Spring Cleaning Guide: A Step-by-Step Cheat Sheet to Deep Clean Your Home

The start of March means longer days, warmer afternoons and, importantly, spring cleaning. It’s time to hunker down and use some elbow grease to tidy up your humble abode. Pull out your cleaning supplies and your trusty vacuum (or finally invest in a great cordless vacuum) and get to work. 

Well, OK… but it can be hard to know where to start when there’s an entire home that needs a deep clean. Lucky for you, CNET has spent years consulting experts and writing up neat hacks and guides for how best to clean and organize every area of your home, from the bathroom and kitchen to your appliances and car. To make things even easier, we’ve compiled the stories into an ultimate cleaning checklist. Scroll on to check it out. 

For more CNET cheat sheets, take a look at every Alexa and Google Home tip you need to know, your guide to getting solar at home and this compilation of home sustainability tips

What are the best cleaning items?

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Our CNET staff has tried out a legion of cleaning products over the years, putting each device to the test. Here are our favorites:

Food residue is gross, so let’s start in the kitchen

You probably spend a lot of time in your kitchen. It’s where you do your food prep and likely gather with friends and family. That means it desperately requires a good scrub down, both for your sake and the sake of your company. 

And don’t forget your kitchen and household appliances

From the gunk inside your coffee maker to the dusty filters inside your vacuum, you must give your trusty household appliances a good wipe-down at least a few times a year. 

Wiping down a Keurig coffee maker

Home and kitchen appliances — like your Keurig coffee maker — need to be deep cleaned every so often. 

Brian Bennett

Looked inside that toilet? Yeah, that needs to be cleaned 

Your bathroom is one of the dirtiest areas in your home. With the frequency of its use, lurking germs and bacteria can spread quickly. That means you need to clean weekly, if not daily. 

clean bathroom

From your sink and toilet to your bath mats, you need to be regularly cleaning your bathroom. 

Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images

Now it’s time for your bedroom and living room

You probably spend the most time in these two rooms, which means they’re prone to getting dirty and dusty quicker. Here’s how to tackle your most-used rooms.

Bedding can collect all kinds of grime, too

It seems simple, but you might be washing your sheets all wrong. Here’s what to know: 

If you want an extra deep clean, you can even consider cleaning your mattress.

Close up of female hand dropping dirty laundry in the washing machine

Just because you don’t see stains or smell an odor doesn’t mean your sheets are clean.

Cris Cantón/Getty Images

Other areas of your home you shouldn’t overlook

Your home is full of nooks and crannies that can collect dust, grime and other filth. Here’s other important areas in your home that need a deep clean. 

Did you like this cheat sheet? Check out CNET’s other complete guides: