Summer cleaning in Spain comes too soon: why your home can live with sand, sweat and sunscreen a little longer

In August, it feels like a national ritual: the mass summer clean-up. As if summer were a temporary guest who’s had enough to drink and urgently needs to be shown the door. But summer cleaning in Spain? That’s like walking off the pitch halfway through the match because you’re worried your shoes might get dirty. The best months are still ahead.

I look around my living room. There’s sand on the floor, tracked in on my flip-flops, a pile of towels drying over the chairs, and a cool box in the corner that really should be back in storage. But instead of feeling guilty about the mess, I find myself smiling. Every detail is proof. Proof that I don’t just live in Spain — I live the way life here is meant to be lived: with sun, sea, and the freedom to ignore cleaning until it really can’t wait any longer.

Summer as a housemate

Many people treat summer like a temporary guest — welcome in June, annoying by August. I prefer to see it as a housemate. One who might leave a bit of a mess, but also brings endless evenings outdoors, wine at sunset, and that priceless scent of warm air drifting through the windows.

So why kick him out early with a mop and a bucket? In Spain, summer often lingers well into October. And trust me — there’ll be plenty of days left to scrub the place down.

Cleaning with intention

Summer cleaning in Spain doesn’t mean doing nothing — it means being selective.

Keep the kitchen and bathroom fresh — you don’t want heat-driven bacteria setting up camp there — but let the rest of the house stay in summer mode. The living room doesn’t need to look like your mother-in-law’s dropping by tomorrow. A quick sweep through the middle, a window open and a fan on is often more than enough.

During those quick cleaning sessions, put on a local radio station, like Costa Blanca Radio or Feel Good Radio — one that’s not afraid to play the occasional gloriously cheesy summer hit. That way, it feels more like a festive break than a household punishment.

Sand fades, memories stay

The sand in the house disappears on its own. September brings the first rains, refreshing the garden and washing the floors clean again. But the memories? They stay. The scent of sunscreen lingering on a cushion, the faded patches on the terrace where chairs stood for months, the glass still chipped from a balmy evening filled with laughter.

In Spain, a summer clean-up is a choice. And sometimes, it’s better not to make it. Because before you know it, you’ll be sitting in a spotless house while summer quietly slips away outside — and by then, it’s too late.