The crisp air is coming. You can feel it in your lungs as you walk out of your house on your way to work in the mornings. Every day is a little colder. What’s not to love about fall? With pumpkin spice and changing leaves most of us want to cozy down come fall. We decorate our houses, and prepare for the upcoming holidays. We even focus on getting our yard ready for winter and the upcoming spring. What some of us forget is cleaning our homes. Traditionally, spring cleaning steals the show when it comes to cleaning our homes. But, cleaning your home in the fall may be just as important. After all, you’ll be spending a lot more time in your home than you have all summer. Here are just a few reasons why you should be cleaning and disinfecting your home this fall, and what you should add to your cleaning list.

Although most of us have good intentions, deep cleaning our home on a regular basis is difficult. Spring cleaning gives us a definitive timeline to accomplish this goal. But, is one deep clean a year really good enough? Probably not. Set a goal to tackle a good deep clean every spring and fall. You'll be surprised how much it impacts the cleanliness in your home. In addition to a spring and fall deep clean, make sure you're regularly wiping down frequently touched surfaces to prevent the spread of illness this season.

Cooler weather tends to force even the most adventuresome of us indoors. We turn off our air conditioners and flip on the furnace. This “closing up shop” means that all the dust and dirt we have in our homes is going to stay there unless we do something about it. Taking time now to dust and clean your home, and replace the furnace filter will help to keep your home cleaner all winter long.

While the holidays may look a little this year amid a global pandemic, whether you're gathering a small group together, or just having a guest or two over for an evening, you’ll want a clean house. Not to mention it’ll be nice to not worry if your blinds have been dusted in the past 6 months. Cleaning in the fall means that when the holidays come around, you can focus on being ready for the holidays, not deep cleaning amidst Christmas lights.

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During the summer we get a little lax. We leave the doors open longer than we should to let in a cool breeze. Our kids run in and out constantly. All of that exposure to the outdoors might mean you get a few guests indoors. Deep cleaning means you’ll have the chance to eradicate spiders, moths, mice, and other unwanted guests.

Unless you live in an area with one primary temperature/climate, you probably use different clothing and bedding in the fall and winter than you do the rest of the year. Deep cleaning your home will give you a chance to change over these things for the upcoming season. So, pull out all of your winter linens and find room in your closet for coats and boots to be accessible. While you are at it, take inventory of what you need for the winter and purge what you don’t need.

Need some ideas on what to add to your fall cleaning list? Here’s a good start:

• Audit your pantry
• Prepare your kitchen for holiday baking
• Test your smoke detectors
• Shampoo carpets
• Wash windows
• Clean dirty blinds, baseboards, and window coverings
• Clean walls
• Vacuum and spot clean upholstered items in your home
• Wipe down kitchen cupboards
• Straighten and organize closets
• Replace your furnace filter
• Have your chimney swept and inspected
• Clean and cover patio furniture
• Check weather-stripping and caulk
• Clean gutters and downspouts
• Prepare your garden/yard for winter

Taking the time to tackle your fall cleaning will make the difference for you and your family all winter long. Work in small amounts of time and set a goal for yourself.