The Easiest Spring Cleaning Tasks That’ll Have the Biggest Impact

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town life in Tallahassee, Florida, which she now calls home. She's been writing professionally for twenty years and she loves lifestyle photography, memory keeping, gardening, reading, and going to the beach with her husband and children.
updated Jul 17, 2020
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It’s technically time for spring cleaning, but with everything going on these days, it may feel harder than ever for you to get motivated or stay focused. I know, every year, I have this unrealistic goal of deep-cleaning every single corner of the house. Of course, it never comes to fruition. And this year, I may be doing even less.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for the satisfaction of cleaning something and seeing the results. With that in mind, I’ve chosen a few easy tasks that offer the biggest impact. So what if you don’t do the 252 other things on your spring cleaning checklist. These are the 5 that pay big dividends.

Credit: Christine Han

1. Wash the windows.

No need to pull out the ladders or do anything too involved. Just wiping down the windows from the inside will do a bit to make your home feel cleaner. Plus, your space will look noticeably brighter!

Credit: Minette Hand

2. Dust, declutter, and rearrange your shelves.

This task doesn’t seem like it would have that much of a wow factor, but once you do it to one shelf, you’ll be convinced — and you’ll be eager to do the rest. Remove everything from your shelves (from your open shelving, bookcases, sidebar, hutch, etc!) and wipe down the surfaces. Then give everything a dusting and an edit before you decide if — and where — you want to put everything back. The effect of spotless, meticulously arranged shelves is dramatic, and when you multiply it throughout your kitchen, that everything-in-order feeling will make a difference.

Credit: Hayley Kessner

3. Clear off your countertops.

Keep going with that decluttering energy! Take a minute to reevaluate what’s sitting out on your countertops at all times. Find a new home for anything you don’t use regularly and then take off what’s left (temporarily), so that you can wipe down the entire surface. Use this opportunity to clean and disinfect the lengths of your counters. Then, you can wipe down the items that are going back, as you return them to their spots.

Credit: Esteban Cortez

4. Clean the dining room chairs.

We get so accustomed to the veneer of grime on our dining room chairs that we don’t notice it until we really take a closer look … and then we’re horrified. Seriously, when was the last time you wiped down your dining chairs? Consider this a gentle reminder to do it now. Be sure to hit the seat, spindles, rungs, and legs. We’ve got this handy guide to show you how to clean every type of dining chair.

Credit: Cat Meschia

5. Wipe down the baseboards.

You probably sweep or vacuum your floors fairly regularly, but your baseboards could be a different story. While you don’t have to clean them daily or even weekly, if it’s been a while, you’ll surely see a difference in your room once you do give them a wipe. And we honestly recommend the Baseboard Buddy to help you with that!

Got anything else to add to this list? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

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