Your Essential Spring Cleaning Checklist

The frost is melting and the temperatures are rising. That means only one thing: spring is near! It’s time to come out of hibernation and get the house sparkling clean. Enlist the help of your family to make this undertaking even easier. Breaking down the chores into smaller parts helps make spring cleaning a bit relaxing and rejuvenating! At Pottery Barn, we’ve put together a house and apartment cleaning checklist to help you deep clean every room of your house just in time for spring.

Living Room and Shared Spaces

Living rooms, playrooms, and other shared spaces get a lot of use in the colder months when your family spends more time indoors. Vacuum the furniture and clean spots with upholstery cleaner. Launder the throw blankets and pillows. Dust all surfaces, fixtures and electronics. Sort through magazines and newspapers. Save the current issues and recycle the rest. Organize toys and board games. Evaluate which items your children still play with and donate the others. Dust the blades of the ceiling fan and change the direction that the fan rotates to bring air up in warmer temperatures. Remove rugs from the room and clean them thoroughly. Scrub the carpets or mop the floors before replacing the rugs.

Bedrooms

You’ve spent many winter nights staying warm in your cozy bed. It’s time to open up the windows and let some fresh air in. Go through all of the items that you’ve been collecting in your drawers and closets. Remove and donate the items you no longer use. Organize the rest of your items before putting them back, or find new places for them altogether. Remove all of the bedding from your bed, sprinkle the mattress with baking soda and allow it to sit for several minutes before vacuuming it up. Rotate or flip the mattress. Launder your bedding and curtains to freshen them up. Vacuum and shampoo carpets and rugs. Sweep and mop the floor thoroughly in each bedroom before checking the rooms off of your list.

Bathrooms

To deep clean your bathroom, start by doing a regular cleaning of the sinks, toilet, tub and mirrors. Next, go through the drawers and cabinets in the vanity to remove expired or unused medications, cosmetics and toiletries. Wipe down the inside of the vanity thoroughly before reorganizing your items. Gently scrub the walls (especially around the toilet), light switch plates, doors and doorknobs. Sweep and mop the floors, paying special attention to the corners and around the edges. If you have tile in your bathroom, now is the time to scrub it clean and bleach the grout if necessary. A paste made from baking soda works well to gently scrub grout clean. Hydrogen peroxide is a great alternative to chlorine bleach for removing stubborn stains and discoloration from grout.

Kitchen

There are so many appliances and items in your kitchen. Divide the room into sections and tackle it over several days to make things easier. Even small kitchens have a tendency to build up a lot of dirt, grime and overall disorganization. Start by emptying out the cabinets. Discard food that has expired or that you’ve forgotten. Set aside dishes, utensils and other items that you no longer need. Donate them. Wipe down the inside of the cabinets before replacing food. Do the same with your refrigerator and freezer.

Next, move to your appliances. Clean the oven and range, paying special attention to the areas around the burners where remnants of food have collected. Clean and sanitize the dishwasher. Wipe off any grime that has collected on the outside. Lastly, work on each of your small appliances, such as removing crumbs from the toaster or toaster oven, wiping down the inside of the microwave and descaling the coffee pot.

Finally, clean the counters, sink and faucets. Wipe down light fixtures, light switch plates and outlet covers. Remove any food that has collected or splashed onto the backsplash. If your grout is dirty or discolored, follow the process outlined above to make it shine again. Mop and wax the floors to make them sparkle.

Patios and Outdoor Spaces

With the weather warming up, your family is probably excited to spend more time outdoors. You’ve likely covered the furniture and stored everything away for the harsh weather of winter. Remove all of the furniture covers and put them back in storage. Clean the furniture and cushions. Sweep the ground and walkways to remove any leaves or dirt. Scrub down the siding. Pressure-wash your deck if algae or moss have built up. Bring out your spring decor and plants to make the space comfortable and inviting.

Laundry Room

Finish off your spring cleaning in the laundry room. Move the washer and dryer to clean behind them and locate any dropped articles of clothing. Remove the lint trap and scrub it thoroughly. Wipe down the outside of the appliances, paying special attention to spots of spilled detergent or fabric softener. Organize any items or supplies you have stored in the laundry room to take inventory of what you need to stock up on.