Spring is a season of renewal, growth, and fresh starts! It’s also the perfect time to give your home a thorough cleaning and decluttering.
If you’re a parent, you know that raising children means accumulating a lot of stuff over the years. From outgrown clothes to forgotten toys, it can be challenging to keep your child’s belongings organized and tidy. This spring cleaning checklist for parents is a chance to reset, refresh, and create a more comfortable and functional space for your family.
Start by running some of these items through the dishwasher, the smaller stuff that gets handled daily and can become really filthy and germy. Here are a few items parents may want to consider running through the dishwasher this spring clean.
Household & Kids Items you can put in the dishwasher:
Did you know that there are a ton of household things that can go through the dishwasher? Here is a list of things that you can run through the dishwasher this spring:
-Hairbrush or comb (remove all hair first!)
-Lego (put them in a mesh bag)
-Small plastic toys
-Soap dishes, toothbrush holder, and bathroom cups
-Toothbrushes (in the cutlery section)
-car and car seat plastic cup holders (they can get very yucky)
-Light switch covers (just unscrew and put them on the top shelf; kids are always touching the switches so cleaning these will feel & look great)
-Baseball caps
-Kids shin guards, mouth guards, water bottles, etc.
-Pet toys
-Cell phone case (another item that touched daily and can handle a deep clean – if you can get it out of your kids hands for long enough to run through the dishwasher!)
Here’s a spring-cleaning checklist for parents:
Clean Outdoor Toys and Equipment
Kids love to play outside, but their toys and equipment can get dirty and grimy over time. Take some time to clean and sanitize everything, including bicycles, scooters, and sports equipment. Pump up the tires, make any necessary repairs, and check helmet sizes to ensure a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience for your kids.
Sort and Clean the Garage
Over the winter the garage can quickly become a catch-all for everything from outdoor toys to tools and gardening equipment. Take some time to sort through everything, donate or discard anything you no longer need, and organize the remaining items. Pack away your snow shovels! This will not only free up space but also make it easier to find what you need when you need it.
Add these on your garbage bins for those windy days!
Organize Bike and Outdoor Toy Storage
Once you’ve cleaned and sanitized the outdoor toys and equipment, it’s time to store them properly. Use hooks, shelves, and storage bins to keep everything organized and in its place. This will make it easier to find what you need when it’s time to play outside.
It’s also a good time, to check the sandbox, clear out any old leaves and put fresh sand in if needed.
Sort through your kids clothing
Donate anything that no longer fits, get them to try-on last years summer clothing and make a list of the new stuff you may need. Check the bathing suits, sandals, sunglasses and make sure everyone has what they need.
Clear out the expired stuff
Check your sunscreen and remove anything that has expired, same with bug sprays and hydrocortisone creams.
Stock up on band-aids for all those scraped knees they’ll get this summer!
Deep Clean the Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it’s important to keep it clean and organized. Take some time to deep clean the appliances, including the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Wipe down the cabinets and countertops, and organize the pantry and drawers. This will not only make your kitchen look better but can also improve the functionality of the space.
Use these labels to ensure everything has a place! 
Clean Curtains in Kids’ Rooms & Sanitize bedding
Curtains can collect dust and allergens, especially in kids’ rooms, where they’ve probably spent a lot of time over the winter. Take them down and wash them. This will not only make them look better but can also improve the air quality in your home.
Put all the bedding, cushions and stuffies through a sanitizing cycle in your wash.
Spring cleaning can be a daunting task, but with a little planning and organization, you can get everything done in no time (especially when you use the dishwasher trick!) Refer back to the checklist to help you get started and enjoy a clean, organized and refreshed home and outdoor space for the season ahead.
Here is our favorite weekly cleaning routine for parents, it’s a great way to manage keeping the house clean all week long by doing a few small tasks each day!
