You may put most of your deep cleaning efforts into the spring cleaning blitz, but fall is the perfect time to refresh your house before the holidays arrive. By focusing on a few important areas and giving key spots a deep clean before Halloween, you’ll enter the holidays ready to relax and enjoy all season long.
Garage or Basement
Late summer to early fall is a great time to give your garage and/or basement a good deep clean and decluttering. “Get your garage back in order before the cold weather hits to make room for the car for the cold season,” says Jamie Hord, professional organizer at Horderly. You may also need to remove some items to let you store outdoor furniture and items for the winter.
Entryway
As summer heads into fall, your entryway may become a jumble of too much stuff, with summer gear like flip-flops and sandals mixing in with fall boots and sweaters. Take the time now to give the entryway a good deep clean and declutter—including storing away the warm weather clothing and gear. That way, you’re ready to welcome trick-or-treaters for Halloween, and guests for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.
Your Car
After a summer of road trips, beach days, and plenty of outdoorsy activities, your car likely has a bit of mess and clutter—and maybe a half-eaten bag of chips stuck under a seat somewhere. Now’s the time to grab a trash bag and remove any trash or things that you won’t be using now that summer is drawing to a close. (Goodbye, beach towels!) Then, give your car a full deep clean to remove any sand, snacks, and other mess that was left behind.
Pantry
Baking season starts as Halloween arrives—so a deep clean of your pantry will leave you prepped and ready for all of your holiday desserts, cookies, and cakes. In addition to giving the area a good deep clean, take stock of what baking staples you have, so you can stock up on chocolate chips or flour if you’re running low.
You may also want to take this opportunity to reorganize and check out your baking equipment and gear, so you can invest in new baking pans or a new set of measuring cups so you’re ready to go.
Your Living Areas
Sweep away the cobwebs—at least, the non-Halloween decoration ones—in the lead-up to Halloween. You’ll want to dust or wash walls, give seating and rugs a good vacuum or cleaning, and fully dust surfaces. Once you’re done, ’tis the season to swap out pillows, curtains, and other accessories to give your rooms an autumnal vibe.
Ceiling Fans
Your ceiling fans may have been working overtime during the summer months, but now’s the time to give yours a good deep clean. (You can also take this opportunity to change the direction of the ceiling fan blades to run clockwise during the cooler months, which will help make your room feel warmer.)
Windows
Before the weather gets too chilly for having your windows open, take the opportunity to clear away the spring and summer dust and grime. (That’ll help ensure you get as much sunshine as possible pouring in during the darker winter months.)
Refrigerator
Give your refrigerator a good, deep clean as the weather cools. Sort out and declutter what’s in there—and finally get rid of expired condiments stuck in the back of the fridge—then give the shelves a good solid clean. That way, you’ll have plenty of room to store Halloween treats, and the holiday dishes soon to follow.
Oven
Start your holiday baking off right with a fully cleaned oven to help avoid a smoky stove from previous spills. (You can even use a simple cleaning solution of vinegar, baking soda, and water to help you make it sparkle inside and out.)
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