Spring Cleaning Checklist and Pro Tips

Meltingsnow. Rising temps. Longer days. Budding flowers. That can only mean one thing: Spring is here. So is spring cleaning season.

Don’t sweat it. We’ve got a handy spring cleaning checklist to help lighten your load: What rooms to clean, what tasks to do and what products to use – without burning out or breaking the bank.

Spring cleaning products & accessories

Before you jump head-first into spring cleaning, make sure you have the right cleaning products. You’ll get better results with a lot less effort.

Must-have products for spring cleaning:

Surface disinfectant
Surface cleaner
Glass cleaner
Floor cleaner

Pro Tip

If your home is exposed to smoke (fireplace, wood stove or smokers living in the home),we also recommend using a smoke odor neutralizer for hard surfaces. This type of cleaner will remove any embedded cigarette, cigar and cannabis odors from hard surfaces such as floors, furniture, walls and desks.

Handy spring cleaning accessories:

Vacuum
Mop
Bucket
Sponges
Microfiber or cotton cloths
Gloves
Duster
Step ladder
Small scrub brushes
Garbage bags

Before you start your spring cleaning

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be complicated. Nor does it have to be a long and exhausting process. The trick is to plan out your tasks.

Pro Tips

You don’t have to do all your spring cleaning at once. You can do it over a few weekends. That way, you won’t feel so rushed and you’ll be able to take more time doing a thorough job (which is the whole point of spring cleaning).
Get others to help! If you have kids, ask them for a hand. Younger kids will enjoy doing more fun and easy jobs. Older kids can be tasked with giving their own bedroom a thorough cleaning.

Spring cleaning checklist by room

Each room serves a different purpose, but in most rooms you will need to:

Sweep or vacuum floors and carpets (remember to move furniture and appliances so that you can clean under them)
Mop floors
Dust decorative items such as picture frames, vases and mirrors, as well as door and window trims, baseboard trims, etc.
Clean lamps and ceiling lights
Dust furniture and curtains
Clean light switches, door handles, furniture and cabinets

Once these routine cleaning tasks are done, you’re ready to tackle your deep spring cleaning. Here’s where you start:

Front entrance

A home’s front entrance gets a lot of traffic. It’s also the first impression visitors have of your home. So this space deserves a little extra attention.

Front entrance spring cleaning checklist

Clean the entry mat to remove embedded dirt and stains
Swap out your winter mat for your summer mat
Remove shoe scuff marks on the walls

Storage

Put away winter footwear, coats, hats, mittens, etc.
Pull out your summer footwear and jackets (if they’re smelling a little musty or not-so-fresh, use a perspiration odor neutralizer)

Kitchen

The kitchen is often the second busiest area in the house, after the front entrance. It is the heart of the home, after all.

Kitchen spring cleaning checklist

Clean the range hood and filters
Clean the backsplash
Empty cabinets and the pantry and clean the doors and shelves
Scrub the kitchen sink and faucets
Wash the garbage and recycling bins (if you use a garbage bin & container odor neutralizer, you’ll clean the bins and eliminate embedded garbage/rotten food smells at the same time)
Clean the microwave, inside and out
Empty the fridge and freezer and clean all drawers and doors
Clean the oven and racks (you might need to use a degreaser if you don’t have a self-cleaning oven)
Clean the kitchen cabinets, inside & out, along the top, and all knobs and pulls
Clean the dishwasher with a dishwasher cleaner (found in larger supermarkets and department stores)
Clean other small appliances such as the toaster, coffee maker, toaster oven, etc.

Storage

There’s not much seasonal stuff to swap out when spring cleaning a kitchen. But what you can do is check the expiry dates of all food and throw out anything that’s past date. It can be surprising just how much expired food is lurking in our fridges. Also check the condition of frozen food at the bottom of your freezer.

Here’s a handy downloadable chart from the FDA for howlong food can be safely stored in the fridge or freezer.

Living room

Living rooms are warm and inviting. They’re also great at collecting dust – especially if carpeted. But carpets aren’t the only place where dust builds up over the long, closed-in winter months. Upholstered sofas and chairs can get very dusty, too.

Living roomspring cleaning checklist

Vacuum the sofa, under the cushions and wash the cushion covers (if your living room is exposed to any type of smoke from cigarettes, cannabis, fireplace, woodstove, etc., spray furniture and cushions with a smoke odor neutralizer for fabrics after vacuuming)
Wash throws and other covers
Dust all electronics, such as the TV, amplifier, speakers, game console, etc.

Storage

Living rooms don’t just get dusty, they also get dirty. And cluttered!

Sort through old magazines and books. Donate those you don’t want. Dust and neatly arrange those you do
Tidy up the contents of decorative storage bins and drawers in the coffee table or side tables
Put away things like movies and games you’re no longer using

Bedrooms

Next up: the bedrooms. If you haven’t gotten the kids involved yet, now’s the time.

Bedroom spring cleaning checklist

Vacuum and flip/rotate mattress (if reversible)
Clean mattress and pillowcase covers
Clean ceiling fan and reverse the rotation

Storage

Swap winter bedding with summer bedding (if bedding smells musty, give it a quick spray with a smoke odor neutralizer for fabrics – don’t let the name fool you; this product will also instantly get rid of musty odors on fabrics)
Put away your winter clothes and pull out your summer wardrobe :)

Bathrooms

Guess what? You’re more than halfway done your spring cleaning! Now, on to the bathrooms...

Bathroom spring cleaning checklist

Clean the grout of tiles on floors, walls, etc.
Wash the shower and sink fixtures and clear the drains of any built-up scale and scum (plain white vinegar does a great job)
Clean the sink and faucets
Empty the vanity and clean the shelves
Clean the bathroom exhaust fan

Storage

Throw away expired personal care products and pull out your summer collection: bug spray, sunscreen, after-sun gels, etc.
Take any expired medication to the pharmacy for safe disposal

Home office

With so many people working from home these days, there’s a good chance your house now has a home office. It also deserves a good spring cleaning.

Home office spring cleaning checklist

Dust and clean the computer, monitor, printer, keyboard, mouse and other peripherals
Vacuum and clean your desk chair
Empty and vacuum the desk drawers

Storage

Desks can quickly get buried under bills, receipts, contracts, important documents and notices… but also a fair bit of “junk”. Spring cleaning is a good time to sort through it all and file anything worth keeping in a safe spot. Otherwise shred,recycle or reuse paper as appropriate.

Pet zones

Your pet’s belongings and favorite hang-out spots will also benefit from a good spring cleaning.

Pet accessories spring cleaning checklist

Clean pet beds and sleeping areas (if cleaning doesn’t fully eliminate odors, follow up with a few sprays of pet bedding odor neutralizer; it will remove pet smells instantly)
Clean and disinfect your pet’s leash, harness and toys
Wash and put away your pet’s winter clothes
Change your cat’s scratcher
Clean and disinfect the litter box (a litter box odor neutralizer will clean, disinfect AND eliminate embedded urine or excrement odors in the plastic)
Clean your pet’s cage (if it’s made of plastic or galvanized steel, you can use a small animal cage odor neutralizer to eliminate embedded urine and feces odors)

Pro Tip

Don’t forget to clean the floor, walls, ceiling, counters and cabinets in areas where your pets spend a lot of time. A good disinfectant and animal odor neutralizer for hard and non-porous surfaces will do the trick. It will even eliminate animal odors trapped in the air at the same time.

Outdoors

Now that the inside of your home is sparkling clean, it’s time to take the spring cleaning outdoors.

Home exterior spring cleaning checklist

Clean doors and windows, including the trim
Clean the balcony, stoop, terrace and stairs
Clean the gutters (very important!)
Tidy up the flowerbeds
Pull out and clean BBQ
Pull out and clean patio furniture
Clean and install screens
Pull out and install wall-mounted air conditioners

Storage

Maintain and put away the snow blower, shovels and other snow equipment
Inspect gardening tools to see if they need repairing or replacing

Congratulations! Your spring cleaning is now done. This yearly chore takes a bit of time and effort, but it’s worth it. Your home will now be ready to welcome visitors and the sunny spring days, sparkling clean and smelling fresh as a daisy.

Spring Cleaning Pro Tips

Find more time-saving cleaning tips on our Blog.
Check out our natural cleaning products in the Home Sweet Home section of our website. Cleaning products that are safe for people, pet and planet – and guaranteed to work!