10 jobs to add to your autumn cleaning checklist
When the cooler weather arrives, it’s time to tick off those home maintenance tasks and get ready for winter.
When the cooler weather arrives, it’s time to tick off those home maintenance tasks and get ready for winter.
It starts with that end-of-summer feeling: the slight chill in the breeze, the shift from bright green to a gentle brown in the leaves, and a checklist of autumn cleaning jobs to tackle before winter hits.
Designed to make your home safer, more efficient, and manageable, from simple garden maintenance, packing away summer furniture to cleaning appliances in the home, many of these autumn cleaning jobs are easy to manage. Consider hiring an expert cleaner for the trickier tasks and jobs that require a professional, or to save you time for the things you’d rather be doing.
Often overlooked, one of the best ideas to keep your house warm during winter is to turn your ceiling fan from counterclockwise to clockwise. When used on a low speed, the clockwise rotation of the fan pushes the warm air that has risen to the ceiling back down, keeping you warmer.
Cleaning your gutters might seem like the most obvious job on your autumn cleaning checklist, but it’s one that is important to do properly. Gutters can easily clog up with leaves and getting them ready for winter is more than just cleaning them out. Make sure all your gutters are still intact, and if you use gutter guards, make sure they’re still properly attached.
Check your downpipes aren’t clogged and are draining properly. Lastly, if you’re unsteady on your feet or live alone, consider using a professional gutter cleaner who can undertake this job for you.
When the weather grows colder, built up grime on the interior and exterior of windows can turn mouldy. The condensation building up on the interior windows during the evening, caused by the temperature difference between inside and outside can contribute to this as can other air pollutants, so be sure to clean and wipe down all windows to stop the bacteria thriving.
If you have high, out-of-reach windows, consider hiring a professional window cleaner.
Start early when it comes to storing away summer toys. Deflate any pool toys, inflatable rings and swimming items, making sure they’re completely dry, before storing them away carefully so they don’t become mouldy or rot in cold weather.
Likewise, wipe down grime off any outdoor furniture, and if you’re expecting extreme cold weather, cover or store away any furnishings you won’t use during winter. Begin to gather all your summer linens including beach towels, wash them thoroughly to remove chlorine and salt, and pack them away.
Whether you have a split system air conditioning unit or a simple air filter in the home, autumn is the time to change the filter.
Dust and grime can quickly clog up air conditioners and air purifiers, making them less effective and more expensive to run.
Cleaning and changing filters regularly can be important, especially if your region has been impacted by bushfires or heavy smog during the summer.
Have a fireplace? As winter weather approaches, make sure your chimney is cleaned.
First, check the flue to make sure no uninvited guests have set up camp over summer, as nests can block the chute and smoke up the house.
If you burn wood, get a professional to help remove the creosote from inside, and have them check the chimney cap.
If you have a gas chimney, these also require a yearly service undertaken by a professional chimney sweep.
With cooler weather arriving, begin to identify and seal any draughts in each room. Consider having a rattling window pane reglazed, fitting weather strips around the bottom of doors or replacing or installing weather stripping around windows.
Even a simple fabric draught stopper can help block draughts, keeping your indoor areas warm and lowering your heating bill.
Check the areas around your house for any slippery or damp spots, and consider cleaning them with a high-pressure hose while the weather is warmer. This is especially important if you have any sloping driveways or paths. Removing any slippery spots during autumn means they have time to dry out properly and avoid becoming a hazard.
If you’re in an area that experiences regular cold temperatures, frost or even snow, consider unplugging your hose, draining it of water and storing it away before the extreme cold hits.
If it does freeze while full of water, the expanding ice can damage and break the hose, and you’ll need to replace it.
When the weather turns, it’s time to unpack your winter woollens.
Start with your winter wool blankets, quilts and flannel sheets, airing them in the sunshine and if necessary, send any that need it to the dry cleaner.
In the living room, take any throw rugs you have in storage, air them and put them in a handy spot for those cooler evenings. If you need to, wash all your sofa cushions and dry them while it's still warmer.
Need to get some help with your cold weather cleaning tasks? Whether it’s getting the garden in order or cleaning up inside the home, the hipages app can help find the right tradie to help you. Just post your job on the app, and up to three tradies will be contacted asap.
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