Fall Cleaning Tips for New Homeowners

Settling into a new home can take a while. It takes even longer when the days start getting shorter and life in your new home begins with you sitting around the fireplace rather than the outside grill. Fortunately, fall presents itself as the right season to give your house a once-over. Since you will be spending lots of time indoors, the cleaner and arranged your space is now, the easier it will be when it gets colder.

So, how does a new homeowner make the best of fall to clean his/her home?

Clean Your Roof’s Gutters

Roof gutters route water off your roof. As a new homeowner, cleaning your roof gutters may not cross your mind because as expected, it is not a homeowner-friendly chore. However, cleaning your gutter is very important to maintain the health of your home. It is very likely that the previous owners ignored this particular activity since no one enjoys cleaning gutters. Unfortunately, a clogged gutter will lead to water pools on your roof which can result in leaks. Leaks attract termites destroying the roof of your newly bought home.

Don’t forget the problems of siding, windows, doors, and foundations arising from the prolonged effects of water draining on or near your walls. You will need to plan a day to do the cleaning and read on ladder safety prior to that. The tools needed include a narrow trowel, plastic garbage bag, stiff brush, safety goggles, hose with pressure attachment and heavy-duty work gloves.

Clean the gutters a day after a light rain so that the damp leaves and dirt will be easier to remove. Moreover, start with the drain outlets since the heaviest concentration of leaves and gunk. Expect to get dirty because gutter cleaning is dirty work.

Winterize Your Kitchen

This is the perfect time to:

• wash curtains
• replace shelf liners
• Remove and clean the ceiling fixtures
• Review all the bottles and cans under the sink

Seems quite demanding but it is not. Besides concentrating on cleaning the aspects of your kitchen, remember to give attention to your appliances. Your refrigerator needs to be cleaned. Empty the shelves, racks, bins, and trays and clean it thoroughly. Your stove will also need to be cleaned. If not, be prepared to buy a new one. Lastly, your dishwasher will need to be cleaned as well.

Clean and Organize the Garage

Many people cringe when the idea of cleaning the garage crosses their mind. There is a lot that goes into the garage they are not ready to sort out. Luckily for you as a new homeowner, you don’t have a lot of stuff in your garage. Therefore, cleaning it will be quite easy. All you need to do is take an inventory of the contents of your garage. Make a list of items to get rid of and those you intend to keep. If you have stuff that cannot fit in your garage, consider new storage alternatives like wall shelves or overhead bins. Make a plan then pull everything out of the garage. Sweep the floor with a wet-dry vacuum. Finally, put back your items according to the list of items that you are keeping. Cleaning your garage will take almost a weekend but it will save you the hassle as time goes by.

Beat Pollen and Bugs

It is expected that during fall, we shut ourselves indoors. We want to shut out the cold. Unfortunately, shutting ourselves traps dust, dander and mold inside the house. Such conditions can make us sick. The following cleaning tips for a new homeowner will help you protect yourself from disease both internally and externally:

• Wash all your bedding in very hot water to kill dust mites and bacteria.
• Shampoo all your carpets and change your vacuum cleaner bag.
• Launder your drapes and blinds
• Change or clean your HVAC filter
• Bathe your pets regularly to minimize dander
• Clean surfaces that are wet most of the time like shower enclosures, sinks and floor drains. This will help combat mold

Wash Your Windows

A new home has some accumulated dust on the windows so you may realize that during the autumn downpour, they appear dirty. Give your windows a through clean to leave them looking sparkling.

Drain Your Outdoor Faucets

Don’t procrastinate draining your outdoor faucets. It is essential that you disconnect all your garden hoses from outside spigots to prevent any water freezing. If you fail to do so, your pipes will end up bursting. It will be very unfortunate to be a homeowner with burst pipes.

Bring Your Outdoor Furniture Into the House

Fall is not a time to test the durability of your furniture in stormy weather. I bet it cost you money to set up the furniture outside. If you want to enjoy the summer with that furniture then store it in your garage.

Fix Cracks in Your Driveway

Despite fixing cracks in your driveway being a tedious job, it is a necessary one. Open cracks allow water to sip in, where it freezes and further expands the cracks. Eventually, the concrete of your new home crumbles and creates a big pothole in your driveway. You definitely want to avoid that. You can easily use a concrete crack sealer to fill up the cracks before they become a major problem for your driveway.

In-House Cleaning Tips

This is another cleaning tip for a new homeowner. You have to clean the inside your house. How do you do it?

• Removing all cobwebs since fall is a spider season
• Remove muddy foot and paw prints from hard flooring. Fall is a muddy and wet season that can reign havoc on your home. As soon as there is a muddy foot on your floor, use a steam mop to remove the dirt.
• Clean and test your chimneys, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms. It is no secret that you will need to use your wood burner or real wood fire during autumn. However, prior to your use, ensure that the chimney is professionally cleaned, free from dirt, debris and birds’ nests. It is also important to confirm that your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working. It may make a whole lot of difference in a dangerous situation.
• Clean your light fittings such as lampshades and lamps since they become increasingly important in autumn. Your lights are quite useful during the fall season so pay attention in cleaning them from any dirt.
• Introduce mats to the internal and external entrances of your home to prevent unwanted dirt from being brought into your home. The perfect mat is a heavy duty mat on the outside. This mat tackles mud, grit and all kind of dirt at your door. You will find this beneficial in reducing the amount of dirt in your home. It will also simplify your work as you clean your house later on.

These cleaning tips for new homeowners will help you to effectively and efficiently clean your home in autumn. There is no need to lock up yourself up in a stuffy and dirty house. Prepare adequately for fall to avoid any regrets.

Need Help Moving Into Your New Home?

If you need any help in moving to your new home, Alpha Moving and Storage it the best company to hire. Visit www.alphamoving.com to book our services.