Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning isespecially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. In many cultures, annual cleaning occurs at the end of the year, which maybe in spring or winter, depending on the calendar.

The term is also used metaphorically for any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets theiraffairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.