How to give your home an autumn “spring” clean

Posted on Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

You might think that a deep clean of your home is reserved for spring, but in fact, autumn is the perfect time to give your home a thorough clean. Now’s the time to get your home ready for winter, for the good of your property and for you too. In fact, it’s even been suggested that having a good autumn “spring clean” is good for your health.

Outside your home
While the weather is a still reasonably dry, have a look at the outside of your home and around your garden. Put away or cover your garden furniture, to keep it in good order for next summer. Then attend to any outstanding maintenance, like refreshing the paint on your woodwork, before colder, damper weather sets in. Then give the windows a thorough wash – so you can make the most of the light even as the days shorten. At the same time, have your guttering checked and cleaned.

Inside your home
If you have an open fire, then it’s time to have your chimney swept. Once that’s been seen to, then it’s time to vacuum, dust and polish throughout your home. Pay attention to those hard to reach places or those areas you only attend to every once in a while, like under the heavier furniture or around your bookshelves. Moreover, while you are working your way around the rooms, de-clutter too, putting together a bag or two of items for the charity shop.

In addition, vacuum your upholstered furniture, curtains, and blinds or have them professionally cleaned if you prefer. Also, give thought to whether your carpets or hard floors need a professional clean. Then look to your light fittings, the cleaner they are, the better the light levels they’ll provide over the winter months.

Safety checks
Test your smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order, and if you haven’t installed any yet, see to it quick sharp.

Your soft furnishings
In the bedroom, turn the mattresses, so they wear evenly, also have your duvets and pillows cleaned. Then bring out additional soft furnishings like throws, rugs and heavier bedspreads, for your bedroom and elsewhere, so you remain cosy even as the temperatures drop. Also while in your bedroom, pack away your lighter summer clothes and bring out your heavier winter items.

In your kitchen
In the kitchen, have a good clear out of your cupboards and reorganise, throwing out all of those items that are long out of date. Also, look around your kitchen with fresh eyes and pack away any kitchen gadgets you haven’t used recently and de-clutter where you can. Ask yourself if any of your appliances need servicing, repair, their supplies topped up or a deep clean. In addition, defrost your freezer, so it’s working as efficiently as possible and you’ve got a lot more storage space.

See to these jobs, and you’ll have a home that is “spring clean” even in the autumn, so you can hunker down, ready for winter.