The Spring Cleaning Checklist

The whole house, one weekend, in the order professionals work: top to bottom, back to front.

Most spring cleans fail the same way: they start with the satisfying jobs. The windows get polished first, then a weekend of dusting settles grime straight back onto them. This checklist runs in the order that means nothing gets cleaned twice.

And despite the name, it works in any month. Before Christmas and after summer are the two most popular times we're booked for it.

Before You Start

• Declutter first; you can't clean around clutter, only past it
• Put everything you need in one caddy that moves with you
• Get the first load of bedding or curtains washing before you pick up a cloth
• Finish each room completely before starting the next

Work Top to Bottom, Back to Front

Start with ceilings, light fittings, and the tops of cupboards, and finish with the floors. Across the house, start in the room furthest from the front door and work towards it, so you never walk dirt through a finished room.

"Dust falls. Work top to bottom, or you'll clean the floors twice."

Kitchen

• Extractor hood and the tops of wall cupboards
• Fridge emptied and wiped shelf by shelf; freezer defrosted if it needs it
• Oven, if it's due; this is the single longest job on the list
• Cupboard fronts, handles, and the wall behind the bin
• Kettle and taps descaled, bin washed out, floor last, edges included

Bathroom

• Showerhead descaled (an hour soaking in vinegar while you do the rest)
• Screen, tiles, and grout scrubbed
• Toilet cleaned including behind it, the part everyone skips
• Mirror polished, extractor vent dusted, bath mats washed, floor last

Bedrooms

• Bedding washed, including the duvet and pillows themselves, not just the covers
• Mattress rotated and hoovered, under-bed cleared and hoovered
• Wardrobe tops, skirting boards, inside windows and sills

Living areas

• Cushion covers and throws washed
• Sofa pulled out, hoovered under and behind, cushions lifted
• Light fittings, lampshades, and curtains or blinds dusted
• Shelves emptied and wiped, not dusted around
• Screens done with the right cloth, cables dusted

Hallway and utility

• Front door, frame, and the switch plates everyone touches
• Shoe storage sorted and aired
• Washing machine: empty service wash and the detergent drawer scrubbed
• Radiators brushed through, banister wiped

How Long Does It Take?

Done properly, an average three-bed house is a full weekend for two people. There's no way to shortcut it; there is only deciding which rooms matter most and doing those first.

A professional team compresses that weekend into a single visit, with the oven, limescale, and inside windows included. That's our spring cleaning service, and if the kitchen and bathroom need more than a freshen-up, a deep clean may be the better fit.