Everything That Should Be on Your Fall Cleaning Checklist
The change of seasons is always a good time to clean. Although cleaning is recommended to be done quarterly, some tasks are best done at certain times throughout the year . As fall approaches, here are the things you need to declutter and get organized in your home.
First, get your summer things in order.
As you prepare to clear out everything you used from the previous season, you can take stock of what you didn’t use , toss or donate, and then pull out the new season’s items and organize them properly. There’s no point in cleaning out and storing things you didn’t even use this summer, only to not use them next year.
There are many decluttering methods out there , and most of them force you to sort your items into four piles: keep, donate, throw away, or sell. I suggest a combination of the Five Second Rule and KonMari : As you pick up each item, give yourself five seconds to quickly make a decision about which pile it will go into. Does it really matter to you and/or have you actually used it this summer? Don’t hesitate; sort quickly and efficiently while the memory of whether you actually wore that striped jersey at any time from April to now is still fresh.
Once everything is sorted, proceed quickly and efficiently with the following steps. Take the donation box straight to your car or front door and commit to getting it to the thrift store or donation center as soon as possible. Take out the trash immediately, immediately list everything you plan to sell on your preferred marketplace , and immediately organize everything you decide to keep. It will not be of any use in bags and boxes, especially since it is impossible to wear or use it in cool weather.
Prepare the air for autumn
There are no fans or window units. Air purifiers are already in vogue. Despite what you may think, fall allergies are a real thing . In fact, fall is the worst time of year for me in terms of allergies; spring and summer don’t bother me at all. This time of year I take out my air purifier . If yours has been locked, remove the filter and vacuum it using a hose attachment with a brush. If you can fit your hands inside, wipe them with a damp cloth. Even if you cleaned it before storing it, dust may have accumulated on it, which may reduce its effectiveness.
Before putting away the fans, give them a good cleaning. I have a whole guide for you on how to clean all types of fans, so check it out , but basically the idea is the same: if it’s falling apart, take it apart. Use a damp cloth to wipe down as much as you can, avoiding electrical components. Use a vacuum cleaner to really suck up the dirt.
It doesn’t hurt to wrap them in foam to protect them from dust.
Repair sheets and linens
Obviously, if you have a thicker blanket or cozier throws for your living room, you should get them. Even if they were packaged in the most pristine manner, you already know that they need to be washed. Wash your summer bedding too, and then pack it away. Here I recommend purchasing some vacuum bags to compress the litter. This will not only save a lot of space in your storage areas, but will also protect them from dust and debris.
Another great option is under-bed storage. These bins have zippers around them, which also keep your items secure and keep your bedding (or anything else) out of the way until you need it. I like this option because it follows the organizational triangle principles of storing similar items together. Blankets should be under the bed; that’s the general area they belong to, whether you use them or not.
Summer clothing and goods store
One of the most important tasks you should do is storing your summer clothes and various summer items such as beach bags and sunscreen. It’s not very useful to store them in the closet with everything else. You need quick access to your sweaters and coats, and tank tops and shorts just get in the way. Vacuum bags and under-bed storage are ideal for this too , but my top tip is to use summer bags to store all of these items. Again, you store similar items together and also use totes and totes even when they’re in storage. Swimsuits, summer clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen – throw it all in your beach bags or even your luggage. (Bonus: if you go on a warm vacation, the essentials will already be inside!)