For some reason, fall cleaning does not get as much credibility as spring cleaning.  Spring cleaning is about dusting off the winter, but fall cleaning is about preparation and heading into the winter and holiday seasons with a safer and less cluttered home.  This is why fall cleaning should be the new spring cleaning.

• Fire Safety & Prevention.  National Fire Prevention Week falls during the week of October 9^th as a reminder of the Great Chicago Fire. It is also a reminder that as we head into winter, more house fires occur than in any other season. Take some simple steps to protect your home and family.
  • Change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks. (Daylight savings time ends on November 4 this year.  Stock up on the batteries you need now)
  • Have a practice fire drill.  Know two ways out of your home and plan a family meeting place in case of a fire.
  • More fires start in the kitchen than anywhere else.  Learn how to put out a grease fire.  Turn off the heat and smother it with a lid.  DO NOT USE WATER!  Here is a video that shows why.
  • If you have a wood burning fire place or woodstove have it cleaned and inspected. ListPlanIt.com offers members a Home Maintenance & Repair Checklist in Home Management to help you record your fall home maintenance tasks and make future falls simpler.
• Staying Efficient.  Check your home for drafts before the cold weather hits.  A roll of weather-stripping or a tube of caulk is an inexpensive way to save on heating. Consider having your furnace cleaned as well.   Doing so can drastically improve its operating efficiency and save you money.
• Out with the outgrown.  Sort through kids winter clothes and any winter sporting gear that you may have outgrown. Not only will you clear out some space, but you will also know what to be on the lookout for in the next size. Try using ListPlanIt.com’s Clothing Inventory lists in Home Management to make the task easier.
• Keeping cool spaces clean. Take a walk through your garage and pick out items that are no longer useful. Keeping your storage spaces clutter free helps ensure that critters cannot find a good place to hide in your home. At our house, in the northeast, we make a habit of checking under the car hood, as mice are notorious for nesting on a nice warm engine block. Keeping items up off the floor and in tightly sealed plastic bins will help prevent water damage as well. If you are feeling motivated, ListPlanIt.com’s Room by Room Purge in Home Management will help make your clean out a breeze.
• Too much paper?  Purge your files of any unnecessary paperwork and save yourself some time by checking online to find a local shredding event. In our area, banks occasionally offer free shred Fridays.  Nationally, Cintas offers a number of locations listed on their website. Lastly, prevent a pile up of incoming holiday magazines by using CatalogChoice.org to stop any unwanted mail including credit card offers, donation requests and even phone directories.