I don’t think I am ever not cleaning something in my house, but such is life as a mom of three small children. Charlotte asked me over the weekend, “do you have to do laundry everyday, mommy?” I said: “Not if you want to stop wearing clothes!” Getting into routines and habits help, but at the end of the day there’s always something left undone. And that’s totally ok.
As you know, we’ve got lots of home projects coming up so I’m doing the best I can to stay on top of the organization before pure chaos ensues. This morning I decided to clean out the fridge since I didn’t get to it over the weekend and it led to a whole kitchen deep clean.
In case you also have Spring Cleaning on the mind, I’m going to share my checklist as well as a few things you might not think of, but now is a great time to get these done.
- Clean Under Your Oven
Did you know those drawers under the oven come out? I didn’t until recently… or I never really cared to investigate too much. Well this morning I pulled out that drawer and along with a tremendous amount of dust, I also found some of my favorite pens, a few legos and crayons that had fallen into the abyss. I’ll share the before and after, however I was too appalled to even find my phone when I first pulled the drawer out so the before photo is actually after I already vacuumed.
2. Clean Your Cleaning Machines
Now is the perfect time to clean the things that do cleaning for you. Vacuum out the lint trap in the dryer, clean out the washing machine, and deep clean the dishwasher.
For the dishwasher, refill your rinse agent, remove the filter at the bottom and scrub and rinse it off and then I just tried this dishwasher cleaner that made a huge difference for me. Even after cleaning the filter and refilling the rinse agent, some of my glassware was still coming out foggy. Happy to have that off the list!
This washing machine cleaner is something I do every couple of months. It’s simple and seems to work really well.
And while you’re at it with vacuuming out all the things, clean out your vacuum filter and beater bar. When these things are cleaned, they work more effectively making your job easier in the long run!
3. Purge Expired Pantry Items
I plan our meals on a weekly basis, so it isn’t often that I end up with overstock in the pantry, but now is a great time to go through and condense and purge dry pantry items. Free up some space and it will feel so good!
4. Donate / Sell Outgrown Clothes
This is something I desperately need to do for the whole family. Everyone’s closets are bursting at the seams and with a new season upon us, it’s the best time. I usually start with the kids and put aside things that are gently used but still wearable. We will either hand them down to family/friends or I will post by size in our local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. Donating directly to a person is a great way to ensure your donations don’t end up in a landfill. There are other places like Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace or Mercari that you can sell some more valuable items. I tend to shy away from selling because it usually takes more time and effort than I’m willing to commit.
5. Strip Couch Cushions
The winter calls for a lot of lounge time. I love to take the covers off the couches this time of year and strip them in the bath tub using 1/2 c powder tide, 1/4 cup borax and 1/4 cup washing soda. I let the covers sit in the tub for 4-6 hours, agitating once per hour. Then I take them out, run on a gentle cycle in the machine without any additional detergent and hang outside to dry. You will be SHOCKED at how much grime comes off of them.
6. Cancel Subscriptions
Not exactly cleaning, but a good reminder to go through any recurring charges coming up on your statement and cancel any unnecessary subscriptions you may be paying for. I just went through my Apple ID subscriptions and realized I was paying almost $25 a month for apps I don’t even use. Whoops!
7. Start a Garage Sale Shelf
If you’re anything like me, you acquire things, whether it be decor, housewares, dishes, area rugs or small appliances, and eventually they just sit. Now is a great time to start a shelf somewhere in your garage, basement or an unused closet for things you’re going to sell. Whether it’s at a garage sale over the summer or listing it on Facebook Marketplace, having everything in one spot will make it so much easier to access and keep inventory.
We have a big garage cleanout on the docket for this spring and I cannot wait to get some serious organization going on in there.
8. Clean Your Mattress
Now is a great time to flip your mattress and give it a good vacuum. Most mattresses these days only have one top side, but you can always flip it vertically to help ensure it wears evenly. This is actually something we haven’t done and I wish we did because now we have two permanent dents in our mattress from our bodies. It’s almost time for us to invest in a new mattress and I will definitely make this at least an annual tradition.
To clean your mattress you can sprinkle some baking soda on top and allow it to sit for about an hour. Then vacuum it up really well. I like keeping a mattress protector on that I can wash with the bedding regularly as well.
9. Patch up Holes
I have a tendency to get hammer happy — something I’m working on. This spring I’ll be going room by room to touch up some holes with putty and touching up the paint. It’s one of those project that feels so daunting, but really doesn’t take that much time.
10. Clean Your Garbage Cans
Seems kind of silly but I know, especially our recycling bin gets so gross. Now that we’ll be reattaching the hoses outside, it’s the perfect time to scrub them clean. I tend to gravitate toward some bleach for this project since it’s usually a gross and sticky mess, but any household cleaner you choose should do the trick.
If you’re looking for a room-by-room spring cleaning checklist, check back next week! I’ll share a downloadable PDF for you to use.
Let me know what’s on your list in the comments.
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