The holidays are coming and they're bringing winter with them. This year, be ready for winter by doing a thorough cleaning. Remember, you're going to be shut up with all the dust that has accumulated all during the year. You don't want that do you?
The winter brings with it all kinds of illness, such as colds, flu, and allergies. By cleaning this fall, you won't have excess dust circulating in your house to worsen any kind of health problems that crop up during cold and flu season.
Best of all, cleaning before the holidays means that you will be able to enjoy them without having to clean while you are trying to make meals, wrap presents, or just relax in front of the fire. So, get on your rubber gloves this weekend and put all that cleaning behind you!
Use these tips to help get you started before the holidays and Winter arrive!
Have the carpets and upholstery cleaned.
Steam clean upholstery and carpets (don't use carpet cleaners that use soaps...these only make your carpet and furniture get dirty FASTER). Now your carpets and furniture will be ready for all those holiday parties and guests coming over!
Take bedspreads and comforters to the dry cleaner.
This is usually inexpensive to do; most cleaners only charge about $15-25 to clean a comforter. Plus, it would be so nice to have fresh bedding for the winter, and for holiday guests.
Vaccuum blinds and lampshades.
Make sure all these dust-catchers are clean. If the weather's nice, take the blinds outside and spray them off with water.
De-clutter and donate unwanted, unused items to charity.
Before all the holiday bounty comes through the door, try to take some things OUT of the house first. This will free up some space and maybe even net you a charity tax deduction!
Clean out the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.
Have popsicles from the summer still in the freezer? Pitch them. Make a clean pantry, fridge, and freezer your goal. It will help when it comes to storing all the extra food for the holidays and entertaining.
Get some air (clean air, that is).
When a house is closed up all the time, the air inside can get stale, making it important to vacuum air conditioning and heating vents, regularly change your air filters, and vacuum well to reduce dust in the house.
Clean the windows.
Before the Winter sets in, give the windows one last cleaning. Who wants to see lights and decorations through dirty windows?
Clean gutters.
Overflowing gutters can lead to water damage in your house. Once the leaves have fallen, and before it gets too cold, clean out the gutters.
Clean the chimney.
If you haven't had a fire in your fireplace yet, make sure you have your chimney cleaned and inspected. The holidays won't be much fun if you have a housefire.
Clean the furnace.
This should always be performed by a licensed professional heating and air conditioning company. And, it should be done every year. Make sure your heater has been cleaned and inspected before winter comes.
Clean your air ducts.
Consider having your air ducts cleaned to remove built up dirt, allergens, dust, or pollen. This will also help keep you from having that black sooty-looking build up around your air vents from occurring.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, PUBLICATION OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calendar -- the calendar that puts you in control of your housekeeping by making it faster and you more efficient. It's the cleaning system that lets you have a clean house AND a life! Find out more at "Everydayclean.com"
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Calender -- the calendar that helps you end the power struggle with your house. Keeping a clean home is about knowing what to clean when. Virtually everything that needs to be cleaned is on this calendar in a year-round cleaning schedule that helps you keep your house clean easier and faster. Click here for more information.
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