Fall Cleaning Checklist: What to Do Before the Snow Comes

In Toronto, you get about four good weeks between the leaves coming down and the first real snow. That window is when you want to get your fall cleaning done. When spring rolls around, you can use our spring cleaning checklist for Toronto to open the house back up.

Here is what to tackle before winter settles in.

Set Up Your Entryway for Winter

Your front hall is about to take a beating for five months straight. Get it ready now.

• Boot trays: Put one by every door people use. The rubber kind with raised edges catches the slush and salt so your floors don't have to.
• Heavy-duty mats: Swap out the summer doormat for something thick and absorbent. You want one outside the door and one inside.
• Hooks and a bench: If you have the space, set up a spot for wet coats and scarves. Piling them on a chair just moves the mess around.

Clean the Gutters

Leaf buildup in your gutters leads to ice dams in January. Ice dams lead to water getting into places you really don't want it. Clean them out once the trees on your street are mostly bare. Homes near High Park and the Don Valley get heavier leaf fall than most. In most Toronto neighbourhoods, that's mid to late October.

Deal with Leaf Mud

Between September and November, every pair of shoes in the house tracks in a paste of wet leaves and dirt. Sweep or vacuum the entryway every couple of days during peak leaf season. It only takes two minutes, and it saves you from scrubbing ground-in stains later.

Clean and Store Window Screens

Pull your screens out before the cold hits. Wash them with soapy water, let them dry completely, and store them flat or leaning upright in the basement. Putting them away dirty means the grime sets in over winter and they're twice as hard to clean in the spring.

Wash Summer Bedding Before Storing

Lightweight quilts, cotton blankets, and extra pillowcases should be washed before they go into storage. Anything you put away dirty can develop musty smells or attract moths. Use a cotton bag or a clean pillowcase for storage. Avoid plastic bins for bedding. They trap moisture.

Clean Behind the Fridge and Stove

Before the holidays hit and your kitchen is working overtime, pull out the fridge and stove. Vacuum the coils on the back of the fridge. Wipe down the floor and walls behind both appliances. You will find crumbs, dust, and probably a few things you thought you'd lost. This also helps your fridge run better when it's working hard over the holidays.

Check Your Bathroom Caulking

Take a close look at the caulking around your tub, shower, and sink. If it's cracked, peeling, or turning dark, now is the time to redo it. Winter means more hot showers and more moisture in the bathroom. Bad caulking lets water get behind the walls, and that's when mould starts.

The Toronto Timing

If you're in the city, from the Credit River in Mississauga to the Bluffs in Scarborough, the first frost usually comes in mid-October, and real snow can show up anytime from late November on. That gives you a solid window from about the last week of September through the end of October to get everything done. Don't wait for November. By then the weather makes outdoor tasks miserable, and the holiday rush eats up your weekends.

A Room-by-Room Checklist

• Entryway: Boot trays, mats, hooks, sweep up leaf debris
• Kitchen: Behind fridge and stove, clean oven before holiday cooking
• Bathrooms: Check caulking, deep clean grout
• Bedrooms: Wash and store summer bedding, swap to heavier blankets
• Windows: Remove and clean screens, wash window tracks
• Exterior: Clean gutters, sweep porch, store outdoor furniture
• Basement: Check for moisture, run the dehumidifier one more time before winter

You don't have to do it all in one weekend. Pick a few tasks each week through October and you'll be in good shape before the snow comes. For the bigger picture on sealing up and preparing your home, see our guide to winterizing your home in Toronto.

If you'd rather hand it off, we offer fall deep cleans for homes across Toronto and Mississauga. Give us a call and we'll get it sorted for you.