It’s the time of year for spring cleaning again. Here are 101 Spring Cleaning Tips to help you up your cleaning game. This list of tips is split into helpful categories based on the area of the home to be cleaned.

Are you looking for ideas using common or natural household items in your spring cleaning? Maybe you need tips for getting the job done more efficiently or finding the spots that are commonly forgotten. You’ll even find ideas for getting more organized. This complete spring cleaning list has you covered. Take a look and find ways to help you get started and tackle the tasks in a whole new way.

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101 Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring Cleaning Tips for the Kitchen

1. Don’t forget to clean the inside of your dishwasher. It can harbor lots of nasty bacteria. Dishwasher Magic is a great product for cleaning the inside of your dishwasher.
2. After cleaning your sink apply a few drops of mineral oil to a towel and rub into the sink. It will prevent water from building up which can create mold.
3. Clean the garbage disposal with lemons, salt and ice cubes. Or you can buy these.
4. To clean a glass range, use this product. It’s a lifesaver. Simply apply to glass range, let sit for 10-15 minutes and then buff clean with a microfiber cloth.

5. To avoid burnt on stains in the first place on your glass range, clean up a spill immediately with a damp cloth.
6. To clean stainless steel appliances use these wipes. They don’t leave streaks and are safer for stainless steel than most cleaning products.
7. Always wipe stainless steel in the direction of the grain. Take a close look at your appliance. You should be able to tell the direction.
8. Don’t forget to clean out the inside of your trash cans. Just because you put liners in them doesn’t mean they don’t have gross bacteria lurking in them. Take them outside and pour some Dawn dish soap inside. Then fill with a garden hose and let sit. You may have to scrub to get stubborn stains out. Then rinse clean and air dry.
9. Clean small stainless steel appliances like a toaster oven or coffee maker with a damp sponge and a little cream of tartar.
10. Have a half-filled garbage bag? Pull it out of the garbage can and use it to throw out old food from the fridge. This way you don’t fill up a bag unnecessarily and it doesn’t smell up the house.
11. If you’ve ever burnt something you’re cooking and the odor is lingering, take an oven safe dish and add a few drops of vanilla extract. Place in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours. The burnt smell will disappear, and your house will smell like baked goods!
12. If you’re like me, I’ve always just put the whole blender in the dishwasher never taking it apart. Imagine to my horror what it looked like when I did! It’s important to take the bottom piece and the blade out. Gunk builds up in between the seal. Just toss in the dishwasher to clean.
13. Do you have cooking pans with burnt on greasy grossness? Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 teaspoon Dawn dish soap and 1 to 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Apply to the pan and let sit for about ten minutes. Take a sponge and get to scrubbing! Rinse and the stains disappear like magic.
14. Clean a regular coffee maker with equal parts water and vinegar. Add into the water tank and run through. Then run through 3 more times with just water.
15. You can also clean out hard water stains from the glass carafe by mixing 1 cup white distilled vinegar with ½ cup salt and the juice of a lemon. Add a handful of ice cubes. Swirl the mixture around in the carafe for a minute and rinse clean.
16. Coffee and tea often leave stains on the bottom of coffee cups (just think what it does to your teeth!). Rinse your mug with hot water. Add a small amount of salt and a small drop of Dawn dish soap to a damp cloth. Rub the mug until the stain disappears and rinse.

17. Clean a coffee or spice grinder with stale bread. Tear up the bread into pieces and then grind. The bits will stick to the bread which you can then dump out and throw away.

18. Do you have burn stains in the metal part of your crock pot? Spray the metal part with oven cleaner and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Wipe clean and rinse.
19. Clean and freshen your microwave with a steamy mix of water, citrus and vinegar: Mix together ¼ cup water, ¼ cup vinegar and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Saturate a washcloth and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes on high. Let the washcloth sit in the microwave for another 2 minutes. The steam created will loosen stuck-on food so you can wipe it clean. Your microwave will be left smelling fresh as new!
20. Get hard to remove baked on stains from your muffin tins by soaking the pans in hot water with a dryer sheet for a few hours. The stains will wipe right off.
21. Clean rust from old loaf pans by cutting a potato in half. Apply dish soap to the cut end of the potato and scrub the loaf pan. Rust stains will disappear!
22. Clean your stainless steel sinks by applying baking soda. Scrub with a sponge. Rinse with vinegar. Scrub again with a sponge. Take a lemon or orange peel and scrub the sink against the grain of the stainless steel. Finally, buff with a paper towel and a few drops of olive oil.
23. You can clean out the inside of your toaster with a small paintbrush or toothbrush. Just make sure the toaster is unplugged.
24. Remove mineral deposits from the water dispenser area of the refrigerator by soaking a washcloth with equal parts hot water and white distilled vinegar. Set the washcloth in the dispenser and soak for 5 minutes, then wipe clean.
25. If your glass oven door is covered with grimy, baked-on spatters, make a paste with baking soda and hot water. Apply to the glass, and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Using a scouring pad, scrub in circles until the grime is removed from the glass. Wipe clean with a wet washcloth. For tough spots, scrape with a razor blade. Enjoy being able to see into your oven again!
26. If your cast iron skillet needs a good deep cleaning (since you can’t use soap!), scrub in a little vegetable oil and salt with a tough-bristled brush.
27. Mix white distilled vinegar with some salt to polish tarnished copper cookware or serveware.
28. If your blender is made from thick plastic instead of glass (like Michelle’s Ninja Professional Blender), make it shine like glass by rubbing a super thin layer of olive oil all over the surface after a good cleaning.

Spring Cleaning Tips for the Bathroom

29. If you have glass shower doors follow this tip our builder told me when we built our house. Treat the glass with Rain-X to repel water and keep the glass clean.
30. Do not use bleach tabs in the back of your toilet. I’ve had a plumber to my house several times and he told me they break down the plastic pieces of your toilet.
31. Is your shower head spraying every direction but down? Take a large Ziploc bag and fill it with vinegar. Submerge the shower head in the vinegar and tie the bag on to the nozzle. Leave to soak overnight. Remove the bag in the morning and let hot water run for a few minutes to clear the shower head of the vinegar.
32. Nasty shower curtains or liners? Wash them in the washing machine with regular laundry detergent and a few towels. The towels will help scrub the curtain/liner clean.
33. Clean the grout in your shower by dipping an old toothbrush in bleach and scrubbing. Just make sure to throw the toothbrush away. You definitely don’t want to get those confused.

34. Did you know that a damp pumice stone is abrasive enough to remove stains without harming the porcelain of your toilet?
35. Clean your toilet brush between each cleaning of your toilet. Add bleach and hot water to a bucket and submerge the brush for a few minutes. Pour the bleach water down the toilet and rinse the brush out with hot water.
36. You can clean your sink drains by pouring vinegar or baking soda down them, and then flushing with hot water.
37. Bacteria can lurk in bathroom hand towels. Replace them every few days. Wash them using the sanitizing setting on your washing machine if you have one. If you don’t have that setting, use regular bleach for whites or color-safe bleach for colors.
38. Don’t forget to clean the ventilation fan in the bathrooms. First, flip the circuit breaker for safety. Remove the cover and soak in warm soapy water. Use your vacuum nozzle attachment or a dust buster to clean the fan blades. Wipe them down with a damp cloth and let dry. Once dry, replace the rinsed and dried cover. Don’t forget to flip the circuit breaker back.
39. Clean your makeup brushes with baby shampoo. Run them under warm water. Then place a small amount of baby shampoo in the palm of your hand. Next, swirl the brush around in your hand. Rinse the brushes and re-shape them. Lay out on a dry cloth to dry.
40. Remove hard water stains from your glass shower doors or bathtub by mixing 1 cup of Epsom salts, ½ cup of baking soda and ¼ cup of liquid dish soap and applying the mixture to the dry surface working in a circular motion. You can even let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub again. Rinse clean and dry.
41. When cleaning the bathroom, spray down all the surfaces with a disinfecting cleaner first. Allow the cleaner to sit for a few minutes before wiping to help remove stubborn stains and work its magic on the lingering germs.

Spring Cleaning Tips for the Laundry Room

42. Clean your dryer cleaner vent by removing the tray (along with its contents) and then vacuum using your hose attachment.
43. Your iron can sometimes hold onto residue from the clothes you’ve ironed. You can buy a cleaning product to remove it, or you can try the salt method. Take a piece of paper or old towel and sprinkle salt on it. Then (using a hot iron) iron over the salt several times. Let the iron cool and wipe clean.
44. Lint can accumulate in the dryer vent hose. Remove it with an extendable duster or vacuum it out with the crevice attachment.
45. Clean flip flops by sticking them in the dishwasher. Just make sure to turn off the heated drying cycle.
46. Club soda will remove almost any stain. I bartended in a restaurant and khakis were part of our uniform. Anytime I spilled red wine on them I just sprayed down a towel with club soda and applied to the stain. Once you wash the item the stain is gone.
47. Clean your washing machine. It seems like an oxymoron but it’s necessary. Some washing machines have a tub clean cycle. If not, fill the tub with hot water and add two cups of vinegar. Let sit one hour. Then turn the machine back on and cycle through all the way. Fill the tub up yet again and add two cups of bleach. Let sit one hour. Turn the machine on and cycle through all the way again.
48. Clean blood stains out of clothing by rubbing salt on it and then washing normally.

Spring Cleaning Tips for the Living Room

49. Nasty carpet stain? Mix 1 part Dawn dish soap with two parts hydrogen peroxide. Apply to stain and allow to sit for a few minutes. Scrub and blot. The stain will disappear.
50. If you’re like me, you may have candles sitting out that you don’t burn. They can collect dust. Wipe them clean with an old pair of pantyhose.
51. Believe it or not, dust builds up on light bulbs, as well. Unscrew the light bulb, and wipe clean with a dry microfiber cloth.
52. To clean the tracks of your windows or sliding glass doors, dip a Q-tip in white vinegar and run it along the track.
53. Dust lamp shades with a lint roller.
54. Pesky dog or cat hair tumble weeds? I went old school and bought myself a dustbuster for spot cleaning.
55. Cloudy glass vases can be cleaned with rubbing alcohol. Add a few drops in the top of the vase and swirl around. Pour out the alcohol and let air dry. Simple as that!
56. Dust the top of ceiling fans with a dryer sheet secured around a clean extension rod paint roller.
57. When sweeping out of your fireplace, sprinkle some used coffee grounds in to minimize dry ashes from circulating into the air.
58. Clean leather furniture with a mix of ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar and 10 drops of any citrus essential oil. As always, test on a small area first. Then apply to a rag and work in circular motion to apply to the leather. Wipe dry with a clean towel.
59. Cleaning the walls becomes a little easier using a Swiffer. Either use the damp cleaning cloths designed for the cleaning head, or simply attach a damp, soapy cloth.
60. Baseboards and molding with intricate patterns can be difficult to get really clean with only a sponge or cloth. Use a slightly damp soft-bristled brush to scrub away sticky dust for all the grooves, then wipe clean with your cloth.
61. Dust the blinds easily using an old pair of cotton gloves or a sock. Run your fingers over each rung to wipe the dust away.
62. A soft-bristled paint brush can be used to gently brush dust out of the corners of delicate picture frames.
63. Clean out narrow glass vases with a mixture of white distilled vinegar, rice and lemon juice. Place your hand over the open end and shake vigorously to scrub away water stains on the inside.

Even More Spring Cleaning Ideas

64. Use microfiber cloths vs. paper towels. They don’t leave behind streaks and are better for the environment and your wallet. These come in a variety of colors.
65. Disinfect your sponges by wetting them, squeezing out the excess water and nuking them in the microwave for 60 seconds.
66. Magic Erasers work on virtually everything. I use them to clean marks off walls, to clean the baseboards and to scrub the tubs, showers and sinks.
67. Start cleaning from the top down. Start in the highest part of your house and work your way down but…
68. Focus on one particular task vs. one particular room. For example, start with dusting and begin upstairs. Work your way to the lowest level dusting only. Then move back up to the top and move to the next task. Much quicker and more walking=more exercise for you!
69. Keep cleaning supplies in a shoe holder in an out of eyesight room. It helps to keep you organized with all supplies in one place.
70. Make the time go by quicker by enlisting a friend or family member to help.
71. If you can’t find someone to help you, listen to music. Choose something with an up tempo or beat and your cleaning will go much more quickly.
72. Believe it or not, your mattresses need to be freshened up. Add 1 cup of baking soda and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Mix well. Then take a mesh strainer and sprinkle over your mattress. Allow the mixture to sit for one hour and then vacuum.
73. If you have any brass in your home (family heirlooms, kitchen accessories, etc.) clean them using half a lemon and a teaspoon of baking soda. Mix into a paste and buff into the brass. Rinse and wipe clean.
74. Clean your granite countertop with a 50:50 solution of warm water and 91% isopropyl alcohol. Mix in a spray bottle and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Then rinse with water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
75. Remove mold from plastic water bottles by filling the bottle up ⅔ of the way with hot water and a splash of bleach. Put the lid on and shake. Then let sit for a few hours. Simply rinse out and run through the dishwasher. Good as new!
76. Scuff marks on linoleum or tile floor? Dab a bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and rub over the mark. It will lift right up.
77. Don’t neglect your air vents. Carefully, remove the vent plate. Vacuum out the duct. Wipe around the vent with a damp sponge
78. Your mattresses hold dust mites, skin, etc. Vacuum the mattress. Then spray a mix of equal parts of hot water and vinegar. Allow to dry and good as new!
79. Dehumidifiers are great during the winter months. Take it apart. Add vinegar to the base and the tank. Then use an old toothbrush to clean around the small pieces of the machine. Then rinse with hot water several times.
80. People forget their pillows. Simply clean them by sticking two in the washing machine. Adding two keeps the machine balanced.
81. Clean your rings with a baking soda and water paste. Simply use an old toothbrush to apply and scrub.
82. Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto a new air filter when you replace the old one. The essential oil will permeate throughout your house.
83. Have a funky cooking odor in your house? Simmer a pot of water with a few drops of cinnamon or clove essential oil. The smell will disappear.
84. Wipe your computer monitor clean with equal parts distilled water and vinegar. Mix in a spray bottle, spray on a microfiber cloth and wipe your screen down.
85. Unclog slow drains by mixing ¼ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of salt and ¼ cup of cream of tartar. Shake together in a small jar. Sprinkle half the mixture down the drain followed by 2 cups of boiling water. Allow the mixture to sit for at least an hour and then rinse with cool water. Your drain should be free of debris.
86. If your drain is still slow, try pouring one cup of baking soda down the drain followed by one cup of vinegar. The bubbles created should attack and clear any debris.
87. Glitter can be especially difficult to remove. You can easily pick it up from floors and carpet by taking a ball of Play-Doh and rolling it over the mess.
88. Clean plastic toys by running through the dishwasher with ½ cup of vinegar.
89. Your car dashboard can seem to hold on to every piece of hair and dust. Simply wipe with a coffee filter to remove dust and debris.
90. Yoga/Pilates mats can harbor bacteria if not cleaned properly. Add distilled water to a squirt bottle. Add 2 drops of tea tree oil and 1 drop of lavender oil. Spray down a down and wipe your mat clean.

91. My garage doors are always open it seems. Old leaves blow in during the fall and seem to build up without my knowledge. Move your cars out and use a large push broom to make a pile. Then using gloves (those hands are delicate!) put them into trash bags.
92. Speaking of the garage, we live in a wooded area with spiders. They love to create webs all across my garage. I purchased one of these for those webs way up high.
93. You can also use Rain-X Glass Treatment on the exterior of your windows after a thorough cleaning to keep them sparkling longer throughout the year.
94. Need to soak your faucets with white vinegar to remove lime buildup? Put the vinegar on your rag and wrap it around the faucet, securing it with an old hair clip. Let it sit for up to an hour until the stains wipe away easily.
95. A product like Quick Shine Floor Finish is a great alternative to refinishing floors. Apply to clean floors and dry for 30 minutes, and your hardwood or laminate will shine like new!

Spring Cleaning Organization Tips

96. The easiest way to keep a pantry clear of old items? Organize it. The Container Store sells some great items to keep your pantry uniform. Keep all canned goods together. I even organize those by what the item is and keep those together. It’s much easier to go right to the sauces to see if any are past their expiration date.
97. Throughout the day, I pick up items around the house that need to go upstairs. I place them at the base of the stairs until the end of the day and take them all up at once.

98. Closets need spring cleaning, too! I go through section by section (assuming they haven’t all melded into one!) and take out anything I haven’t worn/used in over a year. I put everything into three piles. Donate, sell (re-sale boutiques are hit or miss but you can try), and throw out.
99. Then I organize everything into its proper section. Tank tops, short-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shirts, pants, dresses, shorts, etc. Then I put like colors together. Nothing feels better than looking at an organized closet!
100. The most annoying part of my house? The infamous junk drawer. It seems like everything my husband doesn’t know what to do with ends up in the junk drawer. I take every single thing out and put like items together. I also throw out things I don’t need. I’m looking at you, old ketchup packets! I purchased drawer organizers like these from The Container Store.
101. When in doubt…alphabetize! I do this with my spices, air fresheners, etc. Helps to keep them handy and easy to grab.