Declutter before you clean
Cleaning around clutter produces a temporarily cleaner cluttered space. Removing what isn't needed first — our free room-by-room declutter checklist takes you through this systematically — means the spring clean addresses a smaller, more manageable inventory of possessions. Budget a full weekend: Saturday for decluttering, Sunday for deep cleaning.
The priority order
Kitchen first (degrease the hob, clean behind appliances, check fridge expiry dates), bathroom second (grout, silicone, descale), bedrooms third (under beds, mattress flip, curtains). The kitchen and bathroom are the rooms guests notice and the rooms where hygiene matters most. Work top to bottom in every room: ceiling cobwebs, high shelves, surfaces, floors last.
The things most people skip
Behind and under large appliances (fridge, washing machine, sofa). Top of wardrobes and tall bookshelves. Window frames and sills (not just glass). Skirting boards. Light switches and door handles (high-touch surfaces with high bacterial load). Radiator tops (dust accumulation reduces efficiency). Curtain and blind cleaning (often done once per year at most). Use our free spring cleaning checklist to ensure nothing is missed.
Our picks compared
| Pick | Product | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top pick | A4 heavyweight matte card | Clean guide | Check price → |
| Steam cleaner | Handheld steam cleaner grout tile bathroom kitchen | Deep clean tool | Check price → |
| Eco spray | Eco cleaning spray set concentrate refill complete | Clean products | Check price → |
| Bags | Heavy duty bin bag 60L strong declutter removal | Sort bags | Check price → |
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