3 Tips for Fall Cleaning
The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and you’re spending less time outdoors and more inside. While your weekends could very well be spent watching football, now is also a good time to spend a weekend doing some fall cleaning. Organizing, cleaning, and fixing up your home before the weather gets even colder will save you time and will keep your home safer and more secure. So pack up and put away your summer gear, dig out your snow shovels and winter resources, and prepare yourself for winter weather.
- Check your gutters! Clean and replace as necessary. Gutter maintenance is a necessary evil for homeowners as unkempt gutters can clog and leave water pooling on your roof. The result? A leak (or two), making a perfect location for mold or for insects to make their home. Not maintaining gutters also leads to other issues with the home, such as damaged siding, windows, and cracks in the foundation. And yes, even those new types of gutters with the leaf-catching capabilities need to be checked and maintained.
- Kitchen deep cleaning. Sure everyone loves a clean kitchen – it’s so bright and smells fresh! But getting serious about your kitchen cleaning will also work to keep germs at bay. It will lessen grease buildup, and allow you to review the area for any places that may be susceptible to fire potential. Check and replace curtains (as needed), clean and dust shelves (removing the shelf liners that have seen better days), and wash and clean the fixtures. When dealing with appliances, keep these tips in mind: check the door gasket of the fridge; clean the condenser coils at the back (which saves you money!); check and clean your stove’s range hood if it has one.
- Organize your garage. Most people like to use their garage as the biggest closet they own – assess what you have in the garage, throw out or donate the items you haven’t used in forever, and condense boxes as you can. Give the garage a clean sweep and a spot check for it’s own roof leaks. Toss any items that may be considered hazardous, dangerous, or flammable, that do not have proper storage.
