downloads” in your browser menu to see a list of your downloads, then select “Show in folder” below the file name to see where it is located on your computer.

I’m worried about wasting printer ink – what can I do?

Most printers offer you the option to print in greyscale which is in black and white.

You can also look for the option to print in draft or economy mode. This usually means that the sheet is printed out with less ink. It still looks great and is a good way to print in color but use less ink.

How can I use the printable (what restrictions are there on use)?

You can print these pdf files as many times as you’d like for your personal or classroom use. Please do not share the file with family, friends or coworkers. Please do share the link to this post so they can access their own copy of the printable. All printables are copyrighted.

Expert Tips for Spring Cleaning

• Create a plan or use a checklist so you don’t miss any key tasks
• Schedule realistic blocks of time for spring cleaning on your calendar
• Have family members help with tasks
• Hire professional house cleaners if you need it
• Consider natural cleaning supplies
  • Warm soapy water
  • Lemon juice
  • White vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Fresh air and sunlight
  • Recipes for nontoxic DIY cleaning solutions

• Consider quality tools to make cleaning easier
  • Quality cotton
  • cleaning cloths
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Reusable spray bottles for your DIY cleaners
  • Vacuum
  • Steam mop
  • Steam cleaner
  • Long handled duster – for ceiling lights, ceiling corners and tops of cabinets and furniture
  • Duster for under appliances – easily reaches under appliances to remove dust bunnies and other debris
  • Electric pressure washer for outdoor cleaning

Looking for more spring cleaning tips?

Spring decluttering ideas you might have missed

---

Be sure to pin for this free Spring Cleaning checklist so you can find it every spring when you need it.

---

You can find all our best spring cleaning tips and general cleaning tips in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.

The post Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist and Tips appeared first on Organized 31.