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Simplify the Holiday Season with a Fall Cleaning Checklist

The Maids • Sep 23, 2011

Most people think that there isn’t a need for Fall cleaning because there is so much hype in the Spring, but that is a common misconception. In reality, it can be much more efficient and useful to do Fall cleaning instead. House cleaning can become less of a priority over the Summer since most fill their time enjoying the long awaited heat rather than cleaning; making a Fall cleaning checklist is the perfect chance to catch up.   

Get your kitchen in tip-top shape for the holidays by using a Fall cleaning checklist!

Not only will creating your own Fall cleaning checklist allow you to make up for a lazy summer, but Fall cleaning will also allow you to prep for the holidays. By getting your Fall cleaning done, you can allow yourself to truly enjoy the holiday season and spend your time picking out the perfect stuffing recipe for the holidays rather than spending time on holiday cleaning. Fall cleaning will make your holiday cleaning more bearable and less stressful. Take our word for it, following a simple Fall cleaning checklist will make your holiday season run more smoothly. Of course there are things that you would still be cleaning regularly, but here is a great Fall cleaning checklist from HouseCleaningCentral.com that spells out the essentials of Fall cleaning. 

Fall Cleaning Checklist

In the past, once-a-year cleaning tasks were done in the spring. Over the years, I’ve gradually moved many of them to the fall. It just makes more sense.

If you have friends or family over for Thanksgiving or winter holidays, fall is the perfect time to do these things. It will ensure that you have a cleaner house and don’t end up putting things off until the last minute. It makes the holidays a lot less stressful.

Carpets

According to carpeting industry experts, you should have your carpet professionally cleaned every 6-18 months depending on traffic. If you do it once a year, fall is the perfect time. Your carpet will be beautiful for holiday family gatherings and parties.

Most carpet cleaning companies offer a special deal where they will come back and take care of any stain within so many months of cleaning. If you clean in the fall and one of the kids spills cranberry sauce on the carpet at Thanksgiving, you’re covered. You should also let them professionally vacuum your carpet before cleaning. They can remove more dirt than your vacuum can.

Attic

When the weather cools down, it’s the best time to get up there and get rid of your dust and mildew breeding factory. All you have to do is take a vacuum up into the attic, start at the ceilings, and work your way down. If you’ve never been in your attic or just don’t want to try this project yourself (some attics require some dangerous maneuvering), you can hire someone to do it for you.

The benefit is that you will increase the air quality in the whole house. You’ll also have a clean place for storage. Be sure to use a dust mask and protective eyewear, especially if you’ve never cleaned your attic. You are going to create a lot of particle clouds floating around up there. Check for wet areas caused by roof leaks.

Chandeliers & Light Fixtures

The beginning of fall is the best time to clean chandeliers, light globes, and light diffusers. You are probably going to have people over for the holidays, and let’s face it – that’s the only time you notice how dirty your lights are.

The easiest way to clean a chandelier is to leave it where it is. Taking apart the chandelier creates a much larger job, and you might not know how to put everything back together again. Get a step stool or a ladder and clean with a damp cloth. Another method is to use two cotton gloves – one sprayed with window cleaner and one dry.

Next you should tackle the light globes on ceiling fans and other fixtures. You should do a room at a time. Detach the globes carefully and let them soak while you are cleaning that room. Rinse and wipe them clean and replace them afterward. It’s not difficult, but most people have a lot of light fixtures. You’ll notice a change in lighting immediately. Don’t forget your porch lights.

Draperies

Check the labels of your draperies. If they are machine washable, wash them on a gentle cycle with Woolite or other gentle detergent and let them hang dry. If they say dry clean only, don’t take chances.

Oven and Range

You probably do this as needed, but this is a good time to do a thorough oven cleaning, especially if you cook and bake a lot during the holidays. Use a spray cleaner and let it sit overnight. Wipe clean in the morning. This is a much safer technique than using a self-cleaning oven. Starting with a clean oven makes it a lot easier to simply wipe the oven clean the day after Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to take off the range and oven dials and let them soak in soapy dishwater.

Refrigerator & Freezer

This is the time to do a thorough job where you take everything out and clean the shelves. It won’t take long enough to worry about food spoiling if you just get in there and do it. Use an antibacterial household cleaner and clean off all the shelves. Take out the drawers and wash them in the kitchen sink. When you’re done, take everything out of the freezer and put it in one side of the sink. Use the same cleaner to wipe down all surfaces. If you have ice cube trays, wash them in the top shelf of the dishwasher or let them soak in the sink.

Polish Silver

Most people only use their good silver around the holidays, so this is the perfect time to polish silver serving pieces and tarnished silver flatware.

Furniture and Rugs

Move heavy furniture and mop or vacuum underneath it. This only has to be done once a year, so don’t break your back doing it more often. Turn over area rugs and vacuum the backs of them. This will help get out any dirt that is hiding out at the base of the rug fibers. Never beat an area rug to clean it. It will break down the rug backing and fibers.

Gutters

Of course, fall is the time of year that your gutters get filled with leaves. Clean them with a special hose attachment that has a hooked end to get down into the gutters.

Better yet, look into attaching “hoods” or “helmets” to your gutters so you won’t have to worry as much about leaves in the future

Before you embark upon your Fall cleaning mission, you should be sure to de-clutter and get rid of things you don’t need or use, which can make your Fall cleaning an easier job. For example, when you get up to that attic to start your Fall cleaning, be sure to throw out (or donate) all the stuff you forgot you even had! 

  • Here are some more Fall cleaning tips that you can add to your Fall cleaning checklist to really help you get holiday ready: 
  • Be sure to turn over your mattresses and wash all sheets and comforters as part of your Fall cleaning routine
  • Add windows (both inside and out) to your Fall cleaning checklist
  • Wiping down all cabinets is a Fall cleaning must
  • A Fall cleaning essential is to dust off your refrigerator’s condenser coil (you wouldn’t want to run into problems on Thanksgiving!)
  • Be sure to include vacuuming and spot cleaning upholstered furniture and cushions to your Fall cleaning checklist

The end goal of having a Fall cleaning checklist is to ultimately make holiday cleaning less stressful for you and your family so you can truly enjoy the holiday season. By using these Fall cleaning tips you could potentially have you refrigerator cleaned out, all your rugs deep cleaned and even your silver polished all by Halloween. After you get your Fall cleaning out of the way, all you will need to think about is how you are going to fit your family around the dining room table this holiday season. Good luck with your Fall Cleaning!

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