Are you gearing up for spring cleaning? It may feel like a daunting task, but the perfect playlist can help get you in the mood to declutter, dust, mop and scrub every nook and cranny of your living space.
These 18 songs run the gamut of genres, covering blues, country, pop, rock, jazz and funk—and all are sure to put some pep in your step as you get your space spotless for spring.
Scrubbing the Kitchen
“Housework,” The B-52s
This song from the 1986 album “Bouncing Off the Satellites” will have you bouncing and bopping as you scrub your kitchen sink. Go ahead and grab your dish soap bottle microphone as you belt out the line about looking for a love “to share dreams and wishes/someone to help me do the dishes.”
“Dream Kitchen,” Frazier Chorus
From the British band’s 1989 debut album “Sue,” this feel-good pop song describes the “dream kitchen” that will surely be yours when you finish wiping down drawers, cleaning your oven and reorganizing your spice cupboard. The warm percussion and soaring flute will lift your spirits as you work.
“Yakety Yak,” The Coasters
You’ve probably danced to this catchy 1950s hit single in which a parent urges a rock-music-obsessed teen to do their chores. So go ahead and rock to this song while making your kitchen floor shine. (“If you don’t scrub that kitchen floor/You ain’t gonna rock and roll no more!”)
Refreshing the Bedroom
“Dreams,” Fleetwood Mac
You’ll be having sweet dreams once you’ve dusted, vacuumed and refreshed your bedroom. This classic from Fleetwood Mac’s wildly popular 1977 album “Rumours” makes a perfect soundtrack for cleaning the room where you spend one-third of your life.
“Housework,” Robert Palmer
From the 1990 album “Don’t Explain,” this bouncy tune infused with tropical rhythms will keep you going as you strip the sheets. It may even get you dancing around your bedroom as you “make the bed and fluff up the pillows/the housework makes you happy.”
“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” Wham!
This smash hit soared to the top of the charts in 1984 as the Wham!’s first number-one single, and it’s the perfect song to play when your hard work gets your heart pumping. (“You put the boom boom into my heart” and it “goes-bang-bang-bang/’til my feet do the same.”)
Spiffing Up the Living Room
“Pick Up the Pieces,” Average White Band
Move to the beat of this 1974 instrumental from the Scottish funk, disco and R&B band AWB as you “pick up the pieces” and declutter your living room. This timeless track is sure to energize you as you separate your donate/sell/trash piles and streamline your living space.
“Hard Work,” John Handy
Spring cleaning is definitely “hard work” but oh-so-rewarding when your living room ends up squeaky clean. In this tune from the 1976 album of the same name, jazz saxophonist John Handy adds soul and R&B influences that make the “hard work” of cleaning so much more fun.
“Our House,” Crosby Stills, Nash & Young
This happy 1970 classic describes a perfect, cozy house that’s clean and fresh with flowers in a vase and a fire in a fireplace—the perfect inspiration to finish spiffing up your living room. (Everything is done/such a cozy room (such a cozy room)/the windows are illuminated/by the evening sunshine through them.”)
Brightening Up the Bathroom
“She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” The Beatles
Crank up this classic from the 1969 “Abbey Road,” one of the Fab Four’s most famous and influential albums. The song, reportedly inspired by fans who broke into Paul McCartney’s home, will invigorate you as you shine the mirrors and polish the countertops.
“Splish Splash,” Bobby Darin
Chances are good you know the lyrics to Darin’s first big hit, about a guy who’s hanging out in the bath tub when he realizes there’s a party going on in his living room. (“Splish-splash, I was taking a bath/long about a Saturday night/rub dub, just relaxin’ in the tub/thinkin’ everything was alright.”) It’s the perfect song to listen to while you scrub your tub.
“Bathroom Sink,” Miranda Lambert
This tune from Lambert’s 2014 album “Platinum” offers a nod to her complicated relationship with her mom who taught her how to put on makeup and clean the bathroom sink. (“We’re still fighting like I’m 16/and I guess we always will be.”) Turn up this heartfelt tune while you polish the porcelain on your bathroom sink.
Working in the Laundry Room
“Dirty Laundry,” Don Henley
This 1982 classic rock hit from the album “I Can’t Stand Still” will have you singing along as you sort dirty towels, dish rags, and sheets, even if the dirty laundry Henley sings about is more figurative than your piles of lights and darks. (“People love it when you lose/they love dirty laundry.”)
“Washday Blues,” Dolly Parton
The singer of this country tune recalls a time when laundry was an all-day task dependent on good weather. (“Rubbin’ and a scrubbin’ and a raisin’ ’em out/I gotta hang ’em out early, I hope the sun comes out.”) The 1972 song is sure to make you feel grateful for modern technology as you put your household laundry through the spin cycle.
“Laundromat,” Bombadil
This Americana and folk-pop band waxes poetic about laundry and may even get you reminiscing about past trips to the laundromat as you fold your linens to this 2011 song. (“The soap is old the dry is cold and I cannot fold/my socks in knots as the quarters drop and I’m stuck in parking lots/as I listen to the machines go ‘round.“)
Revamping Your Outdoor Space
“Dust My Broom,” Elmore James
In this blues classic, the singer uses the slang of the time to talk about his plans to leave town in a hurry, but some say the song may also refer to cleaning a rented room before you go. In any case, it’s a great tune to listen to while sweeping your porch, deck or walkway.
“Spring Cleaning,” Fats Waller
In this sweet 1937 number, jazz pianist Fats Waller sings about nature sprucing up the outdoors to impress his love, making it the perfect accompaniment for light yard work. (“I’ll polish the leaves, make them green again/shake out the trees, change the scene again/spring cleaning–getting ready for love.”)
“Clean Up Your Own Backyard,” Elvis Presley
Though it’s one of The King’s lesser known songs, “Clean Up Your Own Backyard” may be the perfect track to listen to as you spiff up your outdoor living area. Released in 1969 as a single, it will get you singing along as you pull weeds, trim branches and dust off the cushions on your outdoor furniture.
What are your favorite songs to make spring cleaning more enjoyable? Feel free to share your music recommendations (and any spring cleaning tips!) in the comments.
