How do you spring clean an apartment?
Spring clean an apartment in one focused day by working room by room in this order: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, entryway — with windows, textiles and under-furniture zones as the spring-specific additions to a normal clean. A studio takes 3–4 hours; a two-bedroom is a full day. Here’s the checklist our teams use, adapted for renters.
Before you start (30 minutes)
Declutter first, clean second — cleaning around clutter doubles every task. Do a laundry-basket sweep of everything out of place (hack #20 →), start the first load of winter bedding, and open every window you have. Spring cleaning with closed windows is just… cleaning.
Bedroom (45–60 min)
Strip the bed completely — duvet, mattress protector, pillows. Baking soda on the mattress, wait, vacuum. Rotate the mattress. Swap winter clothes out of the closet (donate what didn’t get worn). Dust every surface top-to-bottom including the closet shelf and headboard, then vacuum, including under the bed — the winter dust capital of any apartment.
Bathroom (45 min)
Ventilation first: unscrew or vacuum the exhaust fan cover — a winter of showers lives in it. Then the standard deep sequence: grout (the method →), showerhead vinegar soak, glass doors, toilet including the base and hinges, and the cabinet purge — expired products out.
Kitchen (60–90 min)
The spring specials: inside the fridge (shelves out and washed), inside the oven (baking-soda paste), the range hood filter (dishwasher or degreaser bath), cabinet fronts and the sticky zone above the stove, and one cabinet-interior wipe-down with everything out. Then the normal surfaces, ending with the floor.
Living areas (45 min)
Wash or vacuum curtains and blinds. Windows inside — and outside if they tilt in (a classic Boston apartment feature). Window tracks with a detail brush. Upholstery vacuumed under the cushions, electronics dusted with microfiber, plants showered, rugs flipped and vacuumed on both sides.
Entryway (20 min)
Winter’s ground zero: wash the floor twice (salt film needs two passes), launder or hose the mats, purge the coat closet, and treat any salt-stained boots before storing them.
The renter’s bonus round
Spring is inspection season and lease-renewal season. Photograph your clean apartment — it’s your condition documentation if you move out later (move-out guide →). And if the winter buildup is beyond a DIY day, a one-time professional deep clean → is exactly this checklist, done by a team of two in an afternoon: see your price →.
