It's been a long summer—so it's time to clean up the house for fall. This fall cleaning checklist will help you clean indoors and out!
The Ultimate Room-by-Room Fall Cleaning Checklist
Updated Dec. 22, 2023
Although spring cleaning is traditionally when you deep clean your home, we’re a fan of welcoming every new season with a clean slate. And fall is no exception! It’s the perfect time to freshen each room of the house and prepare for cold weather outdoors.
Use our handy room-by-room fall cleaning checklist to keep track of each task as you go along.
The Ultimate Fall Cleaning Checklist
Entryway
- Sweep and mop floors
- Clean doormat
- Put away summer accessories
- Organize shoes
- Hang up fall jackets
- Hang up fall hats or scarves
Kitchen
- Clean stovetop
- Clean oven
- Clean microwave
- Clean dishwasher
- Clean freezer
- Discard old or expired food in pantry, fridge and freezer
- Clear countertops (try these tricks)
- Degrease cabinet doors and backsplash
- Dust top of high surfaces including fridge, microwave/range hood, cabinets
- Sweep and mop floors
- Wash kitchen rugs
- Clean garbage disposal
Dining Room
- Dust and polish furniture
- Vacuum and spot clean chair cushions
- Clean or vacuum curtains
- Mop or vacuum floor
- Shampoo rugs or carpet
- Polish any silver dinnerware
Bathroom
- Discard expired personal care products and makeup
- Clean makeup brushes
- Wipe down vanity
- Clean mirror
- Clean tub and shower
- Clean showerhead (try this plastic bag trick)
- Wash shower curtain and replace liner
- Scrub tile grout (this product works)
- Clean toilet
- Clean hardware
- Sweep and mop floors
- Stock up on extra toiletries for holiday guests
We also found some of the best bathroom hacks for every bathroom size and style. Whether your bathroom is small or simply cluttered, these bathroom storage hacks will save the day!
Laundry Room
- Clean washing machine
- Clean dryer vent
- Organize laundry supplies
- Sweep and mop floors
Closets
- Store or donate outgrown clothes
- Wipe down shelves
- Bring cool weather clothes out of storage
- Put summer clothes away
Bedrooms
- Dust and polish furniture
- Wash bedding including sheets, pillows, duvets and bed skirts
- Put away light summer bedding and bring warmer linens out of storage
- Vacuum carpets (deodorize with baking soda first)
- Flip mattress
- Clean or vacuum curtains
- Mop or vacuum floors
- Shampoo rugs or carpets
Living Room
- Dust and polish furniture
- Wash blankets and pillow covers
- Vacuum upholstered furniture—check out why our editors love this Dyson vacuum
- Clean or vacuum curtains
- Dust and clean lamp shades
- Dust electronics
- Dust and clean decor
- Switch out seasonal decor, if needed
- Sanitize remote controls
- Mop or vacuum floors (don’t forget under the furniture!)
- Shampoo rugs or carpets
- Sweep out the fireplace
- Have fireplace inspected by professional
Office
- Recycle or shred unneeded paperwork
- File important paperwork
- Dust and polish furniture
- Dust electronics
- Sanitize keyboard and mouse
Throughout the House
- Dust ceiling fans
- Wipe down baseboards
- Wipe down doors and walls
- Vacuum air vents
- Change furnace filter
- Sanitize door handles and light switches
- Dust blinds
- Dust curtain rods
- Clean windows
Outdoors
- Replace screens with storm windows
- Check for cracks in siding and for window drafts, plug with caulk or weather stripping
- Turn off all outdoor faucets and coil garden hoses
- Put patio furniture in storage
- Stack and cover firewood
- Check bulbs in outdoor light fixtures
- Wash outside of windows
- Rake leaves
- Clean gutters
- Prune back shrubs
- Pressure wash driveway and walkways
Up Next: Our Top Cleaning Hacks
Use Vinegar to Clean the Gunk Around a Faucet
Hard water minerals and other gunk can build up around the base of your kitchen faucet. To remove it, soak a cloth in vinegar and place it directly on the faucet base. Let it sit for a couple of hours, then use the same cloth to wipe away the stains. And don't put away the vinegar yet! It's a powerful and safe cleaning product to use around the house.
Use Salt to Clean a Messy Oven
Did your latest casserole bubble over while baking? Clean up the mess on the bottom of the oven by sprinkling a handful of salt on the spill while it's still hot. The salt will help form a crust, making the mess much easier to clean once cooled.
Clean a Cutting Board with Lemon
Is your wooden cutting board stained or smelling like onions? Sprinkle some salt on it, then scrub with the cut side of half a lemon. Rinse, then repeat if needed. Your board will be refreshed and ready to use.
Revive a Grimy Baking Sheet
To bring a grimy baking sheet back to life: sprinkle some baking soda on the baking sheet, then pour on some hydrogen peroxide, followed by another sprinkling of baking soda. Let it sit for a couple of hours, then use a rag or sponge to wipe away the homemade cleaner.
Clean Your Garbage Disposal with Ice
If you notice an unpleasant smell coming from your garbage disposal, try this quick hack to clean it. Put a handful of ice down the drain, and turn on your disposal. The ice shards help to clean any gunk off of the blades. Turn on the faucet to give it one final rinse as the ice melts away. Need some deodorizing power? Learn how to clean out your garbage disposal using our Test Kitchen's favorite cleaner. You might like this top-rated Glisten garbage disposal cleaner, too. It works like a charm and scrubs away the grossest gunk.
Olive Oil Hack for Stainless Steel
It may sound counterintuitive, but you can remove oil with oil. For your stainless steel appliances, use a little bit of olive oil on a paper towel or cloth. Wipe in the same direction of the grain of the stainless steel, then use a soft cloth to buff it all away.
Use a Dryer Sheet to Clean a Casserole Dish
The conditioning ingredients in an unused dryer sheet can help remove baked-on food buildup from a baking dish. Fill the dish with hot water and drop in a dryer sheet. Let it soak for about 15 minutes, then dump out the water and dryer sheet. The stains should now be easy to scrub away with a sponge! Wash again with dish soap and water to remove any residue from the dryer sheet.
Use a Lemon to Clean the Cheese Grater
Save sponges from getting shredded by wiping graters with lemon before washing. The lemon juice and flesh will loosen up any debris stuck in the small crevices. To finish, give it a thorough rinse.
Deodorize Your Refrigerator with Coffee
Coffee not only smells good when it's brewing; it can deodorize your refrigerator. Simply place dry ground coffee in a bowl, and place in the fridge. The coffee grounds will absorb any foul odors.
Use a Potato to Scrub Cast Iron
Sure, you can cook potatoes in your cast-iron skillet, but did you know you can also use a potato to clean it? Sprinkle a handful of salt into the skillet, then use a potato half (flat side down) to scrub the salt around the pan in a circular motion. Rinse with water and pat dry.
Clean from Top to Bottom
Here's a time-saving hack that is all about cleaning in the right order. The secret? Work from top to bottom. Clear away dishes and wipe down all surfaces first, and save the floor for last. That way, any crumbs that fall on the floor will be swept up at the end.
Use an Electric Toothbrush (in the Kitchen!)
Use an old electric toothbrush to scrub hard-to-reach places in the kitchen. This method is especially great for cleaning the grout of your tiled backsplash. Mix up baking soda and a little bit of water, apply it to the toothbrush and go to town!
Use a Vent to Reach Under the Fridge and Stove
The space between your fridge and the floor is a magnet for pet hair, dust, food crumbs and other small trinkets. To clean, use a dryer vent brush, to drag out all the debris. It won't leave scratches on the floor and can reach further than a vacuum cleaner attachment.
Clean the Trash Can with...
Use a liquid toilet bowl cleaner to wash the inside of a dirty trash can! It will cling to the sides, making it easy to scrub away the grime with a sponge or scrub brush. Rinse well for a clean can.
Grab a Razor Blade for Your Glass Stovetop
To remove those hard-to-clean spills or burned-on messes from a glass stovetop—try this hack. Gently scrape the stain with a single-edge razor blade at a 45-degree angle. The blade will get under the spill and scrape away the mess without scratching the surface. Need more advice? Check out how to clean a glass cooktop and get rid of burnt-on food.
Clean a Can Opener with Waxed Paper
Here's a crazy cleaning tip for your manual can opener. Fold a sheet of waxed paper a few times; then clamp the can opener onto an edge of the waxed paper and turn the handle several times. The stiff sheet will break off bits of food and grime from the wheels of the can opener, and the wax residue will lightly lubricate the parts at the same time for smoother operation.
Clear Floor Grout with Toilet Cleaner
Toilet cleaner works surprisingly well on floor grout! Apply the cleaner to grout lines (the small nozzle is the perfect size to squeeze onto thin lines). Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then scrub with an old toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly.
Clean the Oven with Citrus
For a quick way to clean your oven, add the juice of two lemons and 1/3 cup water to a baking dish, place it in the oven, and bake at 250º for 30 minutes. When heated, the lemons will emit vapors that can loosen up stubborn food stains. Once the oven has cooled down, remove any additional remnants with a scrub pad or firm spatula. Just another reason to love cleaning with lemon—here are more!
Use Coconut Oil as Polish
Your wooden kitchen chairs and tables can be polished to like-new status with coconut oil. Wipe the wood with a damp cloth, then rub some coconut oil on the wood with a clean cloth in a circular motion. Let the wood absorb the oil for about 15 minutes, then wipe it away with a clean cloth.
Pour Vinegar in Your Coffee Maker
You only need one ingredient to clean your coffee maker: vinegar! Fill the water chamber with equal amounts of water and vinegar, and run the machine like you're making coffee. Then, flush the system by running the machine with just water. Repeat until only clean water comes through.
Deep Clean Your Slow Cooker
Fill the slow cooker insert with water, add 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar. Then turn it on low for an hour. When the time is up, discard the cleaning mixture and give the inside a quick rinse. It's really that easy! If you need more slow cooker cleaning tips, check these out.Originally Published: July 29, 2021
