29 Dec 2025 7 Cleaning Tasks to Tackle Before the New Year for a Fresh Start
By Shagun Khare
See the full article on The Spruce
Key Takeaways:
- Dust off hard-to-reach spots like doorways and baseboards.
- Place mats at every doorway so that mud and dirt doesn’t track indoors.
- Clear out expired or excess items from the fridge.
A clean home is the perfect, literal blank canvas to achieve your new year resolutions. Plus, between all the Christmas gifts and holiday hosting, our homes can end up more cluttered and chaotic—so some TLC goes a long way.
The key to having a clean home isn’t to tackle everything at once. To make a clear space actually attainable, it’s best to break the process up into simple steps.
Here, experts share seven cleaning tasks to handle before the new year starts to put your best foot forward in 2026
Meet the Expert:
- Robin Murphy is the Chief Cleaning Officer at Maid Brigade.
- Jessica Gonzalez is the chief operating officer of Sparkly Maid San Antonio.
Do a Round of “Forgotten Spot” Dusting
Dust collects pretty much everywhere—but we don’t always think to take care of tight corners and hidden surfaces.
“Baseboards, light switches, door frames—these aren’t things most people wipe down weekly, but they quietly collect dust and fingerprints all year,” says Robin Murphy, Chief Cleaning Officer at Maid Brigade.
For windows in particular, Murphy notes that even a quick once-over can help brighten the house and make the air feel fresher for the new year.
“Since windows stay closed all winter, getting rid of that buildup now makes the indoor air a little kinder to breathe,” Murphy says.