The temperatures may still be a little warm, but autumn will be here in just a couple of short weeks. If you’re hoping to prepare your home for the autumn and winter months, then now is the perfect time to do so. There are numerous tasks you can do to help get your home ready for the cooler months. These ten things are just scratching the surface but are items that should definitely be on your checklist. You may even find that they save you some money in the long run, which is perfect with the holiday season rapidly approaching.
1. Shampoo the Carpet
With the seasons changing, you might want to consider taking this time to clean your carpets. Summer can bring in a lot of allergens, on top of children and pets entering and exiting the home frequently. This can put a toll on your carpets that even vacuuming, and spot cleaning can’t fix. If you want to enter the new season feeling refreshed them shampooing your carpets is going to be a must. This is actually very easy to do and doesn’t have to be time-consuming. If you don’t already own a carpet cleaner, then you can easily rent one to get the job done. However, if you do have a budget to purchase one, you might want to take the leap as they can come in handy. With so many germs being passed around during the colder months, you may need to shampoo your carpet more often than you normally would.
2. Clear the Gutters
No one is really a fan of cleaning the gutters, but when the autumn leaves begin to fall and all of the precipitation returns to your area, you’re definitely not going to want to chance to have full gutters. This can actually cause damage to your room and other areas of the home if you’re not careful. Clearing the gutters isn’t a hard task, but it can be time-consuming. You might also find that there are special cleaners that make the job a bit easier. If you’re really not feeling it then there might be a teenager in the neighborhood willing to make a little extra money by taking on the job.
3. Weatherproof
Unfortunately, weather stripping doesn’t last as long as we would like it to. Even if you set up fresh weatherstripping in the home before summer, you might actually have to put in more weather stripping for the autumn months. This will become especially important if you live in an area that has very cold temperatures as you won’t want your heat seeping outside. Weatherproofing your home can also keep out pests which can also be important if you live in an area where cockroaches, dangerous spiders, or other bugs tend to creep into the home. You should weather strip doors and windows. If you do have trouble with weatherproofing these areas, then you might want to add extra protection. You can find tutorials on how to keep drafts and so much more from the home, which can save you money and frustration.
4. Clean Your Dishwasher
You might not think about it, but your dishwasher might need to be cleaned. You don’t want a dirty dishwasher just spreading germs all over the items you cook and eat with, right? Cleaning your dishwasher might not be as hard as you think. In fact, most newer models will have a special tablet to place inside of the dishwasher that cleans it while you run it empty. Older dishwashers, on the other hand, might have areas that need to be removed so you can clean them. Your best option is to look up your model online and find a tutorial on how to properly clean it. This doesn’t have to be done too often, but make sure to remember when you did it last so you can schedule the next cleaning.
5. Organize the Pantry
It is pretty easy to simply place things in the pantry when we go grocery shopping and then forget all about them until it is time to make a meal. Unfortunately, this can be a bit of a problem as you may find that your pantry is hard to navigate or some of the items have expired. Before you stock up with autumn foods, you might go through the pantry and remove items you know your family is probably never going to eat. These things can be donated to a food pantry which is great considering the holiday months will be here before we know it. You might also check the dates on some of the foods you do have. Items nearing expiration should be moved to the front of the pantry. You might also clean out any crumbs or stray bags of opened food, and so on, that might have been forgotten so you don’t have to worry about bugs finding the items. This will allow you to make better use of your pantry, while also helping you to save money as you may have items already stocked that you didn’t know about.
6. Dust Your Fans
Even though your fan might be in constant rotation, you will find that it is also probably covered in a whole lot of dust. Thus, with the fan spinning around and spreading the dust, it could irritate your allergies. Before even more dust builds up and a new set of allergens enters the home, you might want to clean off the fan. This will only take a few minutes of your time, especially if you have an adjustable duster that reaches the top of the blades without forcing you to use a step stool. While you are dusting your fan blades, you might also want to take a moment and switch the direction of the fan so it will spread warm air instead of cool air as the temperatures drop.
7. Change Filters
Before the season’s change, you might want to think back on when the last time you changed the filters in your home was. Technically, you’re supposed to change the filers every month to every three months, depending on the type of filters you use. So, going into a new season is the perfect time to do so. Changing the filter only takes about five minutes, which is handy, and it can help improve allergens and even your health in some cases. There are even filters that work to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses, which can make your home a bit safer during these trying times. While you’re working on filters, you might also consider swapping out your home’s water filters, as these can also help prevent damage to your body.
8. Swap Alarm Batteries
With the home being closed up more often during the colder months, you are definitely going to want to make sure your alarm batteries are going strong. Even if you’re not sure where your batteries stand as far as their lifespan, it is important to switch them out regardless. You don’t want to find yourself in a bad situation and find out that you didn’t get the lifesaving alert that you needed because your batteries were dead. During the cold months, fires are more likely to happen with people using fireplaces, heaters, furnaces, and so much more. You will also find that gas leaks are also more common, which your alarm can help detect which will save your life.
9. Clean Linens
You should clean your linens, like your comforter and items that aren’t necessarily touching skin, about once a month to once every three months. So, the new season might be the perfect time for you to clean up the linens that you don’t already clean weekly. While you’re working on your comforter, duvet, pillow shams, pillows, bed skirt, and other items in the area, you might also consider cleaning your curtains and shower curtains. This will truly freshen up the home and get rid of dust that might be driving your sinuses crazy.
10. Toys
If you have children in the home, then their toys are probably filled with germs. It is hard to clean kid’s toys during their waking hours, but you might want to take the time to do it during your autumn prep. Right now, there are a lot of illnesses going around that can cause your children to get sick, so simply spraying toys down with Lysol, can help big time. However, you might want to do a deep cleanse too. Plushes and doll clothes can be placed in the washer with ease, in most cases, which will make clean up easy. Add some Lysol for laundry to help kill even more germs. Hard toys that aren’t electronics, can be placed in the dishwasher. However, if you don’t think the toy will survive the heat of the dishwasher then soak it in some bleach water and give it a good rinse. Electronics can be wiped down with a Lysol wipe or use a UV cleaner to finish the job. Even adult toys, like collectibles, can go through the cleaning treatment to ensure the home is fresher.
Keeping your home clean and ready for the autumn months can help make it easier for you to deal with the challenges the cooler weather brings. These ten tips should help with allergens, illness, and even damage to the home, which can improve your budget immensely.
