One of the things I most look forward to in the spring is the emergence of new life and the feeling of a fresh start. After months of hunkering down for the winter, closed windows and layers upon layers, Spring brings a hopeful anticipation of something new – an invitation to open up and begin again. And I don’t know about you, but with all the newness and openness of spring often comes an urge to literally throw open the windows and give our home a deep, thorough spring clean.
While spring cleaning can sometimes feel like a chore, over the years I have come to see it as an act of stewardship – a chance to tend to what we’ve been given with care. This doesn’t mean we do everything perfectly or even all at once, but rather that spring cleaning gives us the chance to take small, practical steps to keep our home clean, functional and ready to serve all those we get to do life with.
With this perspective, we have developed a simple list of things we do each spring to steward our home – some deep cleaning, some routine maintenance, and a few tasks we’ve learned through experience not to skip. Today I’m sharing this list of things we actually do to care for our home every spring with the hope that it may be helpful for you too as we step into spring.
Indoor Refresh & Deep Clean
Wash Windows (Inside & Outside)
One of my favorite parts of spring cleaning is getting to wash both the inside and outside of our windows. And this is saying something because we have over 30 windows to clean! I use a simple spray made from white vinegar and a rag or newspaper to clean both the inside and the outside surfaces of glass. I typically do this as I’m reinstalling our window screens (see tip below). This is also a good opportunity to check if the seals, caulking, windowsills and trim around the windows are still in good condition and to replace or repair as needed.
Deep Clean Bedding
Another thing I love to do when spring cleaning our home is to do a bedding deep clean, including washing our pillows and mattress cover as well as deep cleaning our mattress. It is always best to follow the care instructions for your particular pillows and mattress cover, but I typically wash both with a mild detergent and let them air dry outside. For the mattress, I usually sprinkle baking soda over top of it, letting it soak into the mattress for about an hour, then vacuum it up using an upholstery attachment.
If you’re curious, I’ve shared more about our DIY pallet bed (and a few updates we’ve made to it over the years) here: DIY Pallet Bed Frame Update: What We Changed & What We Love.
Wipe Down Baseboards & Trim
For some unknown reason, dusting is one of my least favorite housekeeping tasks, so I save the task of wiping down all of our baseboards and trim for the spring. I simply use a damp rag to wipe down the surfaces of all our baseboards and trim, making our home feel fresh, clean and free of those pesky dust bunnies.
Wash Cushion Covers
Something simple that makes a big difference in keeping our home feeling fresh in the spring is washing our couch’s removable cushion covers. Using a mild laundry detergent, I wash the cushion covers on a cool, gentle wash cycle and then hang them outside to dry. I also use this as an opportunity to vacuum up any crumbs or dirt that has made their way into the crevices of our sofa. This helps to keep our couch looking (and smelling) fabulous, even with a furry friend around.
Condition Leather Furniture
Winters can be dry here in Alberta, which can take a toll on all sorts of things, including leather. To prevent cracking and excessive wear on our leather furniture pieces, I have started conditioning any leather surfaces with this leather conditioner and cleaner. It is super easy to apply and leaves our leather furniture in amazing condition (pun intended). It can also be used on leather purses, shoes, or car surfaces, making it versatile tool for spring cleaning of all types.
Deep Clean Appliances
Another important aspect of spring cleaning is tending to our appliances, which helps them run both more efficiently and more safely over the long run. In addition to cleaning the inside and outside surfaces of our appliances, I do a more thorough clean of things like our hood fan and dishwasher filters to keep them functioning well. I also vacuum out our dryer vent, as built up lint can be a fire hazard. Lastly, I rinse out our vacuum filter and let it air dry in the sun for a few days.
Clean Kitchen Drawers & Cupboards
Over the years, something we have added to our spring cleaning checklist is cleaning out all of our kitchen cabinets. Our kitchen drawers tend to accumulate an astounding amount of crumbs, so cabinet by cabinet, I remove all the items stored, use the handheld attachment on our vacuum to remove any crumbs or debris from the drawer, and then give it a quick wipe with white vinegar and a damp rag. As I put items away, I use it as an opportunity to organize our cabinets and set aside any items that we no longer to give them away.
Outdoor Spring Prep
Pressure Washing
I must admit that owning a pressure washer has been life changing, especially when it comes to spring cleaning. As soon as it is remotely warm outside, we love busting out the pressure washer and getting to work. We pressure wash everything from our vehicles, to our outdoor siding, to our decks, to our garage floor, to our patio furniture. We even use the pressure washer to clean all of our window screens, which we remove for the winter. We find that using a pressure washer is one of the most effective ways of cleaning off all the dust, salt and dirt that accumulate over the winter months, leaving the exterior of our home fresh and renewed for spring.
Garden Prep
One of my favorite parts of spring is being outside in the garden and getting it ready for summer. This includes things like setting up our rain barrels for collecting rain water throughout the warmer months, pruning our crab apple tree and raspberry bushes and adding new compost and mulch to our garden beds. We also spend a few days gathering up leaves and cleaning up our flower beds, but we typically wait to do this until the temperatures are above freezing to help protect the soil’s microorganisms.
Clean BBQ
We get a lot of use out of our barbeque in the summer, so one of the things we also like to do in the spring is to give both the inside and outside of it a good clean. We try to do a quick burn-off after most uses, but a deep clean like this helps everything to keep working well. I remove the grills and use a shop vacuum to clean out any debris that has fallen onto or around the burners. I also wipe down all the surfaces of the barbeque with warm soapy water to clean off any grease that has accumulated. This is also a great time to empty and clean the grease tray, which is important both for cleanliness and safety. Lastly, like to lightly oil the grates to help prevent sticking and rust.
Home Maintenance
Along with cleaning our home in the spring, we find that it is also a great time to make sure the mechanical systems of our home are working well and to take care of any general maintenance items required. This includes things like:
- Changing the furnace filter
- Cleaning the fireplace chimney and vent
- Cleaning bathroom exhaust fans
- Turn on exterior hose bibbs and check for leaks
- Examining the roof for any cracked, buckled or missing shingles
- Clearing out leaves or other debris from the eavestroughs and downspouts
- Making sure water can drain easily away from the foundation
- Checking for cracks or gaps in or damage to the exterior siding
While these tasks are not as glamorous or noticeable as some of the other parts of spring cleaning, they are all simple things that can make a big difference in how a home functions over time.
At the end of the day, spring cleaning is not about checking every box or creating a perfectly spotless home, but about taking small, intentional steps to care for what we’ve been given. If this list feels long, don’t feel like you have to tackle it all at once. Pick a few things, make a start and come back to the rest over time. Even a little bit of maintenance and cleaning now can go a long way in preventing bigger issues down the road and make our homes feel freshly renewed for the season ahead.
So here’s to throwing open those windows, stewarding our homes with a renewed vision, and embracing hopeful anticipation and fresh starts this spring.
This Darling Adventure 