How to Spring Clean Your Home

Spring is finally here! And if you’re anything like me, you love a good spring cleaning at this time of year. 

There’s just something about putting away items that have been scattered around the house for too long, placing winter items into storage, and giving everything a deep clean. Doing this brings a sense of new life and energy into your space.

The Hidden Benefits of Spring Cleaning

When we take care of the space we live in, everything in life feels so much better. We have more energy, we sleep better, we’re more creative, and we’re more focused. 

I spent last Saturday morning spring cleaning my home, section by section. After I put on comfy clothes and some music, I got to work. I like to navigate spring cleaning by focusing on one area of my home at a time. I pick a space, concentrate all my energy on it, and then move onto the next. I also set a timer for 20-30 minutes per section so I don’t spend too much time in a single area.

Spring cleaning doesn’t come naturally to everyone. We’ve all been in the situation where we decided to do a deep clean of our home, pulled out everything onto the floor that needed sorting, and then completely lost motivation. Then you’ve got the choice of living that way until you find the energy to clean again or shoving everything back where it came from. Neither of which is what you set out to achieve!

If this situation sounds familiar to you, you need a spring cleaning plan. To help you get started and get your home looking amazing for one of the most beautiful seasons of the year, here’s a step-by-step guide to exactly how I clean my home each spring.

Kitchen

Nothing makes the kitchen feel clean like having a clean fridge. I don’t know why this is, but it’s certainly true. To get the best results, I suggest you begin by literally emptying everything out of your refrigerator and freezer. Give every part a thorough, deep clean and dry really well.

Before you fill your refrigerator and freezer back up, go through everything you took out of it. Toss anything that’s expired or you know you’re not going to eat. This is a great opportunity to get rid of junk food if you’re trying to eat healthy and find ingredients you’d totally forgotten about to turn into your next meal.  

Next, get to work on your cabinets and drawers. Pull everything out and give all the surfaces a good wipe down. Go through all the items in your kitchen and donate anything that’s in good condition. It’s always better to pass things onto someone else who can use them instead of having items cluttering up your cabinets and drawers.

Toss anything that’s broken or you don’t use and isn’t in a good enough condition to donate. This will give you loads of free space that will make cooking and preparing meals in the kitchen a true joy.

If you want to step up your organization game, these will help keep everything in its place.

Bedroom

Start by removing all the bedding and putting it straight in the wash. Then get out your duster and go over the bed frame, as well as under the bed. Dust bunnies love to live under there.

At this time of year, I always switch out my duvet and sheets for a lighter comforter and bedding in spring colors. Next, I get to work on cleaning my furniture inside and out. I literally take everything out of the drawers so I can give them a thorough cleaning.

This goes for my closet too. I wipe the inside down first then move onto the mirrored doors, cleaning the entire closet from top to bottom. If you’re tempted to declutter your closet while you’re at it, I recommend choosing a different day to do this. Cleaning your bedroom is demanding enough without putting additional pressure on yourself to sort out your clothes. 

If you want some help on decluttering your closet, let me know in the comments. I’d love to share my tips and tricks with you in another blog post.

For the last step, remove any rugs and hit them outdoors to remove the dust. If they’re particularly dirty, you can have them cleaned or clean them yourself if you’ve got the supplies. Finally, give your bedroom floor a thorough vacuum and mop before replacing any rugs.

If you need some suggestions for new cleaning products, here are my current fave supplies I can’t live without.

Bathroom

First up, toss your towels straight in the washing machine. Once your towels are clean and dry, be sure to wash your bath mats. It’s easy to forget about bath mats, but they get surprisingly dirty over time — even though you only step on them when you’re clean! A quick cycle in the washing machine will give them a fresh burst of life and make them look good as new.

Next, I start on the shower. I usually find I’ve got a build up of mold or soap scum in the shower. If you come across the same thing, use this homemade shower cleaner to get rid of it:

-1/2 cup vinegar
-1/2 cup Dawn Dishwashing Liquid Soap
-Spray Bottle

I find this always removes mold and soap scum every time. If you keep any products in the shower, take a moment to wash them down as well. You might not notice, but these products are also susceptible to mold and soap scum buildup.

 Again, donate any products you don’t use which are in good condition. You know the type of things I mean. The items which are within easy reach but you never bother to use them. Pass them onto a friend or give them to someone in need.

Next, give the sink and counter a good scrub down. I remove everything from my vanity and wipe down every single surface, no matter how small it is. I give the mirror in the bathroom a good cleaning, too.

Then I move onto the toilet which gets a thorough cleaning inside and out. Finally, I sweep and mop the floor.

Living Room

Begin by clearing away any obvious clutter. Don’t worry about deep cleaning yet, just tidy away anything you know doesn’t belong where it’s currently sitting. If you have piles of things left out or holiday items from the winter, set those aside for now. You can deal with them later.

I love switching to a lighter throw blanket on my sofa for spring and summer. It makes the room feel so much more airy and fresh. Next, dust away! Dust everything you can see: furniture, photos, plants, books...anything with a surface that attracts dust. 

If you have curtains in your living room or anywhere else in your home, they’ll probably need a wash, too. But don’t throw them straight into the washing machine — check the label first and follow the directions. You don’t want to accidentally ruin your favorite pair of curtains simply because you’re trying to spring clean your home.

 The flat I’m currently in has electronic blinds, so I simply dusted them off with microfiber cleaning cloths. They’re so quick and easy to clean — much better than a lot of curtains I’ve owned. If you’d like some of the amazing cleaning microfiber cleaning cloths I’ve listed some below.

After I’ve dusted everything and had a basic organization session, I clean and polish furniture, as well as all my mirrors. Then it’s a final vacuum and mop before my spring cleaning is almost complete.

The last step in my spring cleaning regime is to find a home for winter items and any other things I set to one side earlier. If you’re not likely to need these things for several months, you can put them somewhere far away, like in the garage or in storage. But if you think you’ll need them in a short while, put them somewhere out of the way, but where they’ll still be accessible.

The finishing touch is always fresh flowers for me. They add a sense of beauty, life and energy to a room you just can’t get any other way. If you’re not a fan of fresh flowers or you have allergies, you can always use artificial ones. Don’t forget to give them a clean every now and again to keep them looking great.

Decorate for Spring

Now is a great time to give your home a fresh new look in time for spring. After all the hard work you put into cleaning your home, reward yourself with some beautiful spring décor. Here are some amazing ideas to inspire you and get you started.

Extra Spring Cleaning Tips

Not everyone is a fan of cleaning, and that’s totally okay. But going through your home once a year, donating anything that doesn’t add value to your life and thoroughly cleaning everything else that does is a great way to lighten the load — mentally, emotionally and physically.

It’s really hard to be positive and focused when you’re surrounded by unnecessary clutter. If cleaning one room at a time seems too daunting for you, start off small. Begin by clearing a single shelf in your living room or your bedside cabinet in your bedroom. The positive feelings you get from a job well done will inspire you to carry on with the rest of your home.

Do you have any tips which make spring cleaning your home a breeze? I’d love to hear about them. Drop me a note in the comments. You never know, your little piece of advice could be the thing that inspires someone to get out of their slump and brighten up their home!