by Erin Sund, homepage editor
An epidemic sweeps the nation every winter — cabin fever. Nasty winter wind, snow and sleet force many to huddle inside their homes. All the time spent indoors gives us a chance to really look at our surroundings — and we might not like what we see.
Winter presents some heavy-duty cleaning challenges, but you can fight them with these 21 quick-hitting solutions. Knock a few off your list today and enjoy a cozy evening in your sparkling clean, warm-and-toasty living room.
1. Clean your gutters before the first snow.
2. Vacuum your mattress and box springs — they're dust magnates, which is especially bad if you're allergy prone. While you're at it, flip the mattress if you haven't done so yet this year. Wash all your bedding, including any extra blankets you may have stored last spring.
3. If you have a fireplace, hire a chimney sweep to come clean and inspect your chimney. Yes, you really do need to call in a pro for this job, but feel free to check the flue for creosote buildup yourself.
4. Lay waterproof floor mats near each door to absorb salt, water and dirt from shoes. Create a designated space for boots to stop the melting snow from sliding off them and onto your floors. Vacuum carpet and sweep wood floors regularly to keep up with the dirt and mud tracked in by guests and family members before it becomes a permanent part of your floor.
5. Clean hats, scarves, gloves and other winter apparel. Make sure every glove has a match and that you're not missing any key winter garments. The first cold snap is the wrong time to remember that you lost your warmest hat last winter.
6. Schedule a fall furnace inspection before it gets brutally cold. Need a little extra motivation? If you schedule early, you'll have your pick of inspection times.
7. Cull your pantry and fridge. Get rid of expired or damaged food so you'll be ready for holiday cooking. Clean and organize your dishes, utensils, pots and pans so you easily can see what you might need to completely outfit your kitchen. While you're at it, take a little extra time to clear clutter off your kitchen counters.
8. Light is sparse enough in the winter; clean light-fixture covers to let as much light as possible filter through. Remove the bowls and wash them in a mild cleaning solution.
9. While you have the ladder out to clean the light fixtures, dust your ceiling fan, then reverse the blades so they drive warm air down into the room. Also clean your air vents. You'll be amazed (and grossed out) by how much dust accumulates there!
10. One more thing to do while you have the ladder out – test and clean your smoke detectors.
11. Is your home drafty? Swap out lightweight rugs and curtains for warmer, heavier ones. As an added bonus, the warmer materials may allow you to keep the thermostat turned down.
12. Make an emergency supply kit with canned food, flashlights, blankets, batteries, a battery-powered radio and a first aid kit. Don't forget the details like an opener for canned food. While you're gathering winter supplies, get de-icing salt for sidewalks and driveways.
13. It's tough to spend precious time inside during the few hours of light we get each winter day, but cleaning in natural light pays off. Dust and dirt is much easier to see when sunlight is streaming in.
14. Once you're reasonably sure that the last warm breeze has blown, take down screens and replace them with storm windows.
15. Designate a workspace for the holidays this winter. Keep it clean and keep all your gift wrapping, cards and holiday craft supplies in one well organized place.
16. Clean and store patio furniture and wipe down frames. You'll thank yourself next spring when you pull already clean cushions out of storage.
17. If you have stir-crazy kids, make winter cleaning fun. Hide pennies in usually overlooked nooks around the house and hand your kids the dusting supplies. The winner is the first to find five pennies while cleaning.
18. Chances are, you spend more time sitting on your couch in the winter than when the weather outside is more enticing, so give your upholstered furniture a good cleaning. Once you're finished, treat yourself to a new warm throw or blanket to drape over the back of a couch.
19. Wash your windows (inside and out) so that you can enjoy pretty winter landscapes.
20. Clean before decorating for the holidays. Adding ornaments and seasonal décor to your home won't cover the dirt, but will make cleaning harder. Remember to clean each decoration before putting it away for the year so it's ready to go next year.
21. Winterize your car. Don't forget to stick a first aid kit, blankets and a flashlight in the trunk in case you get stranded roadside.
Erin Sund edits the Manage My Home homepage and has plenty of cleaning tasks on her to-do list.
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