How to spring clean your home when it’s in desperate need 

Everyone’s house needs a spring clean. It’s the perfect time to get the house looking it’s best and to unearth the treasure trove of dried pasta, bits of cereal and pet toys that everyone’s kicked under the counters over the last year. Oh – there’s the earring you accused your housemate’s hamster of stealing three months ago! Whoops... The uncovered items, if not a teensy bit gross, are a comforting reminder that we all do it, which is kind of endearing, right? 

So, put on some tunes and print out this list of spring cleaning tips! Let’s get to work. 

1. Create your spring-cleaning checklist

Having a spring-cleaning checklist keeps you focused and breaks spring cleaning down into easy tasks. Start by listing each room and creating a spring-cleaning list for each one. For example: 

Bedroom spring-cleaning list:

• Decide which clothes to give to charity.
• Dust wardrobe shelves.
• Fold clothes and organise wardrobe.

Write a name next to each task, so everyone in the house knows which bits they’re sorting — otherwise, if people fold clothes in different ways you could end up with triple-refolded shirts and dusty shelves! 

2. Create a spring-cleaning list of equipment

Before you start ticking tasks off your list, gather all your cleaning equipment. Your spring-cleaning list of equipment might include rubbish bags, rubber gloves, cleaning sprays, snacks for an energy boost, a bucket and mop, toilet cleaners, paper towels and whatever else you think will help. 

3. How to spring clean: declutter your cupboards

Empty your cupboards and drawers and have fun finding that t-shirt you thought someone borrowed from you and never gave back. Sort everything you own into three piles: keep, discard, or give to a charity. Want to keep the house clean and tidy, and also do your bit for the environment? Get yourself a compost bin so you can make use of those vegetable scraps and leftovers. Not only does it reduce waste, but it gives your vegetable scraps and other compostable items their own place out of the way.

Composting is a wonderful way to turn waste into something useful! If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t compost, check out our handy guide. Complete composting novice? Find out what composting is here! 

Want to know more about Plenty’s compostable kitchen roll sheets? Check out the answers to your frequently asked questions.

4. Clean and dust the inside of storage cupboards

Now that your cupboards are empty and your belongings are sorted into three piles, the next thing on your spring-cleaning checklist is to clean the insides of your cupboards and drawers. Give them a wipe with some moistened kitchen paper.  

5. How to spring clean your home: get organised

Spring cleaning is the perfect time for a fresh start, re-thinking how you store your possessions and coming up with new storage solutions. For example, you may want to re-arrange your kitchen ingredients according to how often you use them. (So that’s that random spice you bought for that one recipe heading towards the back then).

6. Clean and dust the objects before returning them to cupboards

Try not to stick dusty items back onto clean shelves. So, give that ice-cream maker you bought eight years ago a wipe before putting it back in the cupboard. 

7. Spring cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms

Now it’s time for some gloves and elbow grease. Take your cleaning sprays and clean your kitchen, including worktops and table tops, and clean your bathroom, including sinks and tub. And make sure your house is well-ventilated as you do this. Once every surface is gleaming, take a moistened paper towel to the skirting boards to get rid of stubborn dirt and dust.

8. How to spring clean: leave floors for last

By now your home should be on its way to sparkling, but there’s one last thing to tick off your spring-cleaning checklist: cleaning your floors. Grab your bucket and mop, play some loud music and get down to it! 

Getting the house clean for another year or so is an act of love that’ll show how much you care for everyone in your home – or, it can be an exchange of love, if you all do it together. Once you’re done, you can finally put your feet up. Literally – because your floor still needs time to dry!