What's a spring clean for?
It's a yearly reset of how the house works. Winter leaves you with heavy bedding, closed windows, a full pantry and things piled where they don't belong.
That's the difference from a deep clean, which goes after grime at any time of year. A spring clean also deals with your stuff, and only you can do that part. A cleaning business can take the hard cleaning once the sorting's finished.
Spring cleaning bedrooms and wardrobes
- Swap winter clothes for summer ones, and pass on what you didn't wear.
- Wash doonas, blankets and pillows, following each care label.
- Vacuum the mattress and let it air with the window open.
- Take down curtains that can be washed, and check the label first.
- Clear under the beds, then vacuum what you find there.
Kitchen and pantry: your spring cleaning checklist
- Empty the pantry one shelf at a time and check the use-by dates.
- Wipe the shelves before anything goes back.
- Clear the fridge, then wash its shelves and door seals.
- Defrost the freezer if it needs it.
- Wash the kitchen bin and the recycling bin.
Living areas on the spring clean list
- Wash cushion covers and throw rugs.
- Move the couch and vacuum behind it.
- Dust bookshelves, and thin them out while you're there.
- Clean the blinds, slat by slat.
- Open the windows on a mild day and let the place air.
A spring clean for the bathroom and laundry
- Throw out old bottles and products you've stopped using.
- Wash the shower curtain or replace its liner.
- Clean the washing machine's filter and door seal, following its manual.
- Dust the exhaust fan cover so it can draw properly again.
- Check under the sinks for leaks and damp.
Spring cleaning for the warm months ahead
- Dust ceiling fans before you turn them on again.
- Clean the air conditioner filters, following the manual.
- Wash flyscreens and clear the window tracks of dust.
- Press the test button on each smoke alarm.
- Wash down the balcony and outdoor furniture.
How to run a spring clean without it taking over
Go one room at a time
Finish a room before you open the next one. A half-sorted house feels worse than one you haven't started.
Sort first, clean second
Everything you pass on is something you don't have to dust around.
Keep soft things for a dry, breezy day
Doonas and blankets need time on the line, so check the forecast first.
Book the hard cleaning last
Once benches, shelves and floors are clear, a cleaning business reaches the surfaces instead of your things.
Spring cleaning safely: ladders and old products
For fans and high shelves, put the ladder on dry, firm and level ground and keep 3 points of contact, and leave it to someone else if you're unsteady on one. When you clear out cleaning products, keep each in its original container, store them out of children's reach, and never mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners. If you find mould, deal with the moisture first, and don't dry brush it.
What only you can sort in a spring clean
Worth doing yourself
- Wardrobes, pantry and everything else that means deciding what stays.
- Doonas, curtains and cushion covers.
- Air conditioner filters and smoke alarm tests.
- Balconies, outdoor furniture and the garden.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Skirting boards, door frames and window tracks.
- Grout, shower screens and tiles.
- Range hood filters and greasy splashbacks.
- The oven and inside windows, as add-ons.
How we'd split a spring clean with a cleaner
Keep the deciding and hand over the scrubbing. Spend your own time on wardrobes, the pantry and the bedding, because nobody else can decide what stays. Then, once the surfaces are clear, ask a local cleaning business to do the kitchen and bathrooms properly and add the oven if it's due. You'll get more out of the clean, and you won't spend it moving piles.