Spring is here – the flowers are blooming, the weather is warming, and the sun is emerging. Blossom season is upon us (and for some people, it’s hay fever time).
And with spring comes an incredibly important household event: spring cleaning!
That’s right: it’s time to deep clean your entire home, top to bottom. And if that feels a little overwhelming and you don’t know where to start, don’t worry!
We’ve compiled your ultimate checklist for spring cleaning, going room by room – breaking down a monumental chore into easily-tackled, bite-sized chunks.
So gather your dusters and cloths, grab your vacuum and mop. Get ready to get down and dirty. Here’s the best spring cleaning checklist to get you started on deep cleaning everything in your home.
What is Spring Cleaning?
As the name implies, it’s a complete and thorough cleaning of your home (typically during springtime)!
You deep clean room by room, top to bottom, including places you may not normally use or areas you normally don’t tidy up.
Spring cleaning includes everything from dusting to wiping to decluttering, throughout the whole home.
Why is Spring Cleaning Important?
Plants aren’t the only things that go dormant in the winter – we do, too, admit it. We slack off on chores since it’s cold and grey (not that we blame you).
There’s a scientific element to it, actually, since our bodies produce more melatonin during winter. That makes us feel tired and sluggish.
But when that happens, dust and dirt accumulate, which can pose a hazard to our health. The house may also become cluttered.
Then when spring rolls around, a new season can bring a renewed sense of purpose and motivation. This gives you the energy needed to clean your house, remove dust, and tidy things up for the rest of the year.
Spring cleaning is not only excellent physical exercise, but it’s also great for your mental health.
Before Spring Cleaning: What to Know
First off: you don’t have to clean the entire home in one go! It’s tempting to do a thorough cleaning all in one day, but that’s a surefire way to exhaust yourself.
Before you break out the vacuum cleaner and scrub brushes, formulate your plan of attack – aka your cleaning checklist.
Start by assessing your home and the state of each room. Look for areas you need to refresh, reorganise, or revamp entirely.
Form estimates of how long each room will take so you can set aside the appropriate amount of time each day.
Then, when you do begin cleaning, be efficient! Work from one room to the next, from one side to another, and from top to bottom.
And remember, if the task of spring cleaning your home feels overwhelming – feel free to leave it in the hands of professional cleaners! They’ll give your home a thorough deep cleaning and have it sparkling.
Before Spring Cleaning: Things to Have
Just as a soldier can’t go to battle without the right armaments, you can’t clean without the correct equipment!
Here’s a rundown of things you’ll need while going through your spring clean.
Spring Cleaning Equipment Checklist:
These are your basics, though you’ll likely find you’ll need other items as you go from room to room.
Check the necessary tasks for each space and gather your cleaning items accordingly.
- Vacuum cleaner and attachments
- Mop
- Duster
- Cleaning products (eco-friendly, if possible!)
- Clean cloths and rags
Decluttering Checklist:
Find a couple of storage containers or boxes that you can use while you’re decluttering.
Go through one room at a time and make sure to label each container correctly for:
- Things to donate
- Things to toss out
- Things to put into storage
- Things to recycle or upcycle
Protective Equipment Checklist
Don’t give yourself hay fever or hives while cleaning!
Make sure you’re properly protected while working so you don’t get sick.
- Goggles or a face shield
- Face mask (it gets dusty!)
- Cleaning gloves
Room By Room: Your Spring Cleaning Checklist
This list will tackle everything inside your home, from the entrance hall to the bathrooms.
These are areas that a professional cleaner would handle in a regular service, plus extras that are essential to do on a semi-regular basis.
#1 – Bedrooms
Start in one of the spaces you use most frequently – the bedroom. We spend a third of our lives sleeping, so it’s essential to our well-being that our bedrooms are clean and tidy.
Now is the time to look around and assess the state of your personal quarters. While storing away heavy winter gear like doonas and coats, do an inventory of your clothes so you can declutter.
TIP: Add some eucalyptus oil to the laundry to freshen up your linens!
BEDROOM CHECKLIST:
- Strip and wash doonas, throw blankets, weighted blankets, bed sheets, pillows and pillowcases, and doona cover
- Check the mattress for any mould or mildew (plus, remember to rotate or flip it!)
- Sort out any items in the vanity and closet to throw, donate, recycle, or keep
- Clean windows, window sills, and mirrors
- Clean the blinds and/or the curtains
- Wipe walls, tabletops, furniture, and all other surfaces
- Vacuum the mattress and ceiling; dust ceiling fans and standing fans
- Vacuum the floor, rug (over and under!), and beneath furniture
- Remake your bed with clean linens
#2 – Bathrooms
Cleaning the bathroom is a tough but fulfilling task. It’s especially vital since bathrooms attract so much bacteria, and are a high risk for mould or mildew.
Work one bathroom at a time and be mindful of your knees – tiles can be pretty unforgiving.
TIP: Baking soda and distilled white vinegar are your best friends when it comes to cleaning here.
BATHROOM CHECKLIST:
- Sort out items in the bathroom cabinets; toss out anything unused or expired
- Empty and clean the rubbish bin
- Clean the shower area – including the tiles, shower curtains or shower glass, and shower head
- Clean the bathtub (if you have one)
- Clean windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces
- Scrub the toilet bowl and rim, including the tank and pipes
- Clean the toilet brush and holder
- Clean the plunger
- Wipe the bathroom sink and vanity
- Unclog drains
- Change toothbrushes if necessary
- Scrub the tiles and clean grout
- Vacuum then mop the floor
#3 – Hallways
This is an area that gets a lot of foot traffic, so dirt can build up pretty easily.
HALLWAY CHECKLIST:
- Dust behind artwork, paintings, and picture frames plus around and under decor
- Vacuum the ceiling
- Remove stains from walls
- Clean skirting boards
- Vacuum then mop the floor
#4 – Stairway
Sometimes we neglect this space in our homes, but the stairway sees a lot of traffic. Remove dirt and dust with a thorough, deep clean and get your stairs sparkling.
TIP: Don’t just wipe the top of the bannister; clean the rungs, too!
STAIRWAY CHECKLIST:
- Dust behind artwork, paintings, and picture frames
- Vacuum the ceiling
- Wipe the bannister
- Vacuum or sweep the steps
#5 – Laundry room
Washing machines aren’t self-cleaning, no matter how much we wish.
Your laundry room has a risk of high humidity and moisture, so cleaning it prevents bacteria and other unpleasant things (like odours) from building up.
TIP: Leave the door of the washing machine open to let it air dry! This deters mould and mildew from growing.
LAUNDRY ROOM CHECKLIST:
- Check shelves for laundry and cleaning products; toss out anything expired
- Clean your washing machine (top loader or front loader)
- Clean your dryer by emptying the lint trap and wiping clean
- Wipe down your washer and dryer (especially the crevices and knobs)
- Clean all the surfaces – cabinets, shelves, fans, etc.
- Vacuum then mop the floor
#6 – Kitchen and pantry
Now, it’s time to clean the kitchen. There are a lot of small appliances that need cleaning here, so be systematic and work on one task at a time.
TIP: Get everyone else out of the house for a few hours – this one is going to take a long time.
KITCHEN CHECKLIST:
- Take inventory of all your food items in the fridge, kitchen cabinets, and pantry
- Toss out any uneaten and expired food and cooking products
- Clear all items out and clean the fridge
- Deep clean your oven by spreading a baking soda mix in your oven and letting it sit (no need for commercial oven cleaner!)
- Clean the stovetop (and rangehood filters, if you have them)
- Wash and dry any plates, then clean the dishwasher
- Clean the microwave and other kitchen appliances (air fryer, coffee maker, kettle, toaster, etc.)
- Clean the kitchen sink and drain
- Wipe down the benchtop and other surfaces
- Mop the floor
#7 – Dining room
You and your loved ones eat here, so it’s vital that you keep this area clean. If your home is open-plan, work in one designated area at a time to make things easier for yourself.
TIP: Shake your tablecloth outside before you change it! There could be crumbs and other dirt stuck on the fabric.
DINING ROOM CHECKLIST:
- Strip the tablecloth and set it aside for laundering
- Wipe all the cutlery
- Wipe all surfaces, including chairs
- Change cushion covers if necessary
- Replace tablecloth
- Clean windows and curtains
- Vacuum then mop the floor
#8 – Living room
You’ve probably been tucked in here for plenty of time in the winter, nice and cosy and warm.
Now it’s time to clean and refresh the room with a deep clean so you can begin hosting friends and family for get-togethers.
LIVING ROOM CHECKLIST:
- Declutter and reorganise the space; place everything back in its correct spaces
- Vacuum the ceiling
- Wipe and organise the shelves; check for anything you might toss out or donate
- Vacuum the furniture (be especially thorough if you have a white couch)
- Wipe all other surfaces, including windows
- Change the curtains
- Vacuum the carpet
- Move furniture out of the way
- Steam clean a hard floor; otherwise, vacuum then mop the floor
- Replace all the furniture and decor
#9 – Entrance hall
Last but not least, the entrance hall. You’ve been working your way through the whole house, top to bottom and one side to another, and this is one of the last spaces you’ll have to clean.
TIP: This space gives your guests their first impression of your home – make sure it looks good!
ENTRANCE HALL CHECKLIST:
- Declutter and reorganise the space
- Place all shoes back into the rack or cabinet
- Dust and wipe surfaces
- Vacuum then mop the floor
- Change the entrance mat
#10 – Other essentials
Check your fire extinguisher and see if it needs to be changed or refilled. This is a safety essential in your home, so you need to ensure it’s functional.
Don’t forget to clean the light fixtures! They may be high up, but they still collect dust and debris.
In every room you clean, take the time to clean the light fixtures by wiping them with a dry cloth. Check the bulbs too, in case any are burnt out and need replacing. You can also give all of your light switches a good wipe down.
While cleaning curtains, also dust curtain rods! We often neglect these because the curtains seem more essential, but curtain rods do also gather dust.
Give them a once-over with a duster or wipe them with a dry cloth. If they’re made of metal, check for signs of rust.
When exiting a room, give the door frames a quick wipe as well – it’ll add more sparkle and tidiness to the way things look!
Spring Cleaning Tips
Our list goes room by room, but you can also do things chore by chore. For example, spend one day just cleaning curtains and blinds all around the house, then the next vacuuming all the furniture.
Whichever method you choose, what’s essential is to focus on one room or one task at a time.
Haphazardly switching from room to room or task to task will make you inefficient and result in a poor clean overall. Better to be slow yet thorough!
Also remember that as you go through each room, air it out! Open the windows and turn on any fans to clear up any musty smells.
You can use a nifty hack by popping a pot on the stove and adding some cinnamon, coffee, or lemon slices. Let the mixture simmer and breathe in as the scent spreads through your whole home.
Meanwhile, if you have an attic, either tackle it first or leave it for last, depending on how much you feel up to it.
Attics tend to gather dust the most since we enter them the least frequently, so it’ll likely be one of the tougher clean-throughs. Will you have more energy at the start, or would you prefer to build momentum?
And lastly – when in a rush, disinfectant wipes are your best friend. You can use them on all sorts of surfaces for a quick cleaning solution. They won’t get all the dirt, but they’ll clean enough in a short period of time.
Cleaning Beyond Spring
This spring cleaning checklist is useful not just for one big clean, but for regular deep cleaning throughout the year as well!
You don’t have to do this every season, but you should regularly deep clean the different rooms in your house to keep it neat, hygienic, and tidy.
It’ll be a lot of time and effort, but once every room is pristine and refreshed, you’ll feel so much better. Then you can settle onto your couch and put up your feet, and treat yourself for a job very well done.
