The weather is changing around the country and fall is in the air. We are excited! Whether you are for or against them, pumpkin spice lattes are back in our lives… along with apple-picking, pumpkins on porches, and comfort foods in the kitchen. There is a lot to look forward to in the fall, no matter what year it is. Watch the trees change color through the windows if that happens near you. Enjoy the (hopefully) cooler evenings with an open window, a beverage, and a blanket on the couch. Or with a roaring bonfire and your family outside with s’mores.
You can also take comfort in your home this fall by getting it cleaned and prepped for winter. Get all the dirt and dust out from over the summer as you settle into your cozy fall and winter space.
For our Fall Home Maintenance Checklist, we have 13 tips on how to make your house cozy and warm both inside and out.
Interior Fall Cleaning & Maintenance
1. Do a thorough dusting
Dust can easily accumulate on fixtures like ceiling fans, windowsills, baseboards, door trim, and even on walls. Go through and dust, maybe even wash down these areas, if necessary, to help give your home a clean slate for fall. And, of course, don’t forget the usual spots like the bookshelves, furniture, TVs, and appliances.
2. Replace furnace filters
Have you replaced your furnace filters lately? If you haven’t gotten a new filter in the last three to four months, do it now before you turn on your furnace. A clean furnace filter means cleaner air will circulate through your home when your furnace is running.
3. Swap out your summer wardrobe
Do you switch your closet around for summer and winter clothes? Even if you don’t put clothes away into totes or another closet, consider re-arranging your closet so that the clothes you wear in the fall and winter will be easier to grab during the colder months. If you do put out-of-season clothes into storage, now is the time to wash your summer clothes as you start exchanging your shorts and t-shirts for jeans and hoodies. Add a dryer sheet or two to the tubs where you store your clothes to keep clothes smelling great all winter long.
4. Create a cozy bed
Sleeping is better in the cooler weather. Do you like to keep your bedroom a little cooler than the rest of the house? Us too! Keeping a window cracked for as long as possible is so nice. Now is a great time to make your bed the cozy place we all love in the winter. Think about heavier sheets or adding bulkier blankets to your bed. Change out the light comforter for a heavier quilt or duvet. For even more layering, think about adding a throw blanket to the end of the bed.
5. Check your home for drafts of cool air
Now is the time to check your windows and doors for areas that may not be completely sealed. From the inside of your home, feel around the edges to check for drafts. One important thing to do is lock your windows so that they are closed tightly all winter. Using weather stripping to patch along a window or adding a strip of caulk is a fairly easy process that can be done in quickly with products from your local hardware store. If you aren’t sure what to do, watch a
YouTube video before you start! Stopping up those gaps will help your home be more energy efficient this fall while also reducing the amount of dust and dirt that gets inside.
Outdoor Fall Cleaning & Maintenance
6. Clean & store patio furniture
If you live where the weather gets harsh in the winter, it’s time to do fall cleaning for all your patio furniture and any other outdoor items you have been using all summer so that they can be put into storage. This will help maintain the furniture and protect it from rain, snow, ice, and other winter weather conditions. Are you looking to deep clean upholstered patio furniture cushions after a long summer outside?
Rent our Upholstery & Stair Cleaning tool for only $5, along with the Big Green® carpet cleaning machine! It’s a great way to easily clean patio furniture cushions and keep them looking new.
7. Wash windows
Fall is a good time of year to get your windows clean from the dirt and grime of summer. Wash the windows, inside and out, to remove dust and squeeze every last drop of sunshine out of the shorter days of fall and winter!
8. Prepare your fireplace & chimney
Getting excited for family time by the fire? If you have a wood-burning fireplace with a chimney, it’s best to have chimneys inspected once a year and professionally cleaned before you begin to use them. A dirty chimney is not only a dangerous fire hazard, but it can also be a hot bed of dirt, dust and ash. Don’t forget to stock up on dry firewood for cozy fires this fall and winter!
9. Prepare your lawn for winter
Are you living where tree leaves fall and the snow is coming? Then this tip is for you. Fall is a great time to aerate the soil, fertilize your lawn and cut the grass short one last time before winter. And, don’t forget to rake all those leaves BEFORE the snow falls, at least as much as you can. You don’t want soggy leaves to smother your new grass in the spring!
10. Get your garden ready for winter, too!
Fall is a great time to move perennials – or divide those plants that have gotten too big for their homes. Take out the annuals that have died and use all those leaves that you raked or mulched to protect the perennials left in your garden. Make sure that you only mulch around the plants though – covering up the center of the plant may cause rot.
11. Winterize sprinklers & other water-related reminders
Either hire a company or do it yourself, but don’t forget to blow out your home’s sprinkler system if the frost level in your area gets deep enough into the ground to affect your sprinkler system. You definitely don’t want water freezing in the lines. And while we’re thinking about it – don’t forget to turn off valves to outdoor faucets and drain those inside and outside, too. Plus, you’ll want to empty water out of garden hoses before storing them for the winter.
Fall Carpet Cleaning Maintenance
12. Spot-treat those summer stains
It never fails. One of the kids ends up taking the popsicle into the living room. Or the dog runs through the house with muddy paws. Or, honestly, a mystery stain just shows up on the carpet one day during the summer. It’s okay – we can help! Grab a bottle of
Oxy Deep® Pro and go. This carpet cleaner spray is an oxygen-activated stain remover that easily removes deep-down, colored stains on carpet.
If you find a stain on your carpet and don’t have time to deep clean carpet right away, spray the stain as soon as you see it. Let the spray sit on the stain for a few minutes. If the stain color isn’t changing, spray it again and lightly wipe the stain from the outside in making sure that you don’t press down into the carpet. When you get to the center of the stain, lightly pinch in an upward motion. Then let the carpet dry. That should take care of the carpet stain.
13. Deep clean carpet
Dust and dirt can live down in the fibers of your carpet and vacuuming alone doesn’t always get everything. Deep cleaning with a carpet cleaner will help remove that dust and dirt. Cleaning with Advanced Stain & Protect, a BISSELL cleaning formula containing StainProtect™, can also help protect against future stains and keep your carpet looking and feeling newer just in time for the holidays.
Now Enjoy & Decorate your space!
Now that you've worked hard cleaning your house inside and out, it's time for the fun part – bringing that cozy fall feel into your space. Add some mums or pumpkins to your porch, change out the pillows on your couch, add a fall sign to your door, or some different fall-colored placemats to your kitchen table. These decorations don’t have to be crazy expensive or overwhelming. Even lighting an apple-scented candle in the evening and having a cozy blanket on the back of the couch can bring a cozy, fall feel into your home.
Fall can be busy with back-to-school, sports, chores, and, honestly, getting ready for the holidays. We hope you able to take time during this busy season to sit back and enjoy it too. Your home should be your cozy comfortable haven in the crazy sea of life. So, sip the warm beverage of your choice and take a minute to be proud of all you’ve done to make your house a home this season.