Autumn cleaning tips and checklist: preparing your home for the cozy season

You might already refresh your home with an annual spring clean, but autumn cleaning is just as essential as it sets the stage for the colder months.

Proper cleaning and seasonal maintenance during this time enhances your living space and helps prevent potential issues that may arise later – saving you time, money, and stress in the long run.

Tackling cleaning tasks now also prepares for the upcoming holiday season, when you’ll likely be spending more time indoors and entertaining guests.

Get your home ready with our curated autumn cleaning checklist. See the rooms and items in your home you should clean and read on for autumn cleaning tips from our experts.

We recommend ticking off outdoor tasks first and then moving indoors as the weather gets colder. To make autumn cleaning feel less like a chore, try incorporating the tasks into your daily schedule.

As the season changes, choose a dry, sunny day to complete any outdoor tasks. Clean gutters and downspouts to prevent clogging and water damage. Finish your seasonal gardening, including trimming trees and shrubs away from the house to reduce the risk of pests and moisture build-up. Remember to store outdoor furniture, equipment, and tools properly to protect them from the elements.

Once your outdoor jobs are ticked off, start your indoor cleaning by decluttering and organizing each room in your home. Donate or sell items you no longer need and find proper storage solutions for the things you want to keep. Streamlining your space will not only make it look neater but also create a more serene environment.

Autumn is the ideal time to give your floors and carpets a thorough cleaning. Vacuum carpets and rugs, paying extra attention to high-traffic areas. Wash your hard floors with a suitable wet cleaner to remove dirt and grime.

Dyson offers powerful and versatile machines for vacuum cleaning, wet and dry cleaning, and floor washing. The Dyson Gen5detect™ is our most powerful HEPA cordless vacuum for deep cleaning and trapping 99.9% of microscopic particles.

Let the autumn sunlight in by cleaning your windows inside and out. Use a streak-free glass cleaner for sparkling results. Don't forget to clean or dust blinds, curtains, and drapes to remove accumulated dust and allergens.

If you have a fireplace, autumn is the perfect time to prepare it for use. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned by a certified professional to remove creosote build-up and ensure safe operation. Stock up on firewood and make sure your fireplace tools are readily accessible.

Remember that any combustion event with an open flame can release pollutants into our homes. But rather than sacrifice these cozy winter staples, you can opt for methods that minimize the impact of indoor air pollution. Dyson purifiers are engineered with HEPA filtration to remove allergens and 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns³ – meaning the air you breathe is cleaner

Dust mites thrive in dark, warm, and humid places where skin cell debris is high. This includes sofas and beds – those spaces in which we spend many hours getting comfy. Vacuum soft furnishings to remove dust, dirt and allergens and as the weather gets cooler, swap lightweight summer bedding for warmer options. Make sure to wash or dry clean duvets, blankets, and quilts before storing them away, then consider rotating and flipping your mattress for even wear.

Studies show we prioritize cleaning our bedrooms, but that doesn’t always include our mattresses. While they may look clean, mattresses can collect house dust mites, allergens, bacteria and fungi. We recommend deep cleaning your mattress every six months – once during spring cleaning and again at the end of dust mite season in October. Using a vacuum with a high-power or Boost mode will deliver the suction you need, and the wide-aperture Dyson Mattress tool helps remove dust, dirt and allergens from mattresses and upholstery.

Autumn cleaning is an essential part of maintaining a comfortable and functional home throughout the changing seasons. By following these expert tips and using our checklist, you can help make sure your home is ready to embrace the cozy atmosphere of autumn. From decluttering and organizing to inspecting vital systems, taking care of these tasks now will set the stage for a relaxing and enjoyable season.