🌸 Spring Cleaning Without Losing Your Mind: A Room-by-Room Guide

Apr 23
5 min read

🧠 Before Anything Else

Don't start cleaning until you've decluttered. I know that sounds obvious but I can't tell you how many times I've watched people, and done it myself, spend an hour cleaning around stuff that should have just been thrown away. Cleaning around clutter doesn't make your home feel clean. It just makes the clutter look tidier.

Go room by room, make a donate pile, make a trash pile, and deal with it before a single sponge comes out.

Also, start at the top of every room and work your way down. Dust the fan, wipe the shelves, then do the floors. If you vacuum first and then knock dust off the ceiling fan, you just made more work for yourself.

🏠 The Stuff Nobody Does (But Should)

Every room in the house has a few of these — tasks that aren't part of anyone's weekly routine but that make a real difference when they finally get done.

Ceiling fans — wipe the blades before you turn them on for the first time this spring. Trust me. The dust that comes off is alarming.
Window tracks — get down and actually look at yours. A toothbrush and a damp cloth. Ten minutes and it's weirdly satisfying.
Light switches and outlet covers — touched constantly, almost never cleaned. One wipe and they look brand new.
Air filter — please change it. Especially if you have kids or pets. This one actually matters for your family's health.
Vent covers — every room has them, none of them get cleaned. Wipe them off so you're not blowing dust back into rooms you just finished.
Baseboards — a damp cloth is all it takes. Tedious but the difference is noticeable.

🍳 Kitchen

I always start with the kitchen — it's the most satisfying room to finish and it sets the tone for everything else.

Inside cabinets and drawers — pull everything out, wipe every shelf, check expiration dates. Once it's done you won't have to do it again for a year.
Behind and under the fridge — I know nobody wants to. But dusty coils make your fridge work harder and cost more to run. Five minutes, real payoff.
Oven and stovetop — not a spray and wipe. Actually get in there. Burner grates, oven walls, the drawer underneath. You'll wonder how you cooked in there before.
Range hood filter — grease builds up fast. Clean it or replace it. This one always grosses me out but I'm always glad I did it.
Dishwasher cleaning cycle — run it empty. It needs it more than you'd think.
Sink drain and garbage disposal — deodorize both. A lemon and some ice cubes works great for the disposal.
Walls, backsplash, and floor — finish by wiping down walls and mopping the whole floor. Not just the middle of the room.

🚿 Bathrooms

As a mom of three, I feel like I'm cleaning bathrooms constantly. But spring cleaning is different — this is the stuff that doesn't happen in between.

Exhaust fan — most people have never cleaned theirs. Take the cover off, vacuum it out, wipe it down. You'll notice better airflow right away.
Grout — not just wipe, actually scrub. Grout in the shower and on the floor takes a beating all winter.
Caulking — inspect around the tub and sink. If it's cracking or has mold that won't scrub off, re-seal it. Ignoring it leads to water damage.
Shower curtain liner — replace it. They're inexpensive and make a bigger difference than you'd think.
Under the sink and medicine cabinet — toss anything expired, wipe every shelf and drawer. Fifteen minutes and the whole bathroom feels more organized.
Walls, baseboards, and floor — wipe the walls down (humidity makes them a dust magnet), then sweep and mop properly.

🛏️ Bedrooms

This is the room my kids do the most damage to, so I always brace myself. But a clean bedroom is one of the most impactful resets in the house — you spend a third of your life in there.

Flip the mattress — every six months. Vacuum the surface before putting clean sheets on.
Wash everything — duvet inserts, pillows, mattress protector. Not just the sheets. All of it.
Under the bed — vacuum under it for real, not just around it. The amount of stuff under my kids' beds is something I try not to think about too hard.
The closet — donate anything you haven't worn in a year. Wipe down shelves and rods before putting everything back.
All surfaces — headboard, nightstands, dressers, lamps, mirrors. Wipe them all down.

🛋️ Living Room

The living room looks fine until you actually start cleaning it — and then you realize it hasn't been properly done since last spring.

Under the furniture — move it, vacuum under it. Not around it. Under it. The stuff that lives under sofas is humbling.
Upholstery — vacuum the cushions, arms, and all the crevices. Beat the cushions outside if you can.
Throw blankets and pillow covers — wash them. They absorb more than you'd think over a winter.
Every surface — shelves, décor, frames, TV, remotes, electronics. All of it. Including the things on your shelves you stopped seeing months ago.
Area rug — if it's never been properly cleaned, this is the season to do it. A vacuum is one thing. A real clean is another.

🧺 Laundry Room

Two things here matter more than aesthetics — and both get skipped constantly.

Dryer vent hose — pull it out and check for lint buildup. I can't stress this enough. Dryer fires are real and this is the main cause. This is a safety issue, not just a cleaning one.
Washing machine cleaning cycle — run it empty. Washing machines get dirty. If yours has never had a cleaning cycle, it's overdue.
The rest — wipe down the machines, clean the shelving, mop the floor. Small room, doesn't take long.

🚪 Entryway

Your entryway is the first thing you see when you come home and the first thing guests see when they walk in. It sets the tone for the whole house — and it takes twenty minutes.

Wipe down the front door inside and out, handle and all
Clean or replace the entry mat
Clear out the coats, bags, and shoes left over from winter
Wipe hooks, shelves, and any mirrors
Sweep and mop the floor

🌿 Outdoor Spaces

Don't stop at the front door. The outside of your home is what you see every time you pull into the driveway.

Sweep and wash down the porch and entry area
Wipe down outdoor furniture before you start using it for the season
Wash exterior windows if you can reach them safely
Clear debris from gutters and window wells
Wipe outdoor light fixtures and clean the mailbox

Here's what I've figured out after years of doing this professionally and at home:

Spring cleaning feels so overwhelming is because it's doing the work of twelve months in one shot. A regular cleaning routine, even just every couple of weeks, means you never have to do a full reset again. The deep clean becomes maintenance. And maintenance is so much easier than recovery

Don't Want to Do It Yourself?

I get it. I have a business to run, three kids, and a house of my own. Time is real and it is finite. That's part of why I started Spritzy, cleaning that's done right, every time, by someone who actually cares how it turns out.

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