It’s that time of year for Spring Cleaning!
I am one of those people who enjoys keeping my house generally tidy, but spring cleaning is a different story. Springtime is my favorite time to refresh everything that takes a little more planning and effort. I like to do this on a weekend in March and it truly helps me feel so much more put together as we head into the warmer months.
First and foremost, I start with cleaning out closets.
Every. Single. Closet.
Decluttering Your Closet
I do the least annoying closet to the most, so usually I start with our clothes, shoes + bags we want to donate/sell. I adopted a similar ‘Maria Kondo’ way and go through each clothing item, holding it up and asking whether I’ve worn it in the last year or if it brings me ‘joy’. I am always surprised at how much I donate.
If you’re in the Jacksonville area, look into donating at Hope’s Closet!
Then, I will refold and rehang everything in an organized way back into the closet.
I use these shoe storage, these clothes hangers, and a similar clothing storage inside the closet.
Next, I do the hall closets, linens and storage closets.
Hall Closets
For the hall closets, we have a few that serve different purposes. I put our winter clothes, coats, and boots in one hall closet, one closet for extra blankets, board games, and medicines, and one closet for cleaning supplies, random wires, batteries and those types of things.
Usually Spring falls at a great time when these closets have been neglected for months, so getting everything back in their places is super helpful to me.
I have lots of Christmas decor, and as much as we try to keep the big stuff in the attic, I worry about the hot Florida heat ruining some of my decor throughout the year so we keep the indoor decor inside. I use big clear bins like these, and use half of a closet in each guest room so that guests can still have room to store their things when they visit. Once a year, I will reorganize and clean the closets because sometimes these can be a catch-all for decor I’m not using at the moment and it gets a tad messy 😉
I recommend reading The Home Edit and The Lazy Genius for more organizing tips!
Dusting
After all my closets and general decluttering are done, I start to focus on the actual cleaning.
I learned from my grandmother to work top to bottom of a house. Start with dusting fans, walls, and any horizontal surface before vacuuming. To dust, I use these cloths dampened with this cleaner. For fans and hard to reach places, I use this duster.
Next, I will get to the windows and baseboards, which does take some time. (This is the worst part)
When you’re dusting, don’t forget to shake our (or vacuum) your curtains. If you’re able, take them to the dry cleaner. So much of our indoor odors get trapped in fabrics, and sometimes dusting just isn’t enough.
Beds
I strip the beds and let the mattress air out for the entire day while I’m cleaning. I like to do this in March because then I can open all the windows in the house and let the fresh air inside. I will take some baking soda and sprinkle it over the bed, suction it up after it sits for a bit, then use my little green machine. This thing is pure magic. All of these steps help the lifespan of the mattress and truly helps me sleep better to know it’s been deep cleaned.
- To help keep your mattress as clean as possible, we use a few barriers from the top sheet to the mattress. I have this waterproooof hypoallergenic cover that I put right over the bed, then a mattress topper (I love this one from Amazon that’s down alternative!), then these sheets.
Kitchen
Another place you’ll want to work top to bottom. I clean all of the faces and handles of the cabinets with a microfiber cloth, clean the countertops, then the lower cabinets. I will take some time to get between all the cracks of the stove and range hood.
- A note for cleaning counters: Use the “S” curve when cleaning, and the “eye trick” when complete! The S curve is literally going up and down the countertop to not miss any spots. Only use circular motions when buffing. Use the eye trick after you’re done, which means getting eye level with the counter to double check no crumbs were left. I use this cleaner!
After the cleaning is done, I’ll polish the granite and the appliances. It’s crazy how much of a difference this makes. This is what I use for polishing granite/quartz counters and appliances.
Pantry
Probably my favorite thing is organizing a closet or a pantry.
I pull everything out on the floor of the pantry and fridge, throw away everything that’s expired, and reorganize. I make sure to spray everything down and clean the inside.
Here’s what I use for pantry organization:
Large glass containers for rice, flour, etc.
If you’re into the no cereal box look, I love these clear boxes!
Here’s what I use for refrigerator organization:
I love these 2 pack stacked storage drawers.
Lazy suzan for condiments
And I love these food storage containers for leftovers or meal prep.
Bathrooms
Wait, I lied. This is my least favorite thing!
Once a year is a great time to address the under the sink storage and cull through all the things I’ve accumulated and don’t use. Take some time to take everythign out, clean the inside of the cabinet, and reorganize what you keep. I use something like these under the sink storage shelves, and these baskets for my hair appliances.
To clean the tub and shower, I use this Pink Stuff cleaner. This brand has been really impressive to me for deep cleaning bathrooms! If you have a shower curtain, throw it in the wash or soak in bleach.
Wash any rugs, clean in every corner, and you’ll be grateful for a sparking bathroom!
And lastly…
Flooring
I use this vacuum cleaner all over my house. When I’m on rugs I turn on the brush, and when I’m on the wood floor I turn it off just to make sure I don’t scratch the floors. I love this vacuum because it’s very easy to clean out, it has great suction power (good for a home with animals like us!), and is a really great price.
- You can pull the wand out to get corners and under couches/beds. It also has other attachments for stairs.
I mop with this spray mop, using this more green cleaning solution for our flooring. I like being able to throw the microfiber cloths in the wash when I’m done!
Happy spring cleaning!
You can shop my Amazon lists here.
