I know some of you haven't implemented my "Never Do Spring Cleaning Again" idea. That means with the change of season upon us, you've got some heavy duty cleaning to do again.
Don't let it drag you down. Here's a COMPLETE list, beyond regular and frequent cleaning, of everything you need to do to get your home ready for fall:
1. Get rid of clutter accumulated over the summer.
2. Pack up summer stuff and store it.
3. Assemble the items you'll need for cleaning and maintenance.
4. Clean and maintain.
5. Decorate.
Here's how to get it done easily by the 23rd:
Start at the entry.
1. Sweep the cobwebs and dust from the front porch.
2. Shake off or hose off the mat.
3. Clean your front door inside and out - especially the bottom foot or so, where animals often "mark" and inside around the knob.
4. Clean the rug and flooring in your entry way.
All this should take one person no more than an hour.
Next, the living areas (living room/family room)
1. Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures.
2. Clean dirty areas on walls around air vents, light switches, and doorways.
3. Clean smudges on doors and doorframes. Dust framed art and clean the glass.
4. Clean your window coverings, vacuum your windowsills, and clean your windows.
5. Vacuum upholstered furniture.
6. If you want your carpet cleaned, just vacuum but book a cleaning by the end of the month because October fills up fast. Otherwise, vacuum and spot clean.
Allow a day for this area - cleaning your window coverings requires either a soak and shower (for mini-blinds) or wash/dry or dry-cleaning for curtains or draperies, which is a little more time consuming.
Moving into the kitchen
1. Dust any ceiling fans and light fixtures.
2. Clean dirty wall areas around air vents, switches, outlets, behind the stove, and above the backsplash behind the sink.
3. Clean doors and doorframes.
4. Clean window coverings, dust windowsills and clean windows.
5. Degrease the range hood and clean the filter (you can soak it in the sink or run it through the dishwasher on the top rack).
6. Pull out the refrigerator, unplug it, and vacuum or sweep the coils.
7. Clean under the stove-top.
8. Clean the oven if you didn't do it last spring. (Use regular cleaner, spray, and let sit overnight.)
9. Clean out the freezer and refrigerator.
10. Clean the microwave and coffeemaker and dump the crumbs out of the toaster.
11. Wipe down cabinet doors. Use polish if appropriate.
12. Clean out the utensil drawers and wash the divider trays.
13. Clean the counters and sink.
14. Sweep and mop the floor.
The kitchen is a 2-day job, mostly because of the oven, and of course the window treatments. Otherwise, each individual task takes between 3 and 30 minutes.
Dining room
1. Dust ceiling fan and light fixtures.
2. Clean smudges on walls, doors, and doorframes.
3. Clean window coverings, dust windowsills, and clean windows.
4. Clean and polish table.
5. Sweep and mop or vacuum and spot clean carpet.
The dining room shouldn't take more than about an hour, except for the window coverings.
Bedrooms
1. Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures.
2. Clean smudges on walls, doors, and doorframes.
3. Clean window coverings, dust windowsills, and clean windows.
4. Turn or flip mattresses.
5. Dust framed art and mirrors and clean the glass.
6. Dust lamps and knick-knacks.
7. Dust furniture.
8. Vacuum.
The dusting in a bedroom seems to take the most time but unless you're also re-organizing or re-arranging the furniture, and except for the window coverings, it can be done in an hour.
Bathrooms
1. You got it, lights and fans.
2. Right again, walls and doors.
3. Windows and coverings.
4. Might as well do the shower/tub/toilet combo.
5. Clean out the medicine cabinet and linen closet.
6. Clean out under-sink cabinets and re-organize.
7. Clean sinks, mirrors, and countertops.
8. Clean rugs, sweep and mop the floor.
Bathrooms, except for window coverings, can be done in an hour unless you're doing heavy-duty re-organizing.
Laundry Room
1. Clean walls and doors.
2. Clean windows, etc. if applicable.
3. Wipe down outside of washer and dryer, clean inside of washer lid.
4. Pull out washer and dryer and sweep behind them (and find missing socks).
5. Clean dryer vent and exhaust areas.
6. Clean rugs, sweep and mop the floor.
Laundry rooms go fast - you can incorporate these tasks into your weekly laundry and it will only require a few extra minutes.
Miscellaneous and Maintenance
You're nearly done!
1. Check your air conditioning/furnace filters and replace or stock up as needed.
2. Hose down the outside of your air conditioner unit.
3. Clean the outside of the windows (within reason) and for you cooler-climate readers, deal with the storm windows.
4. Clean out your gutters.
5. Clean off your outside furniture.
6. Clean your grill if you're retiring it for the winter.
7. If you have a fireplace, schedule a chimney inspection and cleaning.
8. Wipe down your vacuum cleaner, wash out the collection chamber on bagless units, hand-wash filters and allow to air-dry or replace, and remove hair and carpet fiber from the beater bar.
9. Drain sediment from your water heater.
Some of these things will take a while, like getting service scheduled! But you can still get the rest done on a Saturday, easily. And you've got 2 before fall officially starts.
Once you're done, go celebrate by picking out some new fall decor. Take note of the popular colors for this fall (according to Pantone): phlox purple, chocolate brown, cherry popsicle red, and cedar green. Any combo of two or three would be tasteful, all four would be even more festive. BUT, I'm not seeing much of these colors in stores! All the "name brand" stuff at big box stores seems to be clinging to the "Tuscan" color theme of 5 years ago, reminiscent of the 70's. Yuck. I'm sticking with Pantone this year - the colors are more clear and vibrant. Easier on the eyes after all the work, I'm thinking!
No comments:
Post a Comment