The ULTIMATE CLEANING CHECKLIST & TIPS
Lo and behold, Fall Cleaning, god knows I need this more than anyone else in the whole entire world! No one, I mean, absolutely no one’s house can be as messy and as disastrous as ours currently is was, until I spent a good part of the weekend whipping it back into some see-able shape (I still have a long way to go but this was a start).
We all are quite familiar with Spring Cleaning but very little thought is given to Fall Cleaning, though IMHO the latter deserves much more attention than the former. After all with shorter and colder days, we all tend to spend more time at home cozying up on the couch under a warm and fuzzy blanket.
Plus, as Fall rolls around it is accompanied by a flurry of events and parties – Football, Dussehra and Diwali (for Indians like me who celebrate these festivities this time of the year), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and before you know it is the holidays and Christmas.
So get a head start this year, put your Fall Deep Cleaning hat on and avoid feeling overwhelmed when you have to throw a kickass party or have people over just to Netflix and Chill (holiday movies to watch).
FREE PRINTABLE FALL CLEANING CHECKLIST AT THE BOTTOM
*Affiliate links are used in this Fall Cleaning post, incredibly thankful for your support.
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Mess drives me crazy, mess makes me unhappy, mess makes me less productive, mess isn’t good for my sanity especially when I spend sooo much time working from my home office (at least for the most part).
Yet, mess is all I see saw everywhere I looked in the house lately because we had been traveling for 13 weekends straight, with spending only about 4-4.5 days each week at home in between our weekend adventures.
So imagine outfits which came out of the suitcase on one side and outfits we planned to bring on our next adventure on the other, piles of unfolded laundry, all the new packages that came in the mail (especially when you order online and order multiples of each item cuz you are unsure of sizes, even more so when you have a toddler growing at the rate mine is. He is only 2.5-years-old and currently wears 4-year-old clothes), so packages to return, recycle boxes, and since Fall came around swapping out our summer decorations with Fall Home Decor, and to top it all, all the blogger mail and things I need to shoot. And the fact that I am a hopeless hoarder!
Resulted in overflowing piles of ‘whatever you may want to call it’ in each room of the house leading to one big disaster zone aka our home which gave me a throbbing headache, and yet, I had no time to do anything about it because I was buried in work when we were not on the road traveling.
Scroll to the bottom for essential fall cleaning supplies & organizers!
Related Post: Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Products
But now it’s time to get my S*** together, starting with deep cleaning our home and here is how you can do it too.
P.S. I have outlined every detail by each room in the house. Everything might not apply to everyone, you can choose to do all of it in 2 days or spread it over a few weekends (or even use my #PACT15 method to feel super accomplished daily), it is totally up to you. I have also created a printable checklist so you can check things off the list as you go and gloat over your progress.
P.P.S. And for all my desi friends, get going just in time for our next big festival, Diwali, so you can get in the spirit, celebrate and enjoy all the festivities stress-free!
FALL CLEANING YOUR KITCHEN
Most used room in our home. To me, a clean kitchen is essential before I begin cooking. I know, it creates more work as you also need to clean after you are done cooking/baking, etc, but the joy of cooking and baking in a clean kitchen is something else. So, the kitchen is the first and also the last thing I clean at home.
- Scrub and clean the inside & out of the stove, microwave, oven, and dishwasher
- Clean refrigerator/freezer, including the door, top & underneath, vacuum the coils
- Tidy pantry, cabinets, drawers – clean inside & out, replace liners, toss any expired food & organize
- Clean out spice racks, storage containers/lids and organize them
- Clean small appliances – instant pot, crockpot, toaster, blender, coffee maker, etc.
- Clean other utensils as required, especially if they sit on the kitchen counter
- Scrub and disinfect the sink, clean and organize under the sink
- Empty trash cans and disinfect them
- Scrub backsplash and tile grout
- Declutter and clean countertops
- Purge and donate anything you have multiples of, no longer need or use
- Dust and clean light fixtures and vacuum vents
- Sweep & mop the floor
FALL CLEANING YOUR LIVING ROOM
- Clean, vacuum and shampoo carpet
- Clean fireplace and have the chimneys inspected
- Clean, mop, wax hardwood floors
- Vacuum furniture, move them and vacuum underneath
- Dust and clean underneath the area rugs
- Spot clean stains on carpets, rugs, and furniture
- Clean TV (including other electronics) and cables, clean behind the TV
- Disinfect remotes and other small handheld devices
- Dust the corners, baseboards and doors
- Clean doorknobs, switchboards, light fixtures
- Dust blinds, clean windows, wash curtains
- Clean and wash down walls
- Update pillows and throws to match Fall Decor
FALL CLEANING YOUR BEDROOM
- Vacuum and flip/rotate mattress
- Wash bedding – sheets, bed skirts, comforter, duvet cover
- Swap out bedding, for example, replace Summer blankets with Fall comforters, etc
- Declutter and clean out dressers, drawers, and nightstands
- Vacuum furniture, move them (including bed) and vacuum underneath/behind them
- Dust blinds, clean windows, wash curtains
- Dust lampshades, replace bulbs if necessary
- Put away summer outfits and bring out warmer clothes
- Purge your closet and donate items you no longer use
- Go through clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, etc and repair items that need to be fixed
- Send items to dry clean as required
FALL CLEANING YOUR HOME OFFICE
- Dust and wipe down study table and other furniture
- Dust and wipe down electronics – computer, keyboard, mouse, printer, fax machine, etc
- Vacuum under the furniture
- Backup computer files
- Clean and organize file cabinets/drawers and toss/shred what is no longer needed
- Declutter office supplies and restock what is needed
- Clean windows and blinds, wash curtains
- Vacuum the floor (sweep and mop if hardwood floor)
FALL CLEANING YOUR BATHROOM
- Clean out the drain and scrub bathtub/jacuzzi
- Scrub tile grout
- Clean shower head & shower door
- Replace or wash shower liner and shower caddy
- Clean and disinfect sink
- Wipe down mirrors
- Thoroughly clean toilet (all around and underneath)
- Declutter and toss expired beauty products, medicines, and toiletries
- Stock up on required medicines and first aid supplies
- Restock fall/winter skincare and beauty products
- Wipe down the area under sink/cabinets and organize them
- Disinfect toothbrush holder and change your toothbrush/toothbrush head
- Replace worn-out towels, washcloths, hand towels
- Clean doorknobs, switchboards, light fixtures, baseboards, vents/fans
- Wash hair and makeup brushes
- Disinfect trash can
- Wash rugs
- Declutter & reorganize linen closet
- Sweep the floor and mop
FALL CLEANING YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM
- Clean washer – run through an empty cycle, clean the gasket around the door
- Clean dryer – clean lint screen and slot. Schedule dryer vent cleaning or it could be a fire hazard
- Wipe the exterior/wires to get rid of dust and lint
- Clean doorknobs, doors, switchboards
- Clean the sink area and disinfect
- Clean under (and behind) the washer and dryer
- Sweep and mop the floor
FALL CLEANING MISC
- First rule of thumb – as you clean and declutter, decide if you want to keep, donate or toss an item. Do this as you go through every corner in every room
- Maintain a system to keep everything organized – assign a place for everything, label as necessary
- If you have kids, purge toys and art/crafts supplies
- Clean, vacuum or sweep/mop floors in all rooms
- Spot clean carpet, rug, furniture as necessary
- Dust and clean shelves, storage units, and decor items
- Dust picture frames and spruce up with new pictures
- Wet clean baseboards and doors
- Disinfect light switches and doorknobs
- Wash windows and walls
- Clean blinds and curtains
- Dust or lint-roll lampshades
- Purge magazines and clear paper clutter (including receipts from purse)
- Clean out the junk drawer and organize them
- Clean and organize coat closet
- Clean light fixtures and replace worn out bulbs
- Clean ducts and vents
- Check carbon monoxide detector, fire extinguishers
- Change batteries in smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, flashlights
- Change furnace/AC filters
- Schedule HVAC system check
Whew, this is everything as far as fall cleaning the interior/inside of the house goes. Next up, I will go over cleaning the exterior/outside of the house this Fall. Stay tuned.
And as you go, tell me if you too are into Fall Cleaning your home and what tips do you have for me?
Click here to download a Free Printable Fall Cleaning Checklist
Shop Essential Fall Cleaning Supplies & Organizers
“Autumn shows how beautiful it is to let things go.”
xoxo,
Kusum
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