You guys. It’s time to start spring cleaning the house, and I have created for you (and me!) a free, multi-page printable checklist for all things spring cleaning. You are about to rock the whole clean house situation. Free access to that is at the bottom of this post. But for those of you who don’t mind hearing me ramble and learning some spring cleaning tips and tricks… read on!
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We’re going to talk tips and tricks, the best supplies for naturally cleaning your house (hello dyson and essential oils), and then… THE CHECKLIST.
If you asked yourself “when is spring cleaning,” wondering if you missed the boat, don’t worry. It doesn’t really matter when. Any time you can deep clean your house is a victory… so don’t worry about when to start spring cleaning your home. Just start!
Let’s start this off by saying spring cleaning is not something to stress about. Yes, it’s good to do, but it’s not something you need to overwhelm yourself with. Spring cleaning your home is one of those things that can make you feel like you’re facing an impossible task, but today, we’re going to make it manageable.
One of the best things that keeps me motivated is a good ol’ checklist. At the end of this post, I’ll make a free, spring cleaning checklist printable available to you so that you can print it out, check it off, and feel dang good about all you’re accomplishing.
Why is Spring Cleaning Important
Back in the day, spring cleaning was VERY necessary. Houses were shut up tight during the cold of winter, and homes were heated with wood or coal. Dust and dirt were hard to avoid in those circumstances, so after a long winter, a true spring clean was really in order!
While our homes aren’t the same as they once were, spring cleaning is still necessary.
Here are some spring cleaning facts:
- Not only is it nice to have a clean house, but spring cleaning is actually good for your health
- Spring cleaning your home can actually make you more motivated to tackle other projects
- A clean and tidy home is proven to make people happier. Truthfully, even my kids love it right after they clean their room. Tidiness tends to set people at peace
- Have you been missing something for months and have no idea where it has gone? Spring Cleaning could be the answer to that little problem. Spring cleaning is a great way to find lost items!
- There’s a lot of allergens floating around your home that you may not be aware of. For example: All those dust particles you see? Over 2/3 of those dust particles are made up of dead skin cells. YUK.
- TRUE OR FALSE: What has more germs- your toilet or your kitchen sink? If you said toilet… you’re wrong. Sorry to break the news to you.
- Spring cleaning is the perfect time to purge. I’m no stranger to purging, so I can assure you how good it feels to lighten the load of “stuff.”
- When you’re deep into spring cleaning, it is a workout! So you can totally skip the gym the day you’re spring cleaning.
If you’ve been around this blog a hot minute, you’ll know why I love spring cleaning. With all these benefits (such as happiness, motivation, purging and health), it fits right in with the content here at The Grace To Grow. Like this post about living intentionally!
How To Spring Clean
There’s not just one way to spring clean your house. Depending on your personality type and your family, you may do it differently than me.
The good news is, though, the checklist will work no matter how you choose to execute the actual spring cleaning.
I love to get mine done as fast as I can. Deep cleaning the house is important, but I still like to clean the house fast and easy.
Usually, I’ll set out to accomplish as much of it in one day as possible. I like to take my checklist and make sure I’m crossing things off the list in an order that makes sense.
For example, I’m not going to clean the floors first, and then dust ceilings and light fixtures… because all that junk is going to fall right back onto your clean floor. No thanks.
As often as possible, you want to spring clean your house from the top down.
More Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks
So, aside from working from the top down, here’s a couple other tips:
- AVOID using conventional, toxic cleaning products. I make my own easy, DIY all purpose cleaner with vinegar, water and essential oils. I’ll do a post on that soon so that you can make it yourself!
- White Vinegar is your friend when you’re avoiding toxic cleaning chemicals. It kills germs and beats build-up like a boss. Check out this article from David Suzuki, all about the cleaning power of Vinegar.
- Baking Soda is also your friend. It’s pretty much BFF’s with vinegar when it comes to cleaning. It deodorizes… and is even effective for pest control. Find more info about baking soda at this article from thekitchn.
- Separate your clothing by seasons to reduce clutter
- Wrap a towel around a broom head and secure with an elastic band to clean baseboards (save your back), and also to reach places that are just out of reach.
- Listen to music or a podcast while cleaning
- Remember that you are blessed to have a home, and that it is a true privilege to care for it!
Hopefully those spring cleaning hacks will come in handy! Now, let’s discuss what supplies you need.
Supplies for Spring Cleaning The House
I’m really of the opinion that less is better. We live fairly minimally in our home. Not too many toys, not too many clothes, and definitely not too many cleaning supplies.
Thankfully, when you use natural methods for cleaning your home, you really don’t need much at all.
Here are my must have items for spring cleaning the house, and just keeping a clean house in general:
- White Vinegar (as previously discussed)
- Baking Soda
- Essential Oils. These plant therapy oils are my favorite. This company has incredibly high standards, not only for sourcing their oils, but also in how they recommend people use them. They even have kid safe blends so you can feel extra confident. A great offer they have is that you can get 10%off site wide and free shipping when you spend $60 or more, using the code “10OFF60.” ALSO- if you’re a first time customer, you can get 46% off their nova fuse USB diffuser (I have this one!) with the code SIGNUP10. NovaFuse USB Diffuser WhiteThe Plant Therapy NovaFuse USB Diffuser in white gently diffuses essential oils into… [More]
Price: $29.95
- Microfiber cloths. These ones from Amazon are just as good as the ones from Norwex… except without the hefty price tag!
- The world’s greatest vacuum. It’s cordless, easy to use, and can be used for the WHOLE house.
- THIS MOP. When it comes to cleaning my house, this mop is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wish I wouldn’t have wasted so much time on other mops, because this one is clearly the love of my life. The best news is, you can add your own cleaning solution… so again… you’re in control of what you use to spring clean your home!
- Dr. Bronners Castille Soap. You dilute this stuff, and it’s good for nearly everything.
That’s it. That’s all I use to keep my house clean. Not only for spring cleaning, but for average, every-day cleaning, as well.
My Favorite Essential Oils For Cleaning
My favorite essential oils for cleaning are all from plant therapy, and they include:
- Tea Tree
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Germ Fighter
- Peppermint
- Citrus burst
You can get those from plant therapy individually, or, save some money and time and just get their cleaning essentials kit. You get all of those, delivered in a cute wooden box.
Do you love making your own DIY cleaners? Do you love the way your house smells right a… [More]
Now that you know what you need to get started… it’s time to get started spring cleaning the house!
Spring Cleaning Checklist Printable
To avoid this post turning into a multi-page disaster, I’ve created a free, house cleaning checklist PDF. Simply print it off, and start checking off those boxes!
I know you will LOVE the feeling when you’re done spring cleaning your house.
Simply fill in the form below, and I’ll shoot that spring cleaning checklist PDF straight to your inbox!
Looking for some related posts? We got ya covered!
- Living intentionally
- Priorities- Spring Cleaning Series Part 1
- Time Management- Spring Cleaning Series Part 2
- The Refining Fire Of Motherhood
Looks like we use a lot of the same cleaners 😀
I have been thinking about actually spring cleaning the house this year, i think a checklist would help! Thanks for putting one together for us!
Thanks for reading, Aryn!
I am loving ALL these tips for spring cleaning the house! That towel over the broom deal is brilliant and I need that reminder about how caring for our home is a privilege. Can’t wait to dig in to the checklist. I’m feeling pumped!
Yay, Rachel! I’m such a nerd and love hearing that people are getting pumped to clean their homes! Love it! lol
Lemon is my absolute favorite oil to use for cleaning! Not only do I love the smell, (& it takes me back to my childhood), but the antibacterial properties are just that added touch of magic for me!
Totally agree!