🧹 The Big Spring Cleaning (2025 Checklist)

Spring cleaning is one of those things that feels great once it’s done—but it’s easy to miss the spots we look at every day. Here’s a 2025 checklist of often-forgotten spring cleaning tasks that make your home feel fresher, more organized, and easier to maintain.

And if you’re thinking about the spring real estate market, this stuff matters—because a clean, fresh home usually shows better in photos and in-person.

Spring cleaning a home

1) Clean and inspect your vacuum (yes, really)

Vacuuming is “cleaning,” but if your vacuum is clogged or dirty, it can leave odors behind and clean less effectively. Here’s a quick reset:

  • Change the bag (or empty and wipe the container if it’s bagless)
  • Wipe down the handle, body, and attachments
  • Cut hair/debris out of the brush roll and clean the underside
  • Check/replace the filter
  • Inspect the hose for blockages or small holes

Do this for your main vacuum and any handheld or wet/dry units you use.

Cleaning a messy home

2) Clean the undersides of surfaces

One of the most missed areas: the bottom edges of tables, counters, high-chair trays, desks, and shelves. Over time, those edges collect stickiness and grime.

  • Wipe the underside lip of counters and tables
  • Hit chair rungs and table legs (especially near the floor)
  • If your dining table has leaves, wipe the seams and cracks thoroughly

3) Dispose of dried-out paint, adhesives, and old chemicals

Organizing and cleaning supplies during spring cleaning

If you have dried-out cans of paint, adhesives, varnishes, and old finishes taking up space, spring is a great time to clean them out. Many municipalities run seasonal household hazardous waste days—dispose responsibly and free up storage space.

4) Pitch outdated pantry staples (and refresh spices)

Pantry items don’t last forever. If you’re doing a real spring clean, take 10 minutes and look for:

  • Expired flour, sauces, vinegar, baking items
  • Nuts or anything oil-based that smells “off” (rancid)
  • Spices that have been open longer than a year (they lose punch)

Tip: buying spices in smaller amounts (or from bulk spice bins) helps you keep them fresher.

Deep cleaning home areas that are often missed

5) Clean the crevices in kitchen appliances

Even if you wipe things down regularly, appliances collect crumbs and gunk in the little seams. Focus on:

  • Stovetop edges, knobs, and around burners
  • Range hood filters and the underside of the hood
  • Dishwasher door edges (and the bottom seal)
  • Fridge handles + the rubber gasket around the door

A little baking soda + warm soapy water and an old toothbrush does a lot here.

6) Give houseplants a shower (and clean where they live)

Plants collect dust too. If it’s safe for the plant, rinse the leaves gently outside or in a shower. Then clean the spots where plants sit—floors, shelves, walls, and baseboards—because water and dirt can build up over time.

7) Sanitize trash cans (and the area around them)

Trash cans can hold smells and sticky messes even if you use liners. Take them outside, rinse, scrub, and let them dry fully. Don’t forget the floor around the can and the cabinet area if you have pull-out bins.

My quick “Spring Clean in One Weekend” plan

  • Saturday AM: Vacuum reset + kitchen appliance crevices
  • Saturday PM: Pantry purge + trash can scrub
  • Sunday AM: Undersides/edges + baseboards
  • Sunday PM: Plants + final reset (surfaces/floors)

If you’re thinking about listing this spring, these are the kinds of simple improvements that can make a home feel sharper and more “move-in ready.”

Contact

Thomas Roberts
Real Estate Agent with William Raveis
Call/Text: 914-755-9816
https://linktr.ee/Realtortom