September 7 2020

13 Places to Clean Come Fall – Fall Cleaning Checklist

Ellen Bruya Residential News cleaning, fall, home, snohomish

The beginning of Fall is a great time to get your home clean and prepped for the oncoming months of colder weather. Things that have taken a rest or backseat to enjoying those warm summer days. Now that summer is winding down and the weather will be milder soon it is a great time to make a fall cleaning checklist of things to accomplish to get ready for the shift in seasons.

Here is a Fall Cleaning Checklist to Get You Started

Clean and Store Outdoor Furniture

In some locations you can enjoy being outdoors year round, here in the Pacific Northwest, we love the outdoors, but we may not be itching to sit on the back deck when fall storms begin. Pick a day that is forecasted to be dry and not too cold to clean up the outdoor furniture and place it into storage.

Make sure to look for any stains on pillows, cushions, rugs, and even fabric umbrellas. Now is the time to treat fabric stains instead of leaving them to sit until next summer. They will be much harder to remove after sitting so long and may not come out at all.

If you do not have a large enough space to store your outdoor furniture, protect it by covering it up. You can purchase outdoor furniture covers or weatherproof tarps and tie downs. If you are leaving metal furniture outside place a tarp underneath it to protect the legs from staining the surface it is on with rust.

Tune Up and Put Away Gardening Gear

In the same way you prepare your garden for colder months, you should also prepare your tools. Clean each tool, make any needed repairs, and put away until warmer days come. Don’t forget about winterizing the lawnmower.

Take Care of Gutters and Downspouts

It is the famous time of year when the trees turn beautiful colors and leaves fall everywhere, including the gutters. Clogged gutters can cause significant damage if left unattended. Gutters should be cleaned routinely during the fall to keep them clear.

Winterize Outdoor Water Features

All outdoor faucets should be covered with those Styrofoam covers, fountains should be turned off, automatic sprinklers should be blown out, and if you have a pool it should be winterized as well.

Wash the Windows

If you didn’t do this during spring cleaning now would be a good time to give windows an exterior and interior wash. It is also a goodtime to clean the curtains if you haven’t yet.

Chimney and Fireplace

As you prepare to more frequently use the fireplace on chilly days it is best to make sure the fireplace and chimney are clean and ready to go for all of the extra use. Your fireplace and chimney should be inspected yearly anyway.

Smoke Detector Batteries

This is a very important task that should not be neglected. Smoke detectors can and do save lives in homes all across America every year. So make sure those batteries are fresh and test the detector to ensure it still works.

Clean or Replace HVAC Filters

In addition to a yearly servicing and cleaning, it is important to change out your central air filters. It improves the air quality in the home, helps reduce dust, and reduces wear and tear on your furnace.

Deep Clean the House

If you have been more relaxed with routine cleaning in the summer, now is the time to give everything in the home a deep cleaning. Make sure to get places rarely cleaned.

Bedroom:

Vacuum under furniture, bring out the cozier/heavier winter linens, clean and flip the mattress, have carpets and rugs cleaned. Store away summer clothes and bring out the fall and winter ones. Don’t forget about wiping down closet walls and cleaning the floor.

Bathroom:

Scrub away any mold and mildew in the shower stall, clean out cabinets and get rid of old product, put shower curtains and bath mats in the laundry if possible, clean fixtures including the lights doorknobs and switches, replace your toothbrush, consider a professional tile and grout cleaning.

Living Room:

Do a thorough dusting including the tops of tall furniture, high shelves and baseboards. Clean electronics and remotes. Wipe down walls and remove cobwebs. Send out rugs for cleaning and have carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned.

Kitchen:

Empty the pantry of expired food and wipe down the shelves, clean appliances, clean the vent hood, have natural stone counters professionally cleaned as well as tile.