Warm summer months means vacations away from home and more time spent outdoors. But while you were out enjoying yourself, dirt and grime didn’t take a vacation. They sat around the house, accumulating and multiplying. And, now, with the winter months ahead and the holiday seasons rushing in upon us, it’s an ideal time to get a thorough house cleaning under way!
Re-order your furniture and bookshelves
One of the key focuses during an autumn clean is to rearrange furniture to either maximise or minimise breezeways, while you may want air to pass through your house in warmer weather, it’s best to keep chilly drafts when the temperature drops outside.
Take Stock
Take inventory of your cleaning supplies. Make sure you have the products you need for the surfaces you plan on cleaning. Review the information on the product labels to make sure you are using them properly. As you clean, pay attention to where your products are stored. Be sure you store your items where children and pets can’t get to them.
Expand Your Reach
Go beyond the usual vacuuming, mopping and dusting. Look up and get rid of the cobwebs that have accumulated in the corners and around the light fixtures and ceiling fans.
Tackle the Refrigerator
Check its contents for expiration dates. Discard anything that has overstayed its welcome. Then remove and clean each shelf. Work one shelf at a time so that food won’t have to stand out at room temperature.
Perform a pantry audit.
Remove everything from the shelves, then vacuum up any dust and crumbs with your attachment brush. If you don’t want to remove the canned goods, just dust around them. Inspect each item before placing it back into the pantry. Don’t know what to keep and toss, print out Good Housekeeping’s food shelf life chart.
Launder Lavishly
You think your couch cushions are clean untill you plop on them and a haze of dust springs up. Vacuum all the surfaces of your upholstery, including both sides of the cushions, the back, sides, arms, and even the platform underneath the cushions. Launder all washable comforters, mattress covers, pillows, bed skirts, curtains, blankets, throws and slipcovers. Turn mattresses and vacuum them thoroughly.
Refurbish the Furniture and Care for the Carpet
Take a close look at your upholstery. Remove the cushions and vacuum thoroughly, using the crevice tool to get into those hard-to-reach places. Check the carpet for spots and stains. This may be the time for deep cleaning all these surfaces, you can have your plush flooring professionally cleaned, rent a carpet shampooer, or even invest in a carpet cleaner.
