For some, spring cleaning is almost therapy. For others, it is actual torment. Unfortunately, your feelings on the realities of a spring clean don’t impact the outcome because the net gain of an in-depth clean as the seasons change is always positive.
Clearing out your clutter and giving your house a dust, a hoover and a scrub creates a healthier living space. And in the bright days of spring, after months of windows closed against the cold and shoes caked in mud, it’s a much-needed reset.
If you’re a fan of rubber gloves and consider Mr Sheen a close friend, it’s probably a highlight of your year. But if you’d rather watch a fresh coat of magnolia dry than reach for a hoover or a microfiber cloth, then the prospect of a seasonal deep clean can be overwhelming.
No one can completely take all the pain from cleaning your home. Doing a good job takes elbow grease and effort – and quite a big investment of time. However, tackling it the right way can take some of the sting out of the task.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best way to spring clean your house to minimise the stress. We’ll look at which rooms to tackle first, the correct cleaning order, and how using self-storage can help make the process easier.
Why Spring Cleaning Matters
Spring cleaning is about more than improving the appearance of your home. Seeing your surfaces sparkling, your cushions plumped and your carpets clean can benefit your wellbeing too.
Some of the other benefits that spring cleaning brings beyond aesthetic include:
- Removing dust, dirt, and allergens built up over winter to make a healthier atmosphere
- Creating more usable space in your home
- Reducing stress by decluttering your surroundings
- Making your home easier to maintain throughout the year
- Preparing seasonal items for storage or use
Seen together, that’s a big boost for both you and your home, which is a nice thought to cling to when you’re dragging the hoover across the carpet.
What Is the Best Order to Clean Your House?
As beneficial as it undeniably is, few people find an annual spring clean a fun way to pass the time. And the harder you find it, the more likely you are to cut corners and do a lesser job, which then reduces those benefits. A vicious circle for an essential task.
While it might not make it any more enjoyable, cleaning in the right order can make it quicker and more efficient. Here’s how to tackle your spring cleaning tasks to try and make the process as painless as possible.
The Best Order to Spring Clean Your Home
- Declutter first
It’s impossible to predict how long this step will take because it will solely depend on how much ‘stuff’ you have that needs clearing. Obviously, if you stay on top of what you keep in your home, you might be able to identify unwanted items and tidy away those in the wrong place in minutes. If you don’t, this could be a mammoth day-long task in itself.
It is an essential first step, though. There is absolutely no point in shuffling items to clean around them – put them where they belong before you start. - Clean from top to bottom
Any dirt or dust you dislodge will be at the mercy of gravity, so don’t bother cleaning your floors or surfaces before dusting your shelves and gently wiping your light fixtures. Get out the long reach duster to grab any cobwebs near your ceiling, and then start to work downwards.
This applies in condensed areas too. Wash your windows before soaping your window sills, polish your coffee table before pulling it out to hoover under it. And leave any vacuuming, floor sweeping and washing your skirting boards till the very last - Clean dry areas before wet areas
On a similar premise, once in the air, dust is going to drift to land on any surface. If you dust first, you’ll displace any loose particles that will stick in water or soap and be cleaned up fully. - Clean room by room
Trying to clean a whole floor – or worse, house – at once is a guaranteed way to end up overwhelmed. Instead, take one room at a time and make it manageable. Start with a big room like a living room, office or bedroom, that has more clutter that needs tidying away, then contrast that with the kitchen or bathroom that’s heavier on the scrubbing. The changes will help it feel quicker and be less physically draining.
Every time you finish a room, think about how much energy you have left. Don’t force yourself to keep going if you’re tiring as you’ll just do half a job and need to do more cleaning again.
- Finish with floors
The most effective time to tackle your floors is when every surface is cleared, wiped, and all the dust has settled. Otherwise, you’ll disturb dirt back onto your clean carpet or tiles as you clean.
Which Room Should You Clean First?
It’s not just the order that you clean a room that can make the task easier; choosing which room to clean when can make a difference too.
Start with rooms that are likely to be the most labour-intensive. For some homes, high traffic rooms like bedrooms, living rooms or offices, will build up a lot of mess through heavy use. For other homes, it might be a case of tackling the less-used spaces like spare rooms. Doing these ‘big jobs’ while you are fresh to the task will help you stay focused and do a good job quickly.
As we mentioned above, you can also try switching between larger rooms and smaller rooms like bathrooms and kitchens to keep things changeable and fresh.
Should You Vacuum or Dust First?
We always advise dusting before vacuuming, to save yourself covering an already cleaned carpet with more dust particles when you grab your cloth or duster. Otherwise, you risk doubling your workload, and even those who enjoy cleaning will find that frustrating.
Step-by-Step Guide to Spring Cleaning Your House
Step 1: Declutter Before You Clean
Before you begin, sort items into the four categories: keep, donate, recycle and store. This stops you simply moving the mess around that you need to clean again in future.
If you have items you don’t use often, don’t have space for but also aren’t ready to get rid of, then consider putting items in self-storage while you decide if you will need them or not.
Step 2: Gather Your Cleaning Supplies
Grabbing everything you’ll need before you start means you won’t need to break your flow and risk losing motivation. Make sure you have the following:
- Microfibre cloths
- All-purpose cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Disinfectant
- Vacuum cleaner
- Mop and bucket
- Rubber gloves
- Bin bags or storage boxes
Step 3: Clean Room by Room
Obviously, the specifics of your cleaning will depend on the room. With all rooms, you should dust, polish surfaces, clean light fixtures, clean windows and sills, launder curtains or clean blinds, wash skirting boards, and mop or hoover the floor. But there are extra steps you can take for each room:
Bedrooms
- Rotate or flip mattresses
- Wash bedding and pillows
- Declutter clothing
- Store seasonal clothing
Living Room
- Clean upholstery and cushions
- Clean TV screen
- Declutter books, magazines, and ornaments
Kitchen
- Empty cupboards and wipe shelves
- Check expiry dates on food
- Clean appliances (oven, fridge, microwave)
- Wipe cabinet doors
- Disinfect worktops
Bathroom
- Scrub tiles and grout
- Clean shower screens and mirrors
- Disinfect sinks and toilets
- Replace old toiletries
- Wash bath mats and towels
Hallways and Entryways
- Clean skirting boards
- Wipe doors and handles
- Shake out doormats
- Organise coats and shoes
How Long Should Spring Cleaning Take?
It is impossible to say how long spring cleaning should take, because it will ultimately depend on too many factors, like how cluttered your home is, how often you clean normally and who lives in the house (as much as four-legged friends are a part of our family, muddy paws and shedding coats can add considerably to cleaning times).
As a very general guide, based on the size of your home, typical time estimates are:
- Small flat: 1–2 days
- Medium house: 2–4 days
- Large house: Up to one week
Give your home (and you) a seasonal boost with a clean
The phrase ‘spring clean’ exists for a reason – it really is the perfect time to clean your home. And as our post demonstrates, with the right approach it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming challenge. But if you find yourself mid-clean with a mountain of items you can’t find a home for and think self-storage is the option, our self-storage units are clean, secure and available on flexible contracts. Whether you need one until the season turns, or the year does, if you’re based around Nottingham, we have a unit to meet your needs. Talk to our team today to find out more.
