I know, I’m on #CleanTok, too. I had been seeing CleanTok’s rigorous spring cleaning vids, and I was inspired to do a bit of spring cleaning myself. Once I started clearing my closet, though (filled with graduation gowns, old prom dresses, my Pre-K uniform) I was wondering what else I’d been missing in my yearly spring cleaning regiment. Obviously, I wasn’t giving the childhood closet enough attention—but what else was I missing?

The kitchen

1. The tops of your cabinets collect a significant amount of dust. Because we usually aren’t able to see them, they get neglected—be sure to clean these off!
2. Defrost your freezer. Fridges usually get all the spring cleaning lovin’, so after you’ve tackled that, turn your attention to your freezer. Spilled ice cream, leaky containers, broken ice packs—these all get masked behind ice crystals. A mild kitchen cleanser and rag will do the trick. 
3. Your kitchen chairs or stools—clean them, especially their legs. They often get dirty without us realizing.
4. The insides of your drawers, like your utensil drawer, can accumulate dust and buildup. Try taking everything out and wiping them down—the same goes for your cabinets, spice racks, and storage bins. 
5. Your coffee machine or tea kettle! I always find myself neglecting these, especially when I convince myself I’ve “washed” them by rinsing them with water. You can use distilled white vinegar while running a regular cycle for a deep clean. 
6. If you have a dishwasher, you can deep clean that (although you should probably be deep cleaning every couple of months). You can use white vinegar here, too.
7. Deep clean your trash cans and recycling bins. Fill them with soap and water, let them soak, and scrub. 

The living room

1. Lampshades! This can be applied to any room, but is especially pertinent in the living room where people gather and more dust typically accumulates.
2. Deep clean your carpets and rugs; you can rent a water-based vacuum to do this. 
3. Dust in between your blinds.
4. Clean your welcome mat or the boot tray near your front door—they’ve been collecting muck, subway bacteria, and sidewalk goop all year. 
5. Clean your throw blankets and sofa pillows—anything fabric that sees regular use. 

The bedroom

1. Dust off the tops of your ceiling fan blades!
2. Clean the crack between your bed and your bed frame. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, take the books off your bookshelf and dust each shelf. 
3. Clean out your closet, as in, the depths of your closet. Perform a wardrobe audit: what haven’t you worn in the last year? What no longer fits? What can you get rid of that you wouldn’t mind not owning?
4. If you have a window and window sill, you can clean those out—look out especially for the grout between the window and the wall, which usually collects pollen and dust.
5. Wash your curtains, lampshades, and all of your decor. If you like displaying knick knacks on your furniture (guilty!), make sure to clean them off. 
6. If you own a lot of jewelry, consider cleaning your jewelry, especially if it’s costume or gold-plated. This way, you’ll increase the longevity of your jewelry while protecting it against the harshness of summertime elements: sunshine, sunscreen, chlorine, saltwater.

The bathroom

1. The floor around and behind your toilet and the base of the toilet itself. (I know, the crevices are gross. That’s the point!)
2. Your toiletry cabinet: above it, beneath it, underneath all of the pill bottles and toiletries. 
3. Bath mats and rugs! Throw these in your next load of laundry.
4. Clean the walls around your shower or tub, if the walls don’t extend up to the ceiling. Mold and dust can collect here, so you can use bleach or a harsher cleanser as a preventative measure. Consider investing in a daily shower cleaner, which is a spray you apply after each shower. This way, you’re consistently keeping up with shower grit and grime. 
5. Soak your hair brushes in hot water and baking soda: you’ll clear out the hair and fuzz that gets trapped around the bristles. 
6. Switch out your toothbrush while you’re in the spring cleaning spirit. 
7. Get rid of the products you don’t use that accumulate in storage spaces, like that harsh Acne cleanse from seventh grade or the hair gel you tried but didn’t like. Holding onto them isn’t going to make you use them any more than you already do. Before throwing them away, see if a friend or family member might want to try them. 

We hope you’re feeling inspired to start this spring fresh—to welcome summer with a clean space and a content psyche. Happy scrubbing!