*Please click on image for your complimentary printable Spring Cleaning Checklist

The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the weather is finally beginning to warm. Why? Because springtime is here! and whether you plan to sell this season or simply want to enjoy a clean home, our spring cleaning checklist will help you tackle your most daunting projects. Commit to completing three tasks every day and by the end of the month, your house will shine like brand new.

Spring Cleaning Checklist Part 1: The Preparation

• Buy your favorite cleaning products: You won’t be excited to embark on your cleaning extravaganza with a five-year-old bottle of windex and half empty bleach. So head to the store and stock up on essentials.
• Make appointments in advance: Planning to get your carpets professionally cleaned or hardwood floors refinished? Just be sure to schedule your appointments ahead of time as to not interfere with your personal cleaning agenda.
• Create an upbeat playlist: Spring cleaning should not be liberating for just your home, it should also be a cathartic experience for yourself. Let decluttering feel good! Create a playlist of your favorite songs to keep you motivated and on task.
• Replace your linens: After months of dark and dreary whether, brighten up your home with fresh linens. Replace heavy curtains, blankets, and comforters with a lightweight alternative and your home will feel cleaner immediately.
• Throw it away: Haven’t worn it in six months? Haven’t cooked with it for over a year? Get rid of it! Even better, donate it! Take some advice from decluttering expert Marie Kondo and toss away items that no longer “spark joy” in your life.

Spring Cleaning Checklist Part 2: Mistakes To Avoid

• Failing to plan ahead: We’ve already discussed the importance of having a plan, so just do it. Don’t waste your time flailing from one project to the next, completing only half of each one. Be specific. Plan out which rooms you’re going to clean, on which day and in which order. (Pro Tip: Tackle the hardest rooms first)
• Avoiding the deep clean: In the fashion of true spring cleaning, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty if you want results. Don’t avoid those hard to reach areas like ceiling fan blades or under the fridge. When you do it right, you’ll feel accomplished.
• Hasty scrubbing: If you want all of your expensive cleaning products to reach their full potential, you must live by the mantra: spray and walk away. Shower mold, mineral deposits, dirty grout and rusty appliances are not impossible to clean. Just be sure to use your products as directed and let soap soak into your surfaces before scrubbing.
• Cleaning windows on a sunny day: Cleaning windows is a must to fulfill an authentic spring cleaning ritual, but if the sun is out, save this project for another day. Window cleaner dries far quicker in the heat, resulting in streak marks across your glass, no matter how hard you squeegee. So before tackling this task, wait until the temperature drops below 65 degrees.

Spring Cleaning Checklist Part 3: The Clean

The Kitchen

The kitchen, also known as the heart of the home, goes through a lot of wear and tear. From expired food, to gnat infested cabinets, this room deserves a thorough scrub down.

• Remove the contents of every cabinet and drawer. Wipe down both the inside and outside of each space with detergent and a warm cloth. Organize and replace items back in their designated spaces.
• Sharpen knives.
• Deep clean cutting boards.
• Remove crumbs from toaster.
• Clean microwave and stove.
• Shine silverware
• Dust any displayed china.
• Dust light fixtures, blinds, ceiling fans, and window sills.
• Scrub the stove.
• Sweep and mop floors.
• Wipe down counters
• De-grease backsplash
• Shine faucet, sink, and clean the drain.
• Reseal grout if necessary.

Pro Tip: Start from the top and work your way down to avoid having to re-mop floors as a result of settling dust.

The Bathrooms
Because so much moisture is trapped in your bathroom on a daily basis, the room is a breeding ground for mold. Not to fear, your floor to ceiling clean will stop mold growth in its tracks.

• Scrub mirror with glass cleaner.
• Remove all items from vanity and scrub insides with detergent.
• Replace items back in vanity in an organized fashion and discard expired medicines and products.
• Clean toilet bowl
• Remove lid and set from toilet to scrub around seat bolts.
• Spray anti-mold cleaning agent on shower doors and walls.
• Wax bathtub.
• Shine faucets.
• Dust vent covers.
• Clear sink and shower drain.
• Clean window sills.
• Sweep and mop floors.
• Wash towels and bathmat in hot water.

Pro Tip: Keep a squeegee in your shower year round to prevent mold growth and mineral deposit build-up to simplify next year’s spring cleaning.

The Bedrooms
From the master bedroom where you spend a majority of your time to the guest room that receives little to no attention, bedrooms collect dust mites and deserve a full overhaul.

• For each drawer: remove items, dust, replace drawer liner, organize items and return nicely to their dedicated spaces.
• Donate items you no longer use.
• Launder bedding in hot water.
• Sprinkle baking soda on uncovered mattress, wait, and vacuum.
• Air out mattress pad.
• Vacuum under bed and behind dressers.
• Clean out closets.

Pro Tip: If you are uncomfortable using harsh cleaning products in your most intimate spaces, consider going “au naturel” with a DIY cleaner. A lemon juice and salt scrub or a vinegar and water mixture will get the job done.

Everywhere Else

• Open windows
• Vacuum dust from baseboards and scrub trim.
• Vacuum spider webs from corners.
• Deep clean carpets and rugs, refinish hardwood floors, and shine tile or linoleum surfaces.
• Dust window screens.
• Vacuum, sweep, mop (In that order).
• Spot clean walls.
• Dust art and light fixtures.
• Sweep porch.
• Replace welcome mat.
• Clean upholstered furnishings.
• Ensure fire safety by changing the batteries in smoke detectors.

Pro Tip: As you clean, make a list of things you notice you need or that need to be fixed (i.e. out of flour or a chip in the banister). Don’t look at this list until you have completed your entire spring cleaning.

Good luck and happy cleaning! 

*to receive a complimentary printable Spring Cleaning Checklist please click on picture above