Fall Cleaning and Maintenance

Interior

• Dust and vacuum all surfaces, behind and under furniture, and under seat cushions.
• Look up! Get rid of cobwebs in corners and around light fixtures, ceiling fans, and bathroom vents.
• Wash woodwork, doors, frames, window trim, sills, baseboards, stair risers, slider tracks.
• Wash walls, especially in hallways and stairwells. (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is great at getting out marks and stains on walls and other surfaces.)
• Dry clean draperies and wash curtains.
• Steam clean or spot clean carpets and rugs.
• Launder all washable comforters, mattress covers, linens, pillowcase covers, blankets, and throws.  

 Exterior

• Clean gutters. 
• Rake leaves from lawn.   
• Reseed any bare spots (fall is the best time to reseed). 
• Prune trees and bushes. 
• Drain and store garden hoses. 
• Clean patio/deck/porch furniture. 
• Drain outside shower and outside spigots. 
• Wash out trash barrels. 
• Clean grill. 

If you close up your home for the winter

• Completely empty the refrigerator, turn it off, and prop the door open. 
• Remove perishable items including sugar, flour, rice, etc. 
• Store candles and bar soaps in a secure place to avoid  mice. 
• Put out some ant traps. 
• Drain the pipes.