Home UK English spring clean

Meaning of spring clean in English:

spring clean

(also spring-clean)

Pronunciation

noun

British

  • A thorough cleaning of a house or room, typically undertaken in spring.

    ‘We were supposed to be starting a spring clean of the house last night but Debbie wasn't feeling too well so we had to leave that until tonight.’
    • ‘Clutter may be relative, but it still exists, which means that a good spring clean should be done regularly (regardless of the season).’
    • ‘Further problems were identified with the decor, which needed freshening up with a coat of paint and the whole place would benefit from a spring clean.’
    • ‘The park's rebirth was given a massive boost when a band of 30 volunteers spent the day giving the place a spring clean.’
    • ‘I still have to plan a big spring clean, including getting the carpets shampooed.’
    • ‘The project is worth up to £500m over 15 years and will begin with a spring-clean of the council's internal systems: IT support, HR and payroll.’
    • ‘A major spring cleaning was carried out to welcome them.’
    • ‘If you feel your body could use a spring cleaning of sorts, you may have considered a ‘detoxing’ program.’
    • ‘This week, he had to help his mother to do spring cleaning.’
    • ‘Michaela had decided at the last minute not to go to Four Winds with the rest of the family, choosing instead to stay behind and do the spring cleaning.’
    • ‘In fact, one of the fastest and easiest ways to make the tedious task of spring cleaning less taxing is to pop in a CD while completing your chores.’
    • ‘Now that I'm an adult, however, I'm, slowly but surely learning the value of change - and of a good spring cleaning.’
    • ‘I started my spring cleaning at 4pm and ended at 6 freaking AM.’
    • ‘There is clutter everywhere, no storage space, parts of it are falling apart and broken, and to be totally honest the whole place could do with spring cleaning - even though it is now officially summer!’
    • ‘I'm knee-deep in spring cleaning today.’
    • ‘Vintage is a fashion look that will never disappear, so next time you're doing your spring cleaning, think twice about trashing your favorite '80s suede jacket.’
    • ‘I wanted to do a bit of spring cleaning yesterday, so I thought I would start with the closet.’
    • ‘I didn't get all my spring cleaning done, but I will be off the first week in June, so I can get some summer cleaning done instead.’
    • ‘This morning I was thinking, I'd rather be having an easy Sunday, reading the paper and all, but decided it was essential to get down to some serious spring cleaning.’
    • ‘She's also looking forward to having time to travel and to get her house in order with a bit of spring-cleaning.’

verb

[with object]

  • Clean (a home or room) thoroughly.

    ‘it was Veronica who spring-cleaned the flat’
    • ‘Diwali, also considered as the unofficial Indian New Year, is a traditional time for spring-cleaning the home and for wearing new clothes.’
    • ‘In early March of 2002, Miss Natasha Barrow was spring-cleaning her recently purchased flat in Edmonton, North London.’
    • ‘When Lennox Morrison, a journalist, wanted to spring-clean her life - changing her weight, her career and even her name - she realised it was no job for a well-meaning amateur.’
    • ‘The creatures play an important role in the changing shape and composition of the ocean floor, as they sluggishly spring-clean the seabed.’
    • ‘This is a good opportunity to spring-clean rugby's tarnished image.’
    • ‘In Britain, as in India, the festival is a time for thoroughly spring-cleaning the home and for wearing new clothes and most importantly, decorating buildings with fancy lights.’
    • ‘I decided the other day when I was spring cleaning the house that I have accumulated far too many things and that a lot of them really have to go.’