17 Spots to Never Skip When Fall Cleaning
Updated: Mar. 29, 2023If you miss these magnets for dirt and germs, you’re missing out on having a truly clean home.
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Whoops — You Missed a Few Spots
Fall cleaning is the new spring cleaning. As the weather starts to turn cooler, it’s the perfect time to deep clean all the things you likely neglected over the summer. Dirt, germs and bacteria can hide in some surprising places. And in our post-COVID world, it’s more important than ever to disinfect and sanitize regularly.
Aside from the basic dusting, vacuuming and mopping that’s on your everyday to-do list, pay attention to these often-overlooked spots in your home. Not sure what to clean when? This is the definitive guide on how often you should clean everything.
The Mailbox
Not only is your mailbox a high-touch surface that’s exposed to the elements year-round, but it’s also constantly filled and refilled with envelopes and packages that multiple people have touched. When you think of it that way, it’s clear that it needs a thorough cleaning, inside and out, every now and then.
The best way to do that is with a microfiber cloth dipped in lukewarm soapy water. Pass the towel around any intricate designs on the box, and pay special attention to spots where you need to remove bird droppings or mildew. Should you be disinfecting your groceries? We investigated.
Window Screens
Cleaning windows is on most seasonal cleaning checklists, but what about the window screens? They’re easy to forget. But when you look closely, you’ll probably notice a lot of built-up grime.
Don’t just grab the nearest wet paper towel; that just shreds the towel and makes a bigger mess. Instead, without removing the screen, gently clean it using pre-moistened screen-cleaning wipes. Specifically designed for this purpose, they won’t disintegrate or leave lint behind. Here are another 10 clever solutions for the most annoying window cleaning problems.
Pet Toys
Since dogs and cats mostly use their mouths to play with their toys, it’s important that those toys are cleaned and disinfected. After all, not only are they coated with drool but also dirt, lint and more, especially if your pet has taken them outside.
Instead of washing each toy individually, throw them all in the washing machine. But first, place them in a cotton washing bag designed to keep plush toys safe and snag-free during the laundering process. The toys are just one wash cycle away from being sanitized and smelling brand new.
Looking to fill out your pup’s collection? Try these indestructible dog toys even the toughest Fido can’t break.
The Couch
Before you curl up on your comfy couch in the cooler weather to binge-watch your favorite shows, deep-clean the cushions. Yep, it’s necessary. While vacuuming keeps the crumbs away, you need deeper sanitation to really get at what’s hiding in there.
Use a handheld upholstery cleaner to remove food stains, dirty pet paw prints and germs left behind from sitting on the couch in your “outside” clothes. This Bissell Little Green model does the job quickly and easily. Whether you’re doing some serious fall cleaning or your everyday cleaning tasks, make sure you’re not over-cleaning your house.
Your Yoga Mat
After yoga class, you probably roll up your mat, tuck it away and forget about it until the next time you need it. But you’re forgetting a crucial step: cleaning it. After all, it’s a surface that’s close to your face and touches your body while you’re sweating. Plus, it rests on a floor that may not be your own.
Take the time to give that yoga mat a good wipe-down with a cleaner designed for mats to ensure you don’t end up with a slippery residue. Here are another 30 things you should clean in the next 30 days.
Carpets
Of course, we vacuum all the time. But most people don’t deep-clean their carpets because it feels like such a big job — or because they don’t know it’s necessary. When you think about all the germs tracked onto and embedded in those carpets, you’ll realize why it’s so important.
Make this chore exponentially easier by using a lightweight carpet cleaner like the Hoover PowerDash to sanitize carpets and throw rugs. Pro tip: Fall is the best time for this type of deep cleaning since the humidity is typically lower and the carpet will dry faster. If you have a pet, you might also want to buy one of these cleaning tips every pet owner should know.
Patio Furniture
Before stowing away outdoor furniture for the season, give it a good wash. After all, removing stubborn dirt will be a lot easier now than after it sits for a few months.
The good news is that you don’t need an expensive pressure washer, and you don’t need to spend a lot of time scrubbing. Simply attach a high-pressure spray nozzle with a soap dispenser, like this super-affordable model by Evilto, to your regular garden hose. Pour a little mild dish soap into the dispenser and spray away the built-up dirt.
Now that your outdoor furniture is clean, find out how to make the rest of your summer essentials last longer.
Seasonal Decorations
Since you only take them out once a year, you might not think they need extra (or any) cleaning. Spoiler alert: They do, and so do the bins you’re storing them in. Dust and debris can settle on the containers while they’re in storage, so you need to put this task on your fall cleaning checklist.
Wipe down the outside, then open them up and take a close look at what’s stashed inside, identifying and removing any broken or crumbling decorations. If you find your storage situation lacking, reorganize and use color-coded bins to sort and store seasonal items. Choose pumpkin-orange tubs, for example, to contain autumnal pieces. Check out these brilliant decoration storage ideas you never thought of.
Computer Accessories
Your computer screen generally draws the most attention because it gets dusty and smudgy and you can’t ignore it. But it’s easy to overlook high-touch accessories like the mouse and keyboard. When was the last time you cleaned and properly sanitized them?
They’re among the things you should be cleaning every day during the pandemic. Using an antibacterial foam with a soft cleaning cloth is the best way to disinfect these sensitive surfaces, and this CleanFreek set from KontrolFreek comes with both.
Lampshades
Dusting only the base of the table lamp misses the spot where most of the allergens and dust build up — the fabric lampshade. But how on earth do you clean that properly? You risk damaging the shade if you try to vacuum it, and dusting it just makes the dust fly around.
The solution: A lampshade sponge. The Sparkle Plenty lampshade sponge is specifically designed for collecting and removing loose hair, dust and lint.
The Picnic Cooler
You couldn’t imagine days at the beach and backyard barbecues without it, but it’s pretty much forgotten about the second the party’s over, the ice is dumped and it’s relegated to a corner in the garage. But if you leave spills and splatters on your picnic cooler, they will become almost impossible to remove next summer.
Instead, take action now with a cleaning spray made for a cooler’s insulated surface, like this commercial-strength, non-toxic option from Rugged Point. Spray on to remove sticky barbecue condiments, which can also stain, as well as grease splatters and anything else that dripped or dropped in or on the cooler.
Liquid Soap Dispensers
Hold on — why would you need to clean a dispenser that’s filled with soap? Because the outside can get grimy and coated with germs. Use a tiny cleaning brush to reach everywhere; just soap up the bristles of these Crown Choice grout cleaner brushes to easily reach up and around the pump mechanism. Reminder: Wash your hands immediately after touching these 10 things.
Handheld Electronics
Just how filthy is your cellphone? Let’s just say it’s even worse than you think. And it’s not the only device we constantly have in our hands and near our face, after putting it on all sorts of surfaces inside and outside our home.
These items need to be cleaned a lot more than you’re likely cleaning them, and not just during a big fall cleaning session. But unlike washing your hands, you can’t lather up your electronics. That’s where PhoneSoap comes in. It’s a tabletop UV sanitizer that disinfects your cell phone and kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and germs. It can also handle other electronics like earbuds, television remotes and smartwatches.
Your Emergency Kit
An emergency kit is only good if it’s got everything you need when you actually need it.
Before the colder weather hits — and with it, the potential for storms and power outages — clean out your emergency kit. Look over the expiration dates on the food, water and medicine. Then, replenish batteries, make sure the flashlights are working, restock Band-Aids and the like, and ensure you have everything else you need in there.
If you don’t have an emergency kit or yours needs a serious update, consider buying one that’s fully stocked. A particularly good choice is a backpack version, like this Complete Earthquake Bag from Redfora (which, of course, is great for more than just earthquakes). All your supplies are in a grab-and-go bag in case you need to leave in a hurry. These are the items to stock up on before a hurricane hits.
Your Mattress
Sure, you regularly dust various items in your bedroom and wash your sheets. But chances are, you’re overlooking your mattress.
Vacuuming your mattress with a UV sanitizing attachment can remove up to 99.9 percent of dust-mite matter, bacteria, viruses and pollen, according to Raycop, which offers this UV-sanitizing HEPA allergen vacuum. If you’ve had your mattress forever, it might be time to go shopping. Here’s why you need to replace your mattress sooner than every seven years.
Gardening Tools
Your gardening tools probably could use a good cleaning this fall. How do we know? Because most people rarely clean them. Some tools like trowels and shovels might benefit from a spritz of rust remover. Simply spray on and wipe off, and you’re all set for next spring.
Toothbrushes
When was the last time you sanitized your toothbrush? If your answer is “I don’t know” or “Never,” then today is the day. Using a UV toothbrush holder is easier than trying to remember to regularly disinfect your brush, since it does the work automatically. Next, find out how to clean your bathroom in five minutes or less.
