Spring Clean Your Home from Top to Bottom

Are you ready to deep clean your house, but have no idea where to start? Our Spring Cleaning Checklist will help you clean your home from top to bottom.

Spring is finally officially here, which means that today, after clearing out our clutter and making our own green & thrifty cleaning products, it is now time to CLEAN! Are you ready?

Once-or-twice-a-year deep cleaning is a lot different then regular old day-to-day cleaning. (For daily cleaning tips, check out my speed cleaning routine!)  It is your chance to take care all those often-neglected, out-of-sight, out-of-mind areas, to reduce allergens, minimize clutter, and to make your home a haven.

For this process, I find it helpful to follow a system of cleaning the entire house from top-to-bottom rather than room-to-room so that all the dust and debris that gets stirred up along the way is removed once and for all in one final sweep. How long it takes will probably depend on how big (and how dirty) your house is, but I find that it usually takes me two full days to make it through the entire list. The first day is spent pre-cleaning, then doing the Top and Mid-to-Top zones, while the second day finishes off the Mid-to-Bottom & Floor zones.

You should note that this list does not include much to do in the kitchen. Don’t worry….I didn’t forget! Want help with your kitchen? Get our kitchen deep cleaning tips here. For now let’s just wash the dishes and wipe down the counters like we normally would and worry about the kitchen after we’ve deep cleaned the rest of the house.

How to Spring Clean Your Home from Top to Bottom

Without further ado, here is our ultimate guide on how to spring clean your home from top to bottom:

1. Pre-Clean

The purpose of pre-cleaning is simply to clear the surface clutter & misplaced items so that your house doesn’t feel like a complete disaster area while you dig in and clean a little deeper than you normally would. You can skip this step if you really want to, but since you have to do it anyway, you might as well do it first.

• Pick up clutter throughout the house–it works well to have a basket or box for each family member. Go room by room picking up misplaced items and putting them in the appropriate box, then give each person their own box of things to put away.
• Wash & put away dishes
• Clear & wipe down kitchen counters

2. Top Zone {Anything above your head}

This zone includes those mostly-neglected high spots in your home–forgotten ledges, high windows, ceiling fans, light fixtures, & air vents. While you’re up there, be sure to change out filters and replace light bulbs!

• Dust or vacuum upper ledges & above cabinets
• Clean airvents
• Dust or clean ceiling fans
• Dust or wash light fixtures
• Clean high windows
• Change  light bulbs & replace air filters

3. Mid-to-Top Zone {Eye Level}

This zone includes anything you look at while standing up, which includes mostly windows, walls, & tall bookshelves or other tall furniture.

• Wash, iron, & re-hang curtains
• Dust bookshelves & other tall furniture
• Wash windows
• Dust pictures, mirrors, clocks, & other wall hangings

4. Mid-to-Low Zone {Waist Level}

This zone includes most of the traditional cleaning spots–bathrooms, furniture, beds–just hits them all a little more intensely than your average day-to-day clean.

• Dust surfaces
• Polish wood furniture
• Clean leather furniture
• Vacuum & spot clean upholstered furniture
• Wash sheets & change bed linens
• Clean & wipe down bathroom sinks & counters
• Scrub showers & bathtubs
• Clean toilets

5. Bottom Zone {Floor Level}

This zone includes just the floor & baseboards–which means you’re almost done! Sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, & taking the time to clear out any lingering dust & dirt in the corners will leave your home spic & span.

• Sweep hard floors
• Spot clean & mop tile or linoleum floors
• Vacuum rugs & carpets
• Wash small area rugs
• Dust baseboards
• Sweep front & back steps and/or porch

Finally, you should know by now that although I can’t actually come and clean your houses for you, I do want to try to make this process as easy and painless as I possibly can. Today that means providing you with another darling printable so that you have the entire Spring Clean checklist right at your fingertips. Hang it in your laundry room right next to your 10 Green & Thrifty Homemade Cleaners  page and you will be all set!

To recap, here is How to Spring Clean Your Home from Top to Bottom:

1. Pre-Clean
2. Top Zone {Anything above your head}
3. Mid-to-Top Zone {Eye Level}
4. Mid-to-Low Zone {Waist Level}
5. Bottom Zone {Floor Level}

Miss something? Check out the entire Big Spring Clean series:

Part 1: Clearing the Clutter

Part 2: Green & Thrifty Cleaning Products

Part 3: Cleaning from Top to Bottom

Part 4: Conquering the Kitchen

PIN FOR LATER