What to Clean Before Heating Season
Fall cleaning isn’t quite the same as spring cleaning.
Spring is about opening the windows, letting in some fresh air, and shaking off the winter. Fall is about getting your home ready to close up for the colder months—and there are quite a few areas that deserve some attention before we spend more time indoors.
As a professional cleaner, fall is also when I start thinking about the things that are easy to overlook during regular cleaning.
Before you turn on the heat and settle in for the season, here are the areas I’d put on your fall cleaning checklist.
And don’t worry—you don’t have to tackle everything in one weekend. Pick a room, work your way through the list, and you’ll get there.
Start at the Top: Ceiling Fans, Light Fixtures & Cobwebs
One of the simplest rules of cleaning is also one of the most important:
Work from top to bottom.
If you clean your floors first and then dust your ceiling fan, you’re just going to put that dust right back on the floor.
Before heating season, take a look at the higher areas of your home that don’t get attention during routine cleaning.
Don’t forget:
- Ceiling fans
- Light fixtures and lampshades
- Pendant lights and chandeliers
- Corners where cobwebs collect
- Tops of door frames
- Tops of doors
- High shelves and ledges
- Air vents and registers
A long-handled duster can make some of these jobs much easier, especially if you’re trying to avoid dragging a step stool around the house.
Give Your Windows, Screens & Window Tracks Some Attention
Your windows have probably been open quite a bit over the summer, which means the tracks and screens have had plenty of opportunities to collect dust, pollen, bugs, and whatever else the outdoors has to offer.
Before the windows stay closed for the season, give them a good cleaning.
Include:
- Window glass
- Window sills
- Window tracks
- Screens
- Window frames
- Blinds or shades
- Curtains, if they need washing or dusting
Don’t skip the tracks. They can look perfectly clean when the window is closed, but open it up and you may find an entirely different story.
Dust & Clean Your Walls, Doors & Trim
Fall is a good time to get rid of the dust that has accumulated around your home before you spend more time indoors.
You don’t necessarily need to wash every wall from top to bottom. Instead, concentrate on the areas that collect dust and fingerprints.
Pay attention to:
- Baseboards
- Door frames
- Tops of doors
- Doors
- Stair railings
- Corners
- Frequently touched areas
- Light switches and switch plates
Again, work from the top down. Dust first, then clean, and save the floors for last.
Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets—Not Just the Handles
This is one of my favorite fall-cleaning reminders because I see this one skipped all the time.
When someone says they cleaned their kitchen cabinets, what they sometimes mean is that they wiped the handles.
The handles definitely need cleaning—but so does the rest of the cabinet.
For a proper kitchen cabinet reset, work from the top down:
- Dust or wipe the tops of the cabinets
- Clean the cabinet doors
- Clean around the handles and pulls
- Wipe the cabinet frames
- Clean the sides of cabinets where accessible
- Check for grease buildup
- Wipe the area around frequently used cabinets
And don’t forget the space above the cabinets.
If there is a gap between the tops of your cabinets and the ceiling, that space needs to be cleaned too.
Dust settles there, and in a kitchen, that dust can mix with airborne cooking grease and become surprisingly sticky.
If you have a large gap above your cabinets, this is one of those jobs that may not need to happen every week—but fall is a great time to tackle it.
Clean Your Kitchen Drawers
While you’re already working on the cabinets, don’t forget what’s inside them.
Kitchen drawers are notorious for collecting crumbs, dust, and little bits of whatever mysteriously finds its way into the back corners.
Take one drawer at a time:
- Remove everything.
- Vacuum or shake out crumbs and debris.
- Wipe the inside of the drawer.
- Clean the drawer front and handle.
- Wipe organizers or dividers.
- Get rid of anything you no longer use.
- Put everything back.
You don’t have to empty your entire kitchen at once. In fact, I recommend the opposite.
One drawer at a time is much less overwhelming.
Give Your Refrigerator a Fall Reset
Fall also means we’re getting closer to the holiday cooking season, so this is a great time to get your refrigerator under control.
Start by removing expired food and anything that’s been sitting in the back so long that you’re afraid to identify it.
Then clean:
- Refrigerator shelves
- Drawers
- Door shelves
- Interior walls
- Door seals
- Handles
- Exterior surfaces
If your refrigerator allows it and the manufacturer’s instructions permit, clean underneath and around it as well.
You’ll be glad you did when Thanksgiving rolls around and suddenly you need room for a turkey, three casseroles, leftovers, and approximately 47 containers of something your family insists they are going to eat.
Clean Your Radiators & Heat Vents BEFORE Heating Season
This is one of the areas I really don’t want you to skip.
Your radiators, heat registers, and vents can collect a surprising amount of dust while they’re sitting unused during the warmer months.
Before you turn the heat on regularly, give them a good cleaning.
Depending on your heating system, this may include:
- Vacuuming radiators
- Vacuuming heat registers and vents
- Removing dust from accessible areas
- Wiping exterior surfaces
- Cleaning the surrounding baseboards
- Vacuuming the floor around them
Always make sure heating equipment is turned off and completely cool before cleaning it, and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.
You don’t need to make this a complicated project. The goal is simply to remove the accumulated dust before heating season begins.
Reset Your Entryway or Mudroom
Your entryway is about to become one of the hardest-working areas in your house.
Summer sandals are about to give way to muddy shoes, wet boots, coats, hats, and eventually snow.
Before all of that starts, clean and organize the space.
Don’t forget:
- Entryway floors
- Door mats
- Baseboards
- Coat hooks
- Shoe storage
- Baskets
- Benches
- Mudroom shelves
- Storage cubbies
- The inside of your entry door
This is also a great time to remove things you aren’t using so there’s actually room for the things you’re about to need.
Give Your Floors a Fall Reset
Routine vacuuming and mopping are great, but fall is a good time to give your floors a little extra attention.
Start at the top of the room and work your way down.
Consider:
- Moving smaller furniture so you can clean underneath
- Getting into corners and along edges
- Cleaning around furniture legs
- Dusting or vacuuming before mopping
- Cleaning underneath beds and other accessible furniture
- Paying extra attention to entryways
Use cleaning products and methods appropriate for your particular flooring, and always follow the flooring manufacturer’s recommendations.
If you have hardwood floors, you can also read my guide to [cleaning hardwood floors naturally](INSERT LINK).
Wash Bedding, Blankets & Soft Furnishings
As the weather gets colder, we’re going to be spending more time bundled up.
Fall is a good time to wash or freshen:
- Bedding
- Blankets and throws
- Mattress protectors
- Pillow protectors
- Pet bedding
- Curtains, where appropriate
- Upholstered furniture
Give upholstered furniture a thorough vacuum, including cushions and the areas underneath them.
If you’ve been using lightweight summer bedding, this is also a good opportunity to wash it before storing it away.
Declutter Before the Holidays
Here’s something I’ve learned as a cleaner:
It’s much easier to clean an organized space than an overcrowded one.
You don’t need to completely reorganize your entire house, but fall is a great time to look at the areas that tend to become dumping grounds.
Consider:
- Pantry
- Linen closet
- Coat closet
- Cleaning supply storage
- Kitchen drawers
- Bathroom storage
- Entryway
- Mudroom
If something hasn’t been used in months and you don’t see yourself using it again, ask yourself whether it really needs to take up valuable space.
The less clutter you have, the easier it is to clean.
Don’t Forget These Often-Overlooked Areas
If you want to go beyond the basics, here are some of the places I’d put on my professional cleaner’s “don’t forget this” list:
- Tops of doors
- Door frames
- Baseboards
- Light fixtures
- Ceiling fans
- Window tracks
- Behind and underneath furniture
- Radiators
- Heat vents
- Around heating equipment
- Cabinet tops
- The space between cabinets and the ceiling
- Kitchen drawers
- Behind toilets
- Under beds
- Light switches
- Entryway corners
These aren’t necessarily things you need to clean every week. That’s why a seasonal cleaning is so useful.
My Go-To All Purpose Cleaner for Fall Cleaning
I don’t believe you need a different bottle of cleaner for every room in your house.
One of my go-to cleaners is Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, and it’s what I reach for for many everyday cleaning jobs.
For most cleaning, I keep things simple and use an appropriately diluted solution rather than relying on a cabinet full of specialty products.
Learn more about Dr Bronners Sal Suds here
Want a Little Fall Vibe?
If you enjoy using essential oils for scent, you can also create some lovely fall-inspired combinations.
Check out my favorite fall inspired essential oil blends here!
Your Fall Cleaning Checklist
You don’t have to clean your entire house in one day.
Use this list as a starting point and work through it over several days or weekends.
Whole House
☐ Ceiling fans
☐ Light fixtures
☐ Cobwebs
☐ Tops of doors and door frames
☐ Baseboards
☐ Light switches
☐ Windows and window tracks
☐ Screens
☐ Blinds or curtains
☐ Behind and underneath accessible furniture
Kitchen
☐ Cabinet tops
☐ Space between cabinets and ceiling
☐ Cabinet doors
☐ Cabinet handles
☐ Cabinet frames
☐ Kitchen drawers
☐ Pantry
☐ Refrigerator interior
☐ Refrigerator exterior
☐ Floors
Heating Season
☐ Radiators
☐ Heat registers and vents
☐ Areas around heating equipment
☐ Baseboards near heating equipment
☐ Floors around radiators/vents
Bedrooms & Living Areas
☐ Bedding
☐ Blankets and throws
☐ Mattress protectors
☐ Pet bedding
☐ Upholstered furniture
☐ Under beds
☐ Under accessible furniture
Entryway & Mudroom
☐ Door mats
☐ Floors
☐ Baseboards
☐ Coat storage
☐ Shoe storage
☐ Baskets and cubbies
☐ Entry door
Want to Make Fall Cleaning Easier?
I’ve put together a Fall Cleaning Favorites list with some of the cleaning tools and products I recommend and reach for regularly.
ULTIMATE FALL CLEANING SHOPPING LIST
You don’t need to buy everything on the list. The goal is to have a few useful tools on hand that make cleaning easier and more efficient.
One Last Tip: Don’t Try to Do It All at Once
Fall cleaning doesn’t have to mean spending an entire Saturday cleaning from sunrise to sunset.
Pick one area.
Clean from top to bottom.
Get rid of the things you don’t need.
Then move on to the next area.
By the time the weather turns cold and you’re ready to spend more time indoors, you’ll have a cleaner, more comfortable home—and you won’t be staring at a giant cleaning project every time you walk into the kitchen.
And if you really don’t feel like doing it all yourself?
That’s okay too. That’s what professional cleaners are for. 😉
