As spring officially welcomes us in 2024, with a blanket of snow and my kids making snowmen outside, it’s almost a great time to shake off the winter blues and refresh your living space with a deep spring cleaning.
Our Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist is designed to guide you through every corner, nook, and cranny of your home, providing easy actionable tips that will transform your living spaces into immaculate, organized sanctuaries.
Get into spring cleaning with this comprehensive guide. Say goodbye to hibernation and hello to a sparkling clean home!
Our comprehensive Spring Cleaning Checklist covers all the essential tasks to tackle during your annual deep clean, from windows and baseboards to carpets and surfaces you don’t normally think about. This checklist ensures you don’t miss anything while getting your home fresh and ready for the new season
Preparing for Spring Cleaning
A deep clean can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you have the tendency like I used to have to jump around from room to room, closet to drawer, making a disorganized trail behind you.
Instead of this, there are preparations you can make to ensure that your cleaning is productive and efficient.
If you don’t have time to do a deep clean in your home consider hiring a professional cottage cleaning service in Tiny, Midland, Penetang, or Tay. It frees up your schedule, your mental load and helps to lower your stress. There’s nothing like coming home after a long day to a clean house.
Begin your spring cleaning by creating a plan of attack: establish which rooms are the biggest priority, plan a timeline for tackling each task and gather your cleaning supplies ahead of time.
- According to a 2022 Ipsos Study, nearly 60% of Canadian households engage in spring cleaning every year.
- The same study found that almost 95% of those who did spring cleaning reported a strong sense of accomplishment
- Research shows that clean homes help you to sleep better, focus more and improve productivity. Women with decluttered homes have lower stress and cortisol levels.
- In a research conducted by Clorox, it was found that kitchen and bathroom are the top priority rooms for deep-cleaning during spring with about 83% and 71% households respectively focusing on these areas.
No one expects your house to be perfect and a no-touch space, but decluttering and organizing will help your sanity and will cut down the amount of time you are on your cleaning hamster wheel.
Restocking Cleaning Supplies
Restocking your cleaning supplies is an important step before starting spring cleaning. Here’s a list of supplies you will need:
- Microfiber cloths (Love my Norwex cloths)
- Sponges (Have you tried Sponge Daddy yet?)
- All-purpose cleaner
- Duster
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Dish soap
- Vacuum (might want to do a quick clean of your filters and parts while you’re doing a deep clean)
- Mop or Steam Mop
- Toilet Cleaner
- Small cleaning tool (I like to have a toothbrush and some Q-tips on hand)
Remember to double-check expiration dates on older products to ensure their effectiveness. Stock up on any new products as required. Consider the ingredients in your cleaning products. Some people prefer stronger Clorox products and scented cleaners while more and more people are making the switch to DIY cleaners.
Don’t forget; we share our homes with pets and children who can easily be affected by harmful toxins commonly found in household cleaners.
Natural and easy DIY options are often made with vinegar or baking soda solutions, essential oil sprays, or castille soap. There are tons of recipes available online.
Lastly, always ensure proper ventilation when doing a thorough cleaning with serious cleaners to avoid breathing in harsh chemicals.
Indoor Spring Cleaning Tasks
So where do you start? I like to begin with the common areas since I’m in them the most and can appreciate my work more. Some people like to start with their bedroom, and some prefer those back corners and closets that don’t get touched because they know they’ll stay clean longer.
Wash Windows – Let the sunshine in (whenever we get it) with some clean windows and glass doors. It’s a great way to brighten up your home. Don’t forget the ledges, latches and tracks.
Dirty windows actually lower your home’s heating efficiency while clean windows extends the life of your windows and improves air quality by getting rid of dirt, dust, mold, and other pollutants.
Now its time to get cleaning, beginning with your common spaces.
Common Living Spaces
First step, declutter your space. What can you donate, get rid of or go somewhere else? Assess bookshelves, tabletops, and ledges. You could try the rule of 5 (getting rid of 5 items in each room) or the 12-12-12 rule (throw away 12, donate 12, and rehome 12 items). Then start with this list.
- Wash baseboards, door frames, doors and walls (especially those common areas like around door handles and light switches or everywhere at toddler and kid height)
- Wipe down window treatments or use an upholstery attachment on drapes and curtains
- Dust everywhere – books and knick knacks on the shelf, light fixtures, ceiling fans, mirrors, etc.
- Vacuum upholstery and all the crevices of your furniture
- Wash throw pillows and couch blankets
- Dust and polish furniture
- Wash and vacuum vents
- Deep clean rugs and carpets
- Wash floors. Don’t forget to get the spaces under your furniture that are usually left alone
- Wax vinyl and linoleum floors that have lost their shine and any surfaces that need it
Spring is a great time to rearrange your room as well. I always knew my mom had done a deep clean because the furniture was always rearranged. See if something else works for flow or for your space.
Kitchen
An easy first step that makes a noticeable difference in your kitchen is to declutter and clean your countertops. Put away any appliances that barely get used and free up some space. Then do this list to deep clean your kitchen for spring.
- Clean out the pantry, get rid of anything that’s expired and donate items you won’t use before their expiry date
- Clean kitchen cabinets and wipe down the doors
- Clean baseboards, hidden nooks, and the space on top of your cupboards
- Deep clean your oven
- Degrease your range hood filter
- Deep clean your fridge and freezer
- Vacuum the coils on your fridge
- Move those large appliances and vacuum and mom (or scrub) the disgusting content behind it
- Shake out crumbs and clean your toaster
- Clean small appliances
If you’re feeling really motivated, go for a whole cupboard reorganization. Moving items you use regularly into more accessible spots, getting rid of items you don’t use and matching up all your tupperware.
This usually makes a much bigger mess before you get a clean space again so only start this when you have a lot of time on your hands – not a half hour before you have to make dinner!
Bathrooms
Bathrooms, especially if you have boys, get dirty quickly and ideally should be cleaned weekly. With a deep spring clean, I like to start by clearing off every surface in my bathrooms – shelves, counter, the tub and the floor. It’s a great time to check bath toys for mould and get ride of any grime.
- Scrub and disinfect bathroom sinks, faucets, knobs, and showerhead
- Deep clean bathtub, toilet, wall tiles, floorboards, and floor mats
- Deep clean grout with a baking soda/dish soap paste and a toothbrush
- Uplift your bathroom with a new shower curtain if needed
- Consider changing or cleaning the mesh filters in your faucet and showerhead
- It’s also a good time to clean out your sink and tub drains of hair build up and scum
- Dust fans, ceiling, tops of shelves, light fixtures, etc.
- Dust and wipe down the exhaust fan
If you feel like you need to brighten up your bathroom for spring, consider adding new towels, fresh flowers, fun soaps, a new bath mat or shower curtain. These are inexpensive ways to add new colours and a fresh look to your bathroom.
Bedrooms
Since you’re likely doing a spring clothing change-over, a great place to start in the bedroom is by organizing your drawers and closets. Donate or get rid of clothes that you never wear or don’t fit. Pack up too small or too big clothes into bins in case you need that size again. Then do the following:
- When it’s warm enough change up your bedding to welcome spring
- Wash linens
- Flip mattresses
- Wash curtains or vacuum blinds
- Deodorize and disinfect your mattresses. Try this DIY recipe
- Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, lamp shades, bookshelves etc.
- Purge anything stored under your bed that you don’t use or want anymore
- Organize night table drawers
- Vacuum and wash floors and rugs
- Vacuum out vents
- Wash baseboards, walls, door frames and doors
Assess the contents of your bedroom and the toys that have accumulated in your kids’ rooms. What can go somewhere else to declutter the space? How can you better organize the items that collect on your night table, dresser tops, and corners of your room?
Following this cleaning guide will make your home cleaner, more organized, with a fresher and welcoming feel during this season of new beginnings. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by breaking it down into smaller sections and over the coming weeks, or by using a cleaning app to help manage your indoor cleaning goals.
Miscellaneous Spring Cleaning Around the House
Spring is a great time to change your furnace filter to help with the air quality in your home and prolong the life of your furnace. It’s also a good time to clean your dryer vent and get your air ducts professionally cleaned by a reputable company in Simcoe County.
After a long winter indoors, it’s time to get some fresh air in your home for spring.
Necessary Safety Inspection
Spring cleaning in Simcoe County is a great time to check and replace batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check pressure gauge and level of your fire extinguishers and assess them for any damage. Make sure you have them in the areas you may need them most (like your kitchen, near a wood stove, and in your garage).
You may want to audit your safety or emergency kit to replace any supplies you may have used during winter power outages, check flashlight batteries, replace band aids and other components of your first aid kit.
Outdoor Spring Cleaning
When the snow finally melts in North Simcoe, we get to see what a mess our yards are. The spring cleaning continues outdoors. I know I’m anxious to get my patio furniture back out and my hands in the dirt again.
Don’t be in too big of a rush to clean up the leaves! It’s great insulation for plants with more frost coming, encourages weed growth and home to bees and important garden bugs. But make sure you trim trees and bushes that require spring pruning.
But you can start with sweeping and getting rid of cob webs on your porch and patio, cleaning your gutters before all the rain, cleaning siding, windows, window screens and shutters, rinsing off or power washing walkways and sweeping driveways, and tackling your garage.
Outdoor spring cleaning is necessary to keep your yard looking at its best and ensure the longevity of outdoor furniture and equipment.
As we welcome a new season, it’s a great time for some serious cleanup – both indoors and outdoors.
Lazy Cleaning Hacks
Most of us don’t have time to add extra cleaning tasks onto our already never-ending to-do list so I want to share some ways to make cleaning a little easier for you.
1. Hire a Professional Cleaning Service
There are many trustworthy cleaning companies in Midland, Penetang, Tiny, and Tay that will take care of your Spring cleaning or regular cleaning for you, freeing up your time and energy and helping to lower your stress level while increasing your productivity.
You can find our top recommended cottage cleaner for Tiny here. Feel free to contact us for recommended house cleaners in Midland, Penetang, Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and Tay.
2. Invest in a Roomba
Robot vacuums are a great way to get your floors cleaned every day without having to do it yourself. They cost more upfront than a regular vacuum but are often worth it in the time and mental space they free up.
3. Get your Carpets Professionally Cleaned
Beyond saving you time, professional equipment has more extraction power than your personal vacuum. They can penetrate deeper into the fibres of your carpet to remove dust, dirt, allergens and stubborn stains, giving you a much needed deep clean.
Although it can be costly, it will prolong the life of your carpets and help with air quality in your home. You can find a Carpet Cleaning Service in Midland Ontario on this page.
3. Use A Cleaning App
Cleaning apps free up space in your mind. They keep track of what’s clean and what’s not in your home, so you don’t have to! It’s a great way to be organized with your cleaning and can be accessed by everyone in your family to keep on top of everyone’s cleaning.
They help to keep you on top of a cleaning schedule so you don’t become overwhelmed and help you to tackle a little bit everyday.
Get Started with your Spring Cleaning
Now that you have your spring cleaning guide, your list of cleaning essentials, and your plan of attack, it’s time to get cleaning or hire someone to do it for you and hopefully it will actually look like spring outside soon!