Fall Cleaning Checklist: Preparing Your Home for a Michigan Winter

Hi everyone! Amy Smith here, owner of Dazzle Cleaning Service in DeWitt, MI.

There’s a moment every fall when you shut the windows for the last time, turn on the furnace, and your house is sealed up for the next five months. Whatever dust, crumbs, and allergens are inside right now will circulate around you and your family until spring. A little work in October and November gives you a healthier home, one that’s easier to keep clean and far more comfortable through a long Michigan winter.

Start with your heating system, because it reaches every room. When the furnace runs for the first time, it pushes out everything that settled in the ducts and vents over the summer. That’s why so many people notice a faint burning smell in early Fall. Replace your furnace filter, then vacuum the vent covers and wipe them down. If you have pets, check the filter again in a month, since hair and dander clog it faster.

Next, look up. Ceiling fans, light fixtures, and the tops of cabinets collect a fuzzy layer of dust that drifts onto everything below once the air starts moving. Clean from high to low so you only dust each surface once. While you’re up there, switch your ceiling fans to spin clockwise on low. That gently pushes the warm air that collects near the ceiling back down into the room.

Windows and window treatments deserve attention before the cold sets in. Wash the inside glass, wipe the sills, and vacuum the tracks, where dead bugs and grit pile up all summer. Blinds and curtains hold more dust than most people realize, and once the house is closed, that dust settles right back into the air you breathe.

Now get ready for salt season. Anyone who drives US-127 or I-69 in January knows what road salt does to a car, and it does similar damage to your floors. Salt crystals are abrasive, so they scratch hardwood and dull the finish with every step. When slush melts indoors, it leaves a white film that soaks into carpet fibers and dulls hard floors. Put a heavy-duty mat outside and a washable rug inside every entry, set out a boot tray, and make shoes-off, the house rule now, so it’s a habit before the first snow.

The kitchen works overtime in colder months, between holiday baking and comfort food. Deep clean your oven and stovetop, wipe out the refrigerator, and toss expired items to make room for holiday groceries.

Finally, give your bedrooms and living spaces a fresh start. Wash all the bedding, bring out your winter blankets, and vacuum under the furniture where dust collects out of sight.

If that list sounds like a full weekend or two, you’re right. Whether you live here in DeWitt or nearby in Bath, Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Holt, Grand Ledge, Haslett, Portland, St. Johns, Laingsburg, or Dimondale, fall weekends go fast. You’d probably like to spend them at a Spartans game or a Cider Mill with your family. Our team handles Fall deep cleaning, so your home is ready for winter and your Saturdays stay yours. Our cleaning techs are Dazzle employees who are bonded, insured, and trained to clean your home the way you would want it done.

Until next time, this is Amy Smith, reminding you to sit back, relax, and be dazzled by the job we do at Dazzle Cleaning. So, call (231) 920-9000.

 

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