Spring has sprung, and for those of us that own homes, that means it’s time to transition our homes from winter to summer mode.

While spring cleaning may not be the most exciting thing to tackle, it doesn’t have to be painful. By getting organized and employing some spring cleaning hacks, you can get these tasks done quickly and efficiently.

Whether or not you already have your own system for spring cleaning, there still may be some options for making it that much simpler.

Here are our top 20 spring cleaning hacks and some ideas on how you can plan ahead for your spring cleaning.

The Benefits of Spring Cleaning

Believe it or not, spring cleaning is actually good for you — both physically and mentally.

Having a spring cleaning routine that you follow each year means you have dedicated time put aside to tackle specific tasks. Large projects, in particular, like cleaning out the garage, can seem overwhelming and are all too easy to keep putting off. But having things hanging out on your to-do list indefinitely can leave you feeling like you’re always behind and this may create unnecessary stress.

By choosing a time to ensure these projects are completed, you can let go of the worry the rest of the year.

Plus, spring cleaning can help combat allergy symptoms which tend to be at their worst in this season. The cleaner the air in your home is, the better it is for your breathing.

Determine the Zones in Your Home

Dividing the house into zones for cleaning serves two purposes. It allows you to focus on one area at time, and it also makes it much easier to break up the work between multiple people, with each person covering a specific zone.

By approaching the areas that need cleaning in manageable chunks, you’re ensuring you don’t get overwhelmed and abandon your cleaning efforts. You can choose a couple zones to deal with over the course of two or three weekends or whenever you have time.

Your zones can include bathrooms, kitchen, living spaces, bedrooms, garage, basement, and outdoor spaces. For each zone, make a rough list of what needs to be done, along with how long you think it will take.

Create Your Plan

Now you may be thinking, “why do I need a plan for cleaning my house?”, which is a fair question.

For many people, not having a plan is a recipe for not getting the work done. You end up wandering from room to room, doing random things, getting distracted and losing your focus.

By having a plan, you can share it with everyone in the house, divide up the work fairly, and actually ensure all the tasks you wanted to complete get done. Checking tasks off a list can be incredibly satisfying, and help you see the progress you’re making.

Now that you know how to get organized and ready, let’s look at some great spring cleaning hacks for each room in your house.

Start with Decluttering

Not only does clutter often create stress for many people, but it can also be a hindrance when you’re ready to clean. If your focus is spring cleaning but you have all sorts of things lying around, the time it takes to get to the finish line will be much longer — increasing the odds you’ll just give up.

By dealing with the clutter before you start, you can concentrate on what actually needs to be cleaned instead of getting distracted.

If the room has lots of extra stuff in it, it’s pretty likely some of that clutter can be donated or sold. So before you even start running through your spring cleaning hacks, declutter where needed.

Living Room and Common Areas

#1. Have a water ring stain on a wood table? Blast the area with a hair dryer on high heat and then wipe it with a little olive oil to recondition the wood.

#2. Blinds always build up dust. Find an old sock and mix up a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. Slip the sock on your hand, dip it in the cleaning solution and then run your hand over the dusty blinds. Rinse and repeat until the entire blind is clean.

#3. For the tracks on your windows and doors, use distilled white vinegar on a damp cloth to wipe away any build-up of dust and dirt.

#4. When cleaning windows, do it on a cloudy day. If you clean the windows when the sun is out, it can cause them to dry too quickly which leaves streaks.

#5. If you notice cobwebs or other dusty areas up high, drape a towel over your broom and wipe away the dust.

#6. For dusty air vents, take a butter knife and wrap a thin rag around it. Then slide the knife back and forth between the slats of the vents.

#7. Dryer sheets are an excellent tool for dusting. When used on baseboards, not only do they clean off the dust, but they also leave behind a slight residue that will repel dust and keep them from getting dirty as quickly again.

#8. If vacuuming doesn’t pick up all of the pet hair on your carpet, a window squeegee can do the trick. Run the squeegee over the carpet, and it will pull up excess hair.

#9. Stubborn carpet stains can be treated with shaving cream. Dab shaving cream on the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it away with a wet cloth.

#10. Use a lid from a condiment bottle, the kind with a pointy spout, as a DIY vacuum attachment. Slip it over the hose attachment of your vacuum, and use it to access small nooks and crannies that are otherwise hard to clean.

#11. To keep everything organized when you’re done, use a tension rod inside your kitchen or bathroom cabinet to hang all of your bottles.

Kitchen

#12. Clean with oil. While it may seem counterproductive to clean oil splattered surfaces with oil, it works! Put a few drops of vegetable oil on a paper towel, wipe the greasy surface and the oil splatters will vanish. After you’ve wiped down the surface with the oil, wipe it with a clean towel and your surface will be sparkling clean.

#13. To clean your dishwasher, place a cup of distilled white vinegar on the top rack and run it. Your dishwasher will be spic and span with zero effort from you.

#14. Clean your garbage disposal by dropping in a handful of crushed ice, half a lemon, and some salt. Turn the disposal on and let it run for a minute. The combination of the lemon and salt will neutralize any odors coming from the disposal.

#15. For a dirty microwave, put a cup of distilled white vinegar in it, and run it on high for one minute. When done, wipe out the microwave with a clean cloth or paper towels. The steam created by the vinegar makes it easy to wipe off any stubborn stains, and it get rid of any lingering odors.

Bathroom

#16. Shower heads can sometimes not work as efficiently as they should due to calcium build up. Remove the shower head, and soak it overnight in distilled white vinegar, and it will be good as new.

#17. Get rid of stubborn water stains on faucets or handles using half a lemon. Simply rub the area with the lemon and you’ll have shiny fixtures.

#18. Glass shower doors are notorious for building up residue. Take a dryer sheet, sprinkle it with water and scrub down the door to make the glass sparkle.

#19. If your toilet has stains, denture cleaning tablets are your secret weapon. Put two tablets in the toilet and leave them for a few hours. After they’ve worked their magic simply give the toilet a quick scrub, and even hard water stains will disappear.

Don’t Forget the Outside

While most spring cleaning is focused on the inside of your house, there are still some regular tasks that should be completed outdoors.

#20. When spring rolls around, the exterior of your home will need a few maintenance tasks taken care of including your cleaning your gutters, checking exterior draining and more. You can find a comprehensive list of maintenance tasks right here.

Choose Your Favorite Spring Cleaning Hack and Get Going!

By taking the time to get organized and employ some of these spring cleaning hacks, you can ensure your home looks as great five or 10 years from now as it did on the day you moved in.