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Good Housekeeping's Executive Cleaning Director tests cleaning products all day, every day. Step up your game with her best tips.

With 40-plus years of testing and reviewing cleaning products under my belt, I'm always happy to dish out advice on all things home care, especially when it comes to helping someone refresh a space or solve a cleaning challenge. Now, at the turn of the season, it's the perfect time to say "clean out the old" and tidy up with the new. I understand that tackling a major cleaning can be a tad overwhelming when getting started, but with the right tips and tricks, spring cleaning can be a total breeze.

To get you started, here are the most commonly asked questions I get, with an inside look at all my cleaning secrets and favorite cleaning supplies and techniques for achieving a successful spring cleaning experience.

Whether you have hardwood floors or dense carpets, there's a vacuum cleaner out there that's suitable for all your cleaning needs. Here are your main options:

Reappearing stains happen when you've erased the stain from the surface of a carpet but failed to deal with the portion of the stain that's trapped or hidden down below. So before you toss the evidence of that red wine-stained rug or cover up that coffee-stained corner, try these simple steps:

Before you get cleaning, remember to check the labels on your cleaning products. Sanitizing significantly reduces the number of germs on a surface and takes less time to complete than disinfecting. By contrast, disinfecting kills more germs than sanitizing does, but can take up to 10 minutes depending on a product's ingredients. Not all cleaning products that claim to disinfect are equally effective on all types of germs. Read the labels to be sure the products you are using reduce or kill the germs you want.

Bad news: Your cell phone probably harbors more germs than your toilet seat, which is why it's crucial to clean your devices regularly. Coupled with a screen cleaner that busts dust, greasy fingerprints and grime, here are the techniques you can follow to keep your electronics in tip-top shape:

Wet cleaners and vacuums go hand in hand here. Vacuuming your fabric couch may get rid of light soil, debris and a few stray pet hairs, but in order to get rid of set-in stains, spills and pet smells you’ll need a deeper clean with a method that's safe for your furniture's fabric. Most hand vacs are made for dry messes, like pet hair and crumbs on upholstery, while portable carpet cleaners and upholstery cleaners are designed for drawing up wet spills like coffee, wine or pet messes, and they're great for tackling mishaps promptly without the need to pull out a full-size machine or clean it by hand.

Of all the chores on your list, windows are likely near the bottom, but with occasional dusting and spot cleaning, they can stay looking their best. Windows get splattered with dust, dirt and rain and need a yearly cleaning. Clean windows are one of the best, most satisfying ways to welcome spring and whether you tackle them all at once, room-by-room or call in a professional to do the work for you, you’ll feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when the sun shines in!

Not every hardwood floor is created equal: It all depends on how much traffic your floors get and the condition of the finish. Establish a cleaning schedule that makes the most sense for you. As a general rule of thumb, hardwood floors should be vacuumed at least weekly and wet cleaned every few months (more or less frequently, depending on traffic). When it comes time to clean, follow the steps below: