Spring (Green) Clean Like a Pro: Your Ultimate Guide

March 13, 2026

We’re always thrilled when spring rolls around each year. Sunshine, warm temps, nature waking from its slumber — what’s not to love??

But then all that spring sunshine highlights something we’re not so excited to see: layers upon layers of dust and grime everywhere we look.

Our couches carried us through winter like magic carpets, but now they look weary. 

Our trusty vacuums have developed a winter cough. 

Our fridge has faithfully kept our movie-night snacks fresh, but now it needs a little freshening up itself.

And our windows? The grime built up over the winter is keeping all that spring sun from shining in.

In short: it’s time to give our homes some TLC!

Spring cleaning can feel a little overwhelming (where to begin?). So to start you off on the right foot, we’re sharing our team’s pro tips for five must-do spring cleaning projects so you can spring (green) clean like a pro!

1. Clean Your Vacuum Cleaner

Keeping your vacuum clean and maintained helps it do its job better and more efficiently. But we’ve discovered that this cleaning task — while second-nature to our Bettys — is not something a lot of folks outside the cleaning industry think of. Time to make it go viral!

(Speaking of going viral … Have you seen the old meme that says,“When you clean your vacuum cleaner, it is you who becomes the vacuum cleaner?” 🧘So meta, dude.)

Here’s how to make sure your vacuum is ready for many more seasons to come:

1. Clean the reusable filter. Many canister vacuum cleaners have cleanable, reusable filters. Typically, the filter lives beneath the canister. 

Start by removing the filter and taking it outside to shake as much loose dirt and dust off of it as possible. It helps to tap it against a wall or other hard surface to knock debris out (but make sure you’re not downwind unless you like being coated in dust). 

Then, rinse the filter thoroughly in warm water until the water runs clear (skip the soap). Allow your filter to dry for 24 hours, and voila! You have a filter that’s clean and ready to go.

Not sure if your filter is washable? Check the owner’s manual. And if your filter isn’t reusable, take a moment to pop in a new one!

2. Free the brush roller. If your vacuum has a brush roller in the foot for vacuuming carpets, chances are there’s plenty of hair, dust, and fibers wrapped around it. 

Start by unplugging your vacuum (safety first!). Lay the vacuum down so you can get at the underside. Using a pair of scissors, carefully cut a section of hair/dust/gunk and pull the debris off the brush. Repeat this step until your brush is nothing but, well … a brush! A tweezer can be helpful to yank out any stubborn bits. 

Keeping the roller free of debris lets your vacuum do its work much more effectively.

3. Wipe it down. In the course of keeping our homes clean, our vacuum cleaners can get pretty dirty. That dust and dirt settles on surfaces and gets redistributed as you clean (which kind of defeats the purpose). 

Give your vacuum a nice little bath with a cleaning cloth and all-purpose spray cleaner. Spray the cleaning cloth and wipe down the surface of your vacuum, paying special attention to the nooks and crannies. 

Don’t forget to clean the handle, and if you’re feeling really wild, give that cord a good wipe.

2. Deep Clean Your Couch

After a winter of being your second bed — and your dog’s forever first bed — your couch is crying out for help (we can hear it from here!). It’s time to freshen things up.

You’ll need:

• A rubber-tipped squeegee 
• A vacuum cleaner
• A handheld steamer (or an iron with a steam setting)
• A microfiber cloth or other cleaning cloth (optional)

First, use the squeegee to drag dust, fur, hair, and debris from the surface of your couch. For best results, start by pulling your squeegee toward you, then go left to right. This will produce a roll of — to put it bluntly —  couch junk. 

Next, vacuum your entire couch thoroughly to show all that dust and debris who’s boss.   (Bonus points if you use an upholstery brush attachment!) Vacuum in multiple directions to suck up the maximum amount of junk.

If your couch has removable cushions, attack the crumb repository beneath them. (Don’t be surprised if you find some loose change and those earbuds you thought you lost!)

Finally, run your steamer across the surface of the fabric, using the power of steam to release smells (a.k.a., The Funk) and any junk that’s still clinging to your couch. If you’re using an iron, turn on the steam setting and release the beast (a.k.a., steam). 

Steam can help kill bacteria, germs, and dust mites without having to spray liquid disinfectants or stinky chemicals onto the fabric!

Keep a cleaning cloth handy to rub out any stuck-on messes that the steam loosens.

3. Clean Out Your Fridge

Fridge looking a little … sticky? No judgement, it happens to the best of us. Spring is a great time to give your fridge a fresh start.

Begin by emptying the fridge of all food. If you have a cooler to store things in while you clean, great! But in most cases you can probably get away with setting it all out on the counter. (And if you have a very full fridge and limited counter space, it’s ok to take it one shelf at a time!) 

Toss out any expired foods and leftovers that aren’t looking so good. Then, get to cleaning.

Vacuum out any dry crumbs or bits of food with your vacuum attachments (just make sure you’re not vacuuming up anything wet!)

Then, carefully remove the shelves, drawers, and doors (just the parts that can be easily removed and replaced without the use of tools). If they’re covered in food spills, pre-treat them with some warm water and an all-purpose cleaner.

Spray down the inside of the fridge and fridge door with an all-purpose cleaner, and wipe it with a microfiber cloth, working from the top down. Use a detail brush (like an old toothbrush), a scrubby sponge, or a magic eraser to scrub any stubborn spots. Then, go back over every surface with a dry, lint-free cloth, removing as much moisture as possible.

Scrub the rubber gasket that seals the door with a detail brush. 

Deep clean the shelves, drawers and doors you removed earlier. Do as much as you can over the kitchen sink to minimize mess. All the same tools you used earlier will help here (detail brush, scrubby sponge, magic eraser). You can also make a paste with baking soda and your cleaner to scrub stuck-on food spills. Rinse each piece thoroughly and dry it well before replacing it in the fridge.

Wipe the bottoms of food containers as you put them back in the fridge so you’re not putting dirty things on the surfaces you just cleaned.

Finally, wipe the front, sides, and handles of your fridge door. 

Want to clean out your freezer while you’re at it? Use a similar process — though you may need to defrost the freezer first. Also, make sure to use hot water for your microfiber cloths, and spray all cleaning products directly onto the rag so they don’t freeze to the surface. 

4. De-Gunk Your Windowsills

Once the weather warms up, it’s time to pull the plastic off your windows, swap storm windows for screens, and let in the fresh air! But before you can enjoy all that fresh spring air, you need to deal with the gunk and grime that builds up on windowsills and in the wells between the glass pane and screen.

To clean them, you’ll need:

• A good all-purpose cleaner 
• A vacuum cleaner
• Several cleaning cloths (we recommend microfiber cloths)
• A small detail scrub brush (an old, sanitized toothbrush works great!)

Start by busting out your vacuum with the crevice tool attached to the hose. Thoroughly vacuum the windowsill and well. This will make the rest of the cleaning process much easier (and less gross 🤢).

Once all the loose debris and dirt is gone, break out the all-purpose cleaner and thoroughly spray all grimy surfaces. Let the spray sit for a minute or two to allow it to penetrate the crud. Then get in there with your cleaning cloths and wipe, wipe, wipe! Microfiber cloths are great to use here because they not only wipe away dirt, but actually capture it, leaving surfaces cleaner.  

Last, but not least, if there’s still dirt clinging to corners and crevices, get in there with your detail brush.

5. Clean Your Windows

If your windows look anything like ours do in the spring, they’re covered in dog nose prints and kid finger prints, speckled with water spots, and just generally a little grimy from the long winter. Luckily, getting your windows ship-shape is pretty simple. 

All you need is:

• A window-cleaning spray or all-purpose spray 
• A couple of microfiber cloths 

Bonus: Got extra-grimy windows? Grab that squeegee you used on your couch and use it to help clean your windows quickly and more efficiently than wiping alone!

Once you’ve gathered your tools, you can commence with cleaning.

First, clear everything off the windowsills and spray the glass pane of the window liberally with your chosen cleaner. If the pane is really gnarly, let the spray sit for a minute before moving on to the next step.

Next, choose your own adventure:

• Using a microfiber cloth: Starting from the top of the pane, wipe the surface, paying special attention to spots with tougher grime that might need a little extra scrubbing. Pro tip: Fold your cloth into quarters. As you’re cleaning, periodically refold it so you’re always using a clean, dry section of the cloth.
• Using a squeegee: Starting from the top of the window pane, pull your squeegee down, using consistent pressure, and work your way left to right until you’ve squeegee-d the entire pane. You may need a microfiber cloth to catch drips at the bottom of the window.

Finally, go over the surface again with a dry, lint-free cloth to catch any leftover moisture and prevent streaks.

And if you’re one of those lucky humans who has windows that unlatch and lean inward so you can easily clean the external side of your window panes, do that next! Heads up: the external side of your window pane will probably be DIRTY, so make sure you have plenty of extra cloths on hand. Your squeegee will be helpful here too!

More Spring Cleaning Projects

Once you start cleaning, you’ll see how great it feels to have a fresh, clean space … and you might find you have a hankering for a few more spring cleaning projects.  

Here are a few ideas:

• Clean out your cupboards — especially the ones that hold food. Dispose of any expired food (compost when possible, and recycle the containers!) and wipe out the shelves with all-purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth.
• Clean high-touch surfaces, such as doors, door frames, door knobs, knobs on kitchen cupboards, and light switch plates. These are things we touch ALL the time, but they often get missed in general cleaning.
• Launder throw blankets, as well as any removable, washable cases for decorative pillows. 
• Launder or air out rugs. Launder smaller, washable rugs. Air out larger rugs by hanging them on your clothesline or deck railing.
• Dust knick-knack shelves and bookcases. Remove all items and dust shelves with a microfiber cloth and all-purpose cleaner. Give knick-knacks a wipe-down as well. 
• Dust your plants! This is especially important for plants that rely on the surface area of their leaves to absorb all that sweet, sweet sunshine. Gently wipe down all leaves with a damp microfiber cloth.
• Sanitize electronics cords. Electronics cords, headphone cords, and charger cords can gather more dust and bacteria than you’d realize. Use a bit of rubbing alcohol to wipe down all cords — trust us, this one’s a deeply satisfying task!
• Clean the dishwasher filter. See your owner’s manual for where to find it and how to remove it. Once it’s removed, give it a good scrub in the sink, then replace it.
• Freshen up the garbage disposal. Run a quarter of a lemon through the garbage disposal while the cold water is running to quickly get rid of those gunky smells!

We hope this list inspires you to spring (green) clean like a pro!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning it all yourself, Two Bettys has your back. Right now, you can book a one-time deep clean and get $75 off with code SPRING26!. 

Get an instant quote here, then book your service. We look forward to making your space shine this spring!