Everything That Should Be on Your ‘Fall Cleaning’ Checklist

The changing of the seasons is always a good time to clean. While quarterly tidying-up is generally advisable, some tasks are best done at specific times during the year. As fall looms, here are the things you need to clean and organize inside your house.

First, declutter your summer essentials

As you prepare to put away everything you used in the previous season, you can take stock of what you didn’t and toss it or donate it, then get out the new season’s items and organize them just right. It doesn’t make sense to put away and store things you didn’t even use this summer just so you can fail to use them next year, too.

There are a lot of decluttering techniques out there and most of them will have you sorting your belongings into four piles: Keep, donate, toss, or sell. I suggest a combination of the Five Second Rule and KonMari: As you pick each item up, give yourself five seconds to make a quick decision about which pile it goes into. Is it really meaningful to you and/or did you actually use it this summer? Don’t deliberate; sort quickly and efficiently while the memory of whether you actually wore that striped tank top at any point from April until now is still fresh.

Once everything is sorted, be quick and efficient with the next steps, too. Take the donation box straight to your car or front door and commit to bringing it to the thrift shop or donation center as soon as possible. Take the trash out immediately, list anything you plan to sell on your preferred marketplace immediately, and organize everything you decided to keep immediately, too. It’s not doing you any good in bags and boxes, especially since you can’t wear or use it in the cooler weather.

Prepare your air for fall

Box fans and window units are out. Air purifiers are in. Despite what you may think, fall allergies are a real thing. Autumn is actually my worst season for allergies; spring and summer don’t really bother me at all. This is the time of year I haul out my air purifier. If yours has been locked away, pop the filter out and vacuum it with a hose attachment that has a brush on it. If you can fit your hands inside, wipe it down with a wet rag. Even if you cleaned it before storing it, dust might have gotten on it, which can hamper its effectiveness.

Before putting away your various fans, give them all a good cleaning, too. I have a whole how-to guide on cleaning all kinds of fans for you, so check that out, but in general, it’s the same idea: If it comes apart, take it apart. Use a wet rag to wipe down whatever you can and avoid electrical components. Use a vacuum to really suck the dirt out.

It doesn’t hurt to wrap them in some foam wrapping to keep dust at bay.

Overhaul your sheets and bedding

Obviously, if you have a thicker comforter or cozier blankets for the living room, this is when you get them out. Even if they were packed away in the most pristine way, you already know to give them a wash. Wash your summertime bedding, too, and then pack it away. Here, I recommend getting some vacuum-seal bags to compress the bedding. Not only does this save a lot of space in your storage areas, but it keeps dust and debris off them, too.

Another great option here is under-the-bed storage. These containers have zippers around them, also protecting your stuff, and keep the bedding (or whatever else) out of the way until you need it. I like this option because it aligns with the Organizational Triangle principles of storing similar items together. Blankets should be under the bed; that’s the general area where they belong, whether you’re using them or not.

Store summer clothes and goods

One of the biggest tasks you should undertake is storing away your summer clothes and various summer stuff, like beach bags and sunscreen. It’s not super helpful to keep them in your closet with everything else. You need quick access to your sweaters and coats and tank tops and shorts just get in your way. Vacuum-sealed bags and under-bed storage are perfect for this, too, but my top hack is actually using the summer bags to hold all that stuff. Again, you’re keeping similar items together, plus you’re making use of the big totes and bags, even when they’re in storage. Swimsuits, summer clothes, goggles, sunscreen—plop all of it into your beach bags or even in your luggage. (Bonus: If you take a warm vacation, the things you need will already be inside!)