Seasonal Cleaning: 14 Fall Cleaning & Organizing Tips

As students head back to school, we’re reminded that autumn is just around the corner. Even here in the Myrtle Beach area, temperatures become cooler and we begin to prepare for the upcoming holidays. Cleaning for fall is all about preparing for holiday visitors and getting ready for the cooler weather of winter. Indoors, you’ll focus the majority of your efforts on the rooms used most during holiday entertaining such as the living room, dining room, kitchen and power room/guest bathroom. Let’s take a look at the list of seasonal cleaning tips to get your home clean and ready for fall.

1. Clean the oven. Whether your oven has a self-cleaning feature or requires manual cleaning, getting this task out of the way now means you are ready to cook up all of your family’s favorite holiday dishes.
2. Put away all countertop appliances you don’t use at least weekly. This will create more space for prepping and cooking meals.
3. Clean out refrigerator and freezer. Toss out expired condiments, dig out the science experiment left-overs from the way back and clean the inside and outside.
4. Clean light fixtures – particularly bowl-style fixtures that have collected dead bugs over the summer.
5. Vacuum furniture and draperies (or have them professionally cleaned).
6. Clean baseboards and window sills.
7. Check dryer vent lines for blockages and have them “blown out” or professionally cleaned as needed to avoid build-up that can cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.
8. Have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected to check for creosote build-up that can cause chimney fires.
9. Clean your vacuum. Over time, hair and threads can build up on the vacuum roller and prevent it from rotating freely. Make sure to change your vacuum filter (if equipped).
10. Head outdoors and clean all windows from outside.
11. Winterize garden hoses and the sprinkler system when it’s no longer needed for the season.
12. Clean patio furniture and other outdoor summer-time items. Stow them away securely until spring.
13. Recaulk and/or replace weatherstripping around windows, doors and garage doors.
14. Swap out summer clothes and shoes for warmer fall and winter clothes and shoes. Be sure clothes are freshly washed before storing to deter pests. As you work through your summer wardrobe, set aside anything you haven’t worn to consider donating. When storing clothes, use plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes that are an open invitation for bugs. Store items in an unused closet – avoid the attic or basement because the lack of temperature control can cause mold growth.

Having a cleaning plan at the start of each new season helps you prepare for the activities of the season. Changing out clothing and shoes as needed each season gives you a chance to review what items you no longer use and should consider donating. You’ll be decluttering each new season and keeping your home clean and comfortable.  The Clean Up Club is here if you need help with all your seasonal cleaning!