When To Start Fall Cleaning
If you’re wondering when to start your fall cleaning, you’re not alone. Fall cleaning isn’t talked about in quite the same way as spring cleaning, so it can be difficult to know when to start or even what you’re supposed to be doing.
But the idea behind fall cleaning is actually very similar to spring cleaning. You’re giving your home a deeper clean and tackling some of those jobs that aren’t part of your normal weekly cleaning routine.
So, when should you start?
I typically start my fall cleaning at the beginning of September. But that doesn’t mean September is a deadline you have to follow.
When you start your fall cleaning will depend on your home, your schedule, where you live and what else you have going on. The important thing is finding a time that works for you and giving yourself enough time to spread those deeper cleaning jobs out rather than trying to tackle everything at once.
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When Should You Start Fall Cleaning?
I like to start my fall cleaning in September. When my children were at school here in the UK, they went back after the summer break at the beginning of September, so it always made sense to start then.
The house was quieter, our normal routine was starting again, and I finally had the chance to tackle some of those deeper cleaning jobs without children being under my feet.
I even knew some moms who would completely redecorate their homes as well as deep clean ready for the new season. I was never quite that ambitious! 😂 But I did love giving the house a good deep clean.
September can be a great time to start, but it isn’t a rule.
Your ideal starting point might be earlier or later depending on your family, your schedule and even the weather where you live. Think of fall cleaning as something you can spread over several weeks rather than a huge cleaning session that has to happen on a particular date.
Starting earlier also gives you time to assess your home and get those deeper cleaning jobs done before the holiday season begins. That way, you’re not trying to deep clean your home at the same time as everything else that comes with the holidays.
Why Start Fall Cleaning In September?
September has always felt like a natural time for me to start fall cleaning. The summer is coming to an end, routines are starting to settle down again and, for many of us, the weather is beginning to get a little cooler.
That cooler weather can make a big difference. Deep cleaning can be hard work, and tackling jobs like moving furniture, cleaning behind things or giving a room a proper deep clean isn’t much fun when you’re already hot.
Starting in September also gives you plenty of time.
You don’t need to deep clean your whole house in a weekend. You can tackle a few jobs at a time and spread your fall cleaning over several weeks.
By starting before the holiday season gets busy, you can get those jobs out of the way without adding a huge deep clean to an already overflowing holiday to-do list.
But September isn’t your only opportunity. If September doesn’t work for you, start when it does. Fall cleaning is supposed to help you manage your home, not give you another deadline to worry about.
How To Decide When To Start Fall Cleaning
September works well for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best time for everyone to start fall cleaning.
Think about what is happening in your home and your life. If September is already a busy month because the kids are going back to school, work is hectic or you have other things going on, adding a deep clean might be the last thing you need.
The weather where you live can make a difference too. If September is still really hot, you might prefer to wait until it cools down before tackling some of the more physical deep cleaning jobs.
Also think about how much time you want to give yourself. If you prefer doing one or two small jobs each week, starting earlier gives you plenty of time to work through your fall cleaning without it taking over your life.
There isn’t a perfect date when everyone should start fall cleaning. Choose a starting point that fits your home, your available time and everything else you already have to manage.
What Does Fall Cleaning Consist Of?
Fall cleaning is really just another seasonal deep clean. If you’re familiar with spring cleaning, the idea is very similar.
You’re tackling some of the deeper cleaning jobs that don’t normally get done as part of your weekly cleaning routine.
This might mean deep cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms, giving the kitchen a more thorough clean, cleaning the oven or moving furniture so you can clean the areas that normally get missed.
If moving heavier furniture is something you struggle with, furniture sliders can make it much easier to move things like sofas or tables so you can clean underneath and behind them without having to drag them across the floor.
It’s also a good opportunity to tackle those awkward high areas that are easy to ignore, like ceiling corners, light fittings and the tops of cupboards. I find an extendable duster makes jobs like these much easier without having to keep reaching for a step stool.
But you don’t need to turn this into a massive list of everything that could possibly be cleaned in your home.
Think about which areas of your home need some extra attention and what would make your home easier to manage as you head into the new season.
If you’re not sure what needs doing, my Fall Cleaning Checklist can help you decide which jobs you want to tackle without having to remember everything yourself.
If you’d rather get a head start, I’ve also got 10 Things To Clean In August that can help you tackle a few jobs before September arrives.
Is Fall Cleaning A Thing?
Yes, fall cleaning is a thing, even though it isn’t talked about as much as spring cleaning.
The idea is very similar. It’s a form of seasonal cleaning that gives you the opportunity to tackle some of the deeper cleaning jobs. You might also hear it called autumn cleaning, but the idea is the same.
Your regular cleaning might keep on top of things like vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom and wiping down the kitchen. A fall deep clean gives you the chance to go further and tackle some of those areas that don’t need cleaning every week.
I also find that deep cleaning more than once a year makes the job easier. If you only give your home a really thorough clean once a year in the spring, there’s potentially a lot more dirt and dust to deal with.
Fall cleaning gives you another opportunity to tackle those deeper jobs before another season passes.
But this doesn’t mean your home needs to be perfectly deep cleaned every few months. The idea is to make looking after your home easier, so concentrate on the areas that actually need your attention.
How To Fit Fall Cleaning Into Your Schedule
You don’t need to set aside entire days to deep clean your home.
I find it much easier to add a few fall cleaning jobs to my normal weekly cleaning schedule. This means I’m still keeping on top of the everyday cleaning while slowly working through the deeper jobs that need doing.
If you don’t already have a regular cleaning routine to add these jobs to, my Home Cleaning Schedules guide can help you create one that works around your life.
Look at the time you realistically have available and decide how much extra cleaning you can manage. That might be one or two deeper cleaning jobs each week rather than trying to tackle an entire room at once.
Spread your fall cleaning schedule over a few weeks or even the whole month if you need to.
This is another reason I like starting in September. Giving myself plenty of time means I don’t have to rush through everything or spend days at a time deep cleaning.
The aim isn’t to get your fall cleaning finished as quickly as possible. It’s to get it done in a way that fits around everything else you already have to manage.
How To Actually Start Your Fall Cleaning
I really do love a plan. It makes it much easier for me to look at what I need to do on any particular day and just get it done.
If I have to stop and think about what needs doing, that’s time I could have spent actually doing it. If a cleaning task is already in my daily plan, I’ll do my best to get it done. I hate moving things to another day if I don’t have to.
But the important part is keeping those tasks small.
I have a very short attention span, so I break my deep cleaning down into small jobs that I can tackle in around 10 minutes.
Instead of telling myself I need to deep clean an entire room, I might choose one small area or one job and concentrate on that.
Those 10-minute tasks soon add up. I can work my way through an entire room without ever needing to find a huge block of time to deep clean it.
For me, that’s one of the easiest ways to actually get my fall cleaning done rather than putting it off because the whole job feels too big.
What If You’re Starting Fall Cleaning Late?
If September has already disappeared and you haven’t started your fall cleaning yet, don’t worry. You haven’t missed your chance.
There isn’t a deadline for fall cleaning, and you certainly don’t need to try to catch up by deep cleaning your whole house in a weekend.
Start with one small job that would make a difference in your home. Give yourself 10 minutes, get that task done and then choose another small job when you have the time.
You might not get every deep cleaning job finished before the holiday season starts, and that’s okay. Concentrate on the areas that need your attention most and leave anything less important for another time.
Starting late is still better than making the job so big that you don’t want to start at all.
You don’t have to wait for the perfect time to start fall cleaning.
September is when I like to start, but the best time for you is when you can realistically fit a few extra cleaning jobs into your schedule without making life harder.
Start small, spread the work out and concentrate on the areas of your home that need your attention most. That’s far more manageable than trying to deep clean the entire house at once.
And if September has already passed, just start where you are. Your home doesn’t know what date is on the calendar!
If keeping track of seasonal cleaning alongside all the other jobs involved in running your home feels overwhelming, my Home Management Binder can help you keep everything together in one place.
More Fall Cleaning Tips And Resources
You don’t have to work out everything you need to do on your own. I’ve got more fall cleaning tips and resources that can help you decide what needs doing and make those jobs feel more manageable.
And if you’re starting to think beyond fall cleaning and getting your home ready for the colder months, you can also read my How To Prepare Your Home For Winter guide.
I like that you frame fall cleaning as something to spread over several weeks rather than a fixed deadline. The point about cooler weather making deep cleaning less miserable really rings true—moving furniture in late-summer heat is no fun. I’m curious whether you usually start with the rooms that get the most summer traffic, or tackle the bigger jobs like windows and behind furniture first?
I prefer to start at the high traffic points first just because often they need more work. Sharon