Spring cleaning sounds great—until we realize that our kids are determined to undo our progress in real time. But we’re not aiming for perfection here—we just want a fresher, more organized home without spending every free minute scrubbing baseboards.
Here’s our ultimate spring cleaning guide, filled with quick, effective, and kid-friendly strategies to get our homes in shape—without losing our minds.
1. Start Small: The 15-Minute Cleaning Sprint
Who has hours to deep clean? Not us. But we can steal 15-minute pockets of time between snack breaks and meltdowns to tackle small but mighty tasks. This technique is a POWERFUL start to your spring cleaning projects this year. It get things in gear for our next tips!
- Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on one task (wiping kitchen counters, tackling the bathroom sink, or decluttering the entryway).
- Prioritize high-traffic zones—the kitchen, play areas, and bathrooms.
- Use the "one-and-done" rule—if we pick something up, we put it away immediately.
Pro Tip: A Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum is our best friend here—because we can grab it quickly, maneuver around toys, and clean up snack disasters in seconds.
2. Declutter First, Then Clean
Deep spring cleaning should always start with decluttering—otherwise, we’re just moving stuff around.
- Grab a trash bag for actual trash (broken toys, random junk).
- Use a laundry basket for items that belong in another room—toss everything in and deal with it later.
- Follow the 6-month rule—if we haven’t used it in half a year, it’s time to let it go.
Pro Tip: Decluttering with kids can actually be fun. Make it a “treasure hunt” where they find things to donate and earn a small prize for each bag filled.
3. Go Room by Room (Not All at Once!)
Trying to clean the whole house in one weekend? That’s how we end up overwhelmed and giving up. Instead, we tackle one room at a time:
- Kitchen: Purge expired pantry items, wipe down cabinets, and clean out the fridge.
- Living Room: Dust surfaces, vacuum under furniture, and wash throw blankets.
- Bathrooms: Scrub sinks, swap out old toothbrushes, and toss expired toiletries.
- Bedrooms: Rotate seasonal clothes, declutter nightstands, and wash all the bedding.
Pro Tip: Using Benches with Hidden Storage to keeps toys, books, and random kid stuff from taking over every available surface. We all love multifunctional furniture!
4. Plan Reorganization Projects as We Go
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to redesign and reorganize spaces that aren’t working for us. If we’re already moving things around, we might as well make them work better!
- Toy storage needs an upgrade? Now’s the time to switch to a bin system or cube storage. Check out our tips!
- Pantry chaos? Time to invest in clear containers and Our Pantry Labels!
- Overflowing closet? Maybe we need more vertical storage or a closet rod extender.
Check out our Children's Puzzle Organization Ideas for a fun and easy organization project!
Pro Tip: A Trofast system is a game-changer for organizing kids’ toys—simple, stackable, and easy for little hands to manage.
5. Focus on High-Touch Areas (Because Kids = Germs)
We don’t have time to scrub everything, so we prioritize the germiest spots:
- Door handles, light switches, and remotes
- Kitchen appliance handles and the fridge door (sticky fingerprints, anyone?)
- Bathroom sinks, toilet flushers, and light switches
Pro Tip: Keeping a pack of disinfecting wipes in your cleaning caddy so that quick sanitizing is a breeze—just grab, wipe, and go or use your other tools in the caddy for those spots that need extra work!
6. Keep It Clean (Without Trying Too Hard)
We’ve put in the work—now let’s keep it from unraveling in 24 hours:
- Do a 10-minute reset every night – A quick tidy-up saves us from morning chaos.
- Wipe down surfaces daily – A 30-second swipe prevents deep scrubbing later.
- Declutter as we go – Keep a donation box year-round to avoid buildup. We just use one of our extra storage containers.
Final Thoughts: Done is Better Than Perfect
We don’t need a spotless house—we just want a functional, manageable one that we feel good living in. Some days, we’ll get the entire kitchen sparkling. Other days, getting the kids to pick up their toys is a victory. And that’s okay.
Spring cleaning is about progress, not perfection. Let’s tackle what we can, take breaks when we need to, and remember—we’re doing great.
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