Deep Cleaning For Spring: Room-by-Room Checklist

Spring is officially here, and with it comes the urge to purge, clean, and refresh our homes for the new season. Here’s my room-by-room guide to help you stay on top of these tasks.

I consider myself a clean and tidy person, but in the spring, I take that to a new level. There’s something about the fresh air, warmer weather, and longer days that makes this time of year the perfect time to tackle a deep spring cleaning session. Here in Chicago, we’ve been cooped up all winter long and I’m eager to give everything some TLC.

While I like to stay on top of home maintenance all year round (as outlined in Your Home Playbook), I know some people prefer to do a thorough cleaning all at once. If that’s you, this spring deep cleaning checklist will help you get started!

My Spring Cleaning Checklist

This list is focused solely on deep cleaning tasks.

If you’re looking for a guide that includes both cleaning and home maintenance (like changing air filters, fixing nail holes, and other essential upkeep), check out Your Home Playbook. But if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get your entire home sparkling clean, this cleaning checklist will help you tackle each room of your house efficiently!

Everywhere

• Clean Windows Inside & Out: A few years ago, I got multiple quotes to clean the inside and outside of our windows. The average quote was $800! When I told my mom, she insisted that we do it ourselves. Here’s a video of our entire process. We saved lots of money!
• Clean Window Screens: Our window screens always need a good hose down after winter. Once I turn my outdoor spigot on for the season, I like to wash them with soapy water and a scrub brush. Then, I hose them off and let them dry in the sunshine.
• Wipe Down Baseboards: This is not my favorite task, but it certainly makes a big difference. I just use a damp soapy microfiber cloth and it works great!
• Wipe Smudges Off Doors with Magic Erasers: Magic erasers are well…magic! I use them to get scuffs off doors and baseboards and they work like a charm!
• Dust Light Fixtures & Bulbs: Clean light bulbs and ceiling fans for better brightness and air quality. I just used this ceiling fan cleaner to wipe down our blades and it was the handiest little gadget!

Bathrooms

• Clean Your Bathroom Fan: I hadn’t done this task in years and oh my goodness, the motor in mine was covered with dust! Learn from my mistake and deep clean your bathroom fan!
• Wash Shower Curtains & Liners: This is a task I easily forget. You can throw them right into the washing machine (Yes, even the plastic liners!) to give them a good clean.
• Wipe Walls & Baseboards: The humidity in bathrooms makes them prone to dust buildup. I just take a soapy rag and wipe down the walls.
• Change Your Toilet Seat: If your toilet seat has seen better days, and cleaning it doesn’t help, might I suggest replacing it altogether? I promise it’s a 5-minute project to change your toilet seat and it will make you very happy every time you enter the bathroom!

Bedrooms

• Clean & Rotate Mattress: You should clean and rotate your mattress every six months. I walk you through the step-by-step in this blog post.
• Wash All Sheets & Duvet Covers: I wash my sheets regularly, but I don’t wash my duvet covers as often as I should. But, I do have an entire blog post sharing my best tips to do just that including how to get it back on with ease.
• Wash Pillows: Again, another item I neglect. You can wash these in the washing machine and I walk you through the steps right here.
• Declutter & Organize Closets: Pack away winter clothes in underbed storage (these are great) and bring out your spring wardrobe.

Living Room

• Rotate Couch Cushions & De-Fuzz Fabric: I use this fabric defuzzer to get rid of any pills on my couch and pillows. It works like a charm and is oh-so-satisfying.
• Consider Hiring Pros: Once a year, usually as a Christmas gift to myself, I get our rugs, carpet, and couch deep cleaned by professionals. It costs a few hundred bucks, but it’s worth it! Might be a nice spring treat.
• Wash Throw Blankets & Pillow Covers: A quick cycle in the washing machine helps refresh them for the new season.
• Condition Leather Chair: I have a blog post outlining exactly how to care for all of your leather furniture. It’s incredibly easy and my furniture always looks and smells so good when I’m done.

Kitchen

• Empty Fridge & Wipe Down: Finn’s domain is the kitchen, so he will be tackling this one! Our fridge needs a good wipe down – might as well do the freezer, too!
• Clean Your Fridge Coils: This is another home maintenance task that I recently tackled. It doesn’t take long to get all of the dust and lint with a vacuum. I walk you through the simple steps to clean your fridge coils here.
• Clean Your Range Hood Filter: I had no idea this was a thing until I recently tackled it for the first time. Remove your range hood filter and soak it in hot soapy water to break down grease and buildup. This blog post walks you through the step-by-step to get your range hood filter sparkling!
• Deep Clean Your Dishwasher & Garbage Disposal: I like to break out my favorite steam cleaner for this one. This blog post walks you through the step-by-step to get both your dishwasher and garbage disposal clean again. While you’re at it, give your microwave some love too.
• Hose Down Trash Can: This has been on my to-do list! I’m planning to take ours outside on a sunny day and get it done. I walk you through how to clean both your indoor and outdoor trash bins right here.

• Clean & Condition Cutting Boards: We use our butcher block every single day to prepare meals in our house. I like to clean it with salt and lemon and then I use this mystery oil to condition it. Follow the same steps for your cutting boards and wood utensils.
• Get Rid Of Fruit Flies: If you have fruit flies buzzing around, you’ll want to follow all of my best tips to banish fruit flies for good.
• Wipe Down Kitchen Cabinets: This is a task I neglect for far too long and then realize how grimey and dusty our cabinets are and I rage clean them! Don’t be like me – stay on top of this task. I just use a warm soapy rag and go over all of the crevices on mine. If you have dark kitchen cabinets, this tutorial walks you through the best tips to clean them without streaks.
• Descale Your Coffee Maker: Whenever I do this, I’m always so happy because my morning coffee tastes even better! I follow the instructions in my manual and use vinegar to clean mine.
• Deep Clean Your Oven: This is something I ignored for five years! But I finally cleaned our oven and shared the step-by-step process right here.

Other Spaces To Clean

• Deep Clean Your Washing Machine: We do so much laundry and our machine can get nasty quickly. Here’s how to deep clean a front load washer.
• Clean Your Dryer Vent: While you’re in the laundry room, don’t forget the dryer. Lint buildup can lead to house fires. I walk you through the important steps to get the lint out of your dryer in this blog post.
• Replace Door Mats: I like to pick up jute rugs for our front and back doors (inside the house) from HomeGoods. They get worn from wet winter boots, so I always like to replace them in the spring. Oh, and I always give our outside doormat a good hose down at this time too.
• Wash Makeup Brushes: I’m so bad at remembering to do this, but here’s your reminder and this post explains how to do it.

Well, that’s enough to keep you busy for quite some time! Here’s one more tip, make this stovetop potpourri on your spring cleaning day! That way your entire home smells good all day long.

Ready to tackle the great outdoors? I’ve got you covered. I walk you through your deep cleaning outdoor checklist right here.

Keep Your Home Clean All Year Round

Spring is great for deep cleaning, but keeping up with small tasks year-round makes it so much easier. That’s why Your Home Playbook is designed to go beyond cleaning and help you manage both cleaning and home maintenance. From changing your air filter to fixing nail holes, it ensures your home stays in great shape year-round.

If you’re ready for a deep dive into seasonal home maintenance, this list is a great start—but with regular maintenance, you won’t need to spend as much time on it next year!

Casey