My Natural Home Cleaning Checklist (for Spring Cleaning!)

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Home » My Natural Home Cleaning Checklist (for Spring Cleaning!)

I’ve written many times about all-natural cleaning methods without the use of chemicals. Now to check off something that’s been on my list for a while: a complete cleaning checklist for the whole house!

Sometimes it’s hard to get the motivation (or time) to take on deep cleaning, but the one time of year most of us feel like tackling it is when spring finally arrives and the weather warms up.

So throw open the windows, print out this list, and let the dirt, dust, and toxins be gone!

My Spring Cleaning/Deep Cleaning Checklist

To get started, I created a room cleaning checklist and printed it out to keep in protective binder sheets (tape the top closed). I use these for reference (nothing motivates like checking something off!) and the kids can also use them to clean each room. In case you want to do this too, I’ve shared a free printable at the bottom of this post.

Living Areas

  1. Pick up everything on floors and move to appropriate areas.
  2. Open windows for some ventilation or turn on an air filter if you have one.
  3. Starting with the highest points (top of door and window frames) and moving down, dust furniture with a damp rag or microfiber cloth. Remember to dust lights and fan blades.
  4. Spot clean any spots on furniture using baking soda and water or a natural all-purpose cleaner and a damp rag.
  5. Wash any blankets or throw pillows if needed.
  6. Clean lamps with microfiber cloths or a damp rag. A hydrogen peroxide spray works to clean white lampshades.
  7. Wash windows and windowsills with microfiber or 50/50 vinegar/water solution.
  8. Remove blinds and wash in bathtub with vinegar and water or use some old rags and straight white vinegar.
  9. Wipe down electronics and electronic screens with microfiber or rags with just plain water.
  10. Use a damp rag with all-purpose spray or microfiber cloth to wipe down walls and switch plates.
  11. Wipe down doors and door handles (use hydrogen peroxide if anyone has been sick).
  12. Mop floors with microfiber or with a cup of vinegar in a gallon of water and a wet mop.

Note: Vinegar is a natural and economical cleaner, but if you don’t like the smell of vinegar (confession: I really don’t!), substitute with a pre-made natural cleaner. Branch Basics is my current favorite because it’s very safe, ultra-concentrated to cut down on plastic packaging, and works for everything in the house (bathrooms, glass, walls, wood floors, hand soap, and even laundry). I’ve included some other products I like in the resources below.

Now back to the list…

Bedrooms

  1. Pick up everything on floors and move to appropriate areas.
  2. Open windows for some ventilation or turn on an air filter if you have one.
  3. Starting with the highest points (top of door and window frames) and moving down, dust furniture with a damp rag or microfiber cloth. Remember to dust lights and fan blades.
  4. Spot clean any spots on furniture using baking soda and water or an all-purpose cleaner and a damp rag.
  5. Wash any blankets or throw pillows if needed.
  6. Remove clothes from drawers, wipe down drawers, and return clothes. (This may not be the time to start KonMari folding, but I highly recommend checking it out!)
  7. Refresh drawer freshener sachets if you have them.
  8. Clean lamps with microfiber cloths or a damp rag with all-purpose cleaner. A hydrogen peroxide spray works to clean white lampshades.
  9. Wash windows and windowsills with microfiber or 50/50 vinegar/water solution.
  10. Remove blinds and wash in bathtub with vinegar and water or use some old rags and straight white vinegar.
  11. Wash sheets.
  12. Hang pillows and mattress pads in the sun for 2-3 hours to remove bacteria and air out.
  13. Replenish lavender pillow/linen spray.
  14. Dust, sweep, or mop under bed.
  15. Use a damp rag or microfiber cloth to wipe down walls and switch plates.
  16. Wipe down doors and door handles (use hydrogen peroxide if anyone has been sick).

Other tips for creating a sleep-inducing natural bedroom here.

Bathrooms

  1. Open windows for some ventilation or turn on an air filter if you have one.
  2. Starting with the highest points (top of door and window frames) and moving down, dust furniture with a damp rag or microfiber cloth.
  3. Take everything out of cabinets and closets and re-organize and refold. Wipe down shelves and inside with damp rag and all-purpose cleaner.
  4. Scrub down and clean shower and tub with a homemade bath and shower spray. Alternatively, vinegar and water works well along with homemade scouring powder for spots that need more than a little elbow grease.
  5. Clean outside of toilet with hydrogen peroxide and inside with vinegar or all-purpose cleaner and baking soda and a brush.
  6. Shine mirror and windows with microfiber or with vinegar and water (50/50) mix and a clean rag.
  7. Wipe down counters and sink with all-purpose cleaner or microfiber.
  8. Clean floor and grout (use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide for stained grout).
  9. Restock Epsom salts, shower melts, and other natural bath supplies.

Other bathroom cleaning tips and specific recipes here.

Kitchen

  1. Open windows for some ventilation or turn on an air filter if you have one.
  2. Starting with the highest points (top of door and window frames) and moving down, dust furniture with a damp rag or microfiber cloth. Don’t forget lighting fixtures and fans.
  3. Take everything out of cabinets and closets and re-organize and refold. Wipe down shelves and inside with damp rag and all-purpose cleaner.
  4. Wash cabinet doors and knobs with microfiber or all-purpose cleaner.
  5. Wipe down appliances.
  6. Clean inside of oven with baking soda and water paste (more info here).
  7. Remove food from fridge and freezer and clean inside with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution or microfiber. Return food to proper places.
  8. Pull out fridge and stove and clean underneath them with a vinegar and water solution.
  9. Dust refrigerator coils and clean out grate at front of refrigerator.
  10. Remove everything from counter tops and wipe down counters and backsplash. Wipe down each appliance and counter item before returning it.
  11. Clean dishwasher by running it empty with a bowl of vinegar (more info here).
  12. Clean sink and fixture with microfiber or undiluted vinegar on a wet rag.
  13. Sweep and mop floor and clean grout if needed.
all natural cleaning and organizing checklist

More specific kitchen instructions and cleaning recipes are here.

Laundry Room/Area

  1. Open windows for some ventilation or turn on an air filter if you have one.
  2. Starting with the highest points (top of door and window frames) and moving down, dust furniture with a damp rag or microfiber cloth. Don’t forget lighting fixtures and fans.
  3. Take everything out of cabinets and shelves and re-organize and refold. Wipe down shelves and inside with damp rag and all-purpose cleaner.
  4. Wash cabinet doors and knobs with microfiber or all-purpose cleaner.
  5. Wipe down washer and dryer with wet rag and all-purpose cleaner.
  6. Deep clean the washer.
  7. Remove dryer lint trap and wash with dishwashing liquid to remove film.
  8. Wipe down all walls, baseboards, and other flat surfaces to remove dust.
  9. Sweep and mop flour and clean grout if needed.
  10. Refresh laundry supplies including refelting or replacing wool dryer balls if needed.

You can also download this free printable reference sheet for treating laundry stains naturally. I keep it hanging next to my washing machine for reference.

My Minimalist Natural Cleaning Closet

Confession time: If you ever wonder how I do it all, well… I don’t. (Do any of us?) It’s all about priorities!

I routinely make my own elderberry syrup, cook almost all of our food from scratch, and am always itching to work on my latest DIY project… but I did stop making my own green cleaners long ago. Why?

Well, life is busier with older kids, a podcast, and a business. Plus there are so many better options on the market now than there were when I started blogging. (Thank goodness!) I’ve also worked hard on simplifying our belonging and systems and prefer to use one natural cleaner concentrate that works for the whole house.

Here’s a quick roundup of my current natural cleaning favorites:

And the printable Deep Cleaning Checklist I mentioned? Download it for free here, or check out my complete Home Organization Binder printables with blank room cleaning templates you can customize.

Happy spring cleaning!

What did I miss? Do you have a cleaning checklist? Share below!

Home cleaning checklist of natural ways to clean your house with natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, borax and soap.
Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

59 responses to “My Natural Home Cleaning Checklist (for Spring Cleaning!)”

  1. Mohamed Hashi Avatar
    Mohamed Hashi

    Katie, your natural home cleaning checklist is a breath of fresh air! As someone who’s always on the lookout for eco-friendly cleaning solutions, I find your tips incredibly useful. I’ve tried using vinegar and baking soda in my cleaning routine, and it’s amazing how effective and safe they are. Your detailed room-by-room guide makes spring cleaning less daunting and more enjoyable, especially for those of us who prefer to avoid harsh chemicals. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

  2. Mary Schurr Avatar
    Mary Schurr

    Thank you, this has been very helpful! I understand the issues with microfiber. I have some for many years ago (almost 10 yrs) that I still use, but would like to consider some alternatives. The templates are great and they include meal plans!

  3. Barbara Avatar

    Microfiber cloths are made of plastic and shed microscopic plastic
    fibers into our lakes and rivers and then the ocean. I am disappointed that you are recommending them.

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      We are working on removing our recommendations for microfiber cloths. Thanks for your patience as we update the info on site!

  4. Carol L Avatar

    I agree with all of the comments on microfiber! I dislike it for all of the reasons stated here by those who are reluctant to use them or just plain won’t. My experience with the few I have purchased: they will only smear the water/vinegar, etc. around! I have thrown all of them out, won’t even try to re-purpose them as they are, as some have said here, not ‘safe’.

  5. Terry Avatar

    Hi Katie. What is your opinion about My Green Fills laundry detergent?

  6. Jessica Avatar

    Thank you Wellness Mama for sharing this list and promoting non-toxic cleaning solutions/products. I would ask that you reconsider your promotion of microfiber cleaning cloths to your readers. Not to mention being a byproduct of the fossil fuel industry and dependent on nonrenewable resources, recent research shows that microplastics from synthetics are polluting our oceans and harming life forms all the way up the food chain, very likely including humans, with quite frightening implications. Synthetics are everywhere, yes, but microfiber cleaning cloths that are heavily used and washed are shedding pollutants every time we clean the house! It’s great how they attract dust and dirt, but old-fashioned rags from natural fibers actually work just fine, don’t subsidize Big Oil’s side hustle, and will decompose into beneficial materials given the right conditions.

    1. Barbara Avatar

      Thank you so much! I also left a comment about microfiber cloths contributing to plastic pollution. I am very disappointed that Wellness Mama recommended them. Let’s keep fighting!

      1. Wellness Mama Avatar

        We are working on removing our recommendations for microfiber cloths. Thanks for your patience as we update the info on site!

  7. Nikki Avatar

    The link “download it for free here” links to a daily routines PDF, not the home cleaning checklist. Can you please update it?

  8. Barbara Avatar
    Barbara

    I wonder about the use of microfibre cloths. What are they made of? I’ve switched to a cellulose/cotton square (I don’t have any interest in this product) and find it very good.I also use cheap, cheap cotton washcloths from the store whose name begins with “W” and they are very good for damp dusting and general cleaning – and they don’t leave any microfibres in the wash to go down the drain.

    Thanks for all the great tips! I’m slowly changing my home into one a little less toxic!!

  9. Hannah Avatar

    What is the recipe for the peroxide spray for lampshades? Straight hydrogen peroxide? 50/50? You say for white lampshades. Will it bleach a cream colored shade? Any tips are appreciated. Thanks!

  10. Shyler Avatar

    My fiance uses ironing starch called magic sizing. What is a more natural product or option to replace this ironing starch?

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