With the nip in the air, you can feel the change from summer to fall and then ultimately into winter. The summer months brought in all the dust from open windows and the windows are pretty much a mess from the monsoons. This is generally the time that you start thinking about cleaning up from the earlier months and getting homes ready for holidays. It’s time to prepare for colder weather, closed windows, heaters on and the snows and rains.
Inside the house, the dust may have settled on places you usually don’t have to clean on a weekly basis. Let’s look at some of the areas you may want to address in your fall cleaning:
Baseboards throughout the house
Blinds and window sills and tracks of the windows
Ceiling fans
Light fixtures
Vent covers and heating and air conditioning vents
Heat and air conditioning ducts
Cobwebs
On the outside of the house, check and clean the following:
Make sure roof gutters and downspouts are clean and free of debris and leaves. While checking and cleaning the gutters, make sure all the connections are secure so that the water can run freely out to the appropriate area.
Make sure any wood-burning fireplace chimneys are clear and that the screen at the top of the chimney is free of nests and leaves.
Clear the yard of overgrown plants, bushes, leaves and weeds.
Check and clear any drainage areas on the property of leaves and debris.
In addition to the above suggestions, fall is a good time to organize and clean out closets before bringing in your winter wear from storage. Reducing and cleaning up clutter reduces stress. Start the season out right by organizing and decluttering. I even heard that the less clutter around the house, the less you eat! True? I don’t know, but sounds good to me. Straighten up and clear out the garage so that you can get to your holiday decorations. Another good idea is to prepare an area in your entry, mudroom, Arizona room or laundry room so that you can discard muddy boots, coats and sweaters, hats, umbrellas, snow shovels and a myriad of other winter necessities so that they do not become part of the living room or dining area. Also, protect your carpets and wood floors from the outdoors by having substantial rugs on the exterior and interior of the doors.
It’s the perfect time to clean up, organize and prepare your home for the winter months. It’s a lot to take on all at once, but one project at a time and help from professionals can get the job done. We wish you all a wonderful, safe and healthy holiday season! QCBN
By Lucy Leyva
Lucy Leyva is the proud owner of MTO Janitorial LLC, and Prescott Maid to Order LLC, both local cleaning companies based out of Prescott Valley, serving Northern Arizona since 2005. For any cleaning inquiry, please contact us at 928-772-0004 and/or visit our website at mtojanitorial.com.
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