TIDY / Checklists
Living Room Spring Cleaning
Work at your own pace. Tick off what you finish and leave the rest for another session.
Date: ____________________
01 Let the Light In
- Remove curtains or drapes
- Take them to the laundry room if washable, or put them in the car to take to the dry cleaners
02 Start with Small Chunks
- Put items that belong in other rooms in the "Elsewhere" box
- Gather things you no longer want to keep and then put them in the "Donate" box
- Pick up all trash from surfaces and put it in the "Trash" box
- Gather old magazines and newspapers and put them in the "Trash" box or take them to recycling
03 Dust the Structure
- Dust the ceiling fan
- Dust the ceiling, corners, and window casings
- Remove artwork from the walls
- Dust the artwork
- Dust walls, window sills, and baseboards
- Return artwork to walls
04 Move On to Soft Furniture
- Remove pillows and cushions from the sofa
- Beat the pillows outside and let them air out
- Pull furniture away from the wall and dust behind it
- Vacuum the sofa and chairs on all surfaces
- Return cushions to the sofa and chairs
05 Dust the Contents
- Start at the door and work to the left
- Remove every item from horizontal surfaces
- Dust knickknacks before returning them to their place
- Dust the front, back, and sides of tables
- Remove lampshades and dust lamps
- Switch off and cool the light, then dust the bulb with a dry cloth as its instructions allow
06 Make It Shine
- Polish wood furniture and fix scratches
- Spray and clean the insides of windows
- Clean other glass surfaces
07 Get Vacuuming
- Vacuum lampshades
- Use the crevice attachment around the base of walls
- Move small furniture and vacuum beneath
- Vacuum the fronts and backs of throw rugs
- Vacuum the rest of the floor
08 Finish Up
- Return clean curtains to the windows
- Straighten remaining books, magazines, etc
- Spray the room with air freshener if desired
- Neatly fold and arrange throw blankets
- Take “Donation” items to the car for drop-off
- Return items in the “Elsewhere” box to where they belong
- Throw away the trash