A practical room-by-room guide to refreshing your home this spring
Spring is the perfect time to give your home a proper reset. After months of cooler weather, closed windows and everyday life, there are often areas around the house that could use a little extra attention.
A spring clean is more than simply giving your home its usual clean. It is an opportunity to tackle the areas that are easy to overlook during regular weekly or fortnightly cleaning, from skirting boards and window sills to high ledges, light fittings, cupboards and built-up grime.
Whether you are doing it yourself or bringing in a professional cleaning service, this spring cleaning checklist can help you work through your home without missing the details.
What is a spring clean?
A spring clean is a more thorough, one-off clean designed to refresh areas of your home that may not receive as much attention during regular cleaning.
While a regular clean focuses on maintaining your home's day-to-day cleanliness, a spring clean gives extra attention to often-neglected areas and built-up dirt.
A typical spring clean may include:
- Dusting high ledges and surfaces
- Cleaning skirting boards and window sills
- Removing cobwebs
- Cleaning light shades and fittings
- Cleaning kitchen surfaces and areas around cabinets
- Tackling soap buildup in bathrooms
- Cleaning floors and accessible furniture
- Wiping doors, handles and other surfaces
- Cleaning mirrors and glass
- Addressing areas of mould where appropriate
- Giving the kitchen and bathrooms a more intensive clean
The exact tasks will depend on your home, its condition and the type of cleaning service you choose.
Your spring cleaning checklist
1. Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the home, so it is a good place to start.
Spring cleaning checklist for the kitchen:
☐ Wipe kitchen benches and splashbacks
☐ Clean cabinet fronts and handles
☐ Remove grease and buildup around cabinets
☐ Clean the stovetop
☐ Clean the oven and oven door
☐ Clean the rangehood and accessible surfaces
☐ Wipe down appliances
☐ Clean the sink and taps
☐ Wipe skirting boards and accessible ledges
☐ Vacuum and mop the floor
☐ Clean inside cupboards if required
If your oven, fridge or other appliances need a more detailed clean, consider adding these as separate cleaning tasks.
2. Bathroom
Bathrooms can develop soap buildup, dust and grime even when they are cleaned regularly.
Spring cleaning checklist for the bathroom:
☐ Clean the shower and shower glass
☐ Remove soap buildup from accessible surfaces
☐ Clean the bath
☐ Clean the toilet
☐ Clean the basin and taps
☐ Clean mirrors
☐ Wipe cabinets and handles
☐ Dust or wipe accessible vents and fittings
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Vacuum and mop floors
Pay particular attention to corners, edges and areas that are easy to miss during a quick regular clean.
3. Bedrooms
Bedrooms can collect dust in places that are not part of an everyday cleaning routine.
Spring cleaning checklist for bedrooms:
☐ Dust furniture and surfaces
☐ Dust high ledges
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Clean window sills
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Vacuum floors and accessible furniture
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean mirrors
☐ Wipe doors and handles
☐ Declutter surfaces and bedside tables
Spring is also a good opportunity to rotate seasonal clothing and organise wardrobes while you are already refreshing the room.
4. Living areas
Give your main living spaces some extra attention after months of everyday use.
Spring cleaning checklist for living areas:
☐ Dust shelves and furniture
☐ Dust light fittings and shades
☐ Clean window sills
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Vacuum floors and accessible furniture
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean mirrors and glass surfaces
☐ Wipe doors and handles
☐ Tidy and organise clutter
If you have carpets, spring can also be a good time to consider professional carpet cleaning, particularly in high-traffic areas.
Don't forget these often-missed areas
When people think about spring cleaning, they often focus on the obvious areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and floors.
Some of the biggest differences can come from the smaller details.
Remember to check:
- Skirting boards
- Window sills
- High shelves and ledges
- Light shades and fittings
- Door frames
- Door handles
- Corners and edges
- Behind and underneath accessible furniture
- Cobwebs around ceilings and corners
- Kitchen cabinet fronts
- Areas around the rangehood
- Shower edges and glass
- Frequently touched surfaces
You do not necessarily need to clean every single item in your home at once. Start with the areas that have been neglected the longest and work from there.
How often should you spring clean your home?
There is no single rule for how often a home needs a spring clean.
For many households, a thorough clean once or twice a year can be a useful way to reset areas that are not part of their regular cleaning routine.
You may want to schedule a spring clean when:
- Your home feels overdue for a reset
- You have recently finished a decluttering project
- You are preparing for visitors
- You are changing over from winter to spring
- You have been too busy to keep up with deeper cleaning
- You want to refresh your home before summer
- You are preparing for a special occasion
Regular weekly or fortnightly cleaning can then help maintain the results between deeper cleans.
Should you spring clean yourself or hire a professional?
A DIY spring clean can work well if you have the time and energy to work through your home room by room.
However, a professional spring clean can be useful when you want to tackle a larger list of cleaning jobs in one go or simply do not have the time to spend your weekend cleaning.
A professional cleaner can also help you focus on areas that are easy to overlook during regular cleaning.
At Total Clean, our one-off spring clean is designed to give your home a more intensive clean while addressing often-neglected areas.
Our spring cleaning service can include regular cleaning areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, living spaces and floors, with additional attention given to areas such as skirting boards, window sills, high ledges, light shades, cobwebs, soap buildup and other overlooked areas.
When is the best time to spring clean in New Zealand?
Spring cleaning does not have to happen on one particular day.
In New Zealand, September through November can be a convenient time to give your home a seasonal reset as the weather starts to improve and you prepare for the warmer months.
However, the best time is simply when your home needs it.
If you have been putting off those deeper cleaning jobs, you do not need to wait for the perfect weekend. A spring clean can be scheduled whenever it works for your household.
Make spring cleaning easier
You do not have to clean your entire home in one day.
If you are doing your spring clean yourself, break it into smaller jobs:
Day 1: Declutter and organise
Day 2: Kitchen
Day 3: Bathrooms
Day 4: Bedrooms
Day 5: Living areas and floors
Or choose one room at a time and work through the checklist at your own pace.
The goal is not to make spring cleaning stressful. It is to create a home that feels fresher, cleaner and easier to enjoy.
Ready for a fresh start?
If your home needs more than a quick tidy, Total Clean can help.
Our one-off spring cleaning service provides a more intensive clean of your home, with extra attention given to areas that are often missed during regular cleaning.
We provide professional home cleaning services across selected areas of New Zealand, with local teams and New Zealand-based customer support.
Ready to give your home a spring refresh?
Call Total Clean on 0800 101 287 or request your quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in a spring clean?
A spring clean is a more intensive, one-off clean that focuses on both regular cleaning areas and parts of the home that are often overlooked. Depending on the service, this can include kitchens, bathrooms, floors, skirting boards, window sills, high ledges, light shades, cobwebs, soap buildup and other neglected areas.
How long does a spring clean take?
The time required depends on the size of your home, how many rooms need cleaning and the condition of the property. A smaller home may require fewer cleaning hours, while a larger or more heavily soiled home may require additional time.
Is a spring clean different from a regular house clean?
Yes. A regular weekly or fortnightly clean is designed to maintain your home's cleanliness. A spring clean is a one-off intensive clean that gives additional attention to areas that may not be covered as frequently during routine cleaning.
What should I clean first when spring cleaning?
Start with decluttering and then work through one room at a time. Kitchens and bathrooms are good places to begin because they often require more detailed cleaning. From there, move through bedrooms, living areas and floors before finishing with overlooked details such as skirting boards, window sills and high ledges.
Can I book a one-off spring clean?
Yes. Total Clean offers one-off spring cleaning for homes that need a more thorough reset. You can request a quote and select a spring clean when booking your home cleaning service.
Is professional spring cleaning worth it?
A professional spring clean can save time and help you tackle a larger cleaning list in one go. It can be particularly useful if you are short on time, preparing for guests or simply want help getting your home back to a thoroughly clean starting point.
How often should I spring clean?
There is no fixed schedule. Many households find that a thorough clean once or twice a year works well alongside regular weekly or fortnightly cleaning. You can also book a spring clean whenever your home feels like it needs a deeper reset.
Give your home a fresh start this spring with Total Clean.
