Spring Cleaning, Done Right: The Room-by-Room Guide for Hampton Roads Homes

Start with what winter left behind

Before anything else, address pollen starting to build and any lingering winter humidity in bathrooms and closets. Spring cleaning that skips this step is just organizing on top of a home that hasn’t actually been reset since fall.

Kitchen and bathrooms first

In the kitchen: inside the oven and refrigerator, behind and under appliances where crumbs and moisture collect over winter cooking season, and cabinet fronts that pick up grease film faster than they show it. In bathrooms: grout lines, exhaust fans, and the areas around tubs and showers that held onto winter humidity.

Living spaces, then closets and storage last

Baseboards, ceiling fan blades reversed for winter, window tracks holding a season of condensation and early pollen, and any upholstery that hasn’t been vacuumed with an attachment since fall. Winter residue first, kitchen and bathrooms second, living spaces third, closets and storage last, that order means you’re not organizing a closet before you’ve dealt with the mold-risk bathroom next to it.

For more on this, see our guide: Spring Pollen Season: The Cleaning Schedule Coastal Virginia Homes Actually Need.