Prepare Your Home for the Winter with a Good Fall Cleaning

Cooler temperatures, pumpkins and changing leaves are all signs that the Fall season is approaching in Lancaster County! In addition to thinking about decorating your home for the autumnal equinox, you should also plan to prepare your home for the winter months ahead. Fall is a great time to perform outdoor work and indoor maintenance, along with giving your home a good, thorough cleaning, so everything is ready for colder weather. Here are some important steps to take as you begin fall cleaning and preparing for winter.

Outdoor Work

Now that you’re not spending as much time outside, it’s a good idea to think about cleaning and storing your outdoor furniture. To get started, wash outdoor furniture, cushions, and grills to remove dirt and debris. Let everything dry before storing. If you can’t store these items inside, cover or move patio furniture, grills, and outdoor equipment to a shed, garage, or underneath a porch to protect them from snow and freezing temperatures.

Next, look outside your house and inspect the gutters to see if they need to be cleaned. Removing leaves, sticks, and debris from gutters and downspouts will prevent clogs and ice dams from forming once the temperatures drop below freezing. You will also want to inspect your gutter for any cracks or leaks, making any necessary repairs, so you can prevent water damage.

Speaking of water, don’t forget to take a look at all of your outdoor water sources. It’s important to drain, disconnect, and store hoses. If you don’t do this and water is left inside, the spicket could freeze. If you want to be extra cautious, you can turn off all outdoor faucets.

Indoor Maintenance

Once you have completed the outdoor tasks for cleaning and winterizing your home, you should go inside and complete indoor maintenance.

Before you shut and lock your windows, consider sealing them along with your doors. The first step in this process is to wash your windows inside and out. While you are doing this, make sure there are not any cracks or damage to the glass or frames. Next, install weather stripping or caulk around windows and doors to prevent drafts and heat loss.

With HVAC costs continuing to rise, the second task you want to perform is cleaning and inspecting your HVAC system and/or furnace. Start by changing the filters in your HVAC system and/or furnace for better efficiency and air quality. To ensure everything is done properly, consider hiring a professional technician to perform an inspection of these systems. They can ensure your heating system is clean and is operating efficiently.

If you heat your home with a fireplace or wood stove, you also need to examine these heat sources. Consider hiring a chimney sweeper to clean your chimney by removing soot and creosote buildup. They can also ensure the chimney cap, flue, and damper are in good condition and free of obstructions.

Last, but not least, when performing indoor maintenance, don’t forget to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries in both devices if they are not working properly. If a detector has passed its expiration date, replace it with a new one.

Clean & Organize

Once you have performed maintenance tasks in and outside of your home, it’s time to clean and organize.

With kids, pets and adults running inside and out all the summer, you should consider deep cleaning your carpets and rugs. Start by thoroughly vacuuming them to remove dust, dirt, and allergens. Then you can steam clean or shampoo carpets and rugs to eliminate deep-seated grime before you spend more time indoors during the winter.

When it comes to cleaning, some items that are often missed regularly, because of their location, are the light fixtures and ceiling fans. Remove dust from these units to improve lighting and air circulation during the darker winter months. This is also the time to reverse ceiling fan direction; setting your ceiling fans to run clockwise will push warm air down when the warm air rises.

While the weather is still nice, take advantage of it by also deep cleaning heavy comforters, blankets, and linens. Hanging them outside to dry will provide a fresh scent. Consider switching to warmer bedding for the colder months. This is also a great time to flip and vacuum mattresses to remove dust and allergens.

Once you have completed your fall cleaning, you may want to consider decluttering and organizing your home. Declutter the storage areas in your home by sorting through closets, garages, and storage spaces. Donate or discard items that you no longer need. Take this time to organize and prepare your winter gear by taking out winter coats, boots, gloves, and hats, and making space in entryways or closets for easy access.

By performing outdoor work, indoor maintenance, and cleaning and organizing your home in the Fall, you can ensure your house is clean, organized, and energy-efficient for the winter. If you need help with any of these tasks or a deep fall cleaning, contact Angie’s Custom Cleaning.