Sometimes daunting, but always rewarding, the annual spring clean is as thorough as you can get to give the home the refresh it deserves. We thought we would remove some of the stress by putting together our list of essential spring clean tasks. Tick them off one by one or split the tasks across the household - many hands make light work!
Scroll to the bottom of this journal to find the downloadable checklist to print.
Our top tips before starting:
Work room by room. Go through our list and tick off each task for an entire room before moving onto a new area of the home. This ensures no area can be forgotten, and is also a lot more satisfying!
Clean from top to bottom, and left to right. This is just naturally how we are programmed to work, and also accounts for dust falling onto the floor in the process of cleaning.
Our product suggestions:
Everdaily range. A versatile cleaner that you can use all through the home. Minimise the products you buy and store in the home by keeping it all in one.
Feather duster. Opt for the long handle to reach all high up spots with ease.
Yamazaki organising tools as required.
General cleaning:
Start by piling up anything that needs to go in the washer. Cushion covers, couch throws, bath mats, shower curtains, even your regular curtains if you have ones that are suitable for the washing machine. Have the machine running while you're doing everything else. It also opens up a lot more room for dusting and cleaning.
Dusting: dust every surface. Hanging light fixtures, ceiling fans, the tops of cupboards, picture frames, blinds, and don't forget the top of your doors! A long reach duster makes this process so much easier. We personally use our feather dusters, but any with a long handle is your best friend!
Wash/wipe down your walls. Especially in the kitchen! Where you can safely reach, it is also a good idea to clean your ceilings (fly poop spots are the worst!).
Windows: one of the grubbiest parts of the home! This is the time to really make those windowsills and glass shine. Don't forget to also open up the windows and really get in the crevices.
Use your favourite disinfectant cleaner to wipe down all light switches, power points and door handles. Plus any other frequently touched tech and remotes you may have in your home.
Dust and wipe along all skirting boards.
Mop and vacuum all flooring, mats and rugs.
Now is also a fantastic time to check that all of your fire/smoke alarms are fully powered and operating.
Kitchen cleaning:
The fridge. There is no time like the present to sort through all those old sauces, condiments and preserves. Check the expiry dates and make the call on whether it's keep or clean out. Empty everything out of the fridge and give the shelves, handles and walls a really good clean.
Pull out the fridge and clean behind/beneath it. Please ask a friend to help with this if it is too heavy.
Pull out all small appliances and wipe them down thoroughly. This includes cleaning out the crumb tray from your toaster! Put aside whilst cleaning the rest of the kitchen.
Treat your pantry and drawers the same as the fridge. Empty out and wipe down all areas.
Assess your storage needs, as now is a good time to invest in new containers/jars to make your pantry and fridge more organised.
Clean your oven. It's a big one, so perhaps go by your own favourite method/cleaning products or search for some guides on google. Some ovens have very specific cleaning instructions in their manual.
Thoroughly clean your sink, sink tray and dish rack if you have one.
Clean the kick-boards.
Bathroom Cleaning:
Sort through all cabinets and drawers, making sure to check expiry dates on beauty products and discarding of anything old!
Wash your shower curtain and bath mats.
Scrub the shower, bath, sink and toilet.
We like to finish by adding a new diffuser to the room.
Laundry:
Clean your washing machine and dryer. Wash the detergent tray, wipe down the exterior and interior of the machine. Thoroughly clean the lint trap on your dryer.
If you can, pull out the washer and dryer and clean behind them.
Bedroom:
Wash all bedding and pillows.
Flip your mattresses and give them a vacuum.
Give your bedside tables, drawers, and closets a good sort through and organise.
Outside:
Wash the outside of your windows.
Hose down your bins.
If you have a garage, give this a reorganise/clear out.
Sweep away/pick up leaves and foliage.
Water-blast any decking or paths.
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