Hi Guys! I know, this is a terribly grandma-ish thing to be writing about BUT spring cleaning is just one of those adult things that I feel like our parents took care of and often-times even though the kids helped, we didn’t always learn how to do everything, or in the correct order. I’ve done this process for my house twice now, and it works really well while not being too overboard on time investment. This post has nothing to do with organization, just the cleaning/sanitizing side of spring cleaning that is often ignored for the instant gratification of clearing out a closet.
If you’re looking to undertake a full-scale spring clean of your home, here is the step-by-step guide you need to start the new season off on the right foot! You can apply these steps to each room one by one, or you can do all the steps for your entire house in order. It really just depends on how much time you have to dedicate- just remember that if you’re doing it space by space, you’ll need to re-vacuum everywhere because you’ll track dirt back around.
Step One: Clear off all surfaces and floors
So, this may seem tough, and I get that because it is for me too sometimes. For my spring cleaning, I keep a large rubbermaid. Everything that it’s hard to find a home for or that I don’t know what to do with yet goes in this rubbermaid- it helps me keep from spending all my time tidying when I need to be cleaning. That container becomes a neatly contained followup task for after I’m done my real spring clean.
Step Two: Dust all surfaces
I like dusting to be one of my very first tasks- that’s because dust will inevitably be knocked onto the floor etc. I want all the dust knocked down/sucked up before I’m vacuuming so that there’s no way it can get wet and turn into grossness when I mop/sanitize my floors. Remember to focus on getting everything- door casings, baseboards, light fixtures, all furniture, window sills, etc.
For this task, I use swiffer duster sticks for most surfaces except my natural wood ones- for those I use Pledge spray and a clean cloth.
Step Three: Wash all mats
If you’re like me, you have some mats in your entrance way, in front of your sinks etc. Throw the washable ones through the machine with vinegar and detergent to wash+sanitize them and hand-sanitize any non-washable mats like anti-fatigue mats in your kitchen. Leave these out to hang so they’re out of the way until you’re done steps 4 & five.
Step Four: Vacuum all surfaces
Now, I vacuum because everything is picked up from step one and dusted from step two. I vacuum all my floors, my upholstered furniture, under my refrigerator, under furniture, in my closets, in window sills (to get anything your dusting couldn’t)… basically anywhere I can fit my vacuum, I’m going to vacuum. I’m also a bit of a weirdo and will move any furniture I can so I can get any hiding dust bunnies from there.
I have a Dyson DC39 Pull-Behind Animal vacuum. I love all of it’s attachments and the fact that I don’t need filters or bags for it, which can be a very pricey add-on.
Step Five: Sanitize all surfaces
At this point, I take a break from the floors and use a vinegar-water solution to sanitize my baseboards, light switches, cabinet knobs, door handles etc. Anywhere my hands touch regularly but might not get such a regular sanitization, really. I also wash up any trays I may have on coffee tables or counters.
Vinegar-water solution is my favorite money-saving trick for this type of cleaning- spray solutions etc are so handy for a quick cleanup, but I love that when I’m doing a deep-dive clean of my house that I can make up multiple sinkfuls/bucketfuls of this and not worry about the cost.
Step Six- Clean all bathrooms
This one is pretty easy- I clean my bathrooms from top to bottom as I normally would.
Step Seven- Clean your kitchen
Again, pretty easy- I clean my kitchen while the counters are cleared from step one. I always throw a bit of vinegar in the dishwater for this one so it’s a true sanitizing clean. I also will wash all my cupboard outers and sanitize the outsides of my appliances- don’t worry if it leaves it streaky, step 8 will take care of that. Also, I remove everything from my fridge for about 20 minutes while I pull out the drawers etc and wash and dry them in the sink before popping everything back in the fridge and giving it a bit of an organize.
Step Eight- Wash windows, stainless steel and mirrors
I use my magic cloth (my mum purchased this from a local distributor) to clean my windows, mirrors and stainless steel appliances so they shine. I’m not sure what’s really up with this cloth that it’s so good, but it washes and leaves everything streak free and I love that because Windex gives me hives. All you have to do is sanitize the surface first, then polish it up (or just polish it).
Step Nine- Mop your floors
Finally, the final step! Mop your floors with a vinegar-water solution or your preferred cleaning solution.
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