Fall Cleaning Checklist

Prepare yourselves: Winter is coming. That means gatherings of friends and families, more time spent inside your home rather than out in the cold, and endless holiday dishes to prep! Here are a few things I do each fall to ensure my home is visitor-ready (and if you’re like me, hibernation-ready)!

Before the much anticipated Halloween decor can be done, I start room by room with details that may have been overlooked in the deep “Spring Clean.” Here’s my own personal list:

Kitchen:

• Inside the Fridge & Pantry. Check expiration dates, disinfect shelves and ice trays.

• Clean fridge coils (if applicable)

• Clean underneath fridge (it’s never pretty)

• Organize containers, recycling any plastic lids or containers that don’t have a match

• Clean inside oven (if you have the oven cleaning function on your appliance, it makes it much easier to wipe out - but be prepared to open a few windows or run a quick errand during the cycle)

• Polish silver

• Wash and disinfect all the garbage cans

• Wash walls (this can be done quickly using a stiffer-style mop and a few old rags! Just make sure to dust them before hand, if needed)

Bathroom:

• Wash shower curtains and replace liners

• Clean out inside shelves (I often marry almost-empty bottles of shampoo, soap, and conditioner)

• Wash walls (this can be done quickly using a stiffer-style mop and a few old rags! Just make sure to dust them before hand if needed)

Bedrooms:

• Refresh bedding that isn’t washed regularly (comforters, pillows, throw blankets)

• Vacuum mattress (I like to “freshen” it with baking soda and lavender essential oil drops before vacuuming)

• Wash walls (this can be done quickly using a stiffer-style mop and a few old rags! Just make sure to dust them before hand if needed)

• Wash curtains

• Put cold-weather bedding on beds

• Dust your ceiling fans and set them to turn so air circulates upward.

Other:

• Wash artificial plants

• Dust living plant’s leaves

• Clean your washer, dryer, and dishwasher