Your Fall Condo Cleaning Checklist

As condo cleaning experts we feel spring cleaning gets way too much airtime. Yes, we certainly look forward to this busy cleaning season but we also feel fall deserves just as much cleaning time as spring.

Fall is the perfect time of year to get rid of all the summer mess and put some of those summery things into storage to make way for the cooler days ahead. Here’s a fall condo cleaning checklist to help you tackle the seasonal chores.

The Kitchen

Fall is a time for major entertaining since it’s the season of Thanksgiving. This mighty feast is pretty intense and you want to know your kitchen is pristine so your meal is prepared in a clean, germ-free environment. You also want your kitchen to look its best since this is the room guests tend to gather. Here’s our fall kitchen cleaning to-do list:

• Clean your grout with old toothpaste and abrasive cleaner
• Wash down the walls with a grease-cutting kitchen cleaner
• Look in your fridge and throw out anything that is expired and wash down the walls, shelves and drawers. This will make room for all those festive foods and drinks!
• Place an open box of baking soda in the fridge to get rid of odours
• Wipe down the outside of your fridge
• Pull out the fridge and stove to sweep and mop the floor
• If your oven is self-cleaning, switch it on. If not, use an oven cleaner following the instructions carefully.
• Clean your stove top
• Take out the garbage and give the pail a good cleaning with disinfectant
• Wipe down all of your small appliances to remove gunk including the inside of your microwave
• Go through your pantry and toss out any expired foods and organize everything to make it easier to find ingredients
• Wipe the inside and outside of cupboards and lay down some shelf paper
• Clean the dishwasher with a dishwasher cleaner
• Sweep and mop the floor
• Wipe down the backsplash with a grease-fighting cleaner
• Wipe down your baseboards
• Clean your light fixtures

The Living Room

Thanksgiving aside, whether it’s just you, you and some roommates, a partner, or a whole family with pets, your living room is the place that tends to see the most action and traffic in the winter and fall. A good fall cleaning will help set the stage for more time spent inside as the temperatures dip. This checklist will create a clean environment and make it easier to keep things neat when your living room becomes your hibernation headquarters:

• Declutter the mess and organize everything in baskets, on shelves or pop things in drawers
• Vacuum or wipe down your window treatments
• Clean your windows
• Wash noticeable scruffs and fingerprints on the walls
• Dust and clean art on the walls and shelves
• Dust your ceiling fan and/or light fixtures
• Remove the cushions from your couch and chairs and vacuum the crumbs (you might also get lucky and find some loose change!)
• Look for stains on your couch cushions you can spot clean
• If you have carpeting, rent a carpet cleaner or have them professionally cleaned
• Dust your TV and electronics
• Wipe down baseboards

The Dining Room

A lot of condo owners don’t even have a dining room, but if you do have a dining area, it could use a fall cleaning as well. You might not even use it that often and tend to eat your meals in the kitchen or in front of the TV. If this is the case your dining room might become a dumping ground. Regardless of how you use it, apply the same cleaning tips above, with a few extras to help get it neat and ready for your next big meal:

• Clean your table and chairs and vacuum upholstered seats
• Wash your tablecloth and placemats
• Dust your china cabinet or buffet if you have one

The Bedroom

Your bedroom is a very important room in your home. You need a good night’s sleep to stave off common fall and winter colds and flu, not to mention COVID which seems to want to hang around. Having a clean bedroom helps keep things calmer and more comfortable for a better sleep. Here’s our fall cleaning checklist for your bedroom:

• Toss your bedding in the laundry following the instructions on the label
• Follow these instructions to wash your pillows
• Flip your mattress, or for pillow-topped mattresses, rotate it
• Go through your clothes closet and get rid of anything you no longer wear and then get your summer clothes ready for storage
• Do the same for your drawers
• Vacuum and dust under the bed to get rid of those dust bunnies
• Dust or vacuum your headboard
• Dust all the furniture, curtains and light fixtures
• Clean the windows and mirrors
• If you have carpeting, include a pro cleaning when you do the rest of the condo

The Bathroom(s)

Whether you have one bathroom or a few, bathrooms are infamous for germs and stinky messes that need some special attention in the fall. Use this list to reach every germy corner and keep your bathroom looking spotless:

• Scrub the grout with a toothbrush and cleaner
• Take down the shower curtain and wash it (some can go in the laundry)
• Wipe away calcium buildup from the showerhead
• Disinfect the sink and toilet with a bathroom cleaner
• Disinfect the toilet brush
• Mop the floor
• Wipe dust from the bathroom fan grill
• Scrub the shower or tub to get rid of mildew and soap scum (they make some great non-scrub products for bathrooms)
• Replace your towels and clean the bathmat
• Organize your personal products and toss anything you no longer use

The Balcony/Patio

If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space with your condo, you want to give it some TLC before the winter arrives. It is important to make sure your balcony or patio is compliant with your condo’s bylaws as well! Here are some tips to prepare your balcony for the winter:

• Remove any stray leaves and dirt with a good sweep of the floor
• If you have an outdoor carpet, roll it up and put it in storage or wrap it in plastic
• Bring any plants you can salvage inside
• Wash the windows and patio door
• Stack your furniture for storage or, if you are allowed to, keep it in a back corner of the balcony
• Take down any decorative pieces you might have affixed to the wall

These condo cleaning tips will get your condo clean and cozy for the chilly weather ahead.

To learn more about fall condo cleaning, call Maid4Condo at 647-822-0601 or contact us here.