COLLECTION STORY

Spring Cleaning Trail

A look at how cleaning has been portrayed in Royal Collection objects

crop of washer woman's hands and bucket
Armour being cleaned at Windsor Castle
Armour being cleaned at Windsor CastleCopyright: Royal Collection Enterprises Limited

With so many precious and delicate works of art in the Royal Collection, it is no surprise that cleaning the Collection and the magnificent palaces that house them takes a lot of work. There are teams of Housekeeping staff, Palace Attendants and Conservators looking after these national treasures all year round.

At Windsor Castle we undertake our own spring clean in the form of the annual ‘High Clean’, which traditionally takes place in early January. The Castle is closed over a two-week period when the State Apartments are cleaned from floor to ceiling. This is essential for conserving and protecting the Castle’s interior as well as works of art from the Royal Collection.

Read more below to discover how cleaning is depicted in objects from the Royal Collection.


Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection, one of the world’s great art collections. Income from your visit helps us to conserve and share the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they are.