This 20-Day Plan Basically Deep-Cleans Your Home For You — Join the Spring Cleaning Cure Now!

Deep cleaning isn’t high on anybody’s list of things to do. It’s mammoth effort of energy and time, two things a person rarely has in excess at the same moment. And it’s also simply unpleasant; unlike routine tidying like wiping down a countertop, most deep-cleaning tasks insist you get intimate with the grossest, most neglected corners of your home.

The payoff, however, makes it all worth it. That impeccably-clean-home vibe is outstanding. Even if your window tracks rarely catch your eye in the course of a regular day, simply *knowing* that they’re spotless is enough to make you feel like you’ve got your whole life together.

And don’t you want that? I do!

This is a good time of year to tackle that top-to-bottom deep clean that your home (and your spirit) deserves. In fact, it became a whole thing: spring cleaning. A moment where we all channel strength from each other to throw open the windows, dust off the shelves, and dig into that crevice of the faucet you can only get to with a toothpick.

You could tackle your spring cleaning by pulling up a checklist that has more tasks on it than days in the season. But I think there’s a better idea: Target your efforts in just 20 key areas across the four most important rooms in your space. So I built that plan for you instead! (Hi, I’m Apartment Therapy’s cleaning editor Taryn — I hate cleaning but somehow made a career out of it.)

Welcome to Apartment Therapy’s Spring Cleaning Cure!

If you’re new to the Cure concept (we do this a few times each year), it’s about taking a big goal — in this case, deep cleaning around your entire home — and break it down into bite-sized tasks. Together, we complete one small 15- to 30-minute effort each day, and before you know it, you’ve made a huge impact in how clean your home looks and feels.

For this year’s spring clean, we’re working through four rooms — the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom — hitting the five key cleaning targets in each space. (Here’s the plan if you want a sneak peek.)

Ready to get started? Make sure you’re signed up for email updates, and scroll down for your first assignment below…

It is among the greatest scams in history that the spaces we use to clean our things need to be cleaned themselves. (I literally cover you in soap every day, what gives?!) But we’re kicking off the spring cleaning Cure with the kitchen sink — a small target that pays you back with a big impact.

Here are a few things you can do:

• Step one is to clear the sink — so if you need to do dishes, finish that up first. Remove any strainers or other accessories.
• Sprinkle baking soda or another powdered cleaner on the bottom and sides of your sink.
• With a soapy sponge (it can be the same one from the dishes), wipe and scrub away at the sides and bottom of your sink. Work from the outside in, and top to bottom, so you’re not sending dirt down onto already-cleaned areas. (Quick note to my stainless steel sink owners: Always clean with the grain!)
• If you encounter stuck-on grime, you can add more soap/powder cleaner, or switch to a more abrasive sponge, or use a scraper tool. But always spot-test if you’re introducing a new tool or cleaner.
• Don’t forget to scrub inside the drain as best you can. A detail brush can help here!
• If you want extra credit today, apply a finishing touch, like chrome polish, all around your sink.
• Add your strainer or other accessories, making sure those are clean before you put them back into place.
• Then the very last step is to fully dry your sink with a clean rag.

I don’t dry my sink every day, but when I want to feel really good about my kitchen, a dry sink really does feel cleaner. It’s a great touch for a day like today. And it’s your choice whether you want to ban the other people in your home from using the sink for 24 to 48 hours.

• Sign up for email updates
• Visit the 2021 Spring Cleaning Cure page and catch up on assignments
• Save or print your own Spring Cleaning Cure tips workbook
• Download the Spring Cleaning Cure calendar
• Join the Apartment Therapy Cure Facebook group