Spring cleaning: The ultimate checklist

Just one week ago you probably thought you’d finally have the time to organize your home like you’ve been planning to for a long time. But then reality kicked in – kids are being home-schooled and need more attention than usual, the housework is waiting for you and you also still have to make money on the side. Even if you organize a drawer or two, it’s mostly just the essentials that get done. That’s why it’s important to take the time and do it all at once. The feeling of a clean home is irreplaceable!

First of all, make sure you have everything you need at hand. Beside a feather duster, vacuum cleaner, cleaning rags, bucket and the right detergents, you should also have a pair of rubber gloves – they protect your hands and skin from chemicals and keep bacteria away.

Tip: Listen to some music, an audio book or your favourite podcast while cleaning – this way, even you’ll get through annoying tasks more easily!

Organization is key – this also applies to cleaning. Make sure you make a plan and stick to it. For example, you can clean the house room by room or work yourself through different tasks:

1. Tiding up comes first

First, make sure to tidy up the rooms: Sort newspapers and magazines, put toys away, throw the dirty laundry into the washing machine and hang the clean clothes in the closet. Use the opportunity to get rid of furniture you don’t want anymore or at least store it in the closet.

 2. Cleaning the windows and washing the curtains

Everything starts blooming in spring and the world becomes more colorful again – make sure your windows are clean so you can enjoy the view! Good to know: Windows shouldn’t be cleaned on hot days and/or in direct sunlight, since water will evaporate more quickly, thus leaving ugly stripes along the glass. Also make sure to clean the window frames first, so that dust won’t spread over the clean windows.

3. Dusting

Every home has those corners that don’t get dusted all that often – such as bookshelves, TV’s and wall decoration – now’s the time! Plants might also need a shower to get rid of dusty leaves.

Spring cleaning also includes clearing and dusting the drawers and cupboards.

4. Vacuuming the floors & cleaning the doors

Next: Vacuum the carpets (or clean them if needed) and mop the floors inch by inch. Don’t forget to wipe all the doors clean of any fingerprints, stains and smudges.

5. Scrubbing the kitchen

You should leave the kitchen and the bathroom for last – after all, you’ll be needing the sinks.

The best thing to start with in the kitchen is to clean the cupboards from the inside and then take care of all the tiles and surfaces. Pay attention to use the right detergent: If a surface is only slightly dirty, a conventional all-purpose cleaner is sufficient. To remove any greasy stains, try this DIY detergent: Just mix one cup of vinegar and four cups of water in a spray bottle and voilà – you’ve got yourself a grease stain remover. Vinegar acid works wonders on almost all surfaces, except natural stone, silicone and rubber (those might get damaged by vinegar if used too often).

To clean the fridge and the stove, you can simply put the individual parts such as glass plates or plastic parts in your dishwasher. Also remember to decalcify small appliances like the water heater or the coffee maker!

6. Cleaning the bathroom

Use a light bathroom detergent to clean the sink, the bathtub and the toilet as usual. To decalcify fittings, use a special bathroom detergent – or alternatively take a sliced ​​lemon to rub the surfaces. Don’t use the old vinegar trick for the shower head, because vinegar might damage the silicon nozzles where the water comes out. When cleaning out the bathroom cabinet, check out the expiry date of your beauty products to avoid using stuff that’s too old.   

7. And while you're at it...

…why not wash the car as well? Taking all the trash out, vacuuming and cleaning the seats – once you’re done with that, you can proceed to the carwash.

Plan enough time for your spring cleaning and don’t forget to take a break every now and then.

Checklists, where you can check off accomplished tasks, are a fun and helpful way to stay organized. Scroll further down to see our ultimate spring cleaning checklist and save it or download it as a PDF! (In the desktop version, you’ll find it right next to the text)

Good luck with your spring cleaning!