Getting a classroom cleaned up for spring might seem like an overwhelming task, but the good news is that there is no need to tackle it all in one day. Instead, spread the work across two weeks and see your classroom spring cleaned in 10 days.
Clean Your Whole Classroom in 10 Days
A classroom is a learning space, and with learning and creativity usually comes a bit of mess and chaos. Spring is a great time to consider cleaning things up and giving the room a fresh start. Follow these steps and get things in great shape for the arrival of warmer weather.
Try to fit in 30 minutes of work every day. Whether this means arriving at school a little early, using lunch breaks, or staying a bit late, the goal should be 30 minutes of dedicated spring cleaning time per day. If you don’t have room in your schedule for cleaning outside of class, don’t hesitate to get creative with having students involved!
Week One Cleaning Schedule:
Week one is the week of organization.
Day 1: Start with your work space. Throw away unnecessary papers and put away any important documents and supplies. Gather all the pens, pencils, paper clips, and Post-it notes and put them in their designated holders and drawers.
Day 2: Move to the activity centers. Are there books and papers laying out on the center tables and common areas? Are the tables and pieces of furniture where they should be, or has use moved them from their intended locations? Take some time to return items to their “homes” and to generally tidy up areas around the room.
Day 3: Attack cabinets and drawers. Keep things from truly becoming violent, but do toss anything that seems to be taking up space without being useful. Take a good look at the space available to you in the form of shelves and drawers and reorganize items to consolidate space. Also be sure that the items you use most often are still easy to reach, and that you make notes for organizing next back-to-school season.
Day 4: Focus on bookshelves and whiteboard. Are the whiteboard markers and erasers all in one place? Are there ones that don’t work still hanging around? Have the bookshelves become a disorganized and poorly stacked mess? Gather anything that needs to be thrown away and toss them, and then spend some time making sure markers, erasers, and books are in the right place so that when you need them, you can find them! Read more about getting your whiteboard completely clean.
Day 5: Check up on room decor. Are some of the anchor charts looking a bit run-down? Have other charts and posters gotten curled edges and tears in them? Do an overall check of decorations in the room and get rid of or fix items that are a bit out of shape. Make notes for the fall of what decorations could use replacing, and what new things you’d like to add.
Week Two Cleaning Schedule:
Week two is the week of cleaning surfaces.
Day 6: Start by dusting tables, your desk, and shelves. Dusting might seem pointless, but a quick dust of all the shelves, tables, and other surfaces of the room will help to make things feel a little fresher. Use a microfiber cloth or Swiffer Duster to pick up as much of the dust as possible, and a kid-safe cleaning spray for places with fingerprints.
Day 7: Now wipe everything down. Get out a little soap and water and wipe down table tops, chairs, the whiteboard marker tray, and the fronts of cabinets and drawers. The dust might be gone, but a quick wipe down of surfaces will help to remove any missed fingerprints or sticky spots. Also be sure to look around at the walls where mud, paint, or other messes might have left their mark.
Day 8: Disinfect items used daily. Whether this means giving whiteboard markers a quick once-over with a Lysol wipe, or simply going to every door and drawer handle in the room, try to disinfect anywhere you know hands go regularly. Not only will this give you peace of mind, but may also help to keep you and your students germ-free.
Day 9: Spot clean any rugs or fabric. If you have rugs in the reading area, or a welcome mat by the door that could use a little love, use this day to try and get rid of stains or dirt. Your classroom may be vacuumed, but somehow dirty shoes and art projects will leave their mark. Try a scrubbing brush with some dish soap and water for spills or stains, and trim any sticky spots out of rugs to have them looking nearly new.
Day 10: Add something new to the room. If you’ve made it this far, your learning space is bound to be looking great! As a reward for yourself and a surprise for your students, add something new to the room. Whether this means you create a new piece of decor to hang up, try a new furniture arrangement, or add a new book to the library, a reward for cleaning up the room is a great way to end two weeks of consistent effort and squeaky clean results.
More Classroom Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks
For more ideas and resources to help you along your spring cleaning journey, check out the other blog posts on our site. Also be sure to stop by the online store to find thousands of great classroom tools and products in one convenient location.
