After months of closed windows, muddy shoes and more time indoors, most homes need more than the usual weekly tidy by March. A spring clean is the chance to reach the jobs weekly cleaning skips: skirting boards, corners, behind furniture, under beds, internal doors, light switches and window ledges. This spring cleaning checklist goes room by room so you can work through it over a weekend or spread it across a few. If you are getting ready for visitors over Easter, see getting your home ready for Easter as well.
Before you start
- Declutter first. Clear surfaces, cupboards and the floor of anything that does not belong. Cleaning around clutter takes twice as long.
- Open the windows. Fresh air helps surfaces dry and clears the smell of products.
- Work from top to bottom. Dust falls, so do high shelves, light fittings and the tops of cupboards before surfaces and floors.
- Do one room at a time. Finishing a room completely is more satisfying than half-doing the whole house, and it is easier to stop for the day.
- Gather your kit: microfibre cloths, a vacuum with attachments, a mop and bucket, a limescale remover, a degreaser and rubbish sacks.
Kitchen
The kitchen collects grease, crumbs and fingerprints faster than any other room.
- Empty and wipe out the cupboards and drawers, and throw away out-of-date food.
- Empty, wipe and dry the fridge, including the seals; defrost the freezer if it needs it.
- Clean the oven, the racks and the hob.
- Wash or replace the cooker hood filter and wipe the hood.
- Clean the splashback, tiles and grout behind the hob and sink.
- Wipe cupboard fronts, handles and the tops of wall units.
- Descale the kettle and clean the microwave inside.
- Wash the bins inside and out.
- Pull out appliances you can move and clean behind and under them, then mop the floor, edges included.
Bathroom
- Descale taps, the shower head, the shower screen and tiles.
- Scrub the grout and check the sealant around the bath, shower and basin.
- Clean behind and around the base of the toilet, and the hinges of the seat.
- Wipe the extractor fan cover, and clean the vent if you can reach it safely.
- Clear out the bathroom cabinet and wipe the shelves.
- Wash the bath mat and the shower curtain, or replace them.
- Clean the mirror, light switch or pull cord, and the door on both sides.
For keeping the bathroom fresh afterwards, see our bathroom cleaning tips.
Living rooms and bedrooms
- Dust shelves, picture frames, lamp bases and the tops of wardrobes.
- Wipe skirting boards, door frames and internal doors.
- Dust light fittings and lampshades.
- Wash or vacuum curtains, and wipe blinds slat by slat.
- Vacuum under beds and sofas, and move furniture to reach the edges.
- Vacuum or brush down sofas and chairs, and wash cushion covers that come off.
- Turn or rotate the mattress if the manufacturer recommends it, and wash pillows and duvets that can go in the machine.
- Clear and wipe bedside tables and drawers.
Hallway, stairs and windows
- Wipe the banisters and the spindles.
- Clean the front door, letterbox and door handle inside.
- Wipe light switches and sockets throughout the house.
- Clean window ledges, frames and the inside of the glass.
- Vacuum the stairs, edges included.
- Sort the coats and shoes that have piled up over the winter.
Doing it yourself or booking a deep clean
A full spring clean of a family home can take a whole weekend or more. If you would rather spend it elsewhere, a one-off deep clean covers the same ground: skirting boards, doors and frames, kitchen surfaces, cupboard fronts and tiles, bathrooms descaled, and floors throughout. You can give us your priority list so the jobs that matter most to you come first, and add extras such as the inside of the oven.
Once the house is back to a good standard, regular domestic cleaning keeps it there. If the garage is next on your list, see our guide to deep cleaning the garage.
To book a deep clean this season, call 01483 773531 or send us a message.