Spring brings about a season of blooming, rebirth and beauty. At least, that’s the case outside your home. On the inside? That’s a different story. While you do your best to keep your home clean on a regular basis, sometimes the cleaning just gets away from you. With various responsibilities pulling you in a thousand different directions, you may find yourself in need of a deep cleaning session, stat.
Cleaning can be tough, and if you’ve put off the worst of it until spring, you’re likely staring at several weekends’ worth of work. But you can show your home who’s boss with the following spring cleaning apps. Use your favorite of these 12 apps or a combination of a few to create a cleaning schedule, keep track of what's been done and even hire some outside help when you just need a break (and who doesn’t?).
Looking for more ways to streamline your home? Check out our post on the best home inventory apps.
1. Snupps
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
Think of Snupps as a Pinterest board for your home organization goals. Not only can you upload your own photos to share your belongings with Snupp’s online community, but you can also browse strangers' collections to get inspiration on how to organize your home better. See something you really love or have some stuff you want to get rid of? Snupps also allows you to buy and sell directly on the app.
2. Centriq
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free for a limited time, then you can pay to upgrade
Keep track of your belongings and find answers to all your questions in the Centriq app. Created by homeowners themselves, you’re sure to love Centriq’s simplicity, as you can easily scan any product or appliance to find the information you need. Whether you want to read up on the owner’s manual you lost years ago, or you need to know what replacement part is needed, Centriq has your back.
3. Decluttr
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
If you’ve finished cleaning out that guest room closet and find yourself with a pile of stuff you don’t know what to do with, why not try to make some extra money? Decluttr will buy your used tech, games and books for a reasonable price and everything ships free. They also sell a lot of fun stuff as well, in case you finished spring cleaning and found something lacking in your home.
4. FlyLady Plus
Available on: iOS
Cost: Free
Getting your home properly organized and sparkling clean takes a lot of time and energy. Sometimes, just deciding what task to tackle first can be a chore in and of itself. The inventors of FlyLady understand this struggle all too well and have created an app to help you break down your tasks by room and time allotted. The app will even organize your tasks for you to know exactly what needs to be done every week for a beautiful home.
5. OurHome
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
While your home may be smarter than your parents, thanks to devices like smart speakers and AI fridges, it’s a far cry from the do-everything-for-you smart homes often seen in Hollywood. But you can get one step closer to a totally integrated home with the OurHome app. Keep up with events, to-do lists, chore charts, grocery lists and much more with your phone or tablet. Plus, each family member can download it to see their tasks for the week and earn “points” for each thing they check off.
6. Home Routines
Available on: iOS
Cost: $4.99
Remember the joy of earning a gold star for your hard work in elementary school? You likely wore that star with pride or put it on your desk to show off to your classmates. With the Home Routines app, you can relive some of that childhood glee by simply completing tasks around the house. Set up recurring reminders to wash the dishes, sweep the porch or fold the laundry (you can even teach your kids to do this chore) and earn a gold star for every one you complete. Even though you can’t display these stars on your fridge, we have a feeling they’ll make you just as proud.
7. Think Dirty
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
You never realize how dirty your house is until you start cleaning it. Likewise, you may not know the dangers lurking in your makeup bag until you start researching. So the next time you clean out your bathroom before a major smart bathroom upgrade, download the Think Dirty app to learn more about what’s inside your favorite products. Simply scan any barcode to get a ranking on how “dirty” the product is, as well as some suggestions on swaps to make for a healthier beauty routine.
8. Motivated Mom
Available on: iOs, Android
Cost: Free
Moms are great at remembering every little thing. As you grow up and move out of your childhood home, you may find yourself wishing you had your mom’s amazing memory at your fingertips. Download the Motivated Mom app to track all your tasks and get reminders when they’re due, just like your mom would (but without judgemental looks if you don’t get to it on time). You can thank us later!
9. ClosetSpace
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
If you’re the sentimental type (or, let’s face it, the hoarder type), you may have a closet that’s bursting at the seams. First, you’ll need to do some inventory to pair down on the amount of clothing you own. The ClosetSpace app is perfect for this task, helping you itemize all the clothing you own. You can create new outfits right in the app and make note of how often you wear each item. This will make getting rid of unneeded clothes much easier, as you’ll have definitive proof that you haven’t worn that old college sweatshirt in quite a long time.
10. Handy
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
Whether you’re tired of your monthly deep cleaning schedule or you need a professional to assist getting your HVAC system up and running, the Handy app is here to help. You can hire experts in plumbing, cleaning, painting and much more to take the work off your plate. Plus, all the people they recommend go through a rigorous background check, so you don’t have to stress about the strangers you invite into your home.
11. Tody
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: $6.99
If you were today years old when you found out your sheets are supposed to be washed at least once every two weeks, you aren’t alone. Most people don’t clean the major parts of their home as often as they should, but who can blame them? With work, school and other responsibilities, it’s no surprise that cleaning often falls to the wayside. To make sure you get the most important tasks done on time, download Tody for reminders on when you’re overdue on cleaning and never worry about this problem again.
12. Cozi Family Organizer
Available on: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
Help motivate your messy roommate, partner or child by downloading the Cozi Family Organizer app. Coordinate everyone’s schedules, set up reminders for cleaning and share grocery lists to make home maintenance a breeze. You can even use the app seamlessly on your phone, tablet and laptop to organize your life the way you want.
Tips for tackling spring cleaning
Though the above apps make spring cleaning easier, that doesn’t mean cleaning is suddenly fun. Spring cleaning is called a chore for a reason, and it’s no surprise that most people hire outside help to get the job done. But luckily, there are plenty of ways you can make the process go by quicker and save money in the process.
- Get the family involved and play cleaning games kids are sure to enjoy.
- Tackle one room or section of your home at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- Create a cleaning schedule to break out tasks by week or month.
- Read up on the latest home organization trends to take your home to the next level.
- Hire outside help for the least fun chores or on an infrequent basis to make daily cleaning easier.
How to stay motivated when cleaning
Knowing how to clean your home quickly is one thing, but finding the motivation to keep things clean over time is another thing all together. To bring back those elusive feelings of motivation and productivity, it’s all about making cleaning manageable and fun. Try out the following tips to turn cleaning into something you actually look forward to after a long day at work.
- Make a plan to donate unnecessary items to those in need.
- Turn on your favorite album and dance around your home while you clean.
- Take before and after pictures to see how cleaning impacts each room.
- Set a timer on your phone and try to clean each room as fast you can — then compare your time to the previous month to see how you did.
- Create new habits that encourage a cleaner home, such as wiping down the counters while the coffee brews or vacuuming the living room before bed each night.
- Buy new cleaning supplies or products to get yourself excited to clean.
Once you’ve finally organized your closet and cleaned away the dust bunnies, you may be left with a few final spring home maintenance tasks you don’t know how to handle. But if you have a home insurance policy with Hippo, you can take advantage of Hippo Home to get the right professional to your door in a snap. Wishing your insurance company was like that? Switch to Hippo and it will be.
