Your Spring Cleaning List Is Missing These 12 Spots—What to Use on Each One

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›

Much of spring cleaning focuses on visible surfaces, and rightly so—a good bit of dirt, dust, and debris accumulates over autumn and winter months. But getting your home truly clean means going beyond the basics by tackling the dryer vent packed with lint, the mattress harboring dust mites, and the garbage bin that needs more than a rinse. This guide covers the 12 best products to tackle those jobs and many more for a complete top-to-bottom, indoors-to-out deep clean.

Household Drains 

Professional-grade drain cleaners act as a preventive reset for your plumbing by dissolving solidified layers of grease and hair that surface scrubbing can’t reach. Clearing this hidden buildup before warmer weather arrives prevents it from generating persistent odors or causing mid-season clogs. 

Our Favorite Drain Cleaners

Large Appliances

Dishwashers and washing machines trap organic particles, detergent residue, and mildew all winter long, which reduces their efficiency. But you don’t have to pull your appliances apart to prevent musty clothes or cloudy dishes. Instead, you can use a targeted cleaner to sanitize your machines’ hard-to-reach filters, heaters, and drums so that every load comes out clean. 

Our Favorite Appliance Cleaners 

Grill Cleaners 

After a long stint of indoor-only cooking, it’s easy to forget that your grill grates are caked with grease, charred food, and rust that harbor bacteria and flare-ups—until your guests are already on their way. When you don’t have time for heavy scrubbing but your grill needs more than a quick brush, a specialized grill cleaner will melt away baked-on residue and get your grill working like new.

Our Favorite Grill Cleaners

Leather Materials

Even through the cold winter months, leather sofas, chairs, and car seats collect dust, sweat, and body oils that dry them out, causing them to dull and crack. Dedicated leather cleaners and conditioners remove embedded dirt and grime without harsh chemicals, restoring suppleness and helping keep expensive repairs at bay.

Our Favorite Leather Cleaners and Conditioners

Upholstery and Fabric 

Because summer means entertaining, and entertaining means accidental spills, spring is the perfect season for proactively protecting upholstery and fabric—both indoors and out. Fabric protector sprays create an invisible, breathable shield that repels water, drinks, and dirt so that messes blot right off. 

Our Favorite Upholstery and Fabric Protectors

Garbage Cans

If you’ve wiped the counters and scrubbed the floors and something still smells, it could be your garbage can. Though they’re easy to overlook, trash and recycling bins host invisible bacteria, sticky spills, and oily residues that accumulate fast. Pairing a powerful cleaner and degreaser with an everyday deodorizer will help keep your bins fresh through the hot months ahead.

Our Favorite Garbage Can Cleaners and Deodorizers

Decks and Fences

Decks and fences get hit with dirt and water all year long, causing weathering that dulls their surfaces and invites rot. With the weather a bit warmer, restoring these wood, composite, or painted surfaces makes a massive difference that’s hard to miss. If any damage runs deeper than a good cleaning can handle, it may be time to consider repairs or replacement. 

Our Favorite Showerhead Descalers

Mattresses

Mattresses trap sweat, dead skin, dust mites, and odors deep in fabric layers that vacuuming can’t reach. To get a genuinely fresh sleep surface heading into allergy season, use steam cleaning to kill bacteria and dust mites and an antibacterial fabric spray to neutralize lingering odors. When you’re done, add a mattress pad to keep everything cleaner longer. 

Our Favorite Mattress Cleaners and Deodorizers

Dryer Vents

Even when homeowners empty their lint trap with each load, dryer vents can still become clogged over time. After a winter of washing heavy blankets and bulky layers, that buildup restricts airflow, increases energy use, and creates a fire risk most don’t think about until it’s too late. Dryer vent cleaning kits with flexible rods, large brushes, and vacuum hoses snake through vent bends to pull trapped lint from ducts, restoring efficiency and peace of mind. 

Our Favorite Dryer Vent Cleaners

Ceiling Fan Blades

After running on reverse all winter to recirculate heat, ceiling fans end up covered in dust, hair, and pet dander that flies off the moment you redirect them for summer cooling. Cleaning each blade with a heavy-duty duster or durable cloth wipes before the switch prevents that mess and keeps air moving cleanly.

Our Favorite Ceiling Fan Blade Wipes

Shower Heads

Vinegar and baking soda make a powerful DIY shower head cleaner, but when it comes to heavy-duty spring cleaning, targeted descalers take things up a notch. By dissolving accumulated hard water minerals completely, they put an end to a trickling flow or a bacteria-laden mist without damaging the finish on fixtures. 

Our Favorite Shower Head Descalers

Concrete Surfaces 

Concrete driveways and walkways take a beating all winter, with parked cars leaking oil, wet weather feeding mildew, and pets leaving stains that set into the surface by the time warm weather arrives. The combo of products below—a heavy-duty degreaser for oil and grime alongside an enzyme-based cleaner for embedded organics like antifreeze and pet waste—provides safe, deep restoration.

Our Favorite Concrete Cleaners 

The post Your Spring Cleaning List Is Missing These 12 Spots—What to Use on Each One appeared first on Bob Vila.

​Read More