Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks: A Calmer, Faster Way to Refresh Your Home
The first sunny morning of spring comes through the window, and suddenly you can see every bit of dust you’ve been living with all winter.
If you’re like me, your first instinct is to close the curtains, and your second is to clean everything at once.
Spring cleaning is the once-a-year deep clean that gets to the places a weekly tidy misses, behind the sofa, inside the oven, on top of the wardrobe.
It doesn’t have to take a whole exhausting weekend.
With a bit of decluttering first and a simple plan, it can be a few calm, satisfying sessions instead.
Where Spring Cleaning Comes From
Cleaning the whole home as winter ends is an old habit in many cultures.
In Iran and other places that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, families do khaneh tekani, literally “shaking the house”, before the new year begins at the spring equinox.
In Jewish homes, the weeks before Passover traditionally include a thorough clean to remove chametz, leavened food, from the house.
The timing makes practical sense too, because longer days and open windows make it the easiest season to clean properly.
Declutter Before You Clean
This is the tip that saves the most time, and the one most people skip.
Every object you own is something to lift, dust, and put back.
So before the cloths come out, spend a session taking out what you don’t use, the clothes you didn’t wear all winter, the expired products, the broken things waiting to be fixed.
My guide to decluttering categories gives a sensible order, and how to get rid of clothes covers the biggest pile.
You’ll clean faster, and the result will last longer.
A Simple Spring Cleaning Plan
One room at a time
Finish one room before starting the next, so you always have a clean room to look at when you’re tired.
Top to bottom
Start with ceilings, light fittings, and the tops of cupboards, and finish with the floor, so the dust falls onto surfaces you haven’t cleaned yet.
Dry before wet
Dust and vacuum first, then wipe and mop, so you’re not turning dust into mud.
Set a timer
I work in forty-five-minute sessions with a cup of tea in between, and I get more done than when I try to power through.
Spread it out
One room an evening for a week, or two rooms each weekend for a month, is far more pleasant than one marathon day.
20 Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks
Kitchen
1. Steam-clean the microwave by heating a bowl of water with a few lemon slices for a few minutes, then wipe the softened mess away.
2. Empty the fridge completely, throw out what’s past its best, wipe the shelves, and put back only what you’ll use.
3. Pull out the fridge and cooker if you can and clean behind and underneath them.
4. Clean the dishwasher filter, which most of us forget exists.
5. Clear the cupboards of expired spices and tins, and wipe the shelves before putting the rest back.
Living room
6. Take down and wash or air the curtains, checking the care label first.
7. Vacuum under and behind the sofa, and under the cushions too.
8. Dust light fittings, lampshades, and the tops of door frames and picture frames.
9. Wipe the skirting boards and door handles, which get grubby all winter.
10. Clean the windows on a cloudy day, so they don’t dry in streaks before you’ve wiped them.
Bedroom
11. Vacuum the mattress and rotate it, following the maker’s advice.
12. Wash pillows and duvets if the care labels allow, or air them outside on a dry, sunny day.
13. Swap winter bedding for something lighter and store the heavy things in a breathable bag.
14. Rotate your wardrobe, storing winter clothes and letting go of anything you didn’t wear.
Bathroom
15. Soak a limescaled shower head in a bag of white vinegar, if the finish allows, then rinse well.
16. Scrub grout with a paste of baking soda and water and an old toothbrush.
17. Clear out the bathroom cabinet, and take expired medicines to a pharmacy or local take-back scheme rather than putting them in the bin.
Everywhere else
18. Run an empty hot cycle on the washing machine and wipe the door seal.
19. Test the smoke alarms and change batteries if needed.
20. Shake out or replace the doormat, because it stops a lot of next season’s dirt at the door.
A Minimal Spring Cleaning Kit
You don’t need a cupboard full of products.
A good all-purpose cleaner, white vinegar, baking soda, washing-up liquid, and a stack of microfibre cloths handle almost everything.
Add a vacuum, a mop, a soft brush, and an old toothbrush, and you’re set.
Fewer products also means less to store and fewer bottles to replace, which fits nicely with the rest of a minimalist cleaning schedule.
A Few Safety Rules Worth Knowing
Never mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar, or other acidic cleaners, because the combinations can release toxic gases.
Use one product, rinse, and only then use another.
Don’t use vinegar, lemon, or other acidic cleaners on marble, limestone, or similar natural stone, because acids can etch the surface.
Open the windows while you clean, because ventilation helps clear the air when you’re using cleaning products.
And always check care labels on fabrics, mattresses, and appliances before trying a trick you found online, including mine.
Keep It Clean After Spring
A spring clean feels wonderful, and the trick is not to need such a big one next year.
A ten-minute reset every evening and a short weekly clean keep most of the build-up away.
Owning less helps most of all, because there’s simply less to gather dust, which is a big part of why I write about living with less.
And if you’d like some motivation, my cleaning fun facts are a nice way to procrastinate for exactly five minutes.
And Remember
That dusty sunlight on the first spring morning is only a gentle reminder.
Declutter first, go one room at a time, and spread it over a week or two.
Open the windows, put on some music, and stop for tea.
By the end, you’ll have a home that feels as fresh as the season, and much less to clean next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start spring cleaning? Start by decluttering, then pick the room that bothers you most, usually the kitchen. Clean one room at a time, from top to bottom and dry before wet.
What is the fastest way to spring clean? Declutter first so there’s less to clean, work in short timed sessions, and spread rooms across a week or two rather than one long day.
What should be on a spring cleaning checklist? Light fittings, curtains, windows, behind furniture and appliances, the fridge and oven, mattresses and bedding, the bathroom cabinet, skirting boards, the washing machine, and smoke alarms.
What cleaning products do I need for spring cleaning? An all-purpose cleaner, white vinegar, baking soda, washing-up liquid, and microfibre cloths handle most jobs. Never mix bleach with ammonia or acids like vinegar.
Why do people spring clean? Many cultures clean thoroughly as winter ends, including the Persian New Year tradition of khaneh tekani and cleaning before Passover. Longer days and open windows also make spring a practical time for a deep clean.
Can I use vinegar on everything? No. Avoid vinegar and other acidic cleaners on natural stone like marble and limestone, and never mix vinegar with bleach.