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The Spring Cleaning Tasks Everyone Misses—And Later Regrets

Spring is here and that means it's time to give your home a well-deserved cleaning. Have you noticed that during the wintertime, dust seems to multiply overnight? You’re not alone. This happens because winter air is drier and has lower humidity, and with your heating system running 24/7, it's an ideal breeding ground for dust. That said, whether you're looking to get rid of dust, deep clean kitchen items like your oven and fridge water dispenser, or if you’re just ready to declutter and freshen up your home for the season ahead, we’ve put together a spring cleaning checklist packed with expert advice for getting each room of your house back in tip-top shape.

When to Start Your Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning should start when it's warm enough to open your windows and air out your house. This will depend on where you live, but sometime around early April is the ideal time to start tackling spring cleaning. Some people prefer to stick to specific times, such as the first official weekend of spring in March. Really it's about what works best for your schedule.

Martha Gonzalez, cleaning expert and owner of Austin Cleaning Service, emphasizes the importance of opening your windows when doing spring cleaning, “when cleaning with fresh air moving around the house, it makes a big difference both in terms of the ventilation of chemical cleaning products.”

Also, don’t feel like you have to tackle all of your spring cleaning in one go; spread it out over one or two weekends. Experts recommend getting started by decluttering your home, getting rid of or donating items you no longer need or use, before you actually start cleaning. Then you can move on to tackling one room at a time.

Spring Cleaning Tools & Supplies You’ll Need

The good news about spring cleaning is that you don’t need any special tools or supplies beyond what you most likely already have around your house:

All-purpose cleaners
Vacuum
Mop
Disinfecting wipes/spray
Microfiber cloths
Paper towels
Glass cleaner
Bathroom brushes and scrubs
Latex or rubber gloves and a respiratory mask

When using cleaning supplies, it is important not to mix them and to use one at a time to avoid harmful chemical reactions. Gonzalez advises gathering all your cleaning supplies before getting started.

“If you forget a cleaning product, you will lose momentum immediately,” she explains. “Take a few minutes to review your cleaning supplies the evening prior to your scheduled cleaning date.”

Room‑By‑Room Spring Cleaning Checklist

One of the best ways to cross spring cleaning off your list is by tackling it one room at a time. Doing so makes it more manageable. Once you get one area done, you can move to the next one or take a break and resume the next area when you’re ready.

As part of your regular daily and weekly home cleaning, you should always vacuum, dust, mop, and clean high-trafficked areas of your house. That said, in our room-by-room spring cleaning list below, we’ll emphasize areas that deserve extra attention during this time of year.

Want to spring-clean your home like a pro? Gonzales shares some spring cleaning tips:

Create a spring house cleaning checklist. This will help you cross off items from your list and see the progress you’ve made.
First, clean the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas. Lastly, she suggests cleaning the floors of each room for the final step. Always start with the room that will take the longest to clean.
Involve the rest of the family to make it more manageable.

Here’s a room-by-room spring cleaning checklist for you.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where some of the best family moments and biggest messes happen. Gonzalez suggests starting your spring cleaning in the kitchen, as “it requires the most time.” Take your time, play some music, and get the cleaning started. And if you need a day just for the kitchen, that’s okay. Once you’re done with it, you’ll have taken a big step. The major tasks here are to do a deep cleaning of the refrigerator and oven.

Clean the refrigerator and wash the various compartments.
Deep clean the oven.
Empty/purge your pantry. Toss out any expired food.
Wipe down your cabinet doors.
Sanitize your countertops and sink.
Mop the floor.

Bathrooms

Next, Gonzalez recommends cleaning the bathrooms. Don’t forget to run the exhaust fan and open any windows to manage the odor of the cleaning supplies you’re using.

Scrub the grout and tile and remove any grime that has built up.
Clean behind and around the toilet base.
Reorganize, clean and declutter your vanity and cabinets.
Review your medicines and toiletries and get rid of expired products.

Bedrooms

With all of the major rooms done—your kitchen and bathrooms—the bedrooms are next.

Rotate your mattress.
Vacuum your mattress.
Wash the bedding.
Dust the headboards and baseboards.
Thoroughly vacuum underneath the bed frame. You’ll be surprised by how much dust and debris accumulate during the winter.

Do this for each bedroom in your house. Pro tip: When dusting any part of your home, always start from the top down. This way, any particles that get dislodged will end up on the floor, which you’ll vacuum and mop at the end.

Living Room

This is going to be a tough one. That’s because the living room is one of the most lived-in spaces of the house.

Vacuum underneath all of your furniture and don’t stop there, vacuum the surfaces of your furniture too.
Dust your ceiling and light fixtures, if any.
Wash throw blankets and pillows. (When was the last time you cleaned them?)

Laundry Room

Yes, even your laundry room needs a good clean.

Wipe down the doors and door gaskets of your washer and dryer.
Remove any lint from the dryer’s filter. (You should do this year round, after each load.)
Reorganize your cleaning supplies.

Professionals recommend cleaning your dryer vent once a year. This is a fire prevention task. If you’re unable to do it yourself, it’s advised to hire a professional to do the job.

Don't forget to clean the door gaskets of your washer and dryer, which can trap moisture and fibers.

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Entryway, Hallways, and Miscellaneous Areas

Last but not least, give your entryway and hallways a good cleaning. Use this time to also wash and put away winter clothes that you won’t wear until next winter.

If you have a garage and a kid’s playroom, it's also a good time to sanitize these spaces, organize your toys, and get rid of items that are no longer being used or functional.

Deep Cleaning Tasks Most People Miss

Not to add more to the list, but we want to highlight some important areas that most people miss when doing a spring cleaning, so you don’t do the same:

Baseboards
Behind appliances
Inside air vents and filters
The surface of light switch plates
Around door frames and trim
Under heavy furniture

These are areas where pet hair, dust, and dirt can build up over the winter, Gonzalez explains.

Seasonal Checklist Add‑Ons for Spring

If, after all that indoor cleaning, you still have energy and are ready to go outside, here’s a list of things you can do to prep for the warmer weather that’s coming.

Bring all of your outdoor furniture out of storage and dust it.
Install your garden hose and flush your outdoor faucet.
Remove any large branches from your lawn.
Check your patio and deck and stain if needed.
Clean inside and outside of all windows.

Sample Weekly Spring Cleaning Schedule

Here’s a day-by-day schedule you can use to tackle all of your spring cleaning chores in one week.

Day 1: Kitchen

Start by doing a deep cleaning of your refrigerator and oven. Pro tip: You won’t feel like cooking after toiling all day to achieve a spotless kitchen, so plan on treating yourself to a nice take-out meal.

Day 2: Bathrooms

Dedicate one day to doing a deep clean of your bathrooms, including the bathroom in your primary room, if you have one.

Day 3: Bedrooms

Start with the primary room and make your way to the smaller rooms.

Day 4: Entry and Living Areas

Use a few hours to get these areas looking like new again and organize any miscellaneous items that don’t belong.

FAQs

When should spring cleaning start?

Spring cleaning is a personal choice and should fit your schedule best. Traditionally, many people like to do it on the first day of spring, when the season officially starts, while others wait until the first weekend of spring. Experts recommend starting your spring cleaning when it’s warm enough outside to open the windows. Whenever you choose to start your spring cleaning, that’s the best time.

How long does spring cleaning take?

Spring cleaning is basically a deep cleaning of your home after winter. In an ideal world, it should take you a weekend. But if your schedule doesn’t allow you to tackle everything in one weekend, you can fit shorter cleaning sessions in over a few days to make the task more manageable.

An important factor is the size of your home. In Gonzalez's experience, cleaning a one- to two-bedroom apartment or home can take one to two days, but a larger three- to four-bedroom home can take up to four days. With larger homes, you may need to spread out the cleaning over a couple of weeks if you’re doing it by yourself.

What is the difference between spring cleaning and regular cleaning?

With spring cleaning, the goal is to do a deep clean of your home and get rid of all the clutter and dust that has accumulated throughout the winter months. Whereas with a regular cleaning, you’re only cleaning the surfaces without really moving furniture, decluttering, or doing a deep cleaning.

Do I need special cleaners for spring cleaning?

No, you don’t need any special cleaners to perform spring cleaning. All your regular cleaning supplies are more than enough to do a deep cleaning in the spring.