March 11, 2014
Spring Cleaning : Assembly Line vs. Room by Room
What’s the best (fastest, most efficient, most effective) way to approach spring cleaning? Should you go room by room cleaning it top to bottom? Or is it better to take it one task at a time (wash all the baseboards, wash all the floors, vacuum all the corners, etc.) for the ultimate efficiency? Ultimately whatever gets you to get the cleaning done is the most effective method. No magic solution, just whatever motivates you. My preferred method is to do spring cleaning assembly line style – wash all the baseboards, wash all the floors, dust all surfaces, wash all the windows…. But if you follow me on Instagram you saw last week that I was working on the master bedroom. I tackled this room and didn’t move on to any other spring cleaning until it was finished. Why? Because I tend to save the master bedroom and bathroom until last because no one sees it, but this year I started with it and it REALLY needed to be spring cleaned.
Today I’m going to share with you how to spring clean a room, any room in the most simple, effective way. Don’t think that this has to be completed in a day – if you only have little spurts here and there, just complete as you can. If a task doesn’t apply to your specific room, just skip it. You can go here to grab my FREE spring cleaning checklist.
- Remove any hanging drapes, curtains, shower curtains, etc. and place in the washing machine if they are washable. Dry on a low heat setting and remove before they are completely dry and re-hang. This will minimize shrinkage and keep your ironing board away.
- Wash any pillows.
- Rotate/flip mattress and sofa pillows.
- Dust from the top down – ceilings and corners are first. Dust walls if you need to. Then move to dust and polish flat surfaces. Use a lint roller to clean your lampshades.
- Vacuum or wash vents.
- Vacuum corners and baseboards.
- Wash baseboards.
- Vacuum floors.
- Wash floors.
- If you’re cleaning a bathroom, move on to clean the tub, shower, toilet, sink.
I’m using the hashtag on Instagram #springcleaningcm for my spring cleaning tasks and you can too! Follow me here!
This post is part of a spring cleaning series – go here to see all the posts.
Jennifer H Says
I usually do assembly line and my husband does one room at a time. Although he cleans less frequently than I do, you can always tell that he has been cleaning and you can’t always tell that I have. I very rarely get whole rooms cleaned at the same time in my way. I think I’m moving to room by room 🙂
Nina Says
Please explain the best way to dust/clean walls. I cannot seem to do it without making a bigger mess and getting discouraged. The puffy “magnetic” dusters don’t really hold on to the dust and webs, they just move it around to a different spot on the wall. And swiffer dusters just get stuck on the texture of the wall. I am tempted to use the vacuum with a floor attachment, but am worried about scratching the paint. Cleaning walls is my least favorite because it doesn’t seem effective and I can’t find a good way of doing it that will actually work! Please Help!
Becky Says
Post authorVacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment is the best tool to start with. No scratching the walls 🙂
xo, becky
Linda Says
Thanks for the inspiration and the tips ~~ I finished my master bedroom spring clean yesterday … it is cleaner than it has been in a LONG time … I just want to stay in there and enjoy it!!! 🙂 Oh …. using a lint roller to clean lampshades is the best idea ever!!!!!. Linda
Morgan Says
Becky I really like this detailed list! Thanks for breaking it down and making a plan for me. Here’s to spring cleaning!!!
Sam from GreenAir Says
I’ve found that most people like to clean room by room because they tackle each room as a mini project and success. I personally like to clean task by task as you do – all windows, then all baseboards, etc, because specializing allows me to use the same cleaning equipment without having to put it down and switch to a different piece of equipment. It also allows me to focus on the task at hand, without having to mentally prepare for each different task.
Definitely love your simple and effective way to spring clean a home – I love the logical order of everything and how it focuses on the most important parts of the room. We may have to adopt a similar checklist for the homes we clean : )
Lisa Landers Says
Hard to spring clean with clutter!
Diana Says
Hi there
i know there is no hard and fast rule but please can you give me advice. I always clean as i go when i leave a room it’s clean . However weekly dusting vacuums polish i like to keep on one day being a Friday my problem is i like to deep clean (spring clean?) Monthly as I find its never really dirty then. Do you think it’s visible for me to do my weekly clean on Friday have a break and deep clean three rooms each Friday meaning I then get through my home on a month. I have done it one room completely thorough and the other two wiping inside windows carpets but not washing pillows other than the one room but in my mind the house is then nor actually clean. Believe it or not i was doing it three rooms deep cleaning daily but i do need to make myself cut back to once a month. It’s a compulsive behaviour but i would like to hear all on Friday (weekly clean through house) and (three rooms deep clean in Friday) would be a good enough idea. Please help regards Diana
Becky Says
Post authorGive it a try and see!
Donna britton Says
I use a swiffer sweeper for walls works awesome!!