House Cleaning Checklist

Sharing is caring!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DGSpringCleanEssentials  #CollectiveBias

Spring will be here before we know it. I can’t wait for the warm weather (the warm weather, the warm weather and the warm weather) and the feeling of a fresh new start. A big part of what I like about spring is the feeling of everything being fresh and new (and the warm weather). I look forward to spring cleaning and a fresh new start inside the house, too. No matter how diligent you are about cleaning, there are certain areas that most of us forget. This year, you won’t need to worry, just print out your own copy of my house cleaning checklist with the areas that are most often forgotten and you won’t miss a thing.

After a long winter of being closed up, the house always feels stuffy and somehow stale. A good spring cleaning freshens up not only the house but my outlook, too.

I have a spring cleaning routine that I’ve used for years and I do a thorough deep cleaning (if I do say so myself), but in all the business of life and cleaning, there are still areas that I often forget. This year, I decided to create a house cleaning checklist specifically for areas I usually forget to add my To Do List binder.

Door Knobs

Door knobs can harbor germs and bacteria that are spread from one person to the next. Cleaning all the door knobs in your home will only take a few minutes. Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes are perfect for cleaning door knobs since they kill germs and disinfect. They’re also flexible and make it easy to clean all the surfaces and angles (and you don’t want to miss a milometer!).

Light Switches

Take a minute to look at the light switches in the most used areas of your home. You’ll probably be surprised at how smudged and dirty they are. Like door knobs, light switches can harbor germs and bacteria that are passed from one person to the next. A quick disinfecting cleaning reduces the spread of germs and bacteria, in addition to removing those smudged fingerprints and marks.

Garage Door Opener Devices

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I’ve been meaning to clean the garage door opener buttons since we moved into this house. Somehow, life kept getting in the way. If there is this much dirt that I can see, how many germs and other things are hiding there? Ugh. A scrub to remove the dirt and to disinfect took less than a minute and look at how much cleaner the garage door openers (and even the door trim next to them) are.

Baseboards

I have a hairy dog (she seems to shed an entire other dog every day) and five people in my family. I clean my floors two to three times a week. Let’s be honest, by the time I’ve vacuumed and then mopped the floors, cleaning the baseboards doesn’t even cross my mind. Just look at the dust that builds up. It really doesn’t take long to dust the baseboards, you just have to remember to tackle them. Using a slightly damp paper towel or a duster easily removes the dust. This is a great chore for even young kids to do since it’s easy.

Clothes Washer

When was the last time you cleaned your clothes washer? Laundry is such a seemingly endless task that it’s easy to forget to clean the washer, but it’s critical to have a clean washer if you want to have clean clothes. If you have a front load washer, be sure to wipe off the gasket area and the door after each use. This helps reduce the buildup of gunk and dirt and also prevents mildew by removing moisture.

Detergent residue can build up in your washer, so I like to use a detergent like all® Laundry Detergent that is free of perfumes and clear of dyes. The less gunky buildup that I have to clean, the less I have to clean (cheering).

Clothes Dryer

Just like with the clothes washer, I want the machines cleaning my clothes to be clean themselves. Wipe down the outside of the clothes dryer and be sure to clean the lint trap before or after every use.

Having dependable and versatile cleaning products are key to a good spring cleaning.  Sparkle® Paper Towels are not only pretty (they match my kitchen decor), they’re also perfect for spring cleaning tasks. Nothing says “This area is clean” like the smell of Pine-Sol®.  I use this combo to clean many spring cleaning surfaces in my home.

Six Panel Doors

Just like baseboards, the bottom of the panels of doors are often overlooked in cleaning. I swear that this little edge (and the top and bottom of each panel means there are 12 of them) seem to attract dust and dirt like a magnet. This cleaning task is easy to do and also a great candidate for children to help with.

Door Frame

Unless you’re taller than I am, you’ll need a stool or a duster with a handle, but a quick swipe is all that’s needed to dust the top of the door frame. I usually tackle this chore at the same time that I’m cleaning the door panels.

Phones

I usually remember to clean our phones and remotes when someone in the house is sick, but this is another of those cleaning tasks that gets lost in the busyness of life. Like door handles and light switches, phones and remotes harbor all kinds of shiver-worthy stuff. A good disinfecting cleaning on a regular basis will keep them clean and your family much healthier.

Ceiling Fan Blades

I make sure to clean the blades of all of our ceiling fans in the spring before we start using them. I don’t want to throw six months of dust all around our rooms. But life and the busyness of summer sets in and I usually don’t think about cleaning the ceiling fan blades again until August or September. Cleaning the fan blades regularly helps keep the rest of your house cleaner and your allergies will thank you, too.

What areas did I forget to add to my House Cleaning Checklist Areas You Always Forget?

Be sure to grab your copy of the free checklist and head out to Dollar General for savings and for the cleanest house ever this spring.

Find all my best cleaning tips and hacks in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.