Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Ultimate Guide to a Tidier Home

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Spring is the perfect time to deep-clean your house or embark on an apartment-cleaning marathon. Work these household chores into your cleaning schedule and get ready to enjoy warmer days with a space that sparkles. Before you tackle the project, use our checklist to get organized and plot out your work.

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 a glass cleaner solution with 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/3 cup vinegar, and 2 cups of distilled water.

Sliding Door Tracks

Sliding glass door tracks probably aren't the first spots you'd think to tackle during spring cleaning, but you'll be glad you did it before the outdoor entertaining season gets going full swing. Smallin suggests scrubbing the sliding door tracks with an old, dry toothbrush to loosen debris, then using your vacuum hose to remove it. Finish with a wet sponge.

Overlooked Surfaces

Spring cleaning is an opportunity to address those surfaces you overlook during regular tidying. Once a year, give your baseboards, door frames, other trim, and walls a good thorough cleaning. Wash them with a sponge and a squirt of dishwashing liquid mixed in a bucket of warm water.

Deep-Clean Carpets

To maintain a new carpet's warranty, you may need to have it cleaned professionally every twelve to eighteen months, Smallin says. Otherwise, you can do DIY carpet cleaning when you're spring 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.

Clean Under Furniture and Appliances

Before vacuuming the floors while spring cleaning, 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.

Freshen Furniture

Restore smooth leather with an upholstery cleaner and conditioner. Use a suede brush to perk up nubuck leather. To freshen up wooden 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.

Refresh Window Treatments

Curtains and draperies aren't typically dirty enough to launder. So, instead, go over them thoroughly during spring cleaning 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.

Dust Light Fixtures

Use a microfiber or lint-free cloth to dust fixtures and bulbs you can reach. For spring cleaning your ceiling fans, skip the ladder and use an extendable duster. To clean grimy bulbs, lightly dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe. Tackle light fixtures before cleaning the rest of the room so any falling dust doesn't disrupt already-clean surfaces.

Get Organized

Pick up and eliminate clutter in each room before you start spring 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 correct places and rooms.

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.

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 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.

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-washing nozzles exert, hire a professional to do the work.

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 and spring cleaning. Clean and repair gutters and downspouts every spring before heavy rains begin and late in autumn after leaves have fallen.

Seasonal Change

Hit the garage to store or unpack seasonal items during your spring cleaning process. Put snow shovels, salt, scrapers, and other winter gear in an out-of-the-way garage storage spot to make room for garden tools and potting supplies. Also, consider servicing your snowblower before storing it for spring.

Outdoor Furniture

Get ready for summer entertaining by cleaning outdoor 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.

Bedroom Cleaning

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.

Bathroom Cleaning

You may scrub your bathroom every week, but spring cleaning is a great 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.

Kitchen Cleaning

To spring-clean your kitchen, 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 refrigerator and freezer. Vacuum the cooling coils under or behind your refrigerator.

Spring Clean the Playroom

If you have littles, you probably spend a fair amount of time decluttering and tidying their play space, but when's the last time you gave it a good deep clean, including the toys. Make it part of your spring cleaning and enlist the kids to help. All the steps for cleaning any other room apply here. In addition, you'll also want to go through all those toys, books, and games to weed out and donate what the kids no longer enjoy. Then launder the stuffed animals, floor pillows, and blankets. To clean toys with solid, hard, plastic surfaces, run them through the dishwasher on the top rack. If that's not possible, wipe the toy down with a solution of warm water and a drop of mild dish soap.