"I know, I know, finding time to keep up with cleaning on a day-to-day basis sometimes seems like an unattainable goal. But when I narrow down a few key areas that I need to focus on during spring cleaning, it seems to make everyday life a whole lot easier. And when my house is crisp and clean, I can’t help but feel happy and energized when my family is running around the living room or snuggling on the couch. And now that my boys are old enough to help with some of the chores, it’s made each year a little easier as they help wash down walls, baseboards, and narrow down old toys/clothes to donate to those in need.
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Below, 14 women share their best spring cleaning hacks and tips that are guaranteed to make your house sparkle.
Clean Those Oft-Forgotten Spaces
“Each spring, I make a point to clean out two often-forgotten areas of my home: our kitchen junk drawer and our medicine cabinet. The junk drawer (everyone has one!) can so easily get out of control and it’s an easy to-do list item to take a spare 20 minutes to weed things out and organize the items we really do need to keep. And going through our medicines to safely dispose of anything expired and take stock of what we have (and what we may have run out of) is so helpful, too.” -Julia P.
“I take inventory of our bathroom cabinets. Then, I try to make each item easier to get to by using little storage bins from the dollar store. Ever since I incorporated this into our yearly spring cleaning, I no longer have half-used toothpastes oozing in the drawer or bandaid boxes hidden behind toilet paper and hair gel.” -Melissa G.
“One thing I am absolutely terrible about doing is deep cleaning our oven. When we were home non-stop at the beginning of the pandemic, we did a major deep-clean of the whole house, and I realized the oven had probably years worth of grease that needed to come out. It made such a huge difference and our oven looked like a brand new appliance after just one cleaning. Now it’s a regular occurrence (and by regular I mean every few months!) and one thing that’s at the very top of my spring cleaning list.” –Robi C.
“Wash ALL the bedding in your home. Sheets and pillow cases can accumulate dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and more gross stuff, so washing them at least once a week is ideal. But, if any beds were forgotten and have linens overdue for washing, now’s the time!” -Nyla M.
Tackle Stubborn Pet Hair
“After months of curling up on the couch under a warm blanket—pets included—our couch was in need of some TLC. I’ve tried everything from tape lint rollers to vacuums to get the pet fur unstuck from the fabric… it is so stubborn! We recently tried this lint remover/fuzz shaver from Amazon and not only does it scrape up the pet fur, but also removes the pilling on the fabric. We removed large tufts of fur, lint, and pilling from the cushions. The couch looked so much cleaner and newer! We have tried this tool on rugs as well and it’s a miracle worker. It is good to note that you should use a gentle hand with this scraper since you don’t want to ruin the fabric—it doesn’t take much pressure to remove gunk! Super satisfying.” –Kaia G.
“The Chom Chom brush works wonders for eliminating pet hair! I can’t live without mine for cleaning couches, blankets, etc.” -Hailey B.
Take Inventory and Purge
“When we bought our house, we knew that the primary bedroom closets were fairly small so we’d need to rotate out our clothing seasonally. We store our off-season clothes in our attic in vacuum-sealed bags, but before putting away each season I make it a habit to launder sweaters and get rid of what doesn’t work or is damaged beyond repair. This is a great time to take inventory of what you have and take your items to a cobbler or seamstress to prolong their life.” -Ally W.
“I am diligent about keeping my closet organized and wardrobe purged of items that I no longer wear, love or that don’t fit me. Part of my spring cleaning routine includes taking inventory of clothing that I can donate. It feels amazing to get rid of things that no longer have a place in my life and to know that someone else will get better use out of them. I do the same with my kids clothes, too, including separating what can be used as hand-me-downs for my younger ones and what is ready for a new home.” -Jaclyn V.
“Use tax time as a reason to purge old files, bills, and more to free up space. Sort what can be recycled and what should be shredded to protect personal information. Local businesses like the UPS Store have industrial shredding machines you can use yourself. They do charge by weight, but for me, it’s worth it for the peace of mind that my info is protected and I’ve freed up precious storage space.” -Kathy S.
“Get rid of expired beauty and toiletry items. Take the time to go through everything in your bathroom cabinets and/or closets and get rid of any empty or expired bottles—it’ll create so much space and help you take inventory of the products you do have and should continue using.” -McKenna P.
Bring Out the Power Washer
“Spring means it’s time to bust out one of my favorite cleaning appliances: the power washer. We blast off a season’s worth of dirt and grime from anything that can withstand the high-pressure tool. Our outside walkways, back deck, garage floor, lawn furniture–I’m coming for it all. It’s oddly satisfying watching the before/after results appear before your eyes as dirt drips away. Once it dries, pour yourself a drink, sit down, and enjoy your newly-cleaned outside furniture!” -Alaina K.
“Spring also means the opening day of our small apartment terrace which gets pretty murky after months of New York winter (dust, snow—you name it!). Power washing the terrace floors and tossing/replacing any items that may have gotten damaged over the winter—old beach toys, outdoor pillows we forgot to store, etc.—always gets top billing on our spring cleaning list.” –Robi C.
Clean the Cleaning Supplies
“Each spring, I replace my toilet scrubbers, sponges, and bleach all of my cleaning rags so I know that everything I’m cleaning is as sterile as possible, and I am not spreading old germs around.” -Melissa G.
“Sanitizing our garbage disposal is often on my spring cleaning list. Use just a half-cup of baking soda and half-cup of vinegar, let it sit for at least 10 minutes, and flush it with hot running water.” -Nyla M.
“When you realize that your vacuum isn’t sucking up dirt and grime like it used to, don’t fork out an arm and a leg right away to replace it. Instead, remember to empty out your vacuum, change the filter, and thoroughly clean any of its removable parts. Maybe this is an obvious task that I blocked out of my mind, but I know I can’t be the only one. I remember the first time I did this, I was so shocked at how much debris I had let accumulate—no wonder it wasn’t working!” -Brett Nicole H.
Be Strategic and Resourceful
“Repurpose old (clean) socks as kid-friendly dust rags. Socks are so easy to put on your hand and wipe down shelves, tables, and more. Plus, they might get kids excited about helping as their sock puppet ‘cleaners’ head around the house. Throw the socks in the washer to be ready for their next cleaning adventure.” -Kathy S.
“Choose one room or area to focus on per day. If you try to do the whole house in a day or two, you’ll start to burn out and either A) not finish or B) start getting a little lazy and not do as deep of a clean as you’d hoped for (I’ve been there). Choose one room or area to focus on per day so it has your undivided attention and doesn’t get overwhelming.” -McKenna P.
“I swear by using a deck brush to scrub my tile floors. It’s technically meant for outdoor use, but the long handle has been a game changer for this cleaning task! Not only does it allow me to remain standing versus having to get on my hands and knees, but it also gives me more scrubbing power than a handheld brush, since I can put my full bodyweight into it rather than relying on just my arm strength.” –Trisha S.
“If you have a stainless steel sink, you absolutely need to be using baking soda to clean and shine it! Who knew two simple ingredients like these could accomplish so much. After rinsing your sink, pour baking soda all over the bottom of the sink and let it sit for anywhere from five minutes up to an hour. Then, use a sponge to gently scrub the sink and rinse with water. Your sink will immediately look so dang shiny and new!” –Hailey B.
“If I’m trying to freshen up counter and tabletops and not necessarily hardcore disinfect them, I love creating my own botanical cleaning sprays. They’re simple and have cleaner ingredients than a lot of the store bought ones. Plus, you get to be your own chemist! All you have to do is fill a spray bottle with three cups of water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and about 10 drops of essential oils. Shake it up and voilá! I like tea tree oil because it’s known for having antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, as well as lemon or lavender. But it’s fun to explore and find your own faves!” –Katherine B.
Make Cleaning Enjoyable
“I’ll be the first to admit that cleaning is not my favorite household chore (in fact, I’d much rather relax with a load of laundry that needs to be folded). But when the time comes and I can’t put it off any longer, I like to make my cleaning experience as enjoyable as possible my listening to my favorite podcast while I work. For me, this is always a true crime podcast (Morbid is a personal favorite), but this tip works just as well with any type of podcast or your favorite playlist. Watch how much faster each task becomes when you take your mind off of it.” -Brett Nicole H.
