Fall Cleaning Checklist: Get Your Home Ready for Winter

Spring cleaning gets all the attention. Around here, fall cleaning matters more. Once the cold sets in, the windows stay shut until spring, the heat runs every day, and the holidays fill the house with people.

Whatever dust is in your home in October is the air you breathe all winter. This is the list I use to get a house ready before that happens.

Why fall is the right time

• The windows are about to close for months, so this is your last easy chance to air the house out
• The furnace is about to push air through every vent in the house
• Holiday guests, baking, and parties are right around the corner
• Salt and slush season has not started yet, so the floors are easier to get ahead of

Windows and screens: do these first

Pick the warmest dry day you can. Windows need to be open, and screens need time to dry.

1. Window glass. Inside, and outside only where you can reach safely from the ground. Clean glass lets in more of the little winter sun we get.
2. Window tracks. Vacuum out the dead bugs and grit first, then wipe with a damp cloth. An old toothbrush gets the corners.
3. Screens. Take them out, rinse them with a hose or in the tub, and let them dry all the way before you store them or put them back.
4. Window sills. Wipe them down now. In winter, this is where condensation sits.
5. Blinds and curtains. Dust blinds slat by slat. Wash or shake out curtains that can be washed.
6. Storm doors. The glass, the frame, and the sweep along the bottom.

Get the heat ready

The first time the furnace kicks on each fall, a lot of homes get a burning dust smell. That is summer dust burning off. You cannot stop it completely, but you can cut down how much dust the heat spreads around your home.

1. Change the furnace filter. Check the size printed on the old one before you buy. This one step helps a dusty house more than anything else on this list.
2. Vacuum the vents and returns. Lift off the covers if they come off easily, vacuum inside as far as you can reach, and wash the covers in warm soapy water.
3. Dust baseboard heaters and radiators if your home has them. Dust sitting on them is a big part of that smell.
4. Dust the ceiling fan blades, then switch the direction. In winter, fans should turn clockwise on low. That pushes warm air down from the ceiling.
5. Clean the humidifier before you use it. Empty it, wash the tank, and follow the cleaning steps that came with it. Old standing water is not something you want in the air.
6. Dust space heaters before you plug them back in.

If the burning smell does not go away after the first day or so, call a heating pro. That is not a cleaning problem.

Set up the entryway for winter

The front door and the garage door take the worst of winter. Salt, slush, and mud come in on every boot. Set this up now and your floors will thank you in January.

• Clean the entry floor well now, while it can still get fully clean
• Put a heavy mat outside and another one inside every door you use
• Add a boot tray for wet shoes
• Clear the hooks and bins so coats, hats, and gloves have a spot
• Wash or replace mats that are already worn out
• Wipe down the inside of the door, the handle, and the kick plate

Once salt season starts, wipe salt spots off hard floors right away so they do not leave a white film. I pay extra attention to entry floors in the colder months with my floor cleaning.

Kitchen: get ready for baking season

From Halloween to New Year, most kitchens work harder than they do the rest of the year. Get it ready now.

1. Clean the oven. Summer spills will smoke when you preheat for the turkey.
2. Clean out the fridge and freezer. Toss what is old and make room for holiday food.
3. Go through the pantry. Check the dates on flour, baking powder, and spices. Wipe the shelves while they are empty.
4. Degrease the range hood and filter. Many filters can soak in hot soapy water.
5. Wipe the cabinet fronts and handles. Grease and fingerprints build up all summer.
6. Clean the small appliances you will use more in winter, like the slow cooker and the mixer.

Bedrooms and closets

1. Swap out the summer bedding. Wash heavy blankets and comforters that have been in storage before they go on the bed.
2. Vacuum the mattress and rotate it.
3. Swap closet clothes. Wash summer clothes before you store them, so stains do not set.
4. Vacuum under the bed.
5. Wash pillows if the label says you can.

Living room and family room

• Vacuum the couch, under the cushions, and under the couch itself
• Wash the throw blankets before cozy season starts
• Dust shelves, frames, lamp shades, and the TV stand
• Dust the mantel and clean the fireplace glass if you have one. If you burn wood, have a pro check the chimney.
• Vacuum or wash area rugs

Laundry room

• Clean the dryer lint trap, and wash the screen if it looks coated
• Vacuum behind and under the dryer, where lint collects
• Wipe the washer door and rubber seal, and run a cleaning cycle if your washer has one
• Wipe the tops of the machines and the shelf above them

Two quick safety checks

These are not cleaning jobs, but fall is the easiest time to remember them.

• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Change the batteries when the clocks change in November.
• Check the dryer vent on the outside of the house. If it is packed with lint, have it cleaned.

How to do it all in one weekend

Here is how I would split this list across two days.

That is a lot for one weekend. If it has been a while, spread it over two or three Saturdays instead. Just do the windows first, while the weather still lets you.

Hosting this year? Once the fall list is done, follow my Thanksgiving cleaning checklist for a simple two week plan before guests arrive.

Fall cleaning vs a deep clean

They overlap, but they are not the same. My deep cleaning checklist goes after buildup in every room, like grout, baseboards, and behind the fridge. Fall cleaning is about getting the house ready to be closed up for winter: windows, heat, entryways, and the kitchen before the holidays.

If your home has not had a deep clean in a year or more, fall is a good time for both. Do the deep clean first, then this list.

Doing it yourself vs hiring it out

Everything on this list is doable on your own. Print it, pick a weekend, and go.

If you would rather spend your fall weekends outside, I can help. I do deep cleaning in New Lenox and nine nearby towns, and fall is a great time to book one before the holidays. If you just need the house ready for company, a one time cleaning works too. Want it to stay that way all winter? Ask me about weekly and biweekly cleaning.