Definition

1. Verb:
   • To thoroughly clean the entire house, typically done once a year: The action of performing a complete and deep cleaning of a home, often associated with the spring season. It involves cleaning areas and items that are not part of a regular cleaning routine.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:
  • Every March, we spring-clean the entire apartment from top to bottom.
  • She decided to spring-clean her home, washing windows, shampooing carpets, and organizing closets.

Advanced Usage

• "To give something a spring-clean": Used metaphorically to mean to thoroughly review, refresh, or reorganize something that is not a physical house.
  • The company is giving its website a complete spring-clean to improve user experience.
  • It's time to spring-clean my wardrobe and donate clothes I no longer wear.

Variants and Related Words

• Spring cleaning (noun): The activity or instance of thoroughly cleaning a house in the spring.
  • Our annual spring cleaning took the whole weekend.

Synonyms

• Deep-clean: To clean something very thoroughly.
• Overhaul: To examine thoroughly and make necessary repairs or changes (used more for systems or machinery, but can be applied metaphorically to cleaning).

Related Phrases

• "To have a clear-out": (British English) To get rid of unwanted items, often as part of a thorough cleaning or reorganization.
  • We had a massive clear-out during the spring-clean.

Verb

1. thoroughly clean the entire house, often done only once a year
   • she started spring-cleaning on April 1