A good spring clean works room by room, top to bottom, and tackles the jobs that get skipped all year: skirting boards, light fittings, the insides of cupboards, windows, limescale and grease. Use this checklist to do it yourself over a weekend, or to see what a professional spring clean covers.
Key takeaways
- Declutter first, clean second. Cleaning around clutter doubles the work.
- Always clean top to bottom: ceilings and light fittings first, floors last.
- Kitchens and bathrooms take the longest, so start there while you’re fresh.
- Never mix cleaning products, and keep windows open as you work.
- Spring is the classic time, but a seasonal deep clean works any month.
- A professional spring clean uses the same fixed prices as a deep clean, from £135.
Step 1: declutter
- Work one room at a time, using three boxes: keep, donate or sell, and bin.
- Clear worktops, shelves and floors so every surface can be cleaned.
- Check use-by dates in the fridge, freezer and cupboards.
- Sort the “drop zones”: the hall table, the kitchen drawer and the bedroom chair.
- Book a bulky waste collection with your council, or a tip run, for anything large.
Step 2: gather supplies
- Microfibre cloths, a duster with an extension handle, and a vacuum with attachments
- Degreaser, limescale remover, glass cleaner and a gentle multi-surface cleaner
- Oven cleaner if you’re tackling the oven yourself
- A mop and bucket, a scrubbing brush and an old toothbrush for grout
- Rubber gloves, and bin bags for the declutter
Step 3: use products safely
Spring cleaning means using stronger products than usual, often in small rooms. Read the label, open the windows and wear gloves. Government chemical safety advice warns that mixing household cleaners can form a highly toxic gas, with chlorine bleach and ammonia given as an example, so use one product at a time and rinse between them. Keep products in their original containers, out of reach of children and pets.
Test any new product on a hidden patch first, especially on natural stone, marble, wood and painted walls. Acidic limescale removers can etch stone, and abrasive pads scratch stainless steel and glass.
Room-by-room spring cleaning checklist
Kitchen
- Empty cupboards, wipe inside and out, and clean the tops
- Degrease tiles, splashbacks and cupboard fronts
- De-lime the sink, taps and kettle
- Clean the oven, hob and extractor filter
- Defrost and wash the fridge freezer, and vacuum the coils at the back if accessible
- Clean the washing machine drawer and door seal, and run an empty hot wash
- Pull out appliances you can move safely and clean behind them
- Wash the bins inside and out
The oven is the hardest job in most homes. Our step-by-step guide to cleaning a filthy oven walks you through it.
Bathrooms
- Descale shower heads, taps and screens
- Scrub grout and treat mould spots
- Wash the shower curtain or clean the screen seals
- Clear out cabinets and bin expired products and medicines (return old medicines to a pharmacy)
- Dust the extractor fan cover and check it’s working
- Wash bath mats and replace tired toothbrush holders or soap dishes
Living room and bedrooms
- Dust light fittings, curtain rails and the tops of wardrobes
- Wipe skirting boards, door frames, switches and radiators
- Vacuum sofas and under cushions, and rotate or flip mattresses where the manufacturer recommends it
- Wash or freshen curtains, cushions and throws
- Clean interior windows, frames, tracks and sills
- Vacuum under beds and furniture
- Wash pillows and duvets if the care label allows, or have them professionally cleaned
If curtains can’t go in the machine, vacuum them on a low setting with the upholstery tool and steam out creases instead.
Hallways and stairs
- Wipe banisters, doors and handles
- Vacuum stairs edge to edge
- Clean the front door, letterbox and doorbell
- Sort the coat cupboard and shoe rack
Outside
- Sweep paths, the patio and the doorstep
- Wipe garden furniture and clear gutters you can reach safely from the ground
- Clean exterior window sills and the front door frame
A weekend spring cleaning plan
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Friday evening | Declutter, gather supplies, strip beds and start the washing |
| Saturday morning | Deep clean the kitchen, including the oven and fridge |
| Saturday afternoon | Bathrooms |
| Sunday morning | Bedrooms and living areas, top to bottom |
| Sunday afternoon | Hallways, stairs, then all floors |
If a whole weekend isn’t realistic, do one room each evening over a week, always leaving floors until last.
Spring cleaning in a rented home
If you rent, a spring clean does more than make the place feel fresh. It stops small problems becoming deposit deductions later. Limescale, grease and mould are far easier to shift after one year than after three.
- Treat mould spots early, keep rooms ventilated and report damp or leaks to your landlord in writing.
- Check your tenancy agreement before using strong products on worktops, stone or wooden floors.
- Photograph anything already worn or damaged, so there’s a dated record.
Our guide to whether cleaning mould is the tenant’s responsibility explains who deals with what.
Which jobs are worth leaving to a professional?
- Heavily soiled ovens, where carbon has built up over years
- Carpets and sofas, which need hot-water extraction machines for a proper clean
- Thick limescale across glass screens and taps
- Large or multi-bathroom homes, where a weekend won’t be enough
- Patios and driveways, where a pressure washer set to the wrong pressure can damage stone and joints
What does a professional spring clean include?
Our spring cleaning covers the same ground as a deep clean: every room top to bottom, grease and limescale removed, and skirting boards, doors and switches cleaned. Most people who want a spring clean book it as a deep clean, and the prices are the same. Fixed prices from our prices page:
| Property size | Fixed price |
|---|---|
| Studio flat | £135 |
| 1 bed, 1 bath | £175 |
| 2 bed, 1 bath | £230 |
| 3 bed, 1 bath | £325 |
| 4 bed, 2 bath | £435 |
Extras include a single oven (£35), a fridge freezer (£40), carpets (£30 per room), a 3-seater sofa (£60) and mattresses (£25). Cleaners are DBS-checked, the price is fixed before you book, and if anything’s missed, tell us within 72 hours and we’ll come back to put it right. Read more in what a deep clean includes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to spring clean?
Traditionally March to May, when longer days show up the dust. But a seasonal deep clean is useful any time, such as before summer guests or ahead of winter.
How long does a spring clean take?
For one person, a weekend for a typical flat or small house. A professional team usually does it in a single visit.
Is a spring clean the same as a deep clean?
Essentially yes. “Spring clean” is what many people call a seasonal deep clean, and our prices are the same for both.
Where should I start a spring clean?
Declutter first, then start with the kitchen and bathrooms, and always work top to bottom within each room.
Can you clean while we’re at home?
Yes. Just clear worktops and floors where you can.
Rather hand it over? Book a fixed-price spring clean for your home, check local teams in your area, and book online any day, 8am to 7pm.