A Spring Deep Cleaning Checklist for North Texas Homes

That Cleaning Girl · Deep Cleaning

Spring in North Texas comes with a bonus coat of yellow-green dust on every surface in the house. Cedar season tails off, oak pollen takes over, and between them, the rains bring red mud to every doorway. It's the perfect time for a full reset. After the furniture basics in Mattress and Upholstery Deep Cleaning Basics, this checklist pulls it all together for the season.

Why spring is the season for a deep clean

Winter keeps windows closed and people indoors, so dust and grime build up. Heaters run, holiday cooking leaves grease behind and muddy boots come and go. Then spring arrives, windows open, pollen pours in and everything gets coated. A deep clean in spring clears out the winter buildup and the first wave of pollen at the same time. It also gets the house ready for summer, when it's too hot to want to do anything strenuous indoors or out.

There's one more reason. Spring is when allergies flare up around here, and the less pollen and dust sitting in the house, the better most people feel. A deep clean won't cure seasonal allergies, but removing the dust from fans, vents, blinds, bedding and carpets means less of it floating around every time someone walks through a room.

Start with the air

Pollen and dust live in the air as much as on surfaces, so start with the things that move air.

• Change the HVAC filter, and plan to check it again in a month.
• Clean ceiling fans from top to bottom.
• Vacuum and wash supply vent covers and return grilles.
• Wipe the bathroom exhaust fan covers.
• Wash or replace the range hood filter.

Windows, blinds and sills

Windows take the brunt of spring pollen.

• Dust blinds and wash vinyl blinds in the tub if they're sticky.
• Wash curtains and sheer panels that can go in the machine.
• Vacuum and scrub window tracks and sliding door tracks.
• Wipe sills, including the outside of the sill if it's reachable.
• Clean interior glass so you can actually see the spring weather.

Every room, top to bottom

Work through each room in the same order so nothing gets missed.

• Light fixtures and the tops of door frames and cabinets.
• Walls, light switches and outlet covers; wash any scuffs.
• Shelves, decor, electronics and picture frames.
• Baseboards, wiped by hand.
• Under and behind furniture, beds and couches.
• Upholstery vacuumed with the cushions off.
• Mattresses vacuumed and refreshed with baking soda.

Kitchen and bathrooms

These rooms need a seasonal reset no matter what else is going on. Winter cooking leaves the stove area greasy, and months of hard water show up on every fixture. Do the oven and fridge early in the day so they aren't the last thing standing between you and dinner.

• Clean inside the oven and the fridge.
• Degrease cabinet fronts and the backsplash.
• Wipe out the inside of cabinets and drawers, and toss expired pantry items.
• Descale faucets, showerheads and aerators.
• Scrub grout, soap scum and hard water spots on shower glass.
• Wash shower curtains and bath mats.

Mud season: entries and floors

Spring storms here mean red-clay mud, and it ends up in the house.

• Wash or replace doormats at every exterior door.
• Scrub grout and tile at entry doors and the back patio door.
• Deep vacuum carpets, especially traffic lanes.
• Mop hard floors with clean water changed often.
• Set up a shoe spot by the back door if you don't already have one.

Closets and storage

Spring is a natural time to swap winter clothes for summer ones. While closets are open, take everything off the floor, vacuum and wipe the baseboards and shelves. Check the top shelf too; it gathers as much dust as a ceiling fan blade. The same goes for the garage entry and the laundry room, where lint and pollen pile up behind the machines. Donate what you didn't wear this winter, then step back and look at what's left.

You don't need to finish this in one weekend. Many people take a room or two each weekend through March and April. The order matters more than the speed: air first, then top to bottom, then floors. Keep a running list on the fridge and cross off each room as you finish, so a busy week doesn't leave you guessing where you left off. And if your schedule fills up with baseball games and lake weekends, a professional deep clean handles the core work in a single day.

Spring is also a good time to check smoke detector batteries, wipe the detectors themselves and test them. It isn't cleaning exactly, but it's easy to do while you're already up on the step stool with the fans.

A fresh start for the warm months

A spring deep clean clears the winter grime and the pollen in one go, and it sets up your regular cleaning to keep up through summer. If you'd like it done for you, see our deep cleaning services and book before the calendar fills up.