You might feel ready for spring, but are you ready for spring cleaning? The changing season means it’s time to get your house in order, both in terms of decluttering and deep-cleaning the messiest rooms of your home. But don’t be overwhelmed—we’re with you every step of the way!


Start by Decluttering

Decluttering is a fairly simple way to dramatically clean up and de-stress a room. It’s also a great starting point for deep cleaning a room because it leaves plenty of room to dust, vacuum or wipe. Unfortunately, a lot of us have trouble when it comes to decluttering—but one of these methods is bound to work for you.

  1. KonMari method: Instead of choosing what to get rid of, choose what to keep. Use this method on a room-by-room basis, perhaps choosing one room a day.
  2. Four-Box method: Label one box “keep,” one “give away,” “throw away” and “undecided.” Then go through everything in the room, dividing them among the boxes. If you’re using the “undecided” box as a crutch, get rid of it.
  3. One-a-Day method: This is a bit time-consuming but is the easiest decluttering strategy (and it’s habit-forming, too). Simply pick one thing each day to get rid of. Within a month, you’ll have cultivated a more minimal lifestyle.

Deep Cleaning the Bathroom

It’s a good idea to freshen up your bathroom for spring, but first you’ll want to give it a good cleaning. Begin by removing all your linens, which gives you easier access to the surfaces you’re going to clean. While you clean, toss the linens in the laundry. You’ll also want to empty out all the shelves and medicine cabinet, deciding what to throw (like expired medications) or keep. If disposing medications, look up local options and regulations to do so safely.

Now focus your attention on the bath or shower, removing the shower curtain. This is a good opportunity to replace the curtain with something in-season. When washing your bathtub or shower, begin by removing dry messes (like grime or hair) with a dry cloth. Once you’ve cleared that off, get scrubbing with a good household cleaner.

Let this sit for a few minutes, spraying down the sink, vanity and toiler in the meantime. Wipe these down, then rinse your bathtub/shower. Finally, consider scrubbing the walls.


Cleaning the Living/Family Room

Good news: this is a lot more straightforward than the bathroom. You’ll want to dust and wipe down surfaces, vacuum the floor (and furniture, including under cushions) and wash the walls and doors if they have scuff marks. All of this should be simple if you’ve decluttered like we suggested above, but don’t forget to deal with easy-to-forget places. These include:

  • Scrubbing the crown molding and base boards
  • Dusting ceiling corners
  • Dusting ceiling fan blades
  • Cleaning air vents

Fixing Up the Mud Room

The mud room is named such because it commonly tracks in dirt and debris from outside. But as an entryway, it’s important to keep clean and organized. Simple methods for organizing the mud room include adding a bench where you can sit to take on/off shoes (storing the shoes underneath). A coat rack and umbrella stand also go a long way to keeping everything in its proper place. Finally, consider having a tray to drop of keys or a basket to stash away bags.

As for deep cleaning, sweep and mop the floor first, then scrub the walls and door. If your washer and dryer are in the mud room, wipe these down, too.