Ready to do a deep clean of your home? Read on for tips and tricks to make your home cozier and cleaner than ever. (And keep reading for some cleaning-themed cozy mysteries!)
You've seen checklists for spring cleaning before, but try this one. Get a downloadable copy here:
Spring Cleaning Checklist
Outdoors
You want to make sure that your outdoor spaces are well maintained by weeding once every couple weeks, watering plants regularly according to the type of plant and its needs, and keeping any outdoor furniture clean. But there are some things we only need to do a few times a year to make sure the outdoors is a cozy place all year long. Spraying for bugs and weed-killer, redoing the caulking around the house and clearing out rain gutters are necessary chores, but planning your garden and planting seeds is something I consider enjoyable at this time of year.
Clean out Rain Gutters (Twice per year)
Spray Perimeter of House for Bugs (Twice per year and less extensive spraying in between)
Spray Weed-Killer (Twice per year and as needed)
Redo caulking around house as needed
Plant Seeds (early spring)
Garage & Shed
I'm not really a fan of cleaning out the garage or organizing the shed, but it's necessary to make sure that old or broken equipment gets tossed and that other equipment is in working order and easy to find when needed. Now is a great time to buy the items you need to maintain your car, home, and garden and to donate or throw out junk you haven't used in ages.
Sort through equipment and store items in set places
Clean lawn-mower and other large equipment
Replenish car cleaning supplies
Replenish gardening supplies
Donate items not used in the last year/no longer needed
Indoors
Lights
One of the best ways to make a home cozy is to keep everything light and bright in the home. While one should wash curtains and clean blinds every 3-6 months, spring is a great time to wash all the windows, clean all the lamp shades, and change light bulbs.
Wash Curtains and/or Clean Blinds
Wash Windows and clean Window Sills
Dust and Clean Ceiling Fans
Clean Lamp Shades
Clean Light Bulbs (when not on)
Replace old bulbs
Buy extra supply of bulbs
Clean/Dust Bulbs
Floors & Walls
Ideally, vacuuming and floor-washing should happen once a week. But once a year, it's also a good idea to shampoo rugs, redo grout and caulking, and make sure the baseboards, walls, and doors are dust-free. Light dusting of decor on the walls should be done as needed. But painting and varnishing can happen less often, once a year or even longer is fine depending on how cozy the rooms look in their current state.
Wash Baseboards
Shampoo Rugs
Wax Wood Flooring
Re-grout/Clean Grout
Redo caulking as needed
Walls & Doors
Clean and/or Repaint Walls
Clean and/or Varnish Doors
Clean Paintings and Décor (take off walls & clean behind, too)
Put away/store winter décor
Room by Room
Kitchen
The kitchen is probably the room that gets cleaned the most often in my house, with me making a mess every time I cook! But aside from the day-to-day clean up, the appliances need regular maintenance. Cleaning the dishwasher and clearing out the fridge should happen monthly (or as needed), and a deep clean of the oven and drains should be at least a yearly event. Other cleaning, such as the pantry and cabinets depends on how often you feel these areas become cluttered or accumulate dust.
Deep Clean Oven
Clean Fridge (inside and Out)
Replace Fridge filters
Clean Drains
Clean Dishwasher (every month)
Clean and organize Cabinets/Pantry
Clean/Varnish kitchen table and reupholster chairs
Living Room/Dining Room
Many of us don't think about taking our TV out of its usual space or pulling everything out of our entertainment centers, but at least once per year we should be moving our larger furniture to attack the dust bunnies hiding beneath. I know for me, getting rid of as much dust in the house as I can helps with my allergies, as does cleaning out textiles like pillow cases, cushions, and so on.
Clean TV and Entertainment Center
Move and Clean Behind TV, Sofa, and End Tables
Clean Sofa including Cushions, Pillows and Pillow Cases
Bathroom
In general, cleaning my bathroom mirrors, sink and counter are a daily task, but as often as I can, I like to do a full cleaning, organizing my bathroom cabinets, scrubbing the tub, and watching the rugs. Once a year, a full top to bottom cleaning of the bathroom, including changing the shower curtain (at least the liner) is a must. (If you live in a humid state, it's recommended to change the shower liner every 6 months.)
Clean Mirror Cabinets
Wash Mirrors
Replace Toothbrushes (every 3 months)
Clean Drains
Clean Bathtub
Clean Toilet
Wash Rugs and Bathmats
Clean Cabinets
Office/Home Library
I'm constantly cleaning my home office. Since I work from home, I spend a lot of my time in this space, so keeping it dust-free and organized is essential. One thing many people don't think to do is cleaning the printer head, which should be done every 6 months to keep your printer in good condition. Move larger furniture, like a desk, and cleaning out bookcases is also helpful in getting to the hard-to-reach places in the room where dust often settles.
Clean, Dust, and Disinfect Computers/Keyboards
Declutter and Clean Bookshelves
Clean Printer (every 6 months)
Move Desk/Large Furniture and Clean Behind
Bedrooms
Like many out there, I change my bedroom textiles with the season. Lighter sheets in the spring/summer and heavier ones in the fall/winter make for a sleeping space. So does flipping the mattress and making sure any under-the-bed storage contains only what's needed for future use. Under-the-bed storage is a great place for winter clothes and/or bedding that you don't need now (and washing it all before storing is something you'll thank yourself for later).
Wash Bedding, Pillows, and other Textiles
Flip mattresses (every 3 months)
Clean Closets & Dressers
Wash and put away winter clothes
Donate old, rarely used clothes and other objects no longer needed
Sort through/Clean Under-the-Bed Storage
Home Gym
I don't have a home gym, but I do have a treadmill, which I regularly maintain by dusting, tightening and lubricating the walking belt, and even changing the motor (which I only recommend if you know how and if it's a good machine worth rather than getting a better one). It's also important to clean and disinfect smaller items like weights and yoga mats regularly.
Move and Clean Behind Large Exercise Equipment
Clean & Disinfect Large Exercise Equipment
Clean weights and smaller exercise equipment (regularly)
Clean & Disinfect mats (once a month or once a week depending on how often it’s used)
Laundry Room
Many people forget that the washer and dryer also have cleaning cycles which should be run regularly. Additionally, the washer and dryer can be dusted, vacuumed, moved and cleaned under during spring cleaning.
Clean Washer and Dryer (once a month/run cleaning cycle once a week)
Replenish cleaning supplies
Other
There are a lot of other minor maintenance that can be done during spring cleaning, like checking smoke detectors, replacing batteries, replenishing first aid kits and so on. While these seem like little things, they may make a big difference if you need them in the future.
Check Smoke Detectors/Replace Batteries
Check Batteries in Home Equipment, Replace as Needed, Buy Back Up Batteries
Check first aid, medicinal supplies and replenish storage as needed
Cleaning Cozy Mysteries
Did you know The Cozy Mystery List has a list of housekeeping/cleaning cozies? Visit the Cozy Mystery List.
Here are a few more cleaning cozies not listed there:
The Squeaky Clean Skeleton: Haunted Housekeeping Book 1 by R.A. Muth
Cleaning is Murder: A Myrtle Clover Mystery Series by Elizabeth Spann Craig
Blanche on the Lam: A Blanche White Mystery by Barbara Neely
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