We are so excited that it’s officially spring! The warmer weather, returning sunshine, and just-budding flowers are bringing us so much joy. Each spring, as the world starts to turn green and things feel new again, it’s a great time to spend a little T.L.C. on your home to make it feel clean, fresh, and new again. There’s a lot to clean in your home and it can be hard to remember all the little things that you don’t need to do year-round, but that are perfect to save for a little spring cleaning. That’s why we wanted to make a quick and easy guide to cleaning your home from top to bottom (or from roof to floors ☺️) 

Let's Take it from the Top

Often the most neglected area of cleaning, take a look at your light fixtures, ceiling fans, light bulbs, and ceiling vents. Whether you use a microfiber cloth, a Swiffer, or an actual feather duster, it doesn’t take much to clear off the accumulated dust and get these items cleaned up. Our top tips for cleaning here are to unplug and turn off your lights before dusting to clean them safely; and to do this part first before you clean the rest of the house so that if a little extra dust falls off it gets cleaned up afterwards.

Wash Those Windows & Walls

Looked at your windows lately? Curtains and blinds often obscure windows so that you don’t notice when they get dirty, but Spring is a great time to take a look at them, wipe down any built-up dirt with a wet rag, and make sure that they are in tip-top shape. Checking the seals on your windows can also help make sure that your home stays well-insulated against the coming heat, helping you save money on those AC bills! Don’t forget to clean the actual windows themselves. Cleaning expert Donna Smallin Kuper recommends washing them on an overcast day, saying “if it’s too sunny, the cleaning solution will dry too fast and you’ll have streaks.”

Next, let’s look at your walls, doors, and baseboards. These areas can quickly become a bit duller after a year of pets and people brushing up against them. You can easily make them look brand new with a splash of dawn dish soap, a sponge, and a bucket of warm water.

For those more stubborn areas, a magic eraser might be a good option, but use them sparingly as they work through micro-abrasion which can scratch smooth surfaces and remove layers of paint if used too aggressively. (Did you know that the magic part is just melamine? You can save a few bucks by buying melamine sponges on Amazon and skipping the brand names).

Clean Under Appliances & Furniture

We know you probably already have a great floor cleaning routine - sweeping, mopping, etc., but you might not have the time or energy year-round to clean all of your floors – we’re talking under furniture and appliances!

 Grab your family to help move your furniture and roll up area rugs before vacuuming and mopping the floors. Don’t forget to move your kitchen appliances away from the wall, too, and clean up all the crumbs and dust bunnies that have collected.

Take Time to Declutter

Now that your house is sparkling clean from top to bottom, let’s look at some of the ways we can organize. We’ve already done all this work to clean, why should we care about a little extra clutter? According to an article from The New York Times , “clutter can negatively impact mental well-being, particularly among women. Clutter can also induce a physiological response, including increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.” This means that taking a little bit of time each spring to reduce the overall clutter in your home can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health throughout the whole year! Try going through each room in your house with a systematic approach: 

1. Identify problem areas 

2. Figure out the reason for the clutter 

3. Establish a solution   

4. Implement your solution 

An easy solution that many are familiar with is to have a throw away, give away , and a keep pile to help begin sorting through that clutter. While it does take some time and work to do this, your health and happiness will benefit from it. 

You can also free up some space by storing clothes that you aren’t going to wear once it warms up. Put away any gloves, coats, beanies, scarves, or boots so that you’ll have extra space for your spring wardrobe. Don’t forget to label and store the bins so that you can easily find what you’re looking for come next winter. 

Now that we’ve gone over how to clean your house from top to bottom, it’s time to actually do it. I don’t know about you, but we love checklists – they help to keep you organized and there is nothing more satisfying than checking things off your list! We made a simple checklist with all of these items plus a few more great spring cleaning items on it to keep you on track. It’s also interactive, so you can check them off even if you don’t have a printer handy. We hope your spring cleaning is a breeze!