The Simple, Yet Effective, Spring Cleaning Checklist

First stop on the spring cleaning list is to clean out the fridge. There’s no time like the present to get rid of expired food and condiments, wipe down your refrigerator shelves and clean the drawers. Remove the bins to clean them in warm, soapy water, and let them dry before placing back in the fridge.

You’ve probably heard of deodorizing the fridge using baking soda before, but did you know your morning coffee can save the day in another way? If baking soda isn’t doing the trick to deodorize your fridge, coffee also effectively absorbs bad scents. Spread freshly ground coffee evenly on a plate and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours for a quick, inexpensive fix for old food smells.

It’s easier than you’d think to clean your garbage disposal. First, run a few ice cubes through to sharpen and clean the impellers. Then, add a few lemon or orange peels in while the disposal is running to remove odors and start fresh with a mild citrus scent.

This is a natural way to cleanse your garbage disposal, and a great way to use citrus peels when you’re done with them.

Clean your shower drains with this inexpensive DIY spring cleaning tip. Mix ½ cup of baking soda with ¼ cup of table salt and pour it down the drain, immediately followed by 1 cup of warm vinegar, which will foam with the mixture. After 15 minutes, run hot water down the drain for 30 seconds.

Noticing water is going down the drain slower than usual? TidyMom shares an easy, natural remedy to unclogging drains with vinegar and baking soda, so you can nip any drain clogs in the bud.

This may sound like an oxymoron, but if you clean your house with dirty supplies, how clean can it really get? Replace any rags, brushes or sponges you’ve used regularly over the last few months. These items should be cleaned after each use, and to prevent bacteria, it’s best to replace them once they get worn.

Spring cleaning is also the perfect time to give your most-used appliances and cleaning tools a thorough scrubbing.

While you’re cleaning the windows, make sure to dust your blinds. Jenny Silverstone of Mom Loves Best shares, “So many blinds can be a pain to clean. I’ve found an easy way to do it, though. I grab an old sock – there always seems to be one I can’t find a match for – and make a 50-50 mixture of water and white vinegar. It grabs onto that dust and the sock is heavy duty enough for the job.”

Another tip for cleaning your blinds shows that keyboard cleaner isn’t only useful in the office. Use a can of keyboard cleaner to quickly clear dust and dirt off your blinds, and vacuum the room when you’re done.

Nothing says “spring cleaning” like fresh linens. Now is the time to flip your mattress, wash your pillows and air out your comforters.

We recommend washing your pillows with ½ cup of baking soda added to your detergent in the washing machine. To fluff and extend the life of your pillows, use your dryer’s air cycle and run a load with two tennis balls in socks.

Take your comforter and blankets outside to shake them out, and run them through the air cycle of your dryer with a fabric softener sheet for extra freshness.

This is a great opportunity to flip your mattress as well, which you should do every six months. Ready to start fresh with a new bed altogether? Here’s how to tell if it’s time replace your mattress.

Your home gets dustier than you might think over the winter, but it can be hard to tell how much has accumulated when sunshine isn’t flooding in your windows every day. Luckily, there’s a simple way to tidy up with something you likely already have sitting around.

Use dryer sheets to dust items like electronics, lamp shades and appliances. The sheets have anti-static properties that will prevent dust from settling back onto the screens or stainless steel.

Dryer sheets can also be used to scrub soap scum off your shower doors, clean food residue off pots and pans, clean your blinds, pick up pet hair from your couch and more.

House cleaners rejoice – Mr. Clean saves the day yet again. Armed with a Magic Eraser or a melamine foam sponge, you can tackle everything from marks to mildew across the rooms in your home.

Put on some cleaning gloves and use a Magic Eraser to erase scuffs from walls, clean cabinets, eliminate soap scum and remove mildew from shower curtain liners. These sponges make a quick visible improvement, so you’ll save time as you get your baseboards sparkling clean.

While you spring clean your home, you should try to get organized as you go. As you come across items you won’t need for the spring and summer months, divide them into three categories: throw away, give away and put away. Keep track of this system, and organize items into their respective bins as you clean each room.

Sort through the random areas in your home that accumulate a mess, such as your home office, junk drawer or magazine basket and get rid of stuff you don’t need. Throw away old magazines, mail, expired coupons and receipts that have piled up. You’ll be surprised to see how much room these items are taking up and how much easier it is to find what you do need with all of the junk gone.

Our motto for spring cleaning is, “out with the old, and in with the new.” Now is the time to assess what items you no longer have use for and clean out larger items that are causing clutter. For a deeper dive on thoroughly decluttering your home, check out our room-by-room guide.

If you’re ready to get rid of that old couch sitting in your basement or finally part with the old fridge in your garage, we can help.

You’ll feel rejuvenated after this final stage of spring cleaning and can truly start fresh in your main living areas.