Top 10 Shows to Watch While Spring Cleaning

Video producer and professional organizer Beatrice Copeland grew up sharing a house with three sisters, so she knows a thing or two about managing small spaces. As the creator and host of this Refinery29 weh series, she shares a slew of eye-opening room reorg tips and life hacks. Whether it’s helping roommates share a tiny bathroom or turning a lightbulb into a terrarium, she turns clutter into opportunities for innovation. You can easily fly through her addictive segments, which all run less than 10 minutes long. They’ll undoubtedly give you a perfectly paced taste of the woman Cheddar News calls “Martha Stewart for millenials,” and get you excited about organizing. Plus, Copeland is just so lovable!

Ready to give up on your rundown messy home? “Rehab Addict” will have you believing that no house is beyond saving. Host Nicole Curtis saddles up to restore architecture that others may be ready to condemn to its former grandeur, and she doesn’t always need a sledgehammer to do it. More than just a flipper, Curtis focuses on finding the hidden gems that made the homes great in the first place. It’s truly encouraging to watch her work hard and passionately resurrect historical structural beauties where there were once piles of plaster. The mom from Detroit dresses for success in jeans and work boots, and watching her will have you pumped to dirty your hands and break some fingernails.

Some people listen to music while spring cleaning, while others rock out to the sound of great comedy. If you’re part of the latter group, we recommend “Schitt’s Creek”, Dan and Eugene Levy’s hilarious sitcom about the wealthy Roses, who lose their fortune. The now-poor family is forced to relocate to their sole remaining asset: a remote town aptly named “Schitt’s Creek.” Endearingly eccentric characters and storylines make this easily bingeable TV that you can laugh along with while you empty out your cavernous closets. There are plenty of episodes, and the entertaining misadventures will make time pass quickly and household drudgery feel like a lot more fun. You may even be inspired to brave the outdoors when you’re done…

Should we stay or should we go? When the fresh imagination of interior design meets the itchy feet of restless homeowners, we get “Love It or List It.” The reality show pits designer Hilary Farr against real estate agent David Visentin in a battle for householders’ hearts. She renovates their existing spaces in a bid to get them to stay, while he seeks out new properties for them to buy. By each episode’s end, the couple in question must decide whether or not to sell their house. And we get many charming and relatable family stories along the way. If housework is making you want to run away, this show might remind you just why you called it “home sweet home” to begin with.

The trials of housekeeping have landed you in your kitchen, and it’s time to unleash your inner foodie with “The Great British Baking Show.” There are many culinary shows out there, but none quite have the soothing and happy energy of this program. Considering how intense spring cleaning can be, it’s the perfect stress reliever. Amateur bakers compete in three themed challenges per episode, culminating in the “showstopper,” which dares them to go all out with their skills and creativity. What better way to think up a new use for those forgotten ingredients lurking in the back of your kitchen drawers? Cooking ideas, funny moments, and some surprising spin-offs make this series a pleasurable watch that’s also fitting for your much-needed cleaning break.

There are multiple lovable TV neat freaks to help get you through the deluge of old stuff in your home. But none quite compare to the woman who’s always been there for us: Monica Geller. “Friends,” follows six NYC pals, and features actress Courteney Cox as the rising chef of the squad. Monica also can’t help but clean like it’s a bodily function. There’s ne’er a corner of her apartment that she doesn’t keep spotless, so she can certainly inspire you to start scrubbing. Even if her attitude is too intense for you, the show itself is pure mental refreshment, with plenty of episodes to play on repeat. And if you’re ever feeling discouraged, remember that even Monica has a secret messy side…

If you think the explosion of useless items that’s gone off in your house is bad, “Hoarders” is here to cheer you up a bit. Each episode features one or two subjects suffering from compulsive hoarding disorder, beginning with their interventions before tackling the decluttering of their homes and minds. Mental health experts, professional cleaners, and family support help transform nightmares of stuff-accumulation into liveable homes and brand new starts for the people in question. The concept spawned “update” episodes to follow up with the hoarders’ recoveries, as well as a similar show, “Hoarding: Buried Alive” on TLC. While hoarding is a clinical condition, these shows will likely give you the extra push to sort through that spare room.

Springtime is all about new beginnings, and so is this motivational spin-off of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover”. Hosted by Ty Pennington — and later Jesse Tyler Ferguson — the show introduces us to families who, in times of need, have their houses remodeled from head-to-toe. Watching hardworking people who deserve a break get their dream homes is heartwarming, to say the least. Now, we’re not expecting you to take your spring cleaning quite this far. But the beaming smiles you’ll see during the final reveals will likely make you grin, even as you wipe work-sweat from your brow. And if you’re interested in seeing more of the home makeover process, check out the “How’d They Do That” spin-off, which takes you behind-the-scenes!

You don’t need a million dollar paycheck to live like a celebrity, and expert organizers Clea and Joanna are here to prove it. The duo’s Netflix show takes us into the homes of celebs and non-famous folk alike. And their tips and tricks show them — and us — how to make jumbled-up spaces work as efficiently as possible. “Form plus function” is the goal, as they introduce the magic of labels, zones, and visually satisfying symmetry to closets, kitchens, garages, and more. The BFFs have authored books and founded an entire business with the philosophy that organization and interior design can be one-in-the-same. They’re “morning coffee/evening champagne” gals whose show offers a crash course in superb spring cleaning style.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Fixer Upper” (2013-18)
A Renovation Power Couple Breathe New Life Into Texas Homes

“Trading Spaces” (2000-08; 2018-19)
Neighbors Swap Homes for Budget-Friendly Reinventions

“Queer Eye” (2018-)
The Fab Five Give Wardrobes, Homes, & Lives Inspiring Makeovers

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015-19)
A Little Background Music With Your Clean-A-Long Sitcom?

“Hack My Life” (2015-18)
Sharing Amazing “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” Tips

The best way to get a fresh spring start is by watching the cleaning queen, who taught us to say “thank you” and let go. Marie Kondo, sensational creator of the life-changing “KonMari Method,” shares her divine command of tidying up in this bingeable Netflix series. More than just an organizer, Kondo teaches us to identify items that “spark joy,” and to dispose of those that do not. As she helps families declutter, she enlightens viewers on how cleaning can be a gateway to psychological and spiritual liberation and healing. Heavier stuff aside, you’ll pick up handy techniques, folding methods, and rearrangement hacks that will definitely invite joy into your life.