Okay, I know it’s a little early to be talking about spring cleaning, but I’ve been doing a lot here and thought I could help you with some tips and tricks. If you get my weekly emails, you know that we recently purchased the house we’ve been renting for 3 1/2 years. In that whole process, we had to move all of our stuff out of the house (long story!). So we did a lot of spring cleaning on the homestead, and are now trying to get settled back in.

Spring cleaning on the homestead - plus printable checklist!

As much of a pain it was, it was such a good feeling to get everything out of the house for a nice, deep clean. It’s almost embarrassing what gets swept and dropped behind those normally un-moved appliances and furniture!

Now, we are striving for a calm, clean feeling throughout the house. I’m trying to eliminate visual clutter, as well as physical clutter. And redecorating in the process!

Here are some of my best tips for spring cleaning on the homestead.

The kitchen is a great place to start spring cleaning on the homestead

In the house

  • Remove the food out of the pantry and give it a good, thorough cleaning. If you see mouse droppings or evidence of pantry moths, take action right away. Consider investing in some new shelving if appropriate, or at least get some pretty baskets to help corral the clutter. Can rotators are awesome addition to the pantry!
  • Defrost the freezer and do a deep cleaning of the fridge. Get rid of any freezer-burnt food, and organize the contents of the freezer. If your freezer is anything like mine, you might not even know what’s lurking at the bottom!
  • Clean the oven. If you’re ambitious enough, you may even want to pull the oven away from the wall and clean under it. Get some cute new kitchen towels to drape over your oven handle.
  • Deep clean the floors. If you have wood floors, consider applying a wood floor restorer. If you have carpet, now would be a good time to get it shampooed.
  • Wash the windows. Take down the curtains and wash them. Consider swapping out the heavy curtains with some lighter, airy ones. This will help let light in for those nicer days.
  • Wash the shower curtains. I like to throw mine in with some bath towels and some vinegar. You could also replace the liner for an inexpensive update.
  • Put your throws and pillows in the wash. While you probably do this somewhat regularly, it’s a great idea to do it during spring cleaning. Or, if your budget allows it, you might want to buy new throw pillows and blankets.
  • Try to use non-toxic cleaners when possible. You obviously want your home clean, but not at the expense of being healthy!
Clean up the yard during spring cleaning

In the yard

  • Use the leaf blower in the yard to remove any leaves and debris that might have fallen through the winter. My leaf blower is one of my absolute favorite outdoor tools!
  • Get some fill dirt to fill in low spots and holes the dogs may have dug.
  • Clean up all the dog poop!
  • If you have a gravel driveway, now is a great time to add more gravel to the low spots.
  • Throw down some grass seed in the bare spots of the lawn.
  • Pressure wash the house, sidewalks, and porch. If you have outdoor furniture, now is a great time to clean them and refresh with a new paint or stain. Consider giving them a pretty color that will pop.
  • Clean the gutters. You’d be surprised how much debris gets into the gutters throughout the winter!
  • If you’re past your last spring frost, plant some flowers, or buy some pretty hanging flower baskets.
  • Have an outdoor firepit? Give it a good cleaning to get it ready to use it again!
  • If you have a pond, get it cleaned and inspect the pump.
Clean out the barn while you are spring cleaning on the homestead

In the barn and coop

  • Remove all old bedding from the barn and coop. Put this in the compost pile to get some homemade compost ready to put in the garden.
  • Pressure wash and disinfect entire inside of the barn or coop. I don’t recommend using bleach for this. I like to use a vinegar solution, sometimes with essential oils, in the coop and barn, as bleach can be too harsh on the animals’ respiratory systems.
  • Clean all waterers and feeders. Again, I like to use a vinegar mixture for this.
  • Consider doing whitewash in the coop and barn.
  • Put down fresh bedding. For the coop, I use pine shavings. In the barn, we use straw.
  • Inspect the barn for nails, loose boards, or any other objects that could injure your animals. Check for holes and repair them as well.
  • Check your feed storage. Inspect totes to ensure there’s no rodent damage. You don’t want rats or mice getting into the feed and contaminating it!
  • If you have a storage area inside the barn, consider adding shelves to make it more functional. Plastic totes are great for keeping like items together.
Getting the garden ready for spring planting

In the garden

  • Order your seeds if you haven’t done so already!
  • Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks prior to your last frost date.
  • Put up that greenhouse!
  • Clean and sanitize your garden pots.
  • Order soil and compost to add to your garden area.
  • Test your garden soil and buy the necessary amendments.
  • Start your compost pile and add that to the garden regularly.
  • If you piled your leaves up to make leaf mold, put that in the garden as well.
  • Clean, repair, and remove rust from outdoor garden tools.
  • Inspect hoses for damage and replace if needed.
  • If you are making a new garden area this year, you need to get on this ASAP. For grassy areas that you’re turning into a garden, lay down tarps to kill the grass. If you don’t plan on tilling the area, lay down cardboard, then compost and soil. For a Back To Eden garden, add lots and lots and lots of mulch.

Spring cleaning checklist

Here is a handy checklist so you don’t get overwhelmed!

Why spring cleaning on the homestead is important

When you run a busy homestead, it’s important to set aside some time to get things really clean and organized. Spring is a perfect time to do this on the farm, to get ready for the busy summer season. Doing a thorough spring cleaning on the homestead lets you start fresh.

Try to remove visual clutter to create a more welcoming, enjoyable space for your family and friends. Donate things that don’t get used. Freshen up your decor with some inexpensive upgrades.

Since the weather is so nice compared to the cold winter weather, it’s a great time to get outside and clean up. No one wants to be outside cleaning when it’s hot out, either!

Keep your homestead looking nice and feeling fresh with a nice deep clean this spring!

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This post may be shared on Family Homesteading and Off The Grid Blog HopSimple Homestead Blog HopFarm Fresh Tuesday, and Old Paths to New Homesteading & Self-Reliant Living. 

Shawna

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