Fall Cleaning Checklist To Make Cleaning Easier

The kitchen is a good place to start because there are plenty of areas that are easy to overlook during regular cleaning.

• Clean the top of kitchen cabinets and other high surfaces.
• Wipe down cabinet doors and handles.
• Pull out small appliances and clean underneath them.
• Deep clean your oven and stovetop if needed.
• Clean the refrigerator, including shelves, drawers and door seals.
• Check the freezer for food that needs using.
• Go through your pantry and remove expired food.
• Wipe pantry shelves before putting everything back.
• Clean the dishwasher filter and check whether the dishwasher needs a deeper clean.
• Vacuum and clean behind or underneath larger appliances where accessible.
• Wash trash cans and recycling bins.

Quick tip: Please don’t pull everything out of every cupboard at once. I’ve done this myself, looked at the enormous mess I’d created, wanted to cry, and ended up putting everything back because I couldn’t deal with it. One cupboard or drawer at a time is far less overwhelming.

Fall Cleaning Tasks For The Bathroom

Your regular bathroom cleaning probably covers the toilet, sink and shower, so fall is a good opportunity to tackle some of the less frequent jobs.

• Wash shower curtains and bath mats.
• Clean shower doors and tracks.
• Check grout and caulk for areas needing attention.
• Clean extractor fans and vents.
• Wipe down bathroom cabinets and drawers.
• Sort toiletries and dispose of anything that’s expired or no longer used, following appropriate disposal guidance.
• Clean behind the toilet and other awkward areas.
• Wash trash cans.
• Dust light fixtures and other high surfaces.
• Deep clean areas where hard water, soap scum or grime has built up.

You don’t need to deep clean everything simply because fall has arrived. If your bathroom is already in good shape, concentrate on the jobs you’ve been avoiding.

Fall Cleaning Tasks For Bedrooms

Fall is a natural time to reset bedrooms as lighter summer bedding and clothing start making way for warmer options.

• Wash pillows and duvets/comforters if their care instructions allow.
• Clean the mattress and vacuum it if appropriate.
• Vacuum underneath the bed.
• Dust headboards, bed frames and other overlooked surfaces.
• Clean lamps and light fixtures.
• Wash or vacuum curtains and blinds as appropriate.
• Clean windows and window sills.
• Sort clothing as you make seasonal closet changes. If changing over your wardrobe is one of your fall jobs, these tips for swapping clothes out seasonally can help you do it without overwhelming your or your closet.
• Remove clothes that no longer fit, are damaged or aren’t being worn.
• Clean inside closets before putting seasonal items away.

Make it easier: Don’t turn a seasonal clothing swap into an unexpected six-hour decluttering project. Keep a donation bag nearby and remove the obvious things as you go.

Fall Cleaning Tasks For Living Areas

As the weather gets colder, you’re probably going to spend more time inside, which makes fall a useful time to tackle the areas where your family relaxes.

• Vacuum underneath sofas and other movable furniture.
• Vacuum upholstered furniture and between cushions.
• Wash removable cushion covers according to their care labels.
• Dust lamps, light fixtures and ceiling fans.
• Clean baseboards and other areas that aren’t part of your regular routine.
• Wash or vacuum curtains and blinds.
• Clean windows and window sills.
• Dust shelves, picture frames and decorative items.
• Clean frequently touched areas such as switches, handles and remote controls.
• Sort blankets and throws ready for colder evenings.

You don’t have to move every piece of furniture in your house. Concentrate on accessible areas and the places where dust and debris tend to collect.

Decluttering And Seasonal Swaps

Fall cleaning isn’t only about removing dirt. It’s also a useful point in the year to deal with things that accumulated over summer and prepare for the next season.

Look at areas such as:

• Summer clothing and shoes.
• Coats, boots and cold-weather accessories. Check out Simple Coat Closet Organization for more tips on this topic.
• Entryway clutter.
• School and paperwork clutter.
• Outdoor toys and summer equipment.
• Seasonal bedding and blankets.
• Items waiting to be donated.
• Anything you’ve been meaning to put away since summer.

This doesn’t need to become a whole-house decluttering challenge. A few small seasonal swaps can make everyday life much easier.

What Do You Need For Fall Cleaning?

You don’t need a cupboard full of special products to tackle your fall cleaning.

Start with the cleaning supplies you already use and trust. Depending on the jobs you’ve chosen, useful supplies might include:

• Microfiber cloths
• A vacuum with useful attachments
• Mop and bucket or your usual floor-cleaning system
• Scrub brushes
• An extendable duster
• Glass cleaner
• An all-purpose cleaner suitable for the surfaces you’re cleaning
• Trash and recycling bags
• A box or bag for donations
• Protective gloves when appropriate

For deeper jobs, you may also find tools such as a crevice attachment, handheld vacuum or steam cleaner useful, depending on the surfaces in your home and the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

The important thing is to choose products for the task rather than buying more cleaning supplies simply because you’re doing a fall clean.

How To Fit Fall Cleaning Into A Busy Schedule

Looking at an entire fall house cleaning checklist can quickly become overwhelming, especially when normal cleaning, work, children and everything else still need your attention.

Instead of trying to find a free weekend, make your fall cleaning schedule fit around the time you actually have.

You could choose:

• One room each week if you want a slow, manageable approach.
• One deeper cleaning task each day alongside your normal routine.
• A 15 or 20-minute fall cleaning session a few times each week.
• One family cleaning session where everyone tackles a different job.
• Three priority jobs each weekend until you’ve finished the tasks that matter to you.

For example, instead of deciding you’re going to “fall clean the kitchen,” choose three specific jobs:

Clean the refrigerator.
Sort one pantry shelf.
Clean underneath the small appliances.

That’s much easier to fit into a busy week and gives you a clear stopping point.

And if you don’t finish your fall cleaning by a particular date? Nothing terrible happens. This is a tool for making your home easier to manage, not another deadline you’re failing to meet.

If you’d rather build these jobs into a regular routine, my guide to creating a home cleaning schedule can help you make a plan that fits your life.

Fall Home Maintenance Tasks You Don’t Want To Forget

While you’re looking around your home, it’s worth checking for those little maintenance jobs that are much easier to deal with now than when the weather turns cold.

Depending on your home and where you live, that might include checking:

• Doors and windows for obvious problems.
• Heating systems and filters according to manufacturer or professional recommendations.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Gutters and drainage.
• Outdoor furniture before storing or covering it.
• Exterior lighting.
• Entryways and doormats.
• Outdoor equipment that needs cleaning before storage.
• Areas where water, damp or drafts could become a problem.

Some home maintenance jobs require specialist knowledge or equipment. If something isn’t safe or appropriate for you to tackle yourself, add it to a maintenance list and arrange for the right person to deal with it.

The goal here isn’t to suddenly become a home-maintenance expert. It’s simply to notice potential problems before you’re dealing with them in the middle of colder weather.

Make Your Fall Cleaning Checklist Work For Your Home

There is no prize for completing every task on a fall cleaning checklist.

Your home might need a kitchen deep clean but very little work in the bedrooms. Another home might desperately need a seasonal clothing sort but have a spotless kitchen.

Use the checklist to help you notice what needs doing, then prioritize the jobs that will make the biggest difference.

Start small, spread the work out and get other members of your household involved where you can. Fall cleaning should leave your home feeling easier to manage, not leave you exhausted and wondering why you started.

Grab the free printable fall cleaning checklist and choose the tasks that make sense for your home.

Fall cleaning is just one of the many things we have to remember when we’re managing a home. If keeping track of cleaning, maintenance and everything else that needs doing is something you struggle with, my Home Management Binder can help you keep it all together in one place.

Want more articles on cleaning in the fall?

• When To Start Your Fall Cleaning
• How To Start Tackling Your Fall Cleaning Now