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With Autumn just around the corner, it’s time to conquer those end of season deep-cleaning chores that help you and your family enjoy a clean and comfortable home this winter.
Personally, I love seasonal cleaning- it helps me prepare for the upcoming holiday season in a non-chaotic, orderly, and somewhat fun manner. And what better way to usher in the upcoming fall season than a clean, orderly home?
With this in mind, I want to share with you all how I break down my own season chores as part of my Fall Cleaning Chore Checklist. A list to help you get your home in its healthiest shape before the winter season ahead. Here’s how to get started:
Patio
- Clean and store patio furniture, umbrellas, kid’s summer toys.
- If you own a pool: Drain the pool, if applicable. Close it up for the year.
Winterizing Maintenance
- Check caulk around windows and doors.
- Inspect external doors and garage doors for gaps which can cause drafts.
- Wash exterior windows.
- Check outdoor trim and touch-up paint as needed.
- Install insulating covers on exterior spigots.
- Check outdoor trim and touch-up paint as needed.
- Clean out outdoor lighting. Replace bulbs as needed.
- Check gutters and downspouts.
- Have chimneys and flues inspected and cleaned if necessary.
- Check chimneys for cracks and replenish lava stones accordingly.
- Check fire pits for rust or damage. Make sure winterized cover is available.
- Clean out birdhouses and feeders. Then purchase new feed accordingly.
- Stock-up on fire starters, kindling, and chopped wood.
Shed & Garage
- Inspect external doors and garage doors for gaps which can cause drafts.
- Wash exterior windows.
- Drain and store all garden hoses.
- Store flower pots; plastic pots will need to be cleaned, emptied, bleached, and air-dried.
- Terracotta pots should be sun-sanitized, stacked, and stored on their sides.
- Sew grass seeds, as needed.
- Service snow blower, power washers, lawnmowers, and leaf mulchers.
Windows
- Wash all windows with glass cleaner and wipe down with a microfiber cloth.
- A handy tip? Clean windows on a cloudy day so you can better see any streaks left while cleaning.
Vacuuming
- Vacuum all canvas, cotton, upholstery, and fabric blinds with a low setting and a brush attachment.
- Vacuum and spot clean upholstered furniture and cushions.
- Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
- Clean out and vacuum vents.
Dusting
- Vinyl shades can be wiped down with a dampened microfiber cloth.
- Dust, wash, rinse, and dry painted or wood-paneled walls.
- Clean ceiling-mounted light fixtures.
- Dust your electronics. Start with your CPUs, handheld devices, and phones. Make sure to clean and wipe down the keyboard, and dust off the monitor with a microfiber cloth.
Surfaces
- Wipe down the kitchen cupboards.
- Dust off the refrigerator condenser coil.
- Look at your wooden floors. Fill scratches.
- Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Decluttering
- Spruce up your computer. Defrag and recycle all unused files.
- Straighten up your closets.
- Create a capsule wardrobe.
- Clear kitchen counters of all appliances not used within the last week. Donate as needed.
- Organize kitchen cabinets, paying particular attention to baking supplies, pans, and equipment.
- Straighten-up the linen closet. Air out and declutter blankets, down comforters, and flannel sheets.
Seasonal maintenance
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Replace the furnace filter.
- Turn mattresses to equalize wear.
- Launder or clean all bedding: mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets, comforters.
- Clean all humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and diffusers.
- Drain sediment from hot water heaters.
- Thoroughly clean pet items including litter boxes, fountains, dishes, crates, and crate pads.
Allergy-Preventing Chores
- Clean blades of ceiling fans.
- Sort and clean any extra zones such as linen closets, utility closets, and office spaces.
- Be sure to use bathroom fans and clean up any standing water immediately.
- Scrub any visible mold from surfaces with detergent and water, and completely dry.
- Keep your home humidity levels at or around sixty percent.
- Remove pet allergens by vacuuming frequently and washing upholstery, including your pet’s bed.
- Stock-up on essential oils that help fight allergies including sweet orange oil and tea tree oil.
Each fall season I like to stock my home with rich spices, fresh produce, including sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and cranberries, along with comfort classics like evening tea and ginger root. But before I can take to the streets, I take time to properly storing stockpile items, including:
Canned goods
Canned goods cannot be allowed to freeze. When canned goods freeze, they stand the chance of cans bulging, which can cause the seam and lid failure, which can cause food-borne illnesses, not to mention to fail, changes in product texture, flavor, nutrient factors, and product color. Most canned goods are packed in a solution of salt or sugar, which lowers their freezing point, but canned goods should not be stored below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Before temperatures freeze, this season, move canned food indoors.
Soft Drinks, Cooking Oils, and Cleaners
Freezing can have adverse effects on liquids such as soda, cooking oil, soap or detergent. Basements are a great place to store these goods. Frozen detergents and cooking oils can be brought back to room temperature by placing them in trash bags, at room temperature, and then storing accordingly.
Dried Foods
Foods that are dehydrated or freeze-dried will actually last longer in the cold since there is no water in them to freeze or can be frozen in deep freezes. I like to use my food saver’s canning jar attachment to suck out the air and help preserve my food for the entire winter season ahead. Foods like flour and seeds are stored in the deep freezer in mason jars.
Produce
Some products such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and apples will actually keep longer stored in bins in cooler climates or sheds. If you use this method, be sure to check produce weekly, and with any sign of aging, the produce should be composed immediately. This is especially true for potatoes, which can emit deadly gasses if left to rot for several months.
Keep in mind, deep cleaning your home from top to bottom will essentially take several days. Do not attempt to clean your entire home in a day, or a weekend for that matter. Take a week, break off chores into chunks, utilize your family for aid and resource, and give yourself the grace of time and consideration of your everyday life when completing this expansive list. You can get a head start by changing your air filters every three months and using filters with a MERV rating of 11 or 12.
My biggest tip? Be sure to vacuum regularly to get rid of dust mites. Use a cyclonic vacuum, one which spins dust and dirt away from the floor, or a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. And as always, be sure to wash bedding and stuffed animals weekly.
Moreover, consider this when devising a fall cleaning schedule:
- Are you the kind of person who wants to do a little every day?
- Would you rather tackle it all at once so that you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week?
- Do you work full time or are you home during the day?
- Do you have young children at home whose chores can be incorporated into this system?
As there is no one “right way” to keep house, and so no universal cleaning schedule that will fit every household’s needs. It’s just about being mindful that for the next few months ahead is the long-term goals, so by adding a few small, obtainable cleaning goals each day is the way to go! This is a challenge to make your home as healthy as it is steadfast this coming season.
Friends, do you have any tried and true methods for cleaning around your home this time of year! I’d love to hear about them below!
