Fall Cleaning

     Can you smell the cinnamon? Can you taste the pumpkin spice? Can you feel that cool breeze a blowin'?

It's fall ya'll!

     For most people, fall means baking, football games, and fall decorations. For me it means being inside more and realizing how much my home was neglected over the summer. This is why I always feel the need to do some major cleaning when fall comes around. 

     When the weather starts changing, that's when I feel the need to change everything. Shoot, I rearrange my house more times in the fall then most people do all year. Just last night I rearranged my entire bedroom. It got me to thinkin', I wonder if other people do the same thing when fall rolls around. If so here are some of my fall cleaning tips!

1. First thing I like to do when fall cleaning is wash all my big stuff. No comforter, curtain, or even the carpet is safe.

 I start with the bed linens first. A clean bed means a peaceful sleep! Once I throw the blankets and sheets in to wash I start with my mattress. Even though we keep a protector on it all year round, it still manages to get icky! I give it a good scrubbin' with some fabric safe bleach to get the dingyness and funky smells out.

 Next in the wash is the curtains. I usually hang them back on the curtain rods to dry, it gives them a chance to dry while making the room smell like your favorite laundry detergent.

At this point I usually start spot cleaning the carpet, if it's really bad I break out the shampooer. I always do this first so they have time to dry while I work on other things 

2. Next I usually start decluttering and throwing anything away we haven't used in the last year. Closets, junk drawers, and any shelves or cabinets are sorted and anything useless gets tossed.  You can't clean clutter! You only end up "organizing" it temporarily! 

3. Now I break out my major cleaning supplies... Or not so major. I usually only have 3 major things I clean with. Pine-sol, vinegar, and bleach. I might buy extra cleaners every now and then, but for the most part those are my staples and I haven't found a job they couldn't handle. I like to wipe down every surface I can as I go. If I'm rearranging any room I like to clean the objects I'm moving before dragging them around. As you move furniture, make sure to clean where it left and where it's going.  

4. Usually after everything is cleaned and moved I don't like to leave the room until all the vents, doors, windows, and baseboards are cleaned too. 

5. The last step is to put the bed linens and curtains back up. Your room is sure to shine once you're done! 

6. Repeat on any other rooms! 

                                                                                                 

 Cheers! 
Betty