Fall is one of our favorite times of year; Not too hot, not too cold, football games, and pumpkin pie. Many of us are settled in for the season and not planning to move before the rush of the holidays. That makes NOW a great time for some deep cleaning around the house.
If you’re like us, it’s hard to remember the last time you swept behind the refrigerator (Who knows what could be hiding back there?!) or flipped the mattress on your bed. Here’s a fall cleaning checklist to help you keep track of some of those occasional chores, so you can tackle them this season.
Kitchen
- Scrub grout
- Dust refrigerator coils
- Sweep under / behind fridge
- Clean inside of dishwasher
- Wipe down and condition wood cabinets
- Clean oven
- Wash / disinfect trash cans
- Seal / polish granite countertops
- Toss expired food from pantry
- Check spices for freshness
*Cleaning Tip: A stiff-bristled brush and some warm water may be all you need to remove the grime from your grout. For heavier dirt and mild stains, spray with equal parts vinegar and warm water for several minutes. If you need something a little stronger, apply a baking soda paste and spray with vinegar.
Bathrooms
- Scrub grout
- Clean and condition cabinets
- Wash and disinfect trash cans
- Seal / polish granite countertops
- Clean out drains
- Deep clean shower and shower head
Never cleaned your shower head? You’re not alone. Click here for some shower head cleaning tips from Real Simple.
Living Areas
- Dust fans
- Vacuum upholstered furniture
- Vacuum under furniture
- Wash / replace artificial plants
- Dust living plants
- Wipe down screens (TV, computer, iPad, etc.)
- Clean keyboards and remotes
*Cleaning Tip: To dust your ceiling fan without making a mess, slip an old pillow case over the fan blades use the case to wipe the dust off the sides, top and bottom. This way all of the dust will fall into the pillow case without going everywhere!
Bedrooms
- Refresh bedding
- Vacuum and flip mattress
- Put cold-weather linens on beds
- Switch out seasonal clothes in closets/dressers
- Dust fans
All Around
- Wash walls
- Wash windows, window sills, window groves, window screens
- Clean washer and dryer
- Clean doorknobs, doors, light switches
- Spot clean carpets and rugs
- Clean under rugs
- Wash or dry clean curtains
- Clean baseboards
- Dust light bulbs and fixtures
*Cleaning tip: Rubber-edged squeegees are quicker and more effective than cloth or newspaper. They come in a variety of sizes, and you can screw-on an extension in order to reach those tricky high spots. This tool will definitely help you fly through your fall cleaning checklist!
General Maintenance
- Change HVAC air filter
- Replace fire alarm batteries
- Condition leather furniture
- Switch ceiling fans to circulate upward
- Clean out gutters
- Check and replace weather stripping as necessary
- Clean dryer vent
If you are working on selling your home this fall, click here to read one of our recent blogs: How & Why to Sell Your Home This Fall.