Although I do my best to tackle a great deal of my deep cleaning in regards to my home in the Spring, it's easy to forget about it's Fall counterpart.
Fall cleaning isn't just about tidying up on a regular schedule (though that's good too), there are health benefits and more. Here are a few reasons why you should hop to!
1. Closing Up Shop: For most of the country, Fall and Winter months mean our houses start to be closed up. Our air conditioners turn to heaters and our windows are closed. When that happens all the dust and dirt in your home stays there. Scary thought right?
2. Good Habit: Creating healthy habits in your home can be tricky. If you aren't the deep clean everyday or even once a month type, doing so twice a year is a good thing. Leaving it all to the Spring makes things seem cumbersome, so add another few weeks of spiffing things up and you'll be better for it.
3. The Holidays are Coming So you like to entertain (or even just enjoy your home solo) through the holidays. Once the time is upon us, it's easy to get overloaded with food and seating. Wouldn't it be nice if you weren't worried about cleaning out the coat closet so guests had somewhere to put their things? Do it now and you'll only have a surface wipe down to tackle down the line.
4. Built in Purge Time: We live by the thought of only having around you what you love. By going through your things twice a year, it's an easy reminder to yourself to get busy using something or putting it on Craigslist in 6 months when cleaning time rolls around again. By waiting a full year to do this process you spend more time in a space with things you don't love or use and who wants that?
5. Inspection: Going into the winter months all sorts of things like to call your home their home. Spiders, bugs, moths, none of which you really want to bunk down with. By deep cleaning during the Fall you get a chance to see who's hiding where and giving them a squish or kick to the curb before they start snacking on you or your clothes.
Why do you think Fall cleaning is or isn't important? Do you bust out the buckets and rags or hold out till Spring? Share your thoughts below!
Image: Flickr member Garlandcanon licensed for use by Creative Commons
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Also, if you have allergies, like I do, getting rid of the dust and pollen that's been tracked in or come in due to the house being open is a good idea before the house is closed up. I also do a lot of gardening and we have a couple of good sized dogs so everyone tracks in all sorts of stuff. I did a pretty heavy cleaning this past weekend but will do another soon.
I think it more important than spring cleaning. The open windows all summer....
here in the South we can finally remove our hurricane shutters and OPEN our windows.
put new AC filters for the next season and have fresh air in the house.
In Texas, we had over thirty days of 100+ degree weather this year WITH 97% humidity. We are finally in the 80's and are able to open up windows without melting. Fall cleaning is a must after being cooped up since May.
A friend recently relocated from Michigan just said that, contrary to marketing, Miami weather is no more hospitable the north's because our summers are as harsh and hostile as its winters. That made me think, always having avoided moving north as an adult out of dread of its horrible winters. It explains why our spring and fall cleanings are the same as northerners', except reversed.