Tackle your spring cleaning this season with the most important tool in your toolbelt: a well-planned to-do list.
The official first day of spring is around the corner, but the warm weather has already made its debut in many areas (at least a little bit). For many of us, this has us thinking of all of the spring cleaning tasks that we need to make happen this season. Luckily, if you're thinking about the tasks, you are already on your way to using the best spring cleaning tool out there: the to-do list.
When you're ready to embark on your spring cleaning, making a “to-do” list is the most important first step. There are other tools that will help you through different tasks, but the “to-do” list will keep you on track the whole time. Start with a strong to-do list that separates your jobs into different rooms or areas.
Kitchen
The kitchen is likely one of the busiest rooms in your home—used every day or nearly every day. There are many parts of the kitchen that belong on a good spring cleaning to-do list. Here are a few possibilities.
- Clean under the fridge
- Deep clean the pantry
- Clean out the pantry
- Clean the baseboards
- Clean inside cabinets and replace liners
- Change smoke detector batteries
Bathrooms
If your kitchen isn't your most used room, then your bathroom likely is. There are lots of spring cleaning tasks to do here.
- Clean grout and around the tub
- Clean and refresh curtains
- Clean out the medicine cabinet and throw away anything expired
- Clean the exhaust vent
Bedrooms
It's likely that your bedroom gets cleaned more than once a year, but since you're doing spring cleaning, this is also a good time to do those more routine and regular tasks too, in addition to these.
- Flip or rotate your mattress
- Clean out your closet or under-the-bed storage
- Wash your pillows
- Clean your carpets
Living Room (or similar)
There are lots of tasks that you can add to your task list for the living room, but many of them could be on the list for other similar rooms (like family rooms, dens, or dining rooms).
- Vacuum upholstery
- Dust lampshades
- Clean baseboards
- Shampoo carpets
- Dust and polish furniture
Storage Units
It's easy to forget about things in the storage unit since it's out-of-sight, out-of-mind. But you do need to take time each spring to work on this space as well.
- Sort items in the unit into a keep, trash, and give away pile (you'll be surprised how much your attachment to items can change over time!)
- Give away any items that are in good condition but you don't need to keep anymore
- Trash anything that isn't worth keeping anymore and can't be given away
- Shred any old documents that you don't need to keep anymore
This is a good start to a spring cleaning to-do list, but your list needs to be tailored to your home and lifestyle. For instance, if you don't have a formal dining room, cut that whole section and replace it with something that does apply (like a den or a playroom).
How do you arrange your spring cleaning to-do list? Let us know in the comments.
