Get Ready For Fall - Our Seasonal Home Cleaning Checklist

source: Spotless Spaces

Fall chores. Everyone dreads them, but they need to be done to protect your home from the harshness that winter can bring! Inside and out, your home needs tender-loving care.

Tackle all your fall home cleaning chores by following our list of simple, but necessary tasks.

Outside Your Home

Outside the home is just as important, if not more, than the interior of your home.

Protect your investment – inspect, clean, and repair any problems you find, especially with windows, doors, gutters and chimneys.

• Clear gutters and downspouts of debris. In ice-prone areas, think about installing a heating cable to melt any ice dams that form.

• Inspect chimneys and flues and have them cleaned if needed.

• Inspect doors and windows, including the garage door. Make sure when closed, they form a tight seal; if not, install weather-stripping and door thresholds.

• Inspect the caulk around windows and doors; re-caulk as necessary.

• Touch up paint on trim, railings and decks. Check out our Web Guide Painting Your Home's Exterior: Things You Should Know .

• In the garden, drain and store garden hoses, install insulating covers on exterior spigots, and in ice-prone areas, have the sprinkler system blown free of water to prevent damage to the pipes from the freezing water.

• Clean and store your patio furniture.

Inside Your Home

Two of the best reasons to complete a deep cleaning of the interior of your home in the fall is (1) to take advantage of cool and wonderful fall weather and (2) to get ready for the holidays!

Deep clean now and forget about having to tackle it later to impress the guests…and even better yet, enjoy and relax in your clean and comfortable home.

• Windows:
  • Wash windows using a glass cleaner or a small amount of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle filled with water. It's best to do this on a cloudy day –heat from the sun shining on the glass will likely cause streaks.
  • Clean window treatments and window sills. Dust or vacuum valances, then vacuum the drapes or blinds. Or, for the blinds, you can submerge them in a few inches of cold water and a small amount of dishwashing liquid; just remove any metal components so they don't rust.

• Furniture and Light Fixtures:
  • Vacuum and clean your furniture or have it professionally cleaned; don't forget to clean under and behind each piece!
  • Flip bed mattresses over and turn them 180 degrees; this maneuver ensures even wear and tear.
  • Wash mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets, and comforters; purchase new pillows if your old ones aren't holding their shape or if you've had them more than two-three years.
  • Clean and dust light fixtures and bulbs.

• Floors:
  • Rent a carpet cleaner or schedule a professional carpet cleaning.
  • Deep clean tile and grout, and hardwood floors…or get a professional to do it.

• Kitchen and Appliances:
  • Inspect and clean large kitchen appliances. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall and clean/vacuum the condenser coils; be sure to remove all dust and debris.
  • Clean and organize kitchen cabinets and your kitchen pantry.
  • Inspect the dryer exhaust tube and vent; remove any lint and debris.
  • Inspect washer hoses for bulges and cracks; these should be replaced every other year to prevent flooding.
  • Clear kitchen counters of everything not used regularly; store items based on how often you use them.

• Heating and Plumbing System:
  • Inspect and clean the central vacuum's collection receptacle.
  • Clean or replace humidifiers.
  • Inspect washer hoses for bulges and cracks; these should be replaced every other year to prevent flooding.
  • Inspect and clean your furnace or schedule to have it inspected by a professional; change filters monthly through the winter months for maximum energy savings and efficient heating.
  • Drain sediment from hot water heaters.

Videos

See how the professionals do it.

Prepare Your Home for Winter
Make sure your heating system, pipes and gutters are ready for Winter.

source: Farm Bureau Insurance

More:
- Preparing Your House for Winter Weather: Tip #1 - Clean Out Your Gutters
- Preparing Your Home For Winter

Gutters and Downspouts Maintenance and Repair Tips
Lowe's Home 101 experts, Joel and Courtney, demonstrate how to maintain your home's gutters.

source: Lowe's

How to Prepare a Garden for Winter
Learn how to protect your plants so they weather the winter and come back happy and healthy in the spring.

source: Lowe's

More:
- Green Garden TIPS: How to prepare for Fall Clean-up
- Basic Gardening Tips : How to Prepare Garden Beds for Winter

Fall Home Cleaning Checklists

  Real Simple's Fall Cleaning Checklist

  Martha Stewart's Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

  Home Know-It-All Fall Cleaning To-Do List

  5 Indoor Cleaning Tips

Where to Buy

To help you complete your fall cleaning checklist.

Swiffer Clean virtually every surface of your home with a sweeping, mopping, or dusting household cleaning solution from Swiffer. Bissell All Vacuums, Deep Cleaners, Steam Cleaners, Sweepers, Mops and Brooms purchased on bissell.com in September will ship for free! Hoover From vacuums to carpet cleaners, and steam cleaners to air purifiers, Hoover makes the powerful products that let you easily tackle pet hair, dust, dirt, grime, and stains. And now get up to 25% off any purchase and free shipping.

Clorox From doing the laundry to cleaning the house, Clorox has a product that'll work for you. Check out their special offers to find coupons and how-to guides…you can even enter a contest or two! Mr. Clean Find cleaning tips and reviews of Mr. Clean products…and pick up a coupon to save $3.00 off Mr. Clean products. Dirt Devil Check out their online specials to save up to 40% on Dirt Devil products.