22 Spring Cleaning Hacks You Need to Try

Spring cleaning hacks to help you get your home ready for warmer weather!

I always look forward to the arrival of spring. After the cold of winter, my thoughts turn to warmer weather, outdoor activities like gardening, and spring cleaning!

Spring is a great time to focus on cleaning and organizing your home.

I’ve put together this list of 22 spring cleaning hacks to help you get cleaning today!

Also, if you’re looking for a simple spring cleaning checklist, I have one available in the Artful Homemaking Resource Library!

Get the checklist by filling out the form below.

22 Spring Cleaning Hacks

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure here.

1. Focus on the Clutter

Spring is the perfect time to go through your house and get rid of clutter.

Whether it’s too many clothes in your closet, extra toys the kids no longer use, or unneeded items in your garage, this is your chance to  thoroughly declutter.

You can donate the excess stuff to a thrift store, or have a garage sale. Either way, you’ll be getting the clutter out of your space.

And, it’s much easier to clean once this step is out of the way!

RELATED: How to Declutter When You’re Overwhelmed

2. Freshen Up the Bathroom

You already clean your bathroom on a regular basis. But as part of your spring cleaning, do an extra-thorough job of deep cleaning.

RELATED: Deep Clean Your House Checklist

Is mold or mildew taking hold in your shower? Grab a scrub brush and a biodegradable cleaner and obliterate the grime.

If you have stains on the toilet bowl that are hard to remove, try cleaning the bowl with one of these handy tools. 

They’re great for removing hard water deposits and rust stains!

Don’t forget to clean in spots that often get missed such as behind the toilet and under cabinets.

3. Dust The Vents

Have you ever noticed how air vents tend to collect dust and dirt?

Whether your vents are located on the wall or on the floor, wipe the dust off as part of your spring cleaning routine.

4. Make Windows Sparkle

Over time, smudges and dirt can easily accumulate on windows.

Grab your rags and some non-toxic glass cleaner and watch the grime fade away as your windows sparkle and shine again.

You may also want to try a squeegee for this job, to make sure your windows are streak-free (also works well for glass shower doors).

This is also a great task for kids who are old enough to help.  There’s something so satisfying about seeing dirty windows gain new life!

5. Eliminate the Marks

If your house is anything like mine, stray marks are always appearing on walls and doors.

I don’t know where all these marks come from, but I’m sure it couldn’t have anything to do with five active kids. 🙂

These cleaning pads are a lifesaver for removing marks from walls, doors and light switches.

They can also be used for cleaning many other objects such as car wheels and grills.

If you don’t have cleaning pads and need to quickly remove a mark, a little toothpaste on a wet rag works really well.

6. Clean the Cans

Have you ever taken a full trash bag out of a garbage can and noticed some residue in the bottom of the can?

Spilled liquids, little bits of paper, and leftover dirt can all accumulate at the bottom of waste baskets.

Take advantage of your spring cleaning to wipe, spray or scrape out any stuff that’s gathered in your trash cans over the past months. Then be sure to disinfect them.

7. Give Your Dishwasher a Boost

We live in an area with very hard water. This means our dishwasher tends to get mineral and detergent buildup over time.

To help keep your dishwasher smelling fresh and to remove buildup inside the machine, use a cleaning tablet that contains citric acid.

The citric acid is a natural substance that helps with odors and mineral buildup.

Depending on the hardness of your water and how often you use your dishwasher, you may need to use these cleaning tablets more frequently.

8. Renew Your Carpet

Carpeted floors can easily accumulate assorted odors. Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet before vacuuming to help freshen the scent and neutralize odors.

For an extra fresh scent, add a few drops of essential oil to the baking soda before sprinkling it on the carpet.

(If you happen to be shopping for a vacuum, this is similar to the one we have and love to use!)

Spring cleaning is a great time to clean the carpets as well.

9. De-fuzz the Furniture

Give your upholstered furniture such as sofas and chairs a fresh look by removing lint, fuzz and hair.

A simple lint roller can work wonders to remove debris and make your furniture look fresh.

Just a fair warning: Once you start with a lint roller, you may find it hard to stop!

Furniture, bedding, lampshades, clothing and more can all benefit from this cleaning treatment.

You can also make use of your vacuum’s upholstery and crevice attachments.

10. Save Your Sponges

I mentioned this tip in my kitchen cleaning hacks post, but it’s worth repeating here.

You can remove odors and kill nasty germs on a wet sponge by putting it in the microwave for 90 seconds. (Be careful removing it as it will be hot!)

11. Clean Out Cosmetics

Do you have any old or unused cosmetics, skin care products like lotion and sunscreen, or toiletries sitting around gathering dust and taking up space?

Go through your cabinets or drawers and toss anything that you haven’t used in a long time or that’s dried or expired.

After going through your toiletries, you may find this divided drawer organizer useful to keep things neat going forward.

12. Soak Your Shower Heads

If you live in an area with hard water or copper pipes, you’ll notice white or blue buildup on your shower head over time.

This mineral accumulation is not only unsightly but can clog the shower head and result in loss of water flow.

To reduce buildup, fill a suitably large plastic zipper bag with vinegar, then fit the vinegar-filled bag over your shower head.

Secure the bag with a strong rubber band or hair tie and leave overnight. The acidic vinegar will help loosen the mineral buildup and restore a normal shower stream.

13. Dust Fan Blades

If you have ceiling fans, you’ve probably noticed they tend to gather dust.

To quickly clean the blades, position a stepladder near the mid to outer part of the fan. Take an old pillowcase and slip it all the way over a blade, then grasp and slide the pillowcase off, applying enough pressure to remove any dust. Repeat this process for each blade.

The dust will remain inside the pillowcase and your fan blades will look like new!

14. Clean the Curtains

Spring is the perfect time to take down washable curtains and run them through your washing machine.

While the curtains are down, clean your blinds using this handy tool.

15. Renew the Rugs

You already vacuum area rugs or doormats on a regular basis. But occasionally it’s a good idea to take smaller rugs outside and shake them out.

One old fashioned trick is to beat the rugs against a tree or with a pole to help dislodge residual dirt. Kids might have fun with this cleaning task!

16. Clean the Fridge Inside and Out

In many houses, the top of the fridge becomes a collection spot for assorted household items or papers.

Climb up on a sturdy chair or stepladder and see if there’s anything on top of your refrigerator that needs sorting, tossing, or cleaning.

And don’t forget to wipe off the top while you’re up there!

For the inside of the fridge, after you’ve taken everything out and given the shelves a good wipe down, you may want to consider lining the shelves with shelf liner to make cleaning easier next time.

17. Clean Your Cabinets

At least once a year, take all of the items out of your kitchen cabinets and food pantry.

You may be surprised to find out of date or opened food items that can be discarded.

Get rid of things like bowls, plates or cups that you never use, and wipe out the empty cabinets before returning the items.

For organizing food items, I love using glass jars and containers, and adding labels like these or these chalkboard labels makes everything more organized!

18. Get Under the Bed

I often use the empty area underneath my bed for “overflow” storage. This means it can accumulate boxes, books, and assorted other items over time.

Pull everything out from underneath your bed and see if there’s anything you could declutter. Then vacuum under the bed using a long-handled vacuum extension.

If you have wood floors, try a long-handled duster like this one.

19. Clean Kitchen Appliances

If you don’t have a self-cleaning oven and aren’t already cleaning your oven regularly, now is the time to get rid of the burned-on oven grime. I share my favorite oven-cleaning hack here.

But don’t stop with the oven. Clean out the crumbs in your toaster, descale your coffee maker, and clean other kitchen appliances you may have.

Here’s an easy, natural way to clean your microwave.

Add about 1/2 cup of water to a glass bowl. Slice an onion in half, and squeeze the juice into the water in the bowl. Then add the lemon halves to the bowl.

Microwave on high for about 3 minutes, until the water starts to boil. Then leave the oven door closed for about 5 minutes.

Remove the bowl of water with the lemons, and wipe down the inside of the microwave clean with a cloth.

20. Refresh the Freezer

It’s no secret that food items can easily get lost in a standard refrigerator freezer, but even more so in a chest or upright freezer.

If your freezer is the type that builds up ice and periodically needs to be defrosted, use the defrosting time as a chance to go through the contents and toss old and freezer-burned items.

RELATED: 11 Clever Refrigerator Organization Ideas

21. Oil the Cutting Board

I love using wooden cutting boards, but don’t always remember to regularly season (oil) them to keep them in top condition.

To season your board, first wash it and let it thoroughly dry. Then pour on a high-quality food-grade mineral oil and rub with a clean, soft cloth or paper towel to distribute the oil over both sides in the direction of the grain.

Let the oil soak in for at least 10 minutes before wiping off any excess. This will keep your board in top shape for years of use!

You can also use homemade wood butter for seasoning your wooden boards and utensils.

22. Tackle the Paper Pile

Do you have a pile of papers stacked somewhere in your house? Maybe on a desk, shelf, or on top of a filing cabinet?

Rather than letting the stack grow ever higher, sort through the papers and toss out anything you don’t need.

Then file away any important papers in a filing cabinet or desktop file organizer.

Or, you could try these linen file storage organizers that will fit on a shelf.

Final Thoughts on Spring Cleaning Hacks

Take advantage of the change of seasons to complete some of these spring cleaning tasks. You’ll soon have a clean and refreshed home!

Related Posts

• Spring Cleaning Checklist Free Printable
• 15 Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Life Easier
• How to Deep Clean Your House with Checklist
• Spring Cleaning Plan

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