15 spring cleaning tips for every room in the house

With warmer weather on the horizon, now’s the time to give your home a good cleaning from top to bottom. Scrub down surfaces, clear out the clutter, dust off those hard-to-reach places, and get ready for the season with these spring cleaning tips for every room in the house.

[Photo Credit: zinkevych]

1. Dust off doormats. After a winter of coming and going from all those outdoor activities, your outdoor and indoor doormats are probably looking pretty tired. Rinse off salt and mud from plastic boot-trays trays and vacuum up trapped dust and dirt from your fabric mats to create a more welcoming feel underfoot.

2. Refresh seasonal foliage. Throw out that wilted holiday greenery and refresh your front door and porch with some hearty outdoor planters and colourful springtime decor from your local garden centre.

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3. Dust off ceiling fixtures. Just because you can’t see the dust, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Use an extendable duster (or a tall ladder) to remove built-up dust on light fixtures, chandeliers, and ceiling fans. You can also take some time to clean your crown moulding while you’re up there.

4. Deep clean your couch. Your worn-out couch likely needs some extra attention after months of binge-watching the entire Netflix library. Machine wash or dry clean cushion covers – if possible – or get rid of stray crumbs and pet hairs with a vacuum. Use a handheld garment steamer to kill dust mites and finish off with a fabric sanitizing spray.

5. Treat your pots and pans. Add heavy-duty pots and pans to your spring cleaning checklist, especially if you’ve been doing a lot of quarantine cooking. Take steel wool to tough stains, massage ketchup on copper pots to dissolve tarnish (yes, ketchup!), and season your cast iron skillet with a few drops of vegetable oil.

6. Make your countertops sparkle. It’s one thing to wipe down your countertops each night, but it just takes a little elbow grease to get them looking brand new. Look for specialized cleaning products to suit your surface material – try granite or marble polish on stone and food-safe mineral oil or beeswax on butcher block.

7. Empty the junk drawer. We all have that one shameful drawer filled with unpaid bills, take-out menus, elastic bands, and mysterious screws. Make sure your spring cleaning list includes cleaning out that dreaded drawer.

8. Tackle your toiletries. What’s lurking in your medicine cabinet or under the bathroom sink? Be ruthless when it comes to throwing out expired medications, half-empty shampoo bottles, and that purple lipstick you haven’t worn since 2016. Once you’ve sorted out your toiletries, use gentle dish soap to wash your makeup brushes.

9. Clean shower curtains. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your shower curtain, chances are it’s been far too long. Wash plastic or vinyl shower curtains on your washing machine’s gentle cycle and hang them to dry.

10. Scrub bathroom grout. Scary, black mould and mildew can build up in your shower thanks to the humidity. Scrub between the tiles with an oxygen-based bleach or baking soda to make your grout sparkle again.

11. Refresh your mattress. The average adult spends more than 2,500 hours in bed each year (and that’s just sleeping), so it makes sense to give your mattress a deep clean every once in a while. Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum to suck up hidden dust and spot-treat stains with a gentle dish detergent. Sprinkle baking soda on the surface to leave your mattress smelling fresh, and be sure to flip it to extend its life.

12. Take care of your window treatments. Drapes and blinds can collect a frightening amount of dust over time, so they need to be on your spring cleaning checklist. Remove curtain panels from their hardware and hand-wash or dry clean as needed. Gently dust blinds with a feather duster or remove them from the windows and soak them in warm soapy water.

13. Declutter your lawn. Once the snow has melted, turn your attention outside and work on removing dead leaves, fallen branches, litter, and other debris that has collected over the winter.

14. Prune your perennials. Trim back plants, shrubs, and trees to remove any diseased and dead branches to ensure healthy growth in the seasons to come.

15. Get your patio set ready. Patio season is almost here! Wipe down garden furniture with soapy water and spot treat or machine-wash all of your patio cushions to get ready for outdoor entertaining.

While spring cleaning might feel like a series of dreaded household chores, there’s nothing more satisfying than giving your home a deep-clean after a long hard winter indoors. These floor-to-ceiling spring cleaning ideas are sure to make your home sparkle from the inside out.