Fall Cleaning Projects
Most of us kick our cleaning routine into high gear after the winter is over in the tradition of spring cleaning set by those who came before our grandmothers’ grandmothers. As the temperature dips and the leaves blow, fall is another great time to go through the house and get some extra deep-down cleaning done. Before you have everyone over for Thanksgiving or add more belongings to your stash during the winter holidays, get your home into tip-top shape. If nothing else, it will make your spring cleaning easier when March or April rolls around. Here is a list of chores that you should try to get done. Don’t be afraid to put your kids to work; many of them are easy enough for a school-aged child to do!
- Clean the windows. During the winter, you’re going to want to let the sun shine in, and streaky or dusty windows will block some of the rays. Use window cleaner for regular dust build-up. If your windows are very dirty, use a sponge and water with a squirt of dishwashing liquid first. For a streak-free finish, dry with newspapers or coffee filters. While you’re at it, wash the window treatments; be sure to follow the care instructions on your draperies or curtains.
- Go through your cabinets, organizing and wiping down as you go. This is too big and tedious a job to do all at once, so choose one or two cabinets to go through per day. If you have 10 cabinets in your kitchen, you’ll still get them done within a week. Lower cabinets are a great task to assign even younger children!
- Have your chimney and furnace cleaned. This isn’t a do-it-yourself job, but it’s still important to have it done before the heating season starts, if possible. Soot and ash buildup can cause a malfunction, or worse, a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to avoid tragedy this winter.
- Get the yard cleaned and ready for snow. Once the leaves are done falling, do a thorough raking job. Also, bring in any lawn toys and furniture that you won’t be using until spring comes. If you have a swimming pool, drain it if you normally do so before the winter and haven’t done it already.
- Clean out the gutters. If ice or snow accumulates on top of heavy leaves, they might fall. While you have the ladder out, check the roof for loose or missing shingles, and get them replaced now. Also, check for any hanging branches that might damage the house if they’re blown down during a winter storm.
- Replenish your emergency kit. While this isn’t really a cleaning tip, make sure that you have flashlights, batteries, non-perishable goods, bottled water and anything else that you would need if you were to become stranded at home or lose power for a few days. If snow and ice make roads impassable, you’ll feel secure knowing that you will all be cozy and safe until you can get out again.
Getting the house ready for winter is easier now, before the severe weather hits, than it will be next month. Gather your family and spend a weekend or two preparing, then celebrate your success with a fun family movie or pizza party!
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This is great! I live at my sister-in-laws house but the cleaning is usually left up to my husband and myself. This will give us an idea of what should be done! Many Thanks!
It’s a good opportunity for a general cleaning this coming December because of the long holiday.
This is wonderful I have bookmarked this page, I’m getting ready do my Fall cleaning and lets just say I’m not looking forward to it 🙁
I didn’t have room in the house for all my plants so I raked all the leaves into the flower bed to give it a layer of insulation.
all are great tips. I plan on cleaning the gutters next week!
I was just on a cleaning spree this weekend. In addition to cleaning my cabinets I do the baseboards and wipe down my walls to get ready for the holidays.
Talking about replenishing emergency kit… I just purchased a fire extinguisher a few days ago! Now I just need to get a First Aid Kit ! 🙂 Great List and I Pinned it for future referrals!
I hate seasonal cleaning jobs, but as you get doing them you’ll get into a routine and like doing them and feeling accomplished.
I am working on doing this all right now. It’s going to look so nice when it’s all done!
Maybe I shouldn’t have read this because now I feel guilty because I’ve been putting all this off and I have guests coming for the holidays
Great list! Thanks for the reminder….and the push to get some of these things done. 🙂
I also am in the middle of cleaning for Thanksgiving, rugs etc:…..
i am in the middle of doing all that, i have so much to do , but i am trying to stay focus on doing one thing at a time.. thanks for the info and sharing with us
these are great ideas and I am doing this now before I decorate for christmas. Glad we are having thanksgiving at someone elses house so I can finish before I pull the christmas stuff out this weekend!
I should do these things now before the year ends! Got to start 2013 clean, fresh, and clutter free. I just hope I can get through to clearing my closet of unused clothing and accessories. Sometimes I have trouble of letting go cute stuff. Lol!
I know a good tip for preparing and cleaning house for winter, involve your kids. It’s really a great bonding and experience to have your family together in those activities.
Boy, I need to do all those things! I especially need to make sure the chimney is cleaned! We have a fireplace we use for supplemental heat and we really need to do this since we have a log cabin.
These are great ideas. I always do a general cleaning before the year ends.
wow what a list. some i never thought of. thanks so much. i have to go clean now