Spring is a beloved time of year for many reasons. You can safely step outside without being in pain (those of us living in Chicago will attest.) You can break out your favorite jacket or trench and walk to work with ease in shoes other than snow boots. When the sun shines just right, it can be warm enough to enjoy a drink on a patio, and runners rejoice in the luxury of running outside without feeling too cold or too hot. Spring, apart from the occasional rain shower (or godforbid, snow shower) is lovely.
It’s also that time of year for new beginnings and fresh starts, and one of the best ways to do this is with spring cleaning. Not only does a head-to-toe, deep clean of your home bring a particular productivity to your weekend, it can also help you re-organize those seldom seen drawers and cabinets that may have gotten out of hand during winter and inspire you to donate items you don’t need. Spring cleaning is rejuvenating and it can also be intimidating, especially if you’ve not sure where to start.
Using our definitive guide to spring cleaning, gear up to tackle the various areas of your home that you might have missed this past winter. Starting from high to low, work through your home using our helpful guide to find out what requires a little elbow grease and a stiff brush, and what you can literally throw in the washing machine.
1. Deep Clean Your Fans and Air Filters
Before you begin cleaning your ceiling fan, pay attention to the direction in which the blades are rotating. Believe it or not, the direction of your fan can either heat or cool your room. In the winter, switch your fan’s rotation to clockwise for a warming effect; in the summer, change it back to counter-clockwise to cool.
Once your fan is oriented correctly, slip a pillowcase over each blade to clean it. Gently pull the dust off of the blade into the end of the pillowcase and shake out the remnants outside. Coat the blades with dust-repelling spray to keep dust from settling — this should keep your fan clean for the next few weeks!
If you’re feeling really inspired, you can also use a canister of compressed air, like from a keyboard cleaner, to spray dust off of pull chains and out of the motor of your ceiling fan. Then, simply dust and replace light bulbs, if your unit has any, and your fan will look clean long into the first weeks of summer. For any air filters, simply wipe off the dust with a damp cloth or vacuum with a soft bristle brush.
Source: New Darlings
2. Machine Wash Your Shower Curtain and Window Treatments
Material permitting, vinyl and plastic shower curtains, and some window treatments can be washed in the washing machine! On a gentle cycle using cold water, put your curtains in the washing machine with some towels and your favorite detergent. Once the cycle completes, allow the curtains to hang dry — do not put them in the dryer as it might cause them to shrink. Then, simply hang up your shower curtain or windows treatments and gently spray, on occasion, with an all-purpose cleaner to stave off dust and dander.
3. Dust off Your Bookshelves
While you’re working on ceiling fans and curtains, it might also make sense to tackle other tall items in your house like the tops of bookcases or display shelves. Using a damp cloth, wipe down shelves, the very top of display cases, and any storage containers you might be storing on top of them and follow up with a spray of dust-repellant. This will allow you to knock out these hard-to-reach places all at once, and make sure they stay clean through spring into the beginning of summer.
Source: Domino
4. Clean and Protect Your Countertops
As you work your way from high to low, move to surfaces like tables, countertops, consoles, etc. at chest or hip height. To cut through grease stains and grime, use a specialized countertop spray. This will help combat and prevent cooking stains and give your countertops a noticeable shine. If your countertops are natural wood or butcher block, a sprinkle of gritty salt, half a lemon, and some good old fashioned elbow grease can work wonders to remove stains. Then, simply rub a food-safe oil into the wood grain and wipe away any excess with a dry towel. Taking these measures to protect the surfaces in your kitchen will make cooking easier and give your kitchen a facelift for spring.
5. Organize and Clean out Kitchen Cabinets
Perhaps a little more tricky and time-consuming to tackle, kitchen cabinets can be in need of some serious cleaning when winter finally comes to an end. Before you start, take a moment to consider the items your user on a regular basis — like tupperware, nesting bowls, plates, and glassware — and set them aside or run them through the dishwasher. With the useful items removed, asses the items that are left in the cabinet and determine whether or not they can be discarded or donated. Once your cabinets are empty, you can begin tackling grime build up with a grease-combating solution and a rag. Pro tip: turn on your oven’s exhaust fan while cleaning to keep grease and dust from settling.
6. Tame Your Junk Drawer
Junk drawers are like belly buttons: everyone’s got one, and from time to time, they need to be cleaned out. Now, as you move past that disturbing analogy, think about your junk drawer in small sections when you first start: discard items you rarely use, suck up crumbs and dust bunnies with a vacuum, and reorganize the items you have decided to keep as you stash them back into their rightful home. The junk drawer might be intimidating at first glance, but it is also an opportunity to be creative and put some of your favorite decorative bowls to use as catchalls for paperclips, pens, USB converters, etc.
Source: @_harlowejames
7. Officially Transition Your Closets from Winter to Spring
While this could be its own post entirely, cleaning out closets is a fantastic way to transition to a new season. It gives you the opportunity to donate clothes, box up your winter coats and accessories, and break out your warm weather wear. Hanging up your summer and spring clothes a little early also gives the fabric a chance to breathe and relax, combating wrinkles and creases accrued while folded up in storage. As you transition your closet from winter to spring, also take the time to consider which of your favorite items need to be repaired or dry cleaned before they are placed into storage. Once your closets have been thinned out, invest in a pack of uniform and high-quality hangers or organizational pieces for hanging belts and scarves. This will take your closet game to the next level and ensure that your favorite items are properly cared for.
8. Deep Clean Your Mattress
Realistically, you should change your sheets once every two weeks — some even say once a week. While you should make it official for spring and upgrade to some bright and airy sheets or decorative pillows, it’s also a good idea to go one step deeper than that and clean pillow inserts and liners, your comforter, and your mattress.
To care for pillows, mattress protectors, and comforters, place these items in the washing machine on a delicate or gentle cycle with cool to warm water. Then, depending on the care instructions, dry in the dryer on low heat. You can even toss in tennis balls to fluff the down and give your comforter irresistible, plush volume that would make any Instagram influencer proud.
While your comforter and pillow inserts are drying, take a vacuum around the edges of your mattress and deep clean the corners. That way, when you’re fitting your mattress with your freshly-dried mattress protector and comforter, you’re sealing in the clean, not the filth.
Source: CC + Mike
9. Wiping Down All Your Knobs, Light Switches, Remotes, etc
Perhaps not as involved a process as cleaning your floors or kitchen cabinets, disinfecting the surfaces of the objects you touch on a regular basis is a great way to ensure you’re maximizing your spring cleaning effort.
With a disinfecting towelette, or your favorite homemade anti-bacterial cleaner and a damp cloth, wipe down TV remotes, game controllers, doorknobs, cabinet hardware, your phone’s screen, and light switches until the surfaces are free of fingerprints and visible grime. Be sure not to spray electronics or light switches directly, opt for a damp rag instead to ensure hardware isn’t damaged. For any remaining dust or grease on light switches and remotes, use a damp Q-tip and clean out those hard to reach spots.
10. Sweeping and Mopping Your Floors
The icing on the cake: floors. While it can be incredibly prudent, from a cleaning perspective, to run a vacuum over your rug every weekend and sweep up your kitchen after a particularly aggressive batch cooking session, spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to go above and beyond and break out the serious cleaning tools on your floors.
Start by pushing back large furniture and rolling up rugs that might obstruct your ability to fluidly sweep an entire room. Collect dust bunnies and tumbleweeds into the dustpan and empty in the garbage or outside. Then, it possible, take rugs outside, and drape them over a balcony or stair railing to beat out the grim before returning the rug to your freshly-cleaned floors. Spritz the rug with a deodorizer and run a vacuum over it. If you have hardwood floors, mopping a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water over the planks will help break up grease, grime, and salt that has a tendency to build up over the winter. While the floors in your kitchen and your main living space are drying, tackle the bathroom with grout cleaner and a stiff-bristled brush. This little 20-minute task will make all the difference in the world and will put the finishing touch on your spring cleaning.
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