Do you want to do some Spring Cleaning this year, but you don’t know where to start? Here are my top Spring Cleaning priorities so you know where to focus first.
The weather is turning and Spring is almost here! That means it’s time to start thinking about Spring Cleaning. Womp womp.
As a mom of young kids with a lot on her plate, Spring Cleaning is daunting to me. It’s hard for me to get the basics done on a consistent basis – how am I supposed to do a deep clean? I have learned that thinking about Spring Cleaning as one giant task is a big mistake. You have to make it manageable to get it done.
I have previously shared my Mom’s Guide to Spring Cleaning that gives you tools to make Spring Cleaning manageable as a mom, but the question still remains: what Spring Cleaning tasks should you prioritize? That’s what’s on tap today. I’m going through all of my Spring Cleaning priorities that give you, your family, and your house the most bang for your cleaning buck. These are in the order that I tackle them, but feel free to switch up the order to what makes the most sense to you.
Spring Cleaning Priorities
Clothes
Clothes are the bane of my existence. And not just my clothes. My kids’ clothes drive me even more insane! But instead of avoiding this constant source of frustration during Spring Cleaning season, I tackle it head on and make it the top of my list of Spring Cleaning priorities.
Now, what does it mean to tackle the clothes as part of Spring Cleaning? I follow my method for managing kids’ clothes for both of my kids’ wardrobes and my wardrobe. I sort, organize, store, and deal with the cast-offs so that then I can mindfully go about filling in the holes. And be real with yourself, please. If you’re never realistically going to wear the pencil skirts of your 20s again, get rid of them! If your kid doesn’t like a pair of pants you bought him, pass them on!
Your dealings with clothes – everything from doing the laundry to getting dressed in the morning – will be easier after you’ve done this task. That’s why I recommend tackling it first. It’s such a huge change for the good that it really gives you the momentum you need to keep going with your other Spring Cleaning priorities.
Declutter
Next up on my list of Spring Cleaning priorities is taking the decluttering out of the closet and tackling the clutter throughout the rest of the house. It can be a huge change to your house and your life when you get the unwanted stuff out. You probably agree with that, but you’re probably also asking how you can accomplish such a thorough clear-out of your house. Don’t worry, I’ve got a few tips for you.
Trash
You absolutely must get the trash out of your house first. And I don’t mean take out the trash from the bins, although that’s important too. I mean take a look around and put the things that are hanging around your house that are trash and put them in the bin. This includes packaging, broken kids’ toys, scrap paper, junk mail, expired food, products you just don’t like. You know what should go in the bin. Just grab a trash bag and start walking around your house. I like to take one room at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed, but you do a full-house blitz if that’s more your style.
Junk drawer
I don’t know about you, but I have a junk drawer problem. My kitchen junk drawer is the place where stuff goes when I don’t know where else to put it. A lot of items in my house fit this description, so my junk drawer is very full. We can’t keep stuffing crap we don’t know what to do with in a drawer of finite dimensions, so we must make tackling the junk drawer one of our Spring Cleaning priorities.
I tackle my junk drawer by taking everything out of it and sorting the junk into piles. I have one pile for trash, one pile for items that belong elsewhere in my home, and one pile for items that truly belong in the junk drawer. Then I throw out the trash, re-home the items that don’t belong in the junk drawer, and put the rest back in the junk drawer in an organized fashion. It takes 30 minutes, tops.
Toys
If you have small children, the toys are probably out of control in your house. They seem to multiply in the playroom. To avoid toys taking over your house completely, you’ve got to tackle them every once in a while.
My method for decluttering the kids’ toys is to first ask the kids what they don’t play with anymore and want to pass on to other kids. Then, when the kids are out of the house, I take another pass through the toys and get rid of the ones that are maybe too young for them or I don’t see anyone playing with ever.
Dust
Once all the clutter has been removed from your house, it’s time to actually clean. I like to start my cleaning with dusting. Why? It’s amazing just how much dust accumulates in your house. Especially over the winter when you’re not really airing it out much. You’ve got to put this item high on your list of Spring Cleaning priorities for your health’s sake. Just make sure you take an allergy pill before dusting day or you’ll be sneezing and miserable for a week after.
Now, what exactly do you need to dust? The surfaces, of course, but also the ceiling fans, light fixtures, and do-dads on your shelves. If it doesn’t have legs and walk on its own, you need to dust it.
Floors
Once you’ve kicked up all the dust, it’s time to deep clean the floors. Sure, you probably vacuum every day of your life, but when is the last time you mopped? And not the Swiffer type of mopping, actual bucket with cleaning solution mopping. It’s probably been a while, so now is the time to do it. And keep up the vacuuming too, but kick it up a notch. Bust out that crevice attachment and go to work on the corners and along the floorboards. Heck, if you really want to do the floors justice as part of your Spring Cleaning, wipe the baseboards clean with a solution of Dawn and water.
Windows
Next up on the list of Spring Cleaning priorities is the windows. I must confess, my husband takes full responsibility for the windows in our Spring refresh. He cleans them inside and out, takes the screens off and cleans those too, and wipes the window sills until they shine. It’s amazing how big of a difference this makes! You’ll really want to open your windows and let the Spring air in when they’re spic and span.
Kitchen
After I do the general cleaning throughout the house, I turn to specific rooms. First up on my list of Spring Cleaning priorities: room edition is the kitchen. Let’s face it, the kitchen probably gets cleaned the most throughout the year and yet it still needs a deep clean the most when Spring Cleaning comes around. The kitchen could always use a good reset!
When you’re tackling your kitchen during Spring Cleaning, do the typical stuff like the stove top and the sink, but also take it a step further. Wipe down the walls, the backsplash, and the cabinets. You’ll be amazed just how much grime will be caked on them!
Bathrooms
The other specific rooms that make my list of Spring Cleaning priorities are, of course, the bathrooms. This is especially true if you have small children. The bathrooms get straight-up nasty when small children are involved. Toothpaste cakes the sinks and urine finds its way into unexpected places. Sure, you clean the bathrooms year-round, but they deserve some extra love during Spring Cleaning season.
I like to save the bathrooms for a day when I really need some catharsis. I blast the tunes, throw on some old clothes, and get out my emotions on the tile grout. Now is the time for the scrub brush, even the toothbrush!
Light switches/doorknobs
After the specific rooms I like to deep clean, I move onto the lesser-cleaned areas that still need some attention. First up, the light switches and the doorknobs. I honestly try to clean these relatively often because they harbor so many germs, but sometimes it slips my mind. I add them to my Spring Cleaning priorities so I don’t forget them. Add them to yours so you won’t either.
Appliances
The last item on my list of Spring Cleaning priorities is the appliances. They all need to be cleaned from the biggest to the smallest. I’ll list a few of the appliances that you might forget about below.
Refrigerator
Of course you’ll remember to clean out the fridge, but will you do the job your fridge deserves? Take out all the food and pitch what’s gone bad or expired. Then take out all the shelves and give them a good scrub. Finally, the whole inside of the fridge needs a good wipe before you but everything back in its place.
Oven
I hate to clean my oven. It’s just a nasty task. But, you’ve got to do it. Skip the harsh oven cleaner. Baking soda, vinegar, and a scouring stick are all you need.
Dryer
You probably clean your washing machine every once in a while, but when is the last time you cleaned your dryer? Give the drum a good wipe, clean the lint trap (my favorite tool for cleaning the lint trap is a must!), and take the shop vac to the dryer vent. You’ll feel better and your dryer won’t be a fire hazard. Huzzah!
Small kitchen appliances
You know your small kitchen appliances are grody. Now’s the time to get them back in shape. De-scale the coffee maker, clear out the toaster’s crumb tray, and for goodness’ sake please clean your stand mixer!
Other posts
Need more homemaking tips? I’m not the picture of cleanliness, but I do have a few wise words to share:
I hope my Spring Cleaning priorities have helped you set yours this year. What are you starting with? Share below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!