Let’s be honest: we don’t necessarily look forward to spring cleaning. We love the finished product, but dread the absolute chaos that tends to precede it. But regardless of your stance on Monica Geller-level cleaning sprees, there is something undeniably satisfying about cleaning those hard-to-reach, often missed places. From baseboards and wall scuffs to remotes and upholstery, checking those niche nooks and crannies off your spring cleaning checklist always feels like a win.

To help you tackle those under-the-radar spaces during spring cleaning 2022, Havenly designer and resident cleaning aficionado Vivian Torres is lending her expert eye. Ahead, find the 14 hidden nooks to add to your spring cleaning checklist stat:

Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Surfaces

Tasks we’re collectively filing under “the surfaces” are arguably the easiest to miss when cleaning. Here’s what to add to your ultimate spring cleaning checklist stat:

Walls

Touched frequently and a breeding ground for dust, dirt, and fingerprints, walls should be first on your spring cleaning checklist. Give your walls a good dusting first, and then pick up a few magic erasers and go to down on those dirty, oily fingerprints. For wallpapered walls, use a gentler method, like soap and water.

Baseboards

These little ledges accumulate so much dirt and dust because of their proximity to the ground. Give them a thorough dusting before deep cleaning them with soap and water. 

Handles & Switch Plates

All light switches and door handles, including standard doors, appliance doors, cabinet doors, and furniture doors, are riddled with grime given the frequency with which they are touched. Spray a paper towel with Windex (or a non-toxic alternative) and give each surface a good scrub (a practice you might already be in the habit of post-pandemic).

Toys

If you have young kids, don’t forget to clean their toys, especially considering they often put them in their mouths.  Soak them in a non-toxic disinfectant or wipe them down with a cleaning solution to keep germs at bay. 

Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Kitchen

Kitchens (and their many appliances) are brimming with hard-to-reach places that often fall off the spring cleaning checklist.

Toaster

This trusty appliance is great at collecting crumbs, and even better at making them impossible to reach. But a dirty toaster is a fire hazard, so it’s well worth the extra effort. If your toaster lacks a crumb tray, then simply unplug it,  flip it upside down, and shake it over a trash can to remove debris from the inside. You could also use a narrow brush to clean the interior sides of the toaster.  

Oven and Stove

This powerhouse appliance is easy to skim over when cleaning countertops, dishes, and TK. Make use of your ovens’ cleaning function, remove and soak any and all burners, and don’t forget to wipe down the knobs!

Garbage Disposal

Cleaning the sink is a no-brainer, but the garbage disposal needs attention, too. Use hot water, dishwasher detergent, and a narrow cleaning brush to prevent any bacteria and odor from building up in this hard-to-reach space. Finish off by running a fresh-cut lemon through your disposal. 

Dish Sponges

Don’t forget that cleaning supplies need to be cleaned, too. Disinfect your sponge with white distilled vinegar or lemon water to prevent a build-up of bacteria and germs.

Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Bedrooms

Since bedrooms are quite literally behind closed doors, they tend to fall off the spring cleaning checklist (and the design checklist, for that matter). In addition to regularly washing your bedding, add the below to your list:

Mattresses

Yes, you should be deodorizing your mattress. Simply sprinkle a mixture of cornstarch and baking soda over your mattress — the former absorbs body oils while the latter removes odors. 

Upholstered Furniture

Take a lint brush to upholstered headboards, benches, and accent chairs to (quite literally) roll away dust and allergens that could affect your sleep quality.

Window Treatments

To ensure optimal air quality in your sleep space, dust your blinds regularly and don’t be afraid to wash or dry clean curtains to keep them fresh — they collect tons of dust!

Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Home Office

We spend a lot of time in our home offices these days, and likely even eat meals there (sad desk lunch, WFH edition). In addition to giving your desk a good wipe-down, don’t forget to give your tech some special attention. Using disinfectant wipes, a tech-safe spray, or a touch of soap and water, make sure to clean your computer, keyboard, mouse, remotes, tablets and smartphones, headphones, and Airpods.

Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Living Room

You likely vacuum your rugs and upholstered furniture on the regular, but spring cleaning calls for a thorough wipe-down of living room surfaces. Remember to clean your TV similar to the way you’d clean a computer screen, and disinfect high-touch surfaces like remotes. Use a simple disinfectant wipe after removing batteries and make sure to get the front, back and sides of the remote. If you want to be super thorough, you can use a thin brush or toothpick to clean between the buttons. 

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