Fall Cleaning and Maintenance

Whether you are closing your vacation rental home for the winter or keeping it open year round, fall is the ideal time for cleaning and home maintenance after the busy summer season. 

A thorough fall cleaning will remove lingering pollen, dust, and dirt from the summer and will also make for easier spring cleaning.   

Interior

• Dust and vacuum all surfaces, behind and under furniture, and under seat cushions.
• Look up! Get rid of cobwebs in corners and around light fixtures, ceiling fans, and bathroom vents.
• Wash woodwork, doors, frames, window trim, sills, baseboards, stair risers, slider tracks.
• Wash walls, especially in hallways and stairwells. (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is great at getting out marks and stains on walls and other surfaces.)
• Dry clean draperies and wash curtains.
• Steam clean or spot clean carpets and rugs.
• Launder all washable comforters, mattress covers, linens, pillowcase covers, blankets, and throws.  

 Exterior

• Clean gutters. 
• Rake leaves from lawn.   
• Reseed any bare spots (fall is the best time to reseed). 
• Prune trees and bushes. 
• Drain and store garden hoses. 
• Clean patio/deck/porch furniture. 
• Drain outside shower and outside spigots. 
• Wash out trash barrels. 
• Clean grill. 

If you close up your home for the winter

• Completely empty the refrigerator, turn it off, and prop the door open. 
• Remove perishable items including sugar, flour, rice, etc. 
• Store candles and bar soaps in a secure place to avoid  mice. 
• Put out some ant traps. 
• Drain the pipes. 

 If you keep your home open year round, be sure to read this blog post about Avoiding Frozen Pipes. 

 Do you have any other household chores that you consider a must in the fall?