Springtime Deep Cleaning Checklist

It’s springtime and that means clean time! As your resident clean freak, I’ve compiled a list of deep cleaning activities for you to tackle throughout the season. Some will take a few minutes, others will take an afternoon, and some are set-em-and-forget-em then wipe-em-clean a day later.

This list is meant to be a guide, not a rule book. I don’t want to pretend that everyone has hours of free time each day to commit to this. During the coronavirus quarantine, some folks may be going stir-crazy and wanting to do projects. However, I want to be mindful that some of us have taken on far more work and stressors right now. Do what you can, do what fits your lifestyle, do what makes you feel good. So, feel free to do one project a day, one a week, or three a day! Your call!

First, tidy up!

First things first, tidy before you start cleaning! It’s always way easier to focus on scrubbing things if you aren’t also having to rearrange stuff. I realize this is only giving you more work to do, but I recommend taking a look at my tidying, organizing, and decluttering checklist before getting started deep cleaning.

Collect your tools and cleaning products!

For as much as I love cleaning, I don’t own many cleaning products. So much can be done with simple white vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, rags, and a vacuum. All of my favorite tools, cleaners, and scrubbers are right here!

Get cleaning!

Download the printable checklist and make a satisfying checkmark on paper! I’ve organized this list in a pretty randomized order because I know everyone has different homes, different priorities, and different cleaning methods. Skim the list and tackle them in the order you want to. Then, come back to my guide below for the nitty-gritty details when you take on each task.

Disassemble and clean the vacuum components - Those cleaning tools work so much better when they’re clean! I recommend googling the model of your vacuum plus the word clean and watch some tutorials about how to open up each of the brushes and components.

Sanitize doorknobs, switches, banisters, remotes, & phones - I pour some rubbing alcohol on a rag and wander around the house to wipe the things we touch most often.

Run clean cycles on washing machine and dishwasher - Each appliance is different, but I clean mine with vinegar. I pour it into the washing machine and run it on the wash cycle. And for the dishwasher, I put a bowl of vinegar in the top rack and run in on a speed cycle.

Wipe light fixtures, bulbs, fan blades, and picture frames - Be careful cleaning these things with a cleaner that will leave streaks on the glass. I like to use a glasses cleaning cloth with just water and it works beautifully. For fan blades, I recommend dusting first and then wiping with a damp cloth.

Clean out drains, garbage disposal, and dryer vent - Pull out that wad of hair from the shower drain, put some frozen lemon cubes in the garbage disposal, and use one of these to clean the dryer vent.

Clean under and behind heavy furniture - Recruit a buddy to help you move the couch, bed, and big dressers to vacuum and dust. You’ll be surprised how much is back there even if you’re the most diligent cleaner. Bonus: Sometimes I like to empty an entire room and clean absolutely everything all at once.

Wash windows inside and out - I have a full tutorial on how to clean windows using my favorite window-cleaning tool.

Polish silver, brass, and wood items - This is a good project for listening to a podcast or record. You might be scrubbing for a while if you have lots of silverware or brass tchotchkes.

Scrub grout in bathrooms - When I clean the bathroom I’ll admit I don’t scrub each and every grout line as much as I should. I tend to save the task for a deep cleaning day. I like to pretend I’m getting an arm workout when I scrub, but you could get this drill attachment to clean with a power tool.

Deep clean microwave and oven - Here’s how to clean a microwave with simple products and a little scrubbing.

Rotate and clean area rugs or take to the cleaner - Area rugs can wear down in spots with heavy traffic so rotating rugs can even out wear. As for rug cleaning, you can rent them from hardware stores, but I also hear great things about this dry/wet cleaner if you want to own a deep cleaner.

Remove hard water and soap scum from faucets & fixtures - One of my favorite cleaning tricks is to soak faucets and showerheads in vinegar overnight. The grime just melts right off! If you can remove the aerator and components you can soak them in a bowl of vinegar. But if you can’t get the showerhead off easily, you can put vinegar in a plastic bag, put the bag around the fixture, then tape the bag to the neck of the fixture. I use the same bag and vinegar over and over so it’s always in the bathroom ready to dunk something in.

Wipe cabinetry - I try to wipe the kitchen cabinets when I deep clean the kitchen (get my whole kitchen deep cleaning steps and video time-lapse here) but I tend to do it pretty passively. Taking some time to really clean all the nooks and crannies feels extra clean. Go ahead and wipe the cabinets in the hallway, laundry room, or wherever else you have doors that can catch drips or dust.

Vacuum and tidy car - Another reason I love my stick vacuum is I can clean the hardwoods inside, and then immediately clean the carpets of the car with a switch of attachments.

Launder drapery, pillows, and blankets - Plan a day of back-to-back laundry by washing the things you don’t wash on a regular basis. A freshly washed pillow that dries out in the sun is such a treat when climbing into bed. Grab all of the throw blankets, throw pillow covers, and other soft fabrics to put in the wash or get professionally cleaned.

Wash slipcovers, spot treat upholstery, & vacuum furniture - Focus on the upholstered furniture by vacuuming out all of the crevices, turning the cushions to even out wear, spot clean the stains, and wash any slipcovers.

Tidy and sweep garage - I didn’t include tidying the garage on my organizing challenge in January because it would have been pretty chilly, but take some time to tidy that sucker! At the very least, try to get everything off the floor and sweep it clean.

Clean out fireplace - We’re nearing the end of fireplace season so when you’re all done, clean out the firebox of ashes, wipe the soot off the mantel, and put the fireplace screen away until cool weather returns at the end of the year.

Oil wood counters/boards, poultice marble, & seal stone surfaces - Depending on what kind of countertops, cutting boards, cheese boards, and bathroom shelves you have, use the right cleaner to freshen them up. I like this for butcher block and wood utensils, a poultice for marble stains, and a sealer for stone.

Deep clean trash cans - I like to do this on sunny days because I can bring the cans outside, hose them down, scrub them with a mild cleaner, rinse them, and let them dry outside.

Remove rust from tools - Clean up those tools or anything else you have around the house that’s getting rusty using any number of natural home cleaning methods. I particularly like the trick I used to remove rust from cast iron.

Wash outdoor furniture and hardscaping - This is when my beloved pressure washer comes into play, but you can just hose things off with a garden hose. I like to rinse the walls of the house and see the grime come off.

Remove or hide stray cables outside - This seems very nit-picky to some, but tidying up cables makes such a difference! We literally cut our cable cords so we didn’t have wires running to the house. You don’t need to go that drastic, but maybe using some cable clips to run that sagging wire along a wall will help visually clean things up. Now is also a good time to make sure all of the landscape lighting is buried.

Clean baseboards and trim - Sure, dust, of course! But go the extra mile with a damp rag to really make the woodwork sparkle.

Touch up paint nicks on walls, trim, or furniture - This has been on my to-do list for far too long! Hopefully, you have leftover paint ready to use on touch-ups for the nicks and scuffs on walls and painted furniture. When you go looking for that old paint if you find that the lid is busted and you’re worried it won’t keep well, consider transferring the paint to a fresh can. Be sure to strain it if the paint is icky with crusty bits or debris.

Clean and sanitize kids and pet toys - Rubbing alcohol is your friend for hard surfaces, but you can also put non-plastic items in the dishwasher for a high-heat clean. Washing fabric toys in the washing machine will clean those up.

Dust shelves and everything on them - This is when I recommend you declutter and tidy first! There’s no sense in dusting all of the books and knick-knacks only to remove them and sort through them the next day.

Deep clean refrigerator and freezer - I shared a full step-by-step tutorial on how to clean the fridge here.

Flip and rotate mattress then clean if necessary - I always forget to rotate and flip the mattress! Now is a good time to do it if you can’t remember the last time you did. For stains or smells, you can dust it in baking soda and then vacuum it off later.

Clean vents and replace HVAC filters - My vents are in the floor so they tend to get pretty dusty. If you can remove the vents, they might benefit from a hose down and dry outside in the sun. Otherwise, a damp rag will help clean them without adding dust into the ducting. While you’re at it, spring is a great time to replace the old HVAC filter with a fresh one. It’s recommended you replace filters once every 6 months.

Happy cleaning! Share your progress on Instagram Stories and tag your friends to keep everyone motivated! Did I miss any of your favorite spring cleaning projects? Leave them in the comments so others can add those suggestion to their lists, and I’ll remember to add it to my next deep cleaning checklist.