5 Things You Can Do to Keep Your House Clean This Fall

You’ve heard of and likely participated in frenzied cleaning near the start of the year. Spring cleaning has become a popular time for people to declutter and give their home a total refresh. But it’s not the only time of year you should look at deep cleaning your home.

While you probably have a cleaning routine that you complete every week, it’s important to hit some of the less-talked-about areas of your home once in a while. Often, people don’t realize that something can create problems until they are already in front of them. That’s why you should deal with spaces around your home that you haven’t thought much about.

Quick Tips to Refresh Your Home

To make your home function as smoothly and cleanly as possible, you need to set it up for a fall refresh. Like spring cleaning, cleaning in fall will help you prioritize places in your home that you haven’t touched for half a year that may have been affected by the heat or light of summertime.

1. Vacuum Your Furniture

You may not regularly vacuum your furniture if you don’t have pets and typically keep it tidy. Even if vacuuming furniture isn’t a priority for you, you should thoroughly clean your couches and chairs every once in a while. If your cushion covers slip off, run them through the washing machine.

If you haven’t checked in a while, your furniture could be harboring bedbugs without you even knowing it. Make sure to vacuum your furniture thoroughly, especially if you have a history of bedbug infestations. Adult bedbugs tend to gather where others once did, so you may need to vacuum your furniture more regularly if you notice traces of bedbugs, like their eggs.

2. Deep Clean Rugs

Rugs and carpets collect everything, especially if your family members walk around the house with their shoes on. If not cleaned regularly, these soft carpets can become breeding grounds for bacteria. They can also house dust, which, when stirred, can be awful for family members who have allergies.

Shake out your rugs at the very least. And if you can fit them in your washing machine and they’re safe to wash, all the better. While you may not be able to clean your rugs and carpets every week, keeping an eye on how much dirt and dust your family tracks in could help you gauge when next to wash them.

3. Purge the Clutter

Going through your items is typically reserved for spring cleaning, but there’s no wrong time to declutter. Old, unworn clothes could be great hiding places for bugs, and the same goes for clothes lying in a heap somewhere because you have no room for them in a closet or dresser.

Having fewer things means having fewer homes for pests, which can lessen your chance of being exposed to disease or bacteria carried by bugs. Show any bugs that they’re not welcome in your home by keeping only the clothing you know you’ll wear and storing it safely.

4. Clean Your Garage Door

While you’re working on the inside of your home, don’t forget to let the outside sparkle, too. You can clean your garage door with warm water and dish soap. Be gentle, but don’t fear scrubbing away some grime that may have built up.

Cleaning your garage door regularly, maybe twice a year, but more often in areas with severe weather, can boost the appearance of your home, which is excellent if you ever plan to sell your house. Aside from the cosmetic improvement, you can also eliminate the chance of rust appearing and protect your garage door’s finish.

5. Replace Outdated Appliances

If you haven’t upgraded your appliances in a while, you may look into swapping out your trusty hardware with something more modern. Modern devices are explicitly designed to save energy, which is helpful for your carbon footprint and your wallet.

You can recycle old appliances, too, which cuts down on harmful emissions and allows them to be repurposed. Because it uses less energy, you’re helping yourself as well as the world around you. Using a newer appliance can also help you avoid stress and frustration because everything will be operating as it should.

Create a Sustainable Routine

Finding your cleaning groove is crucial. You must have a way to determine what needs cleaning, so you don’t risk housing pests or living in filth. Plenty of apps can help you keep track of whose responsibility it is to do a chore, which comes in handy when teaching your children about chore charts and giving them simple tasks around the house.

You can also accumulate points, whether in an app or on a homemade chore chart, and reap rewards and benefits by spending them. Keep yourself motivated by earning rewards and by setting yourself up for success. If you make your bed every morning, you’ve already cleaned one thing successfully — just let that accomplishment flow into the rest of your day and prepare you for other chores later. A clean home is a happy home, after all!