As the cold season approaches, having a winter cleaning checklist is a good way to prepare your home. This helps keep it nice, clean, and cozy for the entire season while helping prevent hazards and keep you and your family safe during the cold months.
Winter Cleaning Checklist
Getting ready for the winter season? Include these in your checklist.
Preparing for the Winter Cold
Since winter can bring cold and freezing temperatures, you must prepare your home to stay comfortable for the entire season.
Clean Your Heating System
The heating system is the first thing you need to check for your pre-winter house cleaning list. Winter days bring low temperatures, and having a broken heating system can easily make things more difficult. For best results, you can hire a professional to inspect, clean, and repair your heater to ensure it works throughout the winter months.
Check Your Windows and Doors
Since cold air can seep through gaps, check your windows and doors to prevent this. Look for drafts and seal the gaps they pass through using weatherstripping. Then, make sure to clean your windows and check for any damage that you need to repair.
Clean Your Chimneys and Fireplaces
To prepare for winter, you also need to maintain your chimney and fireplace. While you can do this independently, having a professional inspect, clean, and remove buildup is best. Ensuring your chimneys and fireplaces are clean keeps you safe, preventing the possibility of chimney fires.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
Because of winter’s cold temperatures, most homes keep their doors closed to keep warm air in. However, this also keeps irritants like dust and allergens in the house, so part of your winter cleaning list should include steps to minimize air pollutants indoors.
Dust All Surfaces
Dust all surfaces indoors to minimize irritation or asthma flare-ups during winter. In addition to your furniture, check and clean blinds, ceiling fans, and light fixtures for dust buildup.
Create a Vacuuming Routine
It’s good practice to have a vacuuming routine, preferably every day, to keep dust particles at a minimum. Vacuum your floors, carpets, and any other surfaces prone to dust. You can do this with a traditional vacuum or schedule a vacuum robot.
Change Air Filters Regularly
Even if it’s not winter, it is good to practice regularly changing your HVAC filter. The best time to change them is usually every three months, but you can also check them monthly to see if you need to replace them earlier.
Kitchen and Dining Room
Here’s how you can tidy your kitchen and dining room for winter.
Organizing the Pantry
Winter is a good time to check your pantry. Inspect all the food items you keep and check their best-before dates. Dispose of all the food items that have either expired or shown signs of spoiling.
After this, check your pantry shelves and clean them with a damp cloth or mild detergent to prevent mold and mildew from growing.
Clean Out the Refrigerator
As part of your winter cleaning checklist, you must deep clean your fridge and freezer. Remove any food from your refrigerator and check for spoiled or expired items. Remove the shelves and drawers and wash them with warm, soapy water. Then, clean the interior with a damp cloth and some mild detergent.
If needed, defrost your freezer to clean it as well. Ensure the interior, shelves, and drawers are dry before returning them to your fridge.
Deep Clean Your Oven and Stove
To clean your oven, remove the racks and soak them in warm water with mild soap. While that soaks, use an oven cleaner or a mixture of water and baking soda to clean the oven’s interior. You can also do this to clean and scrub your stoves.
Disinfect Your Sink and Countertops
Keep your sink and countertops clean for your safety as part of any winter cleaning routine. Wipe these surfaces with disinfectant cleaners or bleach diluted in water.
You can use a mildly abrasive cleaner or baking soda to remove your sink or any stain or buildup.
Bedrooms and Bathrooms
Here’s what you can do to clean up your bedrooms and bathrooms for winter.
Wash and Change Bedding
Even if it’s not winter, washing and changing bedding regularly, including bed sheets, mattress covers, and pillowcases, is good practice. Make sure to wash them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and instructions.
Organize Your Closet
Winter is a nice time to trim down your belongings and possibly donate unwanted or extra items to those in need. Empty out your closet and segregate the items you want to keep and those you want to give away.
Before putting your clothes back into your closet, clean it, too. Use a moist cloth and a mild cleaning agent to clean the surfaces.
Deep-clean Bathroom Surfaces and Fixtures
Keep your bathroom tidy and clean by scrubbing off hard scale, grime, and soap scum from your bathroom tiles and fixtures. For this, you can use a commercial bathroom cleaner or diluted vinegar. Rinse everything thoroughly before drying them to avoid any water stains.
General Home Maintenance
To ensure safety during the winter months, you must also stay on top of general home maintenance. Here are a couple of things to add to your checklist:
Clean Your Gutters
During winter, make sure to inspect and clean your gutters regularly. This will help prevent the formation of ice dams and water from damaging your home. To stay safe, clean your gutter during one of the warmer winter days.
Replace Alarm Batteries
To ensure that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly, inspect them and replace their batteries. Best practice involves replacing the batteries twice a year. If you can, choose lithium-ion batteries instead of alkaline ones, as they last longer and better handle extremely low or high-temperature changes.
Getting Ready for Winter
A good winter maintenance checklist can help your home stay cozy and inviting even during the colder months. Adopting a seasonal winter cleaning routine prepares you for low temperatures and reduces safety risks while maintaining a healthy and organized lifestyle.
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