The days are becoming longer while the nights are getting shorter. This could only mean one thing. Spring is here!! And with the arrival of spring comes the inevitable spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is important as it allows you to give your house the thorough cleaning it needs for a fresh start. This, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that it can be daunting, so the first question on everyone’s mind is usually, “How long does it take to spring clean?”

Understanding the possible time frame needed for your spring cleaning will help you organize yourself, manage your time better, and expend energy only where necessary. If you want your home to be as good as new without having to sacrifice your entire month, this is just the article for you.

Related: 10 Essential Tasks For Your Spring Cleaning Checklist

Understanding The Spring Cleaning Process

1. Overview of Tasks

Spring cleaning can be overwhelming, especially since the average person already has a lot of things to juggle daily. Having an idea of what exactly you do during spring cleaning is a great way to start when thinking of a timeframe. 

Spring cleaning is not your regular daily or weekly cleaning. It typically involves:

1. Decluttering: This could take much time because it is more decision-making than cleaning. You need to get rid of all the stuff you don’t need by giving them to charity or disposing of them. You should declutter your attic, basement, closets, cabinets, and other storage spaces. 
2. Dusting: You need to dust all the surfaces in your home, including baseboards, decorative items, furniture, etc. 
3. Vacuuming and Mopping: This applies to your entire house. And since spring cleaning aims to deep clean, you will have to move stuff around and clean out the areas of your house that haven’t seen a vacuum cleaner or mop in months. 
4. Deep Cleaning: This involves washing all the sheets, pillows, rugs, and curtains; deodorizing your mattresses and cushions; cleaning out the fridge, oven, windows and fans; scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen walls, etc.

2. Planning

You can’t just wake up one morning and decide to dive head first into your spring cleaning. You need to sit back, evaluate what you have on hand, and decide a course of action. This ensures that you don’t get drained while doing your spring cleaning.

In the past, spring cleaning was usually one day of back-breaking labor. That is no longer feasible as the average person has a lot they have to do in a day. This has necessitated planning to spread the chores over a sensible period of time. 

Proper planning for spring cleaning involves evaluating what you’re working with (the size of your space), how much time you have on hand, possible help, tools needed, and a detailed checklist. With the right strategy, you can break up your spring cleaning over the course of a few days or weeks or even decide to outsource it completely.

3. Setting Realistic Expectations 

Setting unrealistic expectations when it comes to your spring cleaning can lead to burnout and fatigue. When planning a course of action, you must set realistic timelines.

What are your current obligations, and how can you plan your spring cleaning around them? Given your typical daily routine, how many hours a day can you give to house cleanup? How fast do you typically clean? That last question is necessary because you shouldn’t expect yourself to suddenly fit in five hours of cleaning into two hours. Plan at your average pace, and don’t forget to include your family members.

Average Time Frame For Spring Cleaning Tasks

Assuming you’re focusing on cleaning throughout the day, spring cleaning generally takes anywhere from two to three days for an average two-bedroom apartment (1,138 sq ft), up to five days for a four-bedroom apartment, and definitely more for houses with more rooms. However, there are a number of factors that will affect your spring cleaning timeframe:

1. House size (obviously)
2. The amount of time since your last clean: Longer time between cleans would mean you have much more to clean up.
3. The amount of stuff in your home: A two-bedroom with many decorations and possessions could take longer than a four-bedroom with minimal stuff.
4. How thorough you plan to be: Spring cleaning should be a very deep clean. But if you choose to skip one step, say decluttering, you’ll cut down the time required. Personally, we’d advise you go for it and get everything done. 

Creating A Weekly Spring Cleaning Schedule

You need to create a detailed checklist and schedule during the planning process. The checklist contains everything that you need to do. It would be a bummer to finally relax after a stressful few days of spring cleaning only to realize that you forgot to do something. A detailed checklist prevents that from happening.

A schedule, on the other hand, details how you plan to tackle your spring cleaning. It focuses on the time frame. Yes, your checklist says you’re going to clean the baseboards. So the schedule answers the ‘When.’ We’ve provided a week-by-week schedule below to spread your cleaning tasks across four weeks of spring to prevent overwhelm. If you want to strongman the whole thing in just one week, you can still adapt our easy-to-use schedule for it. 

Week-by-Week Spring Cleaning Schedule

1. Week 1: Big Picture Organization 

This week is dedicated to decluttering. This is when you’ll go around your entire house, taking stock of what needs to go, what needs to be replaced, and what needs to be added. During the week, you can take inventory in your free time then the weekend will be dedicated to the actual decluttering process.

2. Week 2: The Cozy Areas

This includes the living areas, bedrooms, and closets. You can dedicate one day to deep cleaning one room. For example, on the day you decide to deep clean the living room, you’ll clean every inch of the living room. This includes the fireplace, windows, fans, cushions, floors, ceilings, fixtures, decorative items, etc. Move things around in order to clean each room thoroughly. On the days that you clean your rooms, don’t forget to wash the bedding and deodorize the mattress. 

3. Week 3: The Gritty Areas 

This includes the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, garage, attic, and basement. Like in week 2, you can dedicate each day to one room. These areas of the house need a little more time and effort, so make sure to pull out the big guns when tackling them. You’ll need baking soda, distilled white vinegar, heavy-duty gloves, stiff-bristle brushes, glass cleaner, microfiber cloths, detergent, sponge etc.

4. Week 4: Finishing Touches

This week will be dedicated to maintaining special things around the house. This includes taking care of outdoor equipment, washing your carpets, sealing hardwood floors and marble countertops, fixing any broken fixtures, etc. This is also the time for a routine safety check. Check your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to ensure they still function optimally.

Tips For Efficient Spring Cleaning

1. Delegate Tasks: Assign tasks to your roommates, siblings, spouse, or kids as necessary. It allows your spring cleaning to fly by quickly. 
2. Use Time-Saving Tools: There are a lot of time-saving tools, such as steam mops, robot vacuums, etc. Use them where necessary.
3. Stay Organized: Have a well-thought-out strategy. It allows you to tackle your goals effectively. Have a checklist, and make sure that you have all the tools you’ll need on hand.
4. Make it fun: Play some upbeat music, listen to your favorite podcast, play a game where you try to beat the clock, etc. Do whatever you can to make it fun so you’re not tempted to give up halfway.
5. Reward yourself: After a day or week of aggressive cleaning, reward yourself with something you enjoy. It could be a treat, your favorite show, or a relaxing bath. A reward will help you stay motivated.
6. Break it up: Don’t try to do it all in one day. Break your spring cleaning into manageable sections. This prevents you from feeling overwhelmed while allowing you to tackle each activity effectively.
7. Dress comfortably: Wearing comfortable clothes allows you to work freely.

Spring cleaning is usually daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It is possible to thoroughly deep clean your home without feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or burnt out. We’re sure that with this article's tips and practical steps, you will be pumped to tackle your spring cleaning once and for all.