A Handyman’s Spring Cleaning Checklist

When the weather gets warmer and the flowers bloom, the world seems to start a new, refreshing chapter. It’s time for nature to reset itself and start over.

Maybe that’s why spring is a time that leads so many people to think about a deep purging and cleaning for their homes. It feels good to get everything really clean one time a year.

21 spring cleaning ideas:

1. Declutter one room per week.
   • Take everything out of each drawer, closet, shelf, and cabinet.
   • Dust and clean as you go with an all-purpose cleaner.
   • Give away things you haven’t used in the past two years.
   • Throw away anything that has no value to you or anyone else.
   • Organize as you put items back.
2. Go through the fridge, pantry, and cabinets and toss expired items.
   • Dust and clean the shelves as you go.
   • Organize the items as you put them back by category.
   • Change the baking soda box in the fridge.
3. Use a damp cloth or dust mop or break out the vacuum cleaner attachment to clean the walls and corners near the ceiling, if needed, for cobwebs.
4. Clean the windows inside and outside (after the pollen season is over).
   • If you have newer windows, you may be able to open the windows from the inside for cleaning.
5. Wipe the front of all the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.
6. Change your shower curtains.
7. Clean the oven.
8. Clean behind the refrigerator, washing machine, and dryer—including vacuuming the refrigerator coils.
   • Consider hiring someone to clean out the dryer exhaust, if needed.
   • Mix up a warm water and detergent solution for the super sticky spots under the fridge.
9. Wipe down baseboards.
10. Clean vents with a butter knife wrapped in a cloth.
11. Dust blinds and windows with a microfiber cloth.
12. Polish hardwood floors (consider moving the furniture out of the room or to one side of the room).
13. Wash or dry clean curtains and window treatments.
14. Clean light fixtures inside and outside.
15. Replace any burned-out light bulbs.
16. Test the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors.
17. Pull out the cleaning supplies and do a deep clean of the kitchen sink and faucet, bathroom sinks and faucets, showerheads, shower stalls, and tubs.
18. Polish any stainless steel appliances.
19. Clean your couches and chairs according to the manufacturer’s labels.
20. Hose out the garbage cans outside and clean the ones inside, as well.
21. Wipe down the inside of your microwave.