April showers bring May flowers. They also wash away all of the grim from the winter! Spring is a great time for all of us to get our homes clean and organized again so we can enjoy the season. I've included a free printable download with the checklist and a calendar to help you stay on task and accomplish these tasks over 2 weeks.
Here are the items on my spring cleaning checklist:
1. Kitchen
This is always a good place to start. It is generally one of the most used rooms in your house and therefore requires the most attention. While you probably clean your kitchen daily, doing a really deep clean at least once a year can be really beneficial. This is the time to do some extra tasks that maybe you don't do as often as you would like. Here are some places to put your focus when taking on this task:
- Oven & Stove Top
- Fridge (check and dispose of all expired items, pull out everything and wash all shelves/walls)
- Freezer (sort and reorganize, be sure to check for expired items and dispose)
- Microwave (be sure to dust behind it if you can too)
- Toaster (clean out all crumbs from your toaster tray)
- Drawers (putting things out and cleaning out all of your drawers will also give you the opportunity to sort and move things that have maybe migrated to the wrong drawer)
- Pantry (its a good idea to pull everything out, sort and reorganize, be sure to check for expired items and dispose)
2. Bathrooms
This is another area of the home that is probably cleaned on a regular basis. However, there are always additional tasks that should be done with a deep clean. Here are some places to put your focus when taking on this task:
- Deep clean your tub/shower, sink and toilet
- Clean out all drawers/cupboards (throw away expired medication, cosmetics, etc)
- Clean your ceiling vent
- Soak your shower head to remove any build up
- Clean out your tub/sink drains
- Replace or clean your shower curtain
- Replace or clean your bathmats
This is also a good time to spruce up this space for the spring. Check out my Spring Home Tips blog for more ideas.
3. Bedrooms
A bedroom should be a place for relaxation. Its hard to unwind in a space that gets cluttered or untidy. There are ways to keep this space organized daily and seasonally. Here are some places to put your focus when taking on this task:
- Sort all of your clothes (donate items you no longer wear & put your winter items into storage) This will give you an opportunity to reorganize your closet & dresser too.
- Rotate your mattress
- Clean and vacuum under your bed
- Remove any items that have accumulated that don't belong in your bedroom
- Replace any old/worn bedding/textiles
4. Home Office
This room has been used more in the past two years than ever before for a lot of people. If you have a home office, it's important to keep it organized and clean. Often, we find ourselves busy coming and going from this space and the time to really keep it organized gets over looked. Here are some places to put your focus when taking on this task:
- File, organize and/or toss all paperwork that is out
- Dust/clean keyboards, mouse, printers & any other office equipment
- Vacuum under the desk
- Remove any items that have accumulated that don't belong in your office
- Evaluate your office storage and organizational elements, do you need to update anything with the changes that have occurred with your usage of this space or the tasks you do now?
- All of those updates/scans you've been avoiding, this is also a good idea to do some general clean up on your computer. Take the time to remove old files and do the updates.
5. Laundry Room
This is often a room that gets overlooked, however the items on this list are just as important as any other room. Here are some places to put your focus when taking on this task:
- Wipe down the top and sides of your washing machine & dryer
- Clean/Vacuum all of the vents (these can be a fire hazard if not cleaned thoroughly)
- Sweep/Vacuum behind your washer & dryer
- Sort & organize any shelves or cupboards in this room
6. Carpets & Rug (General for all rooms)
We all might regularly vacuum our carpet and rugs, but how often do we get a chance to really do a deep clean. If you don't have a carpet cleaner consider borrowing one from a friend or renting one. Doing this at least once a year will keep your carpets fresh and looking their best. If you have pets, you would consider this type of cleaning more often.
7. Blind/Window Coverings (General for all rooms)
Clean, wipe, wash all blinds and window coverings as per your manufactures recommendations. They tend to accumulate a lot of dust over time. Keeping them clean is not only good for the air quality in your home, but also keeps the colors of your window treatments bright and looking their best.
8. Couches & Chairs (General for all rooms)
While you have that carpet cleaner on hand be sure to give your chairs a quick clean with the upholstery tool. Remove all couch cushions and vacuum. Move you couch and vacuum the area underneath it.
9. Air Filters (General for all rooms)
Whether you have a furnace filter or a small one in your child's humidifier, its good to clean or replace these as needed. Spring is a good time to check them and be sure they are in good condition. Going into spring (allergy season), this task will definitely benefit your whole household.
10. Garbage Cans (General for all rooms)
Garbage cans tend to be one items that accumulates a lot of dirt and germs fast. Its good to thoroughly wash them. Small ones can often be put in the dishwasher. Larger ones will need to be hosed off outside. Don't forget about your recycle and compost bins. Be sure to replace any that are not in good condition.
11. Smoke Detectors (General for all rooms)
Be sure your smoke detectors are working and all up to date. Check and replace batteries.
12. Garage
If you are anything like our family, our garage tends to get very cluttered over the winter. We don't spend as much time outside as we do in the spring/summer/fall, so we tend to just place items quickly and leave. Spring is a great time to reorganize so you can enjoy this space during the warmer months. Here are some places to put your focus when taking on this task:
- Declutter and donate/sell or toss any items no longer needed
- Store away all seasonal winter items so they are not in the way of accessing your spring/summer items (Ex: Put away the kids sleds to make room for your gardening tools)
- Replace your garage door opener batteries
- Sweep the garage floors (there is often a lot of build up after winter)
- Evaluate your garage storage and organizational elements, do you need to update anything with the changes that have occurred with your usage of this space or the tasks you do now?
Ready to spring clean? I have put together a printable (FREE) 2 week spring cleaning calendar with tasks for each day.
TIP: As you will see, some of the larger tasks have been put on Saturdays, while the smaller ones are during the week. You can adjust the days to best suit your schedule.
TIP: Ask each family member to help with different tasks. Its nice for everyone to see what efforts go into the upkeep of a home seasonally. This will bring a new appreciation for the whole family as they work to keep the spaces tidy all year round.
TIP: Set a reward for yourself to celebrate once all 12 tasks are complete! Everyone needs a bit of motivation when it comes to the parts of being an adult that while aren't very fun as super rewarding once complete! Maybe splurge on a new piece of home decor or hire a virtual decorator (that's me!) to spruce up one of the rooms in your home!
What are some tasks you do every spring to keep your house looking its best?
Wanting more ideas to refresh your home this spring? Check out this article.