The Home Know-It-All posted a great fall cleaning checklist. I guess now that it’s all spelled out for me, I can no longer make excuses to get moving!
In the House
• Clean carpets, doormats, and rugs. Replace sisal or other summer rugs with winter ones.
• Clean and store spring and summer clothing; bring out your fall and winter duds. While you’re in the closet, why not get rid of a few things?
• Flip and rotate mattresses. Launder all bedding. If you use lightweight bed coverings in the summer, now’s the time to air out those winter comforters, too.
• Clean out kitchen cupboards and the pantry.
• Clean behind your refrigerator, washer, and dryer.
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Wash your windows.
• Hire someone to inspect your fireplace and chimney and get them ready for winter use.
• Clean out the garage. Even if it doesn’t need organizing, you may need to get rid of dirt that accumulated during the summer.
Outdoors
• Clean and store outdoor patio furniture and gardening supplies. (Don’t forget to clean outdoor cushions before storing too so they don’t become mildewy.)
• Drain and store garden hoses.
• Service the lawn mower. (You might need to hold off on this task for awhile, depending on how much longer you need to mow.)
• Install weatherstripping around outside doors.
• Inspect hot and cold supply lines that run through exterior walls and exposed pipes. Protect pipes by wrapping them with electric heat tape, fiberglass insulation or ready-made pipe jackets.
• Check out the roof—replace missing shingles or recaulk as needed.
• Clear debris from gutters and downspouts.
Credit: Home Know-It-All
