Your Fall Cleaning Checklist: Don't Overlook These Spots

Fall is the perfect time to turn your attention to the scariest (and most ignored) places in your home — with Halloween around the corner, don't be scared to tackle some spooky, hidden spots! While most people might have a spring cleaning checklist, autumn is an ideal time to perform a half-year check-in to refocus and clean in preparation for the holiday season.

So in honor of the changing seasons, grab a cup of coffee or tea and read about the five most important places you should be cleaning this fall.

How to clean your drains:

1. Treat it: Pour a half cup each of baking soda, salt, and vinegar — in that order — into the drain to break down and loosen the grime. You can also use a specialized drain cleaner.
2. Wait: Let that mixture sit in the drain for a half hour — or an hour, if your drain is slow. While you wait, put a big pot of water on the stove to boil.
3. Rinse the drain: Slowly pour the boiling water down the drain to rinse away the debris.

To keep the kitchen drain clog-free:

If you pour oil down the kitchen drain (we don't chastise you, but know it's terrible for the plumbing), run the hot water for a few seconds to help it move through faster and easier. You can also install strainers in your sinks to catch food and other particles that can cause a clog — even if you run the disposal.

Bonus: Spring for a weekly enzyme treatment that breaks down organic matter in the drain naturally to keep it moving through the pipes.

How to clean refrigerator coils:

1. Unplug your refrigerator to prevent electrical shock: Don’t worry about the food spoiling — this will be pretty fast. But put on a dust mask — it’s gonna get dirty.
2. Pull the refrigerator out from the wall so you can access the back: You may need some help moving the beast.
3. Locate the condenser coils: These are the cold, metal tubes arranged in a repeating S pattern. The coils will either be in back of the refrigerator or behind the toe plate in front.
4. Vacuum up loose dust and debris: Vacuum the coils, the back of the fridge, and the surrounding floor.
5. Use a toothbrush to dislodge buildup: Find an old toothbrush to use it to scrub the stubborn buildup on and around the coils. As you brush, vacuum up the loosened grime.
6. Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the coils: Use the cloth to wipe down the places you just scrubbed for a final shine.

To keep your coils cleaner longer:

Dust and vacuum around the fridge regularly to prevent the dust from the floor from attaching to the coils. Turn on the exhaust vent while you’re cooking too to keep grimy grease particles out of the air and prevent them from settling on the coils.

Learn more tips for cleaning the whole refrigerator naturally here.

How to clean your mattress:

1. Strip the bed: Wash your sheets and pillowcases in hot water. If your pillows are machine washable, throw those in, too.
2. Vacuum your mattress: Vacuum the top and sides using the upholstery attachment. Use the crevice attachment on the seams and piping.
3. Spot-clean stains on the mattress: Spray an enzyme cleaner onto a clean cloth, and gently blot the stained area. Soak another clean cloth in water, wring it out, and blot the stain until it lifts.
4. Sprinkle the mattress with baking soda: Sprinkle every inch of your mattress with baking soda, and let it sit for a few hours — the longer, the better — to break down acids, absorb moisture, and banish odors.
5. Vacuum the mattress again: Remove all traces of the baking soda.
6. Flip and rotate your mattress and mattress pad: Some mattresses don’t need flipping, but they should all be rotated every three months or so.
7. Replace your bedding: Resist the urge to take a nap in your clean, refreshed bed — or don’t.

Find even more tips to throughly clean a mattress (naturally, of course) here!

How to keep your mattress clean longer:

Invest in a mattress cover. A mattress cover keeps your mattress cleaner longer, and it’s a must-have for those with allergies. Mattress covers are thin and waterproof, and they prevent dust mites from weaseling their way into your mattress. High quality mattress covers are worth the extra expense, since they’re breathable and wick away heat and moisture from your body — welcome relief for those who sweat a lot at night.

A quality mattress cover won’t change the way the mattress feels. Avoid cheap mattress covers that feel like plastic, since they’re less breathable, less durable, and less comfortable.

How to clean your air:

Ventilate

• Turn on the stove exhaust when you’re cooking to send moisture, grease, and combustion fumes outside.
• Turn on the bathroom exhaust while you shower or when use conventional body care products.
• Open the doors and windows in your home whenever you can to exchange the air in your rooms.

Control the source

• Use natural household cleaners and body care products to keep toxic pollutants out.
• Remove your shoes at the door — the soles are rife with pesticides, oil, bacteria, and pollen.
• Keep your home’s humidity level in the neighborhood of 35–50 percent to discourage the growth of mold and mildew and the proliferation of dust mites, bacteria, and viruses.

Clean the air

• Vacuum and dust frequently — turn on your HVAC fan while you do it, and leave it on for 15 minutes afterwards to circulate and filter the air.
• Choose a high-quality HVAC filter, and replace it when it’s dirty — around every 3 months.
• Install portable air purifiers to remove unwanted particles from your air.

How to keep your air cleaner for longer:

Replace carpeting to remove more toxins. If you have carpeting, consider replacing it with hard flooring that’s easier to keep clean. Carpeting collects and traps contaminants that come in on your shoes and fall from the air. Carpets are a breeding ground for mold, fungi, and bacteria, which dramatically reduce your air quality.

If you can’t replace your carpet, vacuum it every other day, try a carpet refresher powder, and invest in a steam cleaner for regular deep cleanings.

How to clean your washing machine:

1. Run an empty hot-water cycle: Add two cups of white vinegar to the water via the detergent dispenser.
2. Let the vinegar sit: Let the washer agitate for about a minute, then pause the cycle for an hour to give the vinegar time to scare away mold and mildew, loosen debris, reduce bacteria, and deodorize the tub.
3. Scrub: While the washer is paused, scrub down the inside of the lid and the outer rim with a microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar. Use an old toothbrush to loosen gunk in hard-to-reach places, and use cotton swabs to reach inside the dispensers.
4. Restart the washer, and let it cycle through: Meanwhile, have a go at the exterior — including the dials — with a natural, all-purpose cleaner.
5. Run one more empty hot-water cycle to rinse: Add a half-cup of baking soda to the water to scrub away debris loosened by the vinegar.

Learn even more washing machine cleaning tips and tricks.

How to keep your washing machine clean longer:

Protect against odors, mold, and mildew in the first place by moving clothes to the dryer right away when the wash cycle is finished. And leave the lid or door of the washing machine open after each load to allow the inside to air-dry. Reduce the amount of detergent you use, and wipe away detergent dribbles right away.