How to Prepare Your Home for Fall and Winter
The beginnings of fall are all around us and the holiday season is fast approaching. Here are a few tips to organize and prepare your house for the coming months before the weather gets too cold and your schedule too busy.
Sort your closets
While some people keep all of their clothes out year round, many others (myself included) pack away the shirts and pants that don’t match the current season’s weather. Here in Oklahoma we aren’t ready to break out the sweaters just yet, but I’ll soon be unpacking all of them and replacing the tank tops and camisoles currently in my closet. You don’t want to wait for a sudden cold snap to realize all of your warmer clothes are still hidden in the attic or under the bed.
Take care of chimneys and heaters
Most of us haven’t thought about our heaters in awhile, but having them checked out in early fall will give you peace of mind when you’re ready to turn them on in winter. Do it a bit early and you’ll beat the last-minute crowds too. Heaters, just like air conditioners, have parts that need cleaning and checking, and it’s best to do this each year before you put it into solid use.
As far as your chimney goes, it’s best to have it cleaned before using it as well. Even if you haven’t used your fireplace that much, it doesn’t hurt to have someone look at it for you and give the stamp of approval. We just bought a house and I’m so excited it has a fireplace. I can’t wait for winter days by the fire! But there’s no way I’m lighting anything in there until it’s been thoroughly checked and cleaned. Erase one fire hazard worry from your mind and have this taken care of before the cold weather sinks in.
Dispense of clutter
If you’re anything like me, organizing is something you love the idea of but never seem to get around to doing. I have stacks of papers in my living room and office that may or may not be headed to the shredder. I don’t know because I haven’t gone through them. And the ones that I do know I’m keeping are in a giant, out-of-order pile that is doing me no good. Take a cool weekend afternoon, open some windows and turn on a movie for company (but don’t get too distracted), and make it a point to sort your wayward stacks of clutter. Throw out the trash, donate the good stuff that you no longer need or want, and by all means, organize the stuff left over.
Give your house a good scrubbing
You know those things you may not scrub every cleaning day? Things like cleaning the windows and washing curtains, steam cleaning the carpets, or polishing wood furniture. Before you get in the swing of the holidays by decorating and hosting guests, give your house a good solid cleaning. You’ll thank yourself come Christmas time when all you’ve had to do is vacuum, dust, and spot clean to keep your house in order. It’s much easier for me to do a quick sweep through the house before guests arrive than to realize the stove needs scrubbing and the carpet is spotty!
More from Lissa:
Free Fall: Ways to Enjoy the Season as a Family
