Spring Cleaning: The Top 10 Things to Tackle This Season

There's something deeply satisfying about a proper spring clean. After months of sealed windows, tracked-in salt, and the general accumulation that comes with winter, spring is the ideal time to reset your home from top to bottom.

But "spring cleaning" can mean anything from a quick wipe-down to a week-long overhaul. To make the most of the season without burning out, it helps to know what to prioritize. Here are the top 10 spring cleaning tasks that make the biggest difference — in order of impact.

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1. Deep Clean the Windows (Inside and Out)

Windows are the number one thing that makes a home feel fresh or stale. After winter, window glass accumulates a film of grime, condensation residue, and oxidation that dulls natural light even when the sun is out.

What to do:

• Wash glass inside and out with a streak-free glass cleaner or a white vinegar solution
• Clean the window frames and sills — these collect dead insects, dust, and moisture damage
• Vacuum or wipe out window tracks, which are often caked with debris
• Inspect and clean window screens before reinstalling them

The difference in light quality alone is immediately noticeable.

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2. Wash Every Soft Surface

Over winter, your soft furnishings absorb odours, skin cells, pet dander, and general household dust at a rate you don't notice until spring arrives. This is the time to deal with it.

Prioritize:

• All bed linens, duvets, and pillow covers
• Throw pillows and cushion covers
• Curtains and drapes (check care labels — most can be machine washed)
• Blankets and throws
• Fabric sofa cushion covers if removable

Consider having upholstered furniture and mattresses professionally cleaned if they haven't been done in over a year.

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3. Purge and Organize Closets

Closets are where things go to be forgotten. Spring is the right time to pull everything out, assess it honestly, and make decisions.

The one-year rule: If you haven't used or worn it in the past 12 months and it doesn't have genuine sentimental value, it's time to donate, sell, or discard it.

• Remove everything from the closet
• Wipe down shelves, rods, and baseboards
• Vacuum the floor
• Return only what you're keeping, organized by category

Apply this to all closets: bedroom, hall, linen, and coat.

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4. Clean Appliances Inside and Out

Your kitchen appliances work hard all year and accumulate grease, food residue, and limescale in ways that go unnoticed in day-to-day cleaning.

Spring appliance checklist:

• Oven: Run a self-clean cycle or use oven cleaner on the interior; clean knobs and control panel
• Refrigerator: Empty and wipe all shelves, drawers, and door seals; vacuum the coils at the back
• Dishwasher: Run an empty cycle with a dishwasher cleaner tablet; check and clean the filter
• Microwave: Wipe interior walls and turntable; clean exterior and control panel
• Range hood and filter: Soak the grease filter, wipe the hood surfaces

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5. Scrub Grout and Tile

Grout is porous and stains easily — and it's one of those things that deteriorates gradually until one day you look at your bathroom or kitchen and wonder when it got so dark.

Spring is the time to address it:

• Apply a grout cleaner or a baking soda and peroxide paste
• Scrub with a stiff brush or old toothbrush
• Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry completely
• Consider applying a grout sealer afterward to slow future staining

For shower tiles and backsplashes, an extended soak with a bathroom cleaner before scrubbing will remove soap scum and mineral buildup that's accumulated through winter.

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6. Wash Walls, Baseboards, and Light Fixtures

These surfaces are almost never cleaned during routine weekly maintenance, yet they accumulate fingerprints, scuffs, cobwebs, and general grime over months.

What to tackle:

• Wipe walls with a damp microfibre cloth, paying attention to areas around switches, door frames, and high-traffic corridors
• Scrub baseboards — use a damp cloth followed by a dry one; an old toothbrush works well for corners and edges
• Clean ceiling fixtures and lamp shades — dead insects, dust, and oxidation dull their output significantly
• Wipe door frames and the tops of door casings

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7. Flip, Rotate, or Replace Mattresses

Mattresses should be rotated every 3–6 months, and most people don't do it often enough. Spring is a natural reminder.

• Vacuum the entire surface with an upholstery attachment
• Spot-clean any stains with an upholstery cleaner
• Flip (if double-sided) or rotate 180 degrees
• Check your mattress protector and wash it

If your mattress is over 7–10 years old and has visible sagging or significant staining, spring is also a practical time to consider replacement.

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8. Declutter and Deep Clean the Garage or Storage Areas

The garage and storage spaces tend to become catch-all zones through winter — seasonal items stacked haphazardly, tools out of place, general disorder.

Spring garage reset:

• Remove everything and sweep/blow out debris and salt residue
• Sort items into keep, donate, discard, and seasonal storage categories
• Organize by zone: tools, sports equipment, seasonal items, automotive
• Check for any moisture damage or pest activity that occurred over winter
• Wipe down shelving units and storage bins

A well-organized garage makes the entire outdoor season more functional.

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9. Address the Exterior — Entry Points, Deck, and Outdoor Furniture

The first impression of your home is the exterior, and winter is hard on it.

Exterior spring tasks:

• Power wash or scrub the front porch, driveway, and pathways
• Wash the front door and wipe down the entrance, including the door mat
• Clean outdoor furniture before the season begins — wipe cushions, scrub frames, check for any winter damage
• Sweep out the deck or patio and check for any loose boards or surface damage
• Clean the exterior of windows from the outside if you haven't already

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10. HVAC Filters, Vents, and Air Quality

After a winter of closed windows and forced-air heating, your indoor air quality is often at its worst in late winter and early spring. Addressing your HVAC system is one of the most impactful — and most overlooked — spring cleaning tasks.

What to do:

• Replace furnace filters (they should be changed every 1–3 months, but spring is a guaranteed reset point)
• Vacuum and wipe all air vents and return air grilles throughout the home
• Schedule a professional duct cleaning if it hasn't been done in 3–5 years
• Clean bathroom exhaust fans and the kitchen range hood
• If you have a humidifier connected to your furnace, clean the reservoir and replace the pad

Better airflow and filtration means your home breathes better for the entire season ahead.

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A Note on Doing It All Yourself

Spring cleaning is satisfying — but it's also genuinely a lot of work. Most people underestimate how long it takes to do it properly, and the result is a half-finished clean that doesn't quite deliver the reset feeling you were after.

If you'd rather spend your spring weekends outside instead of scrubbing grout, we can help.

At CourtneyCleaners.com, we offer one-time deep clean services specifically designed for spring resets — thorough, professional, and done to a standard that's hard to match on your own.

Get in touch:

• Email: Info@Courtneycleaners.com
• Phone: 226-377-7531

Whether you want us to handle everything or just the parts you'd rather skip, we're happy to put together a plan that works for you.