Use this step by step guide to spring cleaning your bedroom for a fresh, clean space from top to bottom! Grab your free printable spring cleaning checklist to help keep you on track.
Spring Cleaning Your Bedroom
I love a good spring cleaning and the bedroom is the perfect place to start. After a long winter, it always feels so nice to open the windows to that crisp, spring air and freshen things up. For a full step by step plan to spring clean your bedrooms, just follow the tips below. You can even grab a free printable bedroom spring cleaning checklist at the end of the post to help keep you on track.
Remember that you don’t have to do all of the tasks in one day. The tasks can easily be split up into more manageable chunks, so do whatever works best for you.
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission {at no cost to you} from items purchased directly through the links provided. Thank-you for your support!
Gather your supplies.
Make sure that you have everything you need before you start cleaning – every time you have to leave the room is another opportunity to get off track! Open up the windows for some fresh air. Even if it is still a little chilly outside, you will be working hard so the cooler air will feel nice. 😉
If you have a basic cleaning kit, you probably have most of your cleaning supplies all ready to go. You can read more about my favorite green cleaners HERE}, but here is a general cleaning supply list to get you started…
- microfiber cleaning cloths {these will bring up dirt and grime much better than standard cloths}
- all-purpose spray {I usually just use a water bottle with 50/50 vinegar and water and some lemon or grapefruit essential oils}. I also love the Watkins all purpose cleaners {especially the grapefruit and the coconut scents!}
- microfiber polishing cloth {I love my Norwex one}
- dusting mitt or other duster
- dish soap {I like Dawn} – I use this to wipe down the walls if needed using just a few drops of dish soap in a small bucket of warm water.
- toothbrush
- baking soda {I keep mine in a shaker bottle}
- vacuum and vacuum brush attachments
- mop or steam cleaner
- garbage bag{s}, donation bin/clutter bin
Quick Tidy-Up/Declutter.
While the focus of these spring cleaning guides is on the actual cleaning process, you do need to have things relatively tidied to be able to get in and do a good cleaning. Before you officially start your Spring Cleaning, grab three bags, boxes or laundry baskets. Place everything that does not belong in the bedroom into one of the baskets, place anything that you will be donating in another, and place all garbage in the third. Take any dirty laundry down to the washing machine and put away anything that is left in the room. NOTE: This is just a quick tidy looking at things that are on the floor, obviously out of place, or that you know that you want to get rid of. Save big organizing projects for later!
Clean all surfaces.
In general, you always want to start cleaning at the top of the room and work your way down, and move from one side of the room to the other rather than going back and forth. This is the fastest way to get things done and will cut down on dust and debris falling down on areas that you have already cleaned.
Dusting
When you are doing a big spring clean, I find it easiest to remove everything from surfaces, dust and/or clean the surfaces well, and then dust or wipe down the items as you put them back. If you are dealing with a particularly dusty area, you might want to mist the area with water before wiping down to minimize the amount of airborne dust. Dust or wipe down everything including furniture, lamps, above the door frames, knick knacks, etc. Don’t forget to dust in your closet too!
Walls
Wipe down any marks on walls with some warm water, a little dish soap, and a microfiber cloth. If it looks a little streaky afterwards you can use a microfiber polishing cloth to get rid of them. For any stubborn stains or scuffs, try using a baking soda paste by mixing water and baking soda until it has a toothpaste consistency or give it a scrub with a Mr. Clean magic eraser {just test it on an inconspicuous area first to make sure it does not lighten the paint}.
Extras
Starting at the top of the room, vacuum up any cobwebs that may be lurking in the corners. Vacuum any upholstery and lamp shades using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. A lint brush also works well on lamp shades to remove dust and other little particles.
Clean Light Fixtures and Switches.
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe off any loose debris. If there is still grime, spray with the 50:50 water/vinegar spray {or multi-purpose cleaner} and wipe dry. Polish any shining surfaces with the window cloth and change out any light bulbs that need replacing. Spray a microfiber cloth with vinegar spray and wipe down the light switches and outlet covers.
Clean windows and window treatments.
Take down and launder any window treatments and wipe down your blinds. If your blinds are really dirty, it might just be easier to take them down and put them in the bath tub to soak {I will actually be talking about this more in a later post}. Clean your windows {this is even better if done on a sunny day so you can see all of the streaks and grime} using a microfiber cloth and polishing cloth and just plain water or a 50:50 water/vinegar mixture for some extra cleaning power. Don’t forget about opening the window as well and cleaning the window tracks. I use our steamer to clean these but if you don’t have a steamer you can use a cloth and a toothbrush to get into those corners.
Flooring.
Thoroughly vacuum the carpet {or wash the floor} making sure to get underneath all furniture {especially the bed!} and into the corners. If you can move the furniture around a bit to completely vacuum underneath, that’s even better. I’m always amazed at what collects behind our bed and night stands! Remove {and wash} the vents and vacuum down them with the vacuum hose. Wipe down/dust the baseboards.
Steam clean the carpets or consider hiring a professional to give your carpets a good clean if they are really dirty and/or stained. If you are concerned with general carpet odors, try this DIY carpet and upholstery refresher. For those of you that live in a very humid climate, you may just want to give the carpet a light misting with white distilled vinegar as the baking soda can be difficult to get out of the carpet if damp. If your vacuum is not performing up to par, you might need to give it a good cleaning too {find directions on how to clean your vacuum HERE}.
Clean your mattress and launder all bedding.
Strip down your bed to the mattress. Wash the mattress cover and all of the bed linens in hot water {or the highest temperature setting indicated on the manufacturer’s directions} to kill any dust mites. Depending on the size of the duvet, you may need to take it down to the cleaners for the industrial-sized machine machines, but a queen size will generally work in most standard machines. When you are washing your pillows, it is best to do two at a time to keep the washing machine balanced without overloading it.
Wipe down the bed frame with a damp cloth to remove any surface dirt. Finally, you should clean your mattress {you can find detailed instructions HERE} and try to place in direct sunlight {or you can even try take it outside if it needs a good airing out!}. Make sure your mattress is completely dry before putting your sheets back on when your laundry is completed.
Relax and Enjoy.
Whew! You’re done! Take some time to relax and enjoy your clean and fresh space.
Bedroom Spring Cleaning Checklist
You can find the printable bedroom spring cleaning checklist for you below – just click on the links to download. I also left a few open spots for “other” in case you had a few extra tasks to add. There is a version with and without the border around it, so pick whatever you would like. For those of you that are doing The Household Organization Diet with me, I also did another version with “The Kitchen” in blue so it will match your printables. I just thought that the green was more “spring cleanish”. 😉
This is a reminder for me that I really need to give the bedrooms a spring clean. Thanks for the printable 🙂
You’re welcome! Happy spring cleaning! 😉
This is an awesomely thorough checklist and post. I always seem to forget those window treatments (intentional, or unintentional? Hmm…)
lol! Yes, that’s probably my least favorite part – especially the blinds!
This is so great! I know my bedrooms are dying for a good spring cleaning!
I’m never a big fan of cleaning but nothing beats a fresh, clean bedroom!
I like your cleaning technique! I have a fluffy dust mop that I only use to dust the walls down, works like a charm.
My bedroom is a mess right now. Not sure how it all adds up, thanks for the motivation to get it cleaned up! Visiting from #HomeMattersParty hope to see you back!
Yes, it’s crazy how quickly things seem to add up when you don’t have the time to always stay on top of it all! Thanks so much for hosting!
First, your spring cleaning lists are awesome! For me as a man, it’s really hard to organise myself for spring cleaning. The women have a more sensitive feeling about cleaning and they know how and where to clean. For me it’s really hard to decide about the detergents and where to clean but your lists are really great and now you checklist are hanging on my fridge.