Fall cleaning is more than just a tidying-up spree. From October through March, windows are open less often and the heat is on, giving dust, dust mites, and moisture free rein.
Start outside: terrace and garden furniture
From October onwards, terrace days are numbered. Give your garden furniture and outdoor decorations one last thorough clean before you store them: dirt that sits there all winter is much harder to remove come spring. Let everything dry completely before putting it away, trapped moisture is the fastest route to mould and green film.
Don't forget the gutters and the terrace drain either. Leaves left there cause trouble with the first heavy rainfall.
Switch over your wardrobe
Time to make room for thick jumpers and winter coats; the shorts and swimwear can disappear for a while. A seasonal switch is the ideal moment to sort: what did you not wear once this summer? That can go to the charity shop.
And while the wardrobe is empty, wipe down the shelves and the bottom, more dust collects there than you would expect. Store summer clothes in a clean, dry box or garment bag, and never unwashed: stains and traces of perspiration attract moths.
Clear out cupboards and storage spaces
These are the places that get a "later" all year round. Tackle them one cupboard at a time rather than all at once. Sort into three piles : keep, give away, throw out, dust everything, wipe the shelves with a damp cloth, and only put things back once they are dry.
Give the kitchen a proper going-over
The kitchen is without doubt the room that takes the most work, but also the room where a deep clean is most noticeable. Work in this order:
- Empty the cupboards: wipe them out and put products back with the oldest at the front.
- Throw out anything past its date: check herbs, tins and sauces: that is usually where the surprises are hiding.
- The fridge: take out the shelves and drawers to wash them, check the rubber seals, and track down any leftovers from that late-summer barbecue.
- Defrost the freezer if there is a layer of ice, just one centimetre of ice already pushes up your electricity use noticeably.
- The extractor hood filter: clean or replace it, one of the most skipped jobs in the house.
- The oven and the microwave: as they pick up odours faster.
The spots almost everyone forgets
Want to really feel the difference? These are the jobs that rarely make it onto a standard cleaning list:
- Radiators: including between the fins, before you switch the heating on;
- ventilation grilles: in windows, bathroom and kitchen;
- Window sills: and the tracks of sliding windows;
- Doormats: inside and out, they are about to absorb all the autumn mud;
- Mattress and bedding: turn the mattress and get the winter duvet out;
- The washing machine: run a maintenance cycle and clean the rubber seal and the detergent drawer;
- Curtains, scatter cushions and rugs: which have been collecting dust all year.
Always work from top to bottom
One golden rule makes your whole autumn clean more efficient: work from high to low. Dust cupboards and shelves first, then the work surfaces, and the floor last. That way dust never lands on a surface you have already cleaned, and you never do the same job twice.
You will find more working habits like this in our article on hygienic cleaning in 10 tips, including the colour-coding system our home helps use to avoid cross-contamination.
No time for the big clean?
Autumn cleaning is satisfying work, but it takes time not everyone has. With services cheques you hand part of that work to a professional home help: she comes at fixed times, knows your home better than you do after a few visits, and your weekend stays free.
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