The first bright day of the year has a way of showing up every smear on the windows and every dusty skirting board. A good spring cleaning checklist turns that “where do I even start?” feeling into a plan you can tick off, room by room, without losing a whole month to it.
Spring is the classic time for it, but this list works whenever your home needs a reset: before guests arrive, after a busy few months, or when you’re moving in or out. Bookmark it and come back whenever you need it.
What is a spring clean?
A spring clean is a once-or-twice-a-year top-to-bottom clean that goes beyond your weekly hoover and wipe. It’s the time to tackle the jobs you usually skip: behind the sofa, inside the oven, the tops of wardrobes and the curtains.
It traditionally happens when the warmer weather arrives, because you can throw the windows open, dry bedding outside and finally see what the winter gloom was hiding. But there’s no wrong time to do one.
What you’ll need before you start
Gather everything in one caddy or bucket before you begin, so you’re not running up and down the stairs.
- Rubber gloves and a few old cloths or microfibre cloths
- Hoover with attachments, a mop and bucket, and a duster on an extendable handle
- Multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner and furniture polish
- White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda for the oven, kettle and mattress
- Bin bags, plus three boxes labelled keep, donate and recycle
Always follow the label, open a window, and never mix bleach with other cleaning products.
Start with a declutter checklist
It’s far easier to clean a room with less in it, so declutter first. Work through one cupboard or drawer at a time, and be honest about what you actually use. This quick declutter checklist covers the usual hotspots:
- Out-of-date food, spices and medicines
- Clothes and shoes you haven’t worn for a year
- Old toiletries and half-empty bottles in the bathroom
- Paperwork, takeaway menus and old post
- Mismatched containers, odd socks and tangled cables
- Toys, books and games nobody uses any more
Get the donate box in the car straight away, or it’ll still be in the hallway next month.
Room by room cleaning: your spring cleaning house checklist
Room by room cleaning stops you flitting between jobs and never finishing any. In each room, work from top to bottom (so dust falls onto floors you haven’t cleaned yet) and from the back of the room towards the door. Here’s the full spring cleaning house checklist.
Kitchen
- Empty and wipe the fridge, then defrost the freezer if it needs it
- Clean the oven, hob and extractor filter
- Wipe cupboard fronts, handles and the tops of wall units
- Empty cupboards, wipe the shelves and sort spices and dry goods
- Run an empty hot wash on the washing machine and clean the seal and drawer
- Descale the kettle and clean the microwave
Bathroom
- Descale the shower head and taps, and scrub the grout
- Wash or replace the shower curtain and bath mat
- Clear out the cabinet and wipe the shelves
- Clean the extractor fan cover and behind the toilet
Living room
- Move the sofa and hoover underneath and behind it
- Vacuum the sofa, then wash cushion covers and throws
- Dust lampshades, picture frames, shelves and the tops of door frames
- Wash or vacuum the curtains and clean the windows inside
Bedrooms
- Wash all bedding, including pillows and duvets if the labels allow
- Vacuum the mattress, sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda, then vacuum again, and turn or rotate it
- Clear under the bed and the tops of wardrobes
- Swap heavy winter bedding and clothes for lighter ones and store the rest
Hallway and stairs
- Wipe the front door, letterbox, light switches and banisters
- Sort the coat hooks and shoe pile
- Clear out the cupboard under the stairs
That under-stairs cupboard tends to become a black hole. Our under stairs storage ideas will help you make it useful again.
Deep clean jobs most people forget
A proper deep clean is about the hidden places. You don’t need to do these every week, but a regular pass keeps the house fresher for longer.
| Job | How often | Quick tip |
|---|---|---|
| Skirting boards and door frames | Every few months | A damp microfibre cloth does the job |
| Radiators | Before and after the heating season | Use a long, thin brush between the fins |
| Light switches and door handles | Monthly | Spray the cloth, not the switch |
| Oven | Every few months | Bicarbonate of soda paste left overnight |
| Mattress | Twice a year | Turn or rotate it when you vacuum it |
| Windows and frames | Spring and autumn | Clean on a cloudy day to avoid streaks |
| Bins | Monthly | Rinse, dry and add a sprinkle of bicarb |
Short on time? Try a weekend plan
Don’t try to do the whole house in a day. Split it into chunks and give yourself a reward at the end.
- Saturday morning: declutter every room and get bags out of the house.
- Saturday afternoon: kitchen and bathroom, the two hardest rooms.
- Sunday morning: bedrooms, with bedding in the washing machine first thing.
- Sunday afternoon: living room, hallway, then all the floors.
If you share your home, split the list. Give everyone a room or a set of jobs, put some music on and agree on a finish time. Children can match socks, dust skirting boards and sort their own toys into keep and donate piles. Many hands really do make lighter work, and nobody ends up resenting the person holding the mop.
Keep it tidy with good storage
The best way to make your spring clean last is to give everything a home. Lidded baskets hide everyday clutter, labelled boxes keep seasonal things in order, and a few organisers inside cupboards stop them sliding back into chaos. Our bathroom storage ideas are a good place to start if that room is the worst offender.
Our picks to finish your spring cleaning checklist
We picked these from our decorative storage baskets and decorative storage boxes to help keep things tidy once the cleaning’s done.
- Hide the clutter: the green leaves grey wicker basket with lid keeps everyday bits out of sight in a living room or bedroom, and comes in under £10.
- Bathroom shelves: the WENKO Terra bamboo organiser box has three compartments for toiletries, so the shelf stays easy to wipe.
- Soft storage: the KBIBCK cotton rope storage basket has handles and works for toys, towels or throws.
- Seasonal swap: the DIMJ foldable storage boxes come as a three-pack with lids and handles, ideal for packing away winter jumpers.
- Storage you can sit on: the Nyxi foldable ottoman storage box has an 80-litre capacity and a padded faux leather top, perfect at the end of a bed.
- Spice cupboard sorted: the Petgulu wall-mounted spice racks are a set of two that go up with no drilling.
Spring cleaning FAQs
What order should I spring clean in?
Declutter first, then clean one room at a time, working from top to bottom. Do floors last in each room. Many people start with the kitchen and bathroom while they have the most energy.
How long does a spring clean take?
For an average home, plan on a full weekend, or a couple of hours each evening over a week or two. Bigger houses or a lot of decluttering will take longer, so break it into chunks.
When should I spring clean?
Most people do it when the days get lighter and warmer, usually from March onwards, as you can open windows and dry washing outside. Any time you have a free weekend works though, and a second round in autumn is a good habit.
Is there a printable spring cleaning checklist?
You can print this page straight from your browser and tick off each room as you go. Pop it on the fridge so everyone in the house can see what’s left to do.
Work through this spring cleaning checklist a room at a time and your home will feel lighter, fresher and much easier to keep on top of. For more tidy-up inspiration, browse our hallway ideas, as it’s the first space everyone sees.
