spring-cleaning

American  

[spring-klee-ning] / ˈsprɪŋˈkli nɪŋ /

noun

1. a complete cleaning of a place, as a home, done traditionally in the spring of the year.

2. the activity of giving a place a complete cleaning.

   We've been involved in spring-cleaning and are exhausted.

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Etymology

Origin of spring-cleaning

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The way I think about spring cleaning is this: cooking is a recurring act of care.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

But bosses say the spring cleaning of the group's pipeline is needed to refocus and get the reorganisation off on the right foot in a market that has become pickier and more competitive than ever.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

Take advantage of the delay in spring cleaning by cleaning and sharpening your tools.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 1, 2024

But because I am also constantly reckoning with a pesky sense of dread regarding obligations of any size, I also find the concept of spring cleaning over-ambitious and intimidating.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2024

Then a delicious month or two at Sorrento, with no east winds, no slush, no spring cleaning.

From Shawl-Straps A Second Series of Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag by Alcott, Louisa May