The Ultimate Spring
Cleaning Checklist 

As the winter days melt away, temperatures get warmer and days get longer. The emergence of spring brings thoughts of new beginnings, flowering gardens, and getting outside. But spring also brings allergies, spring cleaning, and increased lawn maintenance. We can’t help with your hay fever, but we can give you a spring cleaning checklist to help you get through your seasonal cleanings more quickly.

Here are seven proven spring cleaning tips to get your entire home sparkling clean and ready for summer:

Home Maintenance

• Examine your gutters and roof for debris, such as pine needles, leaves, and ice. Using a blower or broom, clean them out so everything runs smoothly until fall clean-up time. 
• Test the batteries in your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. Replace them if needed. 
• Clean reachable exterior windows. Examine both windows and doors for cracks and leaks. 
• Change the filter and straighten the coils on your HVAC unit.
• Clean your electronics and make sure they are plugged into a surge protector or charged. 
• Check the expiration date and charge level on your fire extinguisher.
• Sweep exterior porches, patios, and steps.
• Store all winter gear, clothes, and decorations.
• Restock your household first aid kits and toss expired makeup and medications.

Whole House Spring Cleaning

From scuff marks to spills, dust to dirt, baseboards are literally at the bottom of the cleaning totem pole. Add baseboards to your spring cleaning checklist, but save them for last so you can clean blinds, walls, and other areas first for a top-down cleaning. Here’s how you do it:

• Wash windows. Remove the screens, rinse, and replace them after air drying. 
• Clean blinds using a microfiber cloth or handheld vacuum. Remove and launder curtains. 
• Wipe moldings and baseboards with a damp, microfiber cloth. 
• Clean vents. 
• Wash light fixtures and dust lampshades. 
• Dust ceiling fans and rotate airflow. 
• Disinfect switch plates and light switches. 

Bedrooms

Nothing refreshes a tired, stuffy bedroom more than a deep spring cleaning. Those quick clean-ups only go so far, so it’s time to spend a little extra time getting your bedroom back in shape. Hopefully, you’re washing your sheets weekly and your comforters and mattress pads monthly. If your bedding is already clean, finishing up your spring cleaning in the bedroom is easy:

• De-clutter your closet, swap out your seasonal clothing, and donate extras.  
• Vacuum your mattresses, spot clean them if needed, and flip them over. 
• Launder or dry clean your bed pillows. 
• Vacuum or sweep under beds. 

Kitchen

A shiny and clean kitchen looks better, feels better, and smells better. All that grease and other cooking residue, spills, and plain old dirt and dust can combine to create a kitchen that smells stale and looks dull. Here’s a spring cleaning list to give your kitchen a fresh start: 

• Remove all items from the refrigerator and freezer. Mix a quart of warm water and a quarter cup of baking soda and wipe the shelves clean.
• Dispose of expired condiments and pantry items.
• Deep clean your oven.
• Remove items and wipe the insides of drawers and cupboards.
• Clean the inside and outside of the microwave.
• Disinfect the garbage cans.

Bathrooms

The bathroom is not a room you want to miss on your spring cleaning checklist. We all spend a lot of time in our bathrooms, and when they aren’t cleaned regularly and correctly, we are exposed to more germs, mold, and mildew than we need to be. Here’s how to get your bathroom fresh and clean this spring or any other season:

• Wash your shower curtains and replace the liners if necessary.
• Clean the shower doors.
• Disinfect the garbage can.
• Wash the toothbrush holder in the dishwasher.
• Remove items from inside drawers and purge unneeded or expired toiletries.
• Wipe the insides of drawers and cabinets.
• Vacuum the exhaust fan
• Clean the toilet, sink, and vanity.
• Clean the tub and shower with a mold-fighting cleaner.

Laundry room

Dirty clothes, heavily trafficked floors, and catch-all counters can make your laundry room a wreck if you don’t clean it regularly. Here’s a spring cleaning strategy for getting your laundry back in business:

• Pull out the washer and dryer and clean behind them.
• Wipe down all shelves, cabinets, and other surfaces.
• Run a cleaning cycle on your washing machine.
• Sweep the floor, vacuum under the cabinets, and finish with a good mopping.

After you’ve put this spring cleaning checklist to work, check out our pro cleaning guides. From our healthy approach to residential cleaning to our DIY housekeeping content, The Maids is on a mission to make your home a healthier, cleaner place. Get your free estimate and start enjoying a cleaner home more often.