The start of spring means it’s time to crack open a bottle of rosé, don the jean shorts you haven’t seen since September, and — oh, yeah — break out your cleaning tools.
After three months of lounging around your house watching Netflix and cuddling your cat, some spring cleaning is in order. And we’re not just talking about decluttering. We’re talking about finally washing and scrubbing all the nitty-gritty, easy-to-overlook areas of your home.
So grab a pair of gloves, start your favorite podcast, and read on for 26 dazzling deep cleaning tips, tricks, and hacks that’ll make your home look brand-spanking new.
Click any of the below links to jump to a specific section:
Bedroom
Kitchen
Office
Living Room
Bathroom
Closet
Laundry Room
Entryway
Garage
Basement
Attic
Bedroom
1. Clean your blinds with a sock.
Remove the dust from your window blinds using an old tube sock dipped in a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water. Twist the blinds the other direction and repeat.
2. Wash your bedding and mattress.
Assuming you already wash your sheets, pillowcases, and blankets regularly, now’s the time to go a bit further and wash your duvet, bedskirt, and even your mattress. (Here’s the full scoop on how to clean and store your bedding).
To wash your mattress, use the nozzle from your vacuum to suck up dust, dirt, and hair particles. Then use an upholstery cleaner to remove stains and odors.
You can also use baking soda sprinkled with a few drops of essential oil. Let it sit for an hour then vacuum it off.
Want more details?
Check out our handy guide to cleaning and storing your mattress, bed frame, and box spring.
3. Use a lint roller to get the dust off lampshades.
Easy and efficient. Go a step further and clean the base of your lamp with a damp microfiber cloth.
Want more clever cleaning tips?
Check out these 5 insanely easy (and ridiculously effective) cleaning hacks.
Kitchen
4. Scrub the front of your kitchen cabinets.
Give your kitchen cabinets new life with a quick clean. Just use a fresh dish brush and soap (or go natural with one part vegetable oil and two parts baking soda) to get rid of food stains and fingerprints.
Free Bonus: Scope out these 11 clever and easy kitchen organization ideas.
5. Clean your sink drain with baking soda and lemon.
The kitchen sink is one of the dirtiest areas in the entire home. To properly clean it, pour one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar down your drain.
Let the mixture work its magic for a few minutes. Then wash it down with boiling water.
For a fresh citrus scent, slice up some lemon wedges and drop them down your disposal.
Free Bonus: Here are 20 genius green cleaning tips and tricks for every room in your home.
6. Clean the inside and outside of your fridge.
Scrub stains and dirt spots on the exterior of the fridge using a damp cloth sprinkled with baking soda.
To clean the inside of your fridge, take out all your food and remove the shelves. Then wash the interior with water and dishwashing soap.
Do the same with the shelves and bins before you dry and return them. Just make sure to unplug or turn off your fridge before cleaning the inside.
7. Clean out your oven with baking soda, vinegar, and dishwashing liquid.
Even a self-cleaning oven can use some extra love.
To remove stains and scorch marks from years of Thanksgiving dinners, turkeys, and nacho batches, scrub your oven with the following mixture:
- 4 teaspoons of baking soda
- 5 teaspoons of vinegar
- A few drops of dish soap
Let the sudsy mixture sit for a few hours before wiping it off with a clean, wet cloth.
Office
8. Use a coffee filter to clean your computer screen.
Forget special lint-free cloths. A basic coffee filter is all you need to remove dust and fingerprints from the gunked-up screens on your TV, computer, or tablet.
9. Wipe down your bookshelves with a magnetic cloth.
Just because your bookcase is organized doesn’t mean it’s not seriously dirty. Bookshelves, as well as the tops of books, can hold a lot of dust and dirt.
For a thorough clean, wipe the tops and spines of your books with a magnetic cloth. Then remove everything from your shelves and wipe them down with a damp microfiber cloth.
Not enough space on your bookcase for your favorite novels?
You might want to decide what books to keep or get rid of. And store the ones you do keep in any of these 9 creative book storage hacks for small apartments.
10. Clean your desk with the appropriate cleaning products.
To get rid of the dust and grime that accumulates at your desk over long periods of working (read: procrastinating), first remove everything from it.
Next, give it a good scrub with a clean cloth to remove coffee stains, crumbs, and fingerprints.
Be sure to consider your desk’s material when choosing a cleaning product. Wood, glass, and metal all need to be cleaned differently.
Still have energy?
Here’s how you can easily organize your office desk in under 4 minutes.
Living Room
11. Use Dawn dish soap to get rid of stains on fabric sofas.
Squirt a bit of Dawn dish soap onto your stain and let it sit for several minutes. Then wipe it off with a clean, wet cloth. Works like a charm.
Free Bonus: Take a look at these 9 stylish, space-saving sofas and couches for your apartment.
12. Iron out your carpet stains.
Spray your stain with a mixture of one part vinegar and two parts water. Place a wet rag over the stain, set your iron to “steam,” and iron on top of the rag for about 30 seconds to thoroughly remove it.
Bathroom
13. Wash your shower curtain and liner.
To get rid of stains, soap scum, and mildew, toss your shower curtain and liner (yep, even if it’s plastic) in the washing machine alongside a few bath towels to prevent wrinkling.
Pour in your regular detergent and one cup of baking soda, then wash on warm. Hang ‘em up to dry.
14. Wipe down your shower walls with vinegar and dish soap.
Mix one part dish soap with one part vinegar to scrub your shower walls and get that grimy grout sparkling white. Clean it right before you shower so you can rinse everything off easily.
15. Brush your faucet with a toothbrush, baking soda, and water.
If your sink and shower faucets are stained with hard mineral deposits and grime, sprinkle a little baking soda on an old toothbrush, add water, and scrub away until they look brand new.
Want to go the extra mile?
Here are 12 easy ways to declutter your bathroom, plus 42 bathroom storage hacks and solutions to make getting ready way easier.
Closet
16. *Thoroughly* vacuum the floor.
Now’s a good time to thoroughly vacuum your closet floor. Especially if it’s accumulated a lot of dust, dirt, and strands of hair from your clothes, not to mention all the bacteria your shoes bring in.
Don’t have carpet?
Take things further by mopping your closet floor with water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. When you’re done, rub the floor in a circular motion with a soft cloth.
17. Clean your shelves with all-purpose cleaner and a damp rag.
Take out all your clothes and wipe down your shelves with all-purpose cleaner and a damp rag.
Tedious? Yes. Worth it not to have a thick layer of dust coating all your jeans and T-shirts? Also yes.
Free Bonus: Here’s how to easily organize everything in your closet for good.
Laundry Room
18. Clean your washing machine with the ultimate cleaning power duo.
To get rid of mold and mildew (and prevent your clothes from smelling funky), you need to regularly clean your washing machine.
How?
Using the ultimate cleaning power duo: vinegar and baking soda.
Check out Apartment Therapy’s detailed instructions for cleaning a top-loading washing machine, and Popsugar if you have a front-loading washing machine.
19. Vacuum your lint dryer.
Dusty dryer ducts are a common cause of household fires, which is why it’s crucial to regularly clean them out. (Hint: Simply swiping the lint screen isn’t enough.)
Read Pretty Handy Girl’s full breakdown on how to clean your dryer duct using a cleaning brush and vacuum.
Entryway
20. Wipe down your baseboards.
The little things can make a big difference. Use a rag or sponge dipped in warm, soapy water to scrub scuff marks and dirt off your baseboards (Clean Mama says baby wipes work, too).
Finish off your clean baseboards by rubbing them with a dryer sheet to repel dust.
Free Bonus: These 15 amazing multi-purpose entryway storage hacks and ideas will transform your space.
Garage
21. Dust and wash everything.
Then work your way down: Scrub your walls with soap or a degreasing agent. And sweep and mop your floor to get rid of dirt, chemicals, and oil-build-up.
Basement
22. Clean your light bulbs.
Unscrew your light bulbs and wipe the dust off them with a clean microfiber cloth. Your newly bright lamps and pendants will thank you.
23. Wash your window tracks.
Window tracks are pretty disgusting — they can fill up with dust, dirt, and even dead flies. If you’re tired of cringing every time you open or close your windows, take a cue from The Intentional Mom:
Sprinkle some baking soda on the dirt in your window tracks, pour a little vinegar on top, and let it sit for a few minutes. Then scrub with a rag or old toothbrush and wipe clean.
Attic
24. Suck up cobwebs with a vacuum hose.
Layers of thick dust and dirt can ruin your stuff over time. To keep your vintage furniture and vinyl records in good quality, use your vacuum to clear out cobwebs and clean your attic floor.
25. Donate anything you don’t need.
You know those cardboard boxes filled with old craft supplies, CDs, and DVDs? The ones that haven’t seen the light of day in years? Get rid of ‘em.
Pro Tip: Read our comprehensive guide on where to donate your old clothes, books, furniture, toys, cell phones, and more.
26. Let Clutter store your stuff.
After you finish cleaning, use Clutter to store your snowboard, skis, luggage, and more.
Simply schedule a Clutter pickup and pack your stuff. We’ll pick up everything from your home and transport it to our secure, temperature-controlled storage facility.
And when you need something back, simply browse the convenient online photo catalog of your stuff, click the item’s photo, and we’ll deliver it to you.
This article was written by Paige Smith, a freelance writer from Orange County, California who specializes in lifestyle, wellness, and travel topics.
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Clutter is more than just storage.
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