The Fall Cleaning Checklist for Seattle-Area Homes

Spring cleaning gets all the attention, but in the Pacific Northwest fall matters just as much. In spring you are cleaning up after the wet months. In fall you are getting ready for them: the rain comes back, the windows close, the heat goes on, and somewhere between Thanksgiving and New Year’s the house fills up with guests.

I have been cleaning homes in Renton, Bellevue, Seattle and across the Eastside since 2004, and in this climate the order is what makes fall cleaning work. Do the outside while there are still dry days, set the house up for the wet season, then finish the kitchen and the guest spaces well before anyone arrives. Here is the checklist I would hand a friend, in that order.

Outside First, While There Are Still Dry Days

Once the rain settles in, outdoor jobs get harder and nothing dries. Anything that needs a dry afternoon goes first.

• Windows. Wash the exterior glass, sills and tracks, and check the screens before they spend the winter wet. Clean glass lets in more of the short winter daylight. On a two-story house, a ladder on wet ground is a good reason to hand the job off.
• Decks, patios and walkways. Sweep off leaves and fir needles before they mat down and stain. Moss and algae build up quickly here and make wood and concrete slick in the rain, so early fall is the time for pressure washing — while the surface still has a chance to dry.
• Outdoor furniture and cushions. Clean them, let them dry completely and store them somewhere dry. A cushion that goes into the shed damp comes back out in April with mildew.
• Gutters and downspouts. Have them cleared once most of the leaves are down. It isn’t a job we do, but an overflowing gutter is where a lot of winter mud at the back door starts.

Set Up the Entryway for the Wet Season

From October on, every pair of shoes that comes through the door is carrying water and grit. A few minutes of setup keeps it at the door instead of spread through the house.

• A coarse mat outside and a washable, absorbent mat inside every door you actually use — not just the front door.
• A boot tray, plus hooks or a stand for wet coats and umbrellas.
• Wash the inside mats every couple of weeks through the winter. A saturated mat just moves the mud a few feet further in.
• Mop the entry floors more often than the rest of the house. Wet grit is what dulls and scratches hard floors.

The Kitchen, Before the Holidays

The kitchen is the room the holidays depend on, so it is the one to finish early — not the morning your first guests arrive.

• Empty the fridge and freezer, throw out what has expired, and wipe the shelves and drawers before the big holiday shop.
• Clean the oven a week or more before it has to roast anything, so any cleaner smell is long gone.
• Degrease the cooktop, the range hood filter and the cabinet fronts around the stove, where a year of cooking settles.
• Clean the dishwasher filter, and descale the coffee maker and kettle.
• Clear the counters. A kitchen with clean, empty counters feels ready for company even when the rest of the week has been busy.

Bathrooms: Get Ahead of the Damp

Bathrooms are where the wet season shows first. Houses here stay closed from October through April, and the moisture from every shower has nowhere to go but the grout, the caulk and the ceiling.

• Run the exhaust fan during every shower and for a while after. If a square of toilet paper held against the grille doesn’t stick, the fan isn’t moving much air.
• Scrub the grout, and replace caulk that has turned dark or pulled away from the tub.
• Wash or replace the shower curtain liner, and wash the bath mats.
• Don’t skip the guest bathroom. If it has sat unused, run the tap and flush the toilet, then give it a full clean before anyone stays over.

Living Areas and Bedrooms

Once the windows close for the season, whatever dust is in the house stays in the house. Start high and work down.

• Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, the tops of door frames and high shelves.
• Vacuum the heating vents and cold-air returns, and change the furnace filter before the heat runs every day.
• Wash curtains and wipe down blinds; they hold a summer of open-window dust.
• Vacuum upholstery, and under the furniture you don’t usually move.
• Switch to winter bedding, and wash the summer set before it goes into storage.
• Get the guest room ready: fresh sheets, a dusted dresser, an empty drawer and some closet space. The rooms nobody uses are the ones guests sleep in.

Carpets and Rugs

Fall is a good time for a carpet cleaning: after a summer of open doors and bare feet, and before the house fills up. Book it a week or two ahead of your first gathering rather than the day before. Between cleanings, vacuum the entry and hallway runners more often than the rest of the house — that is where the wet season’s grit collects. Our carpet cleaning guide covers how often to have it done, and we do carpet cleaning with hot water extraction.

A Simple Fall Timeline

1. Late September to mid-October: windows, decks, patios and walkways — anything outside that needs a dry day.
2. Late October: entryway setup, the furnace filter and the bathrooms.
3. Early November: the kitchen, the guest room and the guest bathroom, plus the carpets if they need it.
4. Thanksgiving week: a quick reset — counters, bathrooms, floors and the entry.
5. Mid-December: the same quick reset, and another pass through the fridge.

The Short Version

• Exterior windows, sills and tracks
• Decks, patios and walkways swept and pressure washed
• Outdoor cushions cleaned and stored dry
• Mats inside and out, a boot tray and a spot for wet coats
• Fridge, freezer and oven cleaned before the holidays
• Cooktop, hood filter and cabinet fronts degreased
• Exhaust fans checked, grout scrubbed, worn caulk replaced
• Vents, returns and the furnace filter
• Curtains, blinds, upholstery and under the furniture
• Guest room and guest bathroom ready
• Carpets cleaned a week or two before the first gathering

What We Can Take Off Your List

You don’t have to do all of this yourself. These are the parts we can do for you:

• A deep clean before the holidays, including the spare bedroom and second bathroom that a regular visit reasonably skips.
• Window cleaning: interior and exterior glass, screens and tracks.
• Pressure washing for driveways, patios, decks, siding and walkways.
• Carpet cleaning with hot water extraction.
• Recurring cleaning every week, every other week or every 4 weeks, so the house stays ready for company all winter.

We use eco-friendly, pet- and child-safe products, the same crew comes every visit, and I’m on the job with my crew. Tell me what you want done and when your first guests arrive, and I’ll send back a real price — usually within 2 hours during business hours. Or use the 2-minute price calculator, and I’ll reply within 2 hours.