Some people watch a good sitcom, reality TV, or a good old vlog to unwind. I am a weirdo who loves to watch people cleaning. I’m not exaggerating, I can sit in bed and watch people clean their homes. I often write these blogs with people cleaning on my TV in the background. Most of the time though, I like to clean along with them, and now they’re my friends, and they give me updates on their lives in their voiceover recordings.
I don’t know if it is being a mom now or what, but I LOVE to clean. My favorite girl on TikTok that I unashamedly have to tell everyone I discovered long before she had 2 million followers is a “clean girly.” I want to get up and mop my floors just talking about this. Dust my baseboards? In honor of everyone that I subscribe to starting their spring cleaning and my deepest desire to manifest spring, I thought it would be fun to talk about spring cleaning and give you a little to-do list of sorts (I am also a list gal).
According to The Cleaning Authority, “Spring cleaning started as a way to clean away winter's mess. In those days, homes were heated by fires, and doors were kept shut tight to keep the warm air in. This, of course, led to soot and grime accumulating during the cold months.”
There are a few Scandinavian YouTubers that still clean up soot and grime from their fireplaces that have the prettiest homes. For most of us though, spring cleaning is more of a mental transition and cultural tradition of out with the old and in with the new.
Dignity Health has an awesome quote on spring cleaning: “It's also symbolic — a time to come out of hibernation and let the sunshine reveal all the dust left behind.” I love the thought of coming out of hibernation. For our little family in Utah, it feels very much like this. My garage or any cold outside space is completely untouched all winter.
It may be hard to know where to start or what is the difference between your regular cleaning and spring cleaning. For me, spring cleaning is more of the deep cleaning that you may only do once a year or every few months. I also like to declutter areas of my home; just give myself a fresh start.
Here is a to-do list you can use for your spring cleaning:
Declutter
One of the most freeing parts of spring cleaning can be clearing out all that stuff you don't need. Go room by room, asking yourself whether it's time to part with these things.
- Toys
- Do your kids ever play with this?
- What age range is this toy?
- Is it broken?
- Are there missing pieces?
- Clothes
- When was the last time you wore this? If it's been year or more, think of donating.
- Does it fit?
- How does it make you feel when you think of wearing it?
- It’s okay if your stage of life has changed your style--declutter those items you've just been hanging on to without wearing.
- Kitchen
- Pantry
- Expired food
- Fridge
- Expired food
- Containers
- Match all the lids
- Tools
- Do you ever use your fancy gadgets?
- Do you have duplicates fancy gadgets?
- Donate whatever is taking up space and not being used.
- Garage
- Shoes
- Throw out or donate unused or worn out shoes.
- Storage
- Clear out space you can use for other things.
- Toys
- Toss out toys and bikes that your kids have outgrown or which didn't survive the winter.
- Tools
- Clear out any tools you don't need. Toss out random odds and ends that aren't useful anymore.
- Bathrooms
- Towels
- How many towels does a family of three need?
- Are there any with holes or stains?
- Toiletries
- Organize what you want to keep and toss what you no longer need.
- Hair tools
- Don’t use anymore?
- Make-up
- Expired?
- Never use?
- Linens
- Any with holes?
- Any with stains?
- Too many?
Wash
Now that you've cleared out all the clutter, it's time to wash off the grime. Here's a list of items you can spruce up with a run through the washing machine or with a trip to the dry cleaners.
- Mattresses
- Sprinkle baking soda on mattresses and vacuum after a couple of hours.
- Mattress protectors
- Shams
- Duvet insert
- Pillows
- You may not think about cleaning a pillow, but it can (and should) be done regularly. Here's a helpful tutorial on the best way to clean them.
- Curtains
- Bath mats
- Shower curtains
- If there is any mold on your plastic liner curtain, soak in bleach/vinegar in the bathtub and scrub before sending through the wash. You could even get a new one for a couple of bucks.
- Couch cushions covers
- You can either remove the cover and throw it in the wash or spot clean it with some spot treatment, a rag, laundry detergent, and water.
- Porch
- This could just be sweeping or a full spray down and scrub off of any bird poop depending on your weather.
Dust
Time to clear off the dust that's been collecting all winter.
- Fans
- I love the pillowcase trick of sliding it over the blade so the dust doesn’t fall to the ground.
- Vents
- Don’t forget the fan vents in the bathroom!
- Baseboards
- Blinds
- The Swiffer dusters are serious magic for my blinds.
- Tops of cupboards or fridge
- Powered Tide and some water got years of grime and dust off of my fridge when we moved in.
- TV
- Don’t scratch the screen with paper towels!
Organize
Now that your home is decluttered and clean, it's time to put everything in order.
Tip: Don’t go buy fancy organization systems until you’ve figured exactly out how you want to organize. You don't want to end up with a bunch of baskets and bins that you don't need or don't fit the space. Also make sure you've scoured around your home for lonely, unused bins you already have and put them to use. Once you've done that, then please buy all the fancy, cute bins you want.
Places and Spaces to Organize:
- Toys
- Bathroom
- Linens
- Closets and dressers
- Pantry
- Fridge
- Laundry room
What am I missing on my list? What is a must for you to do during your spring cleaning? I am truly so excited to get on this list! It lightens my soul to have a fresh, light, and clean home. It is the perfect pairing, with more light at night, warmer weather (I mean maybe), and sunnier skies.
It almost feels like my new year to start planning and goal setting. Maybe I am the only one that feels this way? What are your favorite things about spring being on its way in?
