So we built our house 15 years ago. I was pregnant with my now 15 year old and my now 17 year old was just under 2 when we moved in.  Back in the day I was a frazzled mom and I literally shoved junk in boxes!  My fondest memory was my husband and I having trouble locating our home phone and his underwear!  As it turns out they were packed in the same box! 😂

Fast forward 15 years later and I have junk in my basement that has never moved. Looking around my house in the last week was alarming! Our closets were overflowing, the pantry was a mess. The rugs were so dirty and dusty I just had to do something.

I know cleaning is normally reserved for Spring but honestly in my part of Canada, Spring and Summer are so short and I’d much rather be outside walking, planting flowers and camping and enjoying the weather. Cleaning isn’t on my mind.

Fall is the perfect time to clean!!🍂🍁🍂

Declutter, declutter, declutter!

1. Firstly, it’s a precursor to the holidays. I don’t know about you but I love decorating and there is nothing worse than trying to decorate a cluttered house.  Decluttering in the fall makes cleaning far easier to get your house ready for holiday entertaining.

2. Fall is also great for going through your families unworn or outgrown clothing just in time for the winter.  The need for outerwear especially coats, boots, hats, mittens are needed by shelters and charities especially in the winter months. In addition, cleaning out your pantry and donating your extra non-perishable items such as canned items to your local food bank prior to the holiday season.

3. As a rule as much as we enjoy winter sports we do tend to spend more time indoors in the winter. I love being cozy at home so why not put your feet up and enjoy the season instead of fretting about the clutter surrounding you.

4. Fall is also a good time to have your kids go through their toys and belongings. As much as I used to say I wouldn’t go overboard at Christmas I always do! Having your kids go through their gently used books and toys can be donated to local charities, shelters or hospitals. It also allows more room for the new gifts Santa will bring.

5. It’s a great time to deep clean before the winter comes when all the windows and doors remain shut. Cleaning, dusting, shampooing carpets and getting  your furnace cleaned will have you breathing easy in the winter months.

As hard as it was to get it done, there’s such a feeling of satisfaction when it’s all finished!

Happy cleaning ! 🍂🍁🍂