Fall has officially arrived! Our favorite season! The mornings are feeling cooler, the days are getting shorter, and there are pumpkins everywhere. You'll likely spend more time indoors as the temperatures drop. As you snuggle up on the couch with some hot cider, you may look around and realize it is time to tidy up your rental. Spring gets all the credit for the "cleaning season"; however, we think that fall is the perfect time to organize and declutter. Proactively getting ahead of the cleaning game is essential as we will soon enter a new holiday season. Here is some motivation; there is a good chance you'll be hosting friends and family for the holidays and will soon pull out all those beautiful decorations. Regrouping and decluttering before you add gifts and guests will make the fall and winter seasons even sweeter! These fall overhaul tips can boost your mood while providing a welcoming place to relax as the seasons' change.
Decluttering & Organization
1. Take Charge of Your Closet
One of the easiest ways to know if you're wearing most of what is hanging in your closet is to reverse your hangers the opposite way. Each time that you wear an item turn the hanger the right way. At the end of the season, you'll have a solid idea of what needs to go due to not being worn.
2. Donate, Regift, or Recycle Unused Household Items
Donate gently used clothes & toys to shelters and other community-focused organizations that accept donations if possible.
3. Organize in Storage Totes
Keeping organized is no easy feat, and we've all been there. Separating and storing seasonal items, craft supplies, decorations, and more into their designated storage totes will make things easy to find when the time comes.
Fall Cleaning Tips
Living Areas
- Vacuum all carpets and rugs, and vacuum your furniture. If you have a carpet cleaner, steam your floors and furniture.
- Dust and wipe down all the hard surfaces such as bookshelves, end tables, dressers, and so on.
- Wash all blankets and throw pillows
- Wash all curtains and dust blinds
- Clean all windows inside & out
- Wipe down doorknobs, light switches, handrails, counters, and faucets with a disinfectant
- Wipe down all baseboards
- Dust off ceiling fans
Kitchen
- Clean and disinfect the microwave, inside and out
- Change the hood vent filter above your stove and clean off any grease from the hood
- Use a plumbing safe cleaner for your garbage disposal
- Pull the refrigerator out and vacuum the coils and the floor behind the unit
- Clean out your pantry and, wipe down the shelves, donate any items that you may not use
- Wash and disinfect your trash can
- Clean out from under your sink and throw away any old cleaners
- Clean out and disinfect the inside of the refrigerator and freezer
- If applicable, run a self-clean cycle on your oven
Bedrooms & Bathrooms
- Scrub your sink and remove any build-up
- Disinfect the shower and tub
- Scrub all the grout in the shower with a grout safe cleaner
- Clean the inside and outside of the toilet
- Sweep and scrub the floors
- Wipe down cabinets and vanity
- Clean all of the mirrors
- Wash your shower curtain and shower curtain liner
Exterior & Safety
- Keep gutters free of leaves and tree branches
- Sweep your patio and/or deck and keep free of leaves that could damage the finish
- Power wash your outdoor lawn furniture and outdoor toys and prepare to store them for the winter
- Change the batteries in your smoke and CO2 alarms throughout the home
- Change your HVAC filter at least once every 30 days
- Test your furnace and thermostat to make sure that it is properly functioning
Free Printable Checklist
We've included a free printable checklist just in case you are anything like us and want to keep a reminder hanging around.
It is our ultimate goal here at RentWise to be the best in the business. We take pride in our team and the properties that we manage. If you would like more information on how we can help make owning an investment property “Less Hassle, More Happy”- we would love to speak with you! Give us a call at 208-949-3083 or email courtney@rentwisepm.com