Fall Cleaning

You’ve heard of spring cleaning. Why not try fall cleaning on for size? My family is moving in a few weeks, and the change of season has given me just the motivation and extra energy I need to sort everything before it’s time to pack.

For us, fall cleaning this year is comprised of going through every closet, drawer, and cabinet and considering: “When’s the last time we used this?” Or, “When’s the last time I wore this?” It’s an opportunity to clean out my daughter’s remaining 3T clothes and bring down all the fall and winter 4T’s from storage. It’s also just about time to pack up my summer clothes and bring down my fall and winter ones; I plan to sort them during the transition.

I’ve been doing “fall cleaning” for enough years now that I’ve actually condensed my wardrobe down to two large drawers, two small drawers, and a tiny closet-full. It’s a good discipline to ruthlessly eliminate clothes, shoes, and household items that are in good condition but are hardly used.

Fall cleaning provides a good teaching time for kids, too. Help them learn how to be generous; teach them not to be hoarders. Someone else can get a lot of good out of your gently used items. And, if you could use some extra cash, fall cleaning can be a good time to pack up the extra stuff and take it to a consignment store or have a yard-sale.

Fall cleaning doesn’t only mean sorting and eliminating either. Why not take advantage of the cool weather by conducting a deep house clean? I know I never feel up to that task in the summer—it’s just too hot around here! The fall, though, makes me want to throw open the windows, take an allergy pill, and clean every room in the house.

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