Spring is slowly approaching. The weather is starting to get warmer, the sun is shining just a little bit longer each day, and it’s time to finally tackle the project we know has been coming… spring cleaning!

However, spring cleaning doesn’t have to feel like a dreaded task. If you’re someone who feels refreshed after de-cluttering and reorganizing your space, this project is perfect for you! Now is the time to toss or donate anything collecting dust in your home, so that you can open it up more and get it ready for the coming months. 

Before you begin your checklist, create a few different boxes or bins and label them based on what you want to do with your unwanted items. One can be trash or recycling, one can be storage, and one can be donations. This will help you to clean out your house in a detailed and organized way. Next, here is the detailed checklist to help you organize each room of your home and make the space feel fresh and new again!

 

The bedroom: This is a big one to tackle, as there are a lot of smaller spaces within the bedroom – your dressers, closets, nightstand drawers, etc!

• Wash all sheets, comforters, and pillow cases. Sprinkle your mattress with baking soda for freshness, vacuum it, and flip the mattresses if necessary. This is something that not many people do, but a lot of dust can collect over time underneath your mattress, and flipping it can also give it a new, more comforting feeling. 
• Vacuum carpets and shampoo them if needed
• Dust and clean all ceiling fans, lights, tops of shelves, dressers, nightstands, etc.
• Vacuum lampshades
• Wipe down any vents and window tracts
• Clean and wash any curtains, wipe down your window shades that are collecting dust 

Dressers, drawers, and closets: Here are some question to ask yourself when trying to decide what to toss and what to keep:

• Have I worn this item in the last 6 months?
• Does it still fit me the way that I want it to?
• Does this item belong in my dresser or maybe somewhere else in the house?
• Fold remaining clothes into small rectangles and place them face up. When putting items away in your closet, put your most-worn items in an easily accessible place, so that you don’t forget about them!

The bathrooms

• Sort through your beauty products, hair products, etc. and think about which ones you actively use each day. A lot of them end up sitting around for months or years without use, and this is the main reason for clutter building up in bathrooms.
• Take stock of your medicine cabinet. Clean it out, toss anything old or expired, wipe down the shelves, and return all currently used medicine in an organized and visible way. What you cannot see usually ends up never being used!
• Create spaces for storage and places to hold small objects. Attaching something as simple as a magnetic strip to the inside of your cabinet door to hold all of your hair pins, tweezers, and nail clippers is a great trick to keep the space clean and organized. Use mason jars or small vases to hold other items like cotton swabs, tooth brushes, tooth paste, etc.

The living room

• Sort through your bookshelves. Dust off all the nooks and crannies, check for any unwanted book or books no longer read, magazines, newspapers, and any other miscellaneous papers. You can donate your old books to a local library or school, and magazines and newspapers can easily be recycled.
• Spot clean any furniture, try to remove stains and blemishes.
• Wash any pillow cases, throw blankets, rugs, etc. These are items we easily forget about in our living room space!
• If you have kids, consider donating any toys that are no longer in use, or maybe have too much wear on them
• Take note of any extra decor. There is nothing wrong with having decorative items in your home! However, pay attention to which ones might be collecting dust on tables or shelves, as those are harder to clean around and are maybe taking up extra space. Think about how you want the room to feel after it’s been cleaned and re-organized. Are there any extra decorative items that you feel maybe you could part with, to help make the space feel more fresh and new?
• Have permanent storage spots for small, everyday use items. Create a basket or bin that is designated to hold your remotes, chargers, game controllers, etc. and keep it in one spot where it is easily accessible every day. This will help you to avoid losing small items, and it will keep the space looking cleaner from day to day. 

Kitchen

• Deep clean your oven and stovetop, wipe down the inside and outside of your microwave
• Consider donating any old mugs, cups, or silverware that you no longer use. We often collect a lot of extra dishware that we do not need, and it sits in our cupboards collecting dust!
• Sanitize and wipe down your sink, clean out the drain
• Go through your pantry, organize it, toss any old or expired food, and wipe down shelves and storage bins
• Clean all kitchen appliances, and clean underneath them too!
• Scrub down counters, pay attention to all corners and edges that might usually get neglected
• Dust tops of cabinets, top of fridge, freezer, etc.
• Remove everything from your fridge, so that all items are visible and can be eaten
• Defrost your freezer, clean it out in the same way that you did your fridge

Outdoor porches and decks

• Vacuum or wash all surfaces of your porch or outdoor deck. A lot of debris, dirt, leaves, and other random outdoor clutter can build up throughout the fall and winter months.
• Wipe down any fans or outdoor lights with cleaning disinfectant wipes
• Clean the outside and inside of your windows with Windex or any type of glass cleaner 
• Wash any outdoor curtains
• Deep clean your grill or outdoor stove
• Scrub down your doors and door handles
  

  

Whether you’re cleaning your whole house top to bottom, or just trying to clear out one room, make this spring cleaning a time to “redesign” your space and make it feel new again!