Glowing pumpkin vines, leaves turning yellow and falling, crisp mornings, and shorter days signal winter’s approach. This is the time to clean up summer’s outdoor lifestyle and check on your winter linens in storage, prepare your spaces for a long winter’s nap, and get your garden ready for a freeze.
Autumn’s brisk and windy days present the ideal time to tend to winter preparation chores and repairs before the first frost.
Indoor Cleaning
- It will soon be very cold outside so you will naturally want to stay indoors. Here are some things to make your indoors warm and cozy.
- Get a professional technician to inspect your furnaces and recommend specific cleaning and maintenance steps.
- Get a professional sweep company to clean the chimney, vents, and filters (can also be replaced).
- Clean and sort through the pantry, discarding anything that has gone bad or is unlikely to be used.
- Free up space in your closet for tweed pants, cozy sweaters, socks, etc. by packing up your summer items – bathing suits, sandals, etc.
- Place a sturdy mat inside and outside every entrance and ask people to remove their shoes upon entering the house to prevent damage of your hardwood floors.
- Get your winter gear primed & ready.
- Send your holiday outfits or fancy tablecloths to the cleaners.
- Clean out your junk drawer.
- Clean your computer.
- Get a few more festive teas.
- Vacuum the mattress, box springs and flip it.
Outdoor Cleaning
- Clean patio furniture and cover it with a heavy tarp. You can also store it in your garage or shed where it is shielded from the elements.
- Clean dirt, leaves, and pine needles between the boards of your wooden deck to discourage the growth of mold and mildew.
- Inspect the deck for decay, insect damage, or splintering and treat as needed to avoid further deterioration over winter.
- Clean soil from your planters and place pots made from fragile materials, like clay, indoors to prevent cracking.
- Clean leaves and rubble from the drains to prevent blockages.
- Clean the gutters and ensure they’re properly fastened; and extend downspouts 5 feet away from the walls to prevent flooding of the foundation.
You will also want to keep the thermostat setting consistent, as fluctuations in temperature and humidity can make the floor boards swell and shrink, causing them to warp and buckle.
Understanding Moisture and Hardwood Floors
