The arrival of fall not only means cooler weather, but it also means the holiday season is officially upon us. Thanksgiving will be here in the blink of an eye once Halloween is over, and we know what comes after that, Christmas of course! With the change in weather, and the eventual arrival of loved ones and guests, a deep cleaning of your home is needed. Here are some steps to take when preparing your home for the new season.

1.       Wash all of the windows in your home – make sure not to leave any streaks!

2.       Vacuum – not just the floors, but the blinds and curtains; dust can collect in these as well! If blinds and/or curtains are stained or still dirty after vacuuming, wash them. Also, vacuum furniture and cushions (if stained, wash the cushion covers).

3.       Clean your walls – it may not seem like it, but they can become dirty too, especially if you smoke indoors.

4.       Dust all light fixtures.

5.       Clean kitchen cabinets – wipe down/polish the outside; check the inside for any expired products, throw away if any are found. You can also use this time to reorganize any cluttered cabinets.

6.       Dust your refrigerator condenser coil.

7.       If carpets are stained and still look less than stellar after vacuuming, either purchase a carpet cleaner machine or call your local carpet cleaning company.

8.       If you have wooden floors, polish them. Check for scuff marks and scratches.

9.       Clean and reorganize your home office space – if you have papers all over your computer desk, go through them and sort them accordingly. Place them in filing cabinets or neatly in folders. Dust the area as well and make sure all cords are safely out of the way of foot traffic.

10.   Organize your closets – no, your family may not be taking a tour of these, but you can easily access that fall wardrobe by switching out summer clothes to the back to the closet and fall/winter to the front.

11.   Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work – it’s the season of cozying up by the fireplace, or quite possibly burning some new recipe you’re trying out for the holiday dinners. Either way, you want to make sure these are intact.

12.   Switch out your furnace filter – make sure this is clean so everything works the way it should.

13.   Sweep your chimney – call your local professional to check your fireplace for any issues and for a good cleaning.

14.   Clean out the attic – let go of any unused items; after all, they’re just holding dust!

15.   Walk around the outside of your home and check caulking around doors and windows – you certainly wouldn’t want any of the cold air to drift into your home.

16.   Clean out the gutters of any and all debris.

17.   Wash your outdoor furniture.

18.   Put away your garden hoses into a neat area and out of the way of any backyard guests.

19.   Check window panes and doors for any touch up paint jobs.

20.   If you have a pool, drain and/or cover it to prevent damage from the upcoming colder weather.