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Many of us think of spring cleaning, but what about the fall? There are certain household chores we should really be doing every six months.
Here are the top 6 reminders we all need before we get too deep into fall. Learn how to set your home up for success and coziness before the craziness of the holidays!
Fall Cleaning, Home Improvement & Decor Hacks
Early fall is the perfect time to make these simple changes around the house.
1. Flip Your Mattress
It’s wise to flip and rotate your mattress every six months. It helps improve wear and tear, among other things.
Some mattresses have a top and bottom layer that is different, so if you can’t flip it, just rotate it 90 degrees to prevent sagging and even out pressure.
2. Strip Pillows & Linens
You make think stripping the linens is just taking them off of the bed. In actuality, pillow stripping is removing all the body oils, dirt, and excess detergent.
I’ll put the full process at the bottom of this post. It can also be used for other linens as well.
3. Check Filters
We have so many filters in our homes that need to be changed or cleaned regularly: dishwasher, washing machine, fridge, water pitchers.
So many people forget to change their water filters, whether that’s in the fridge or in their home. You may remember that I purchased a whole home water filter last year. It’s one of the best decisions I ever made. Now I don’t have all those little filters, but I do need to replace our large water filters every six months.
You should also be changing your air filters every three months to make sure your vents are clean and running efficiently.
4. Change Toothbrush
This is another item that should be changed every three months. If you haven’t swapped toothbrushes in your home since the beginning of summer, consider this your reminder!
5. Change Batteries
Smoke detector batteries need to be swapped every six months…but smoke detectors don’t necessarily run on a regular schedule. It’s important to have batteries on hand so you’re not without one when that annoying beep inevitably starts at 2 AM.
I buy packs in bulk at Costco when they go on sale. I also stock up on nontraditional sizes (especially for watches & garage door openers) at the Dollar Store.
6. Swap Decor
I know I’m not normally the girl you come to for decor tips, but these are so fun and easy!
I was inspired by the US Open. It can be as simple as filling a basket with your favorite objects, like tennis balls. You could also use golf balls, your favorite candy, or corks.
I also love fall decor using pine cones I picked up from my neighborhood.
Another favorite decor tip is to find books at the dollar store or Goodwill and take the jacket off of them. Hardcover books often have fun color covers that can be used to put under a basket, candle, or plant.
TV Segment: Fall Cleaning Hacks
Watch my segment on The Sami Cone Show to see some of my tips above in action:
How to Strip Pillows & Linens
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to clean your pillows and linens:
- Fill up the bathtub with the hottest water possible
- Pour the following into the tub:
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup borax
- 2 cups liquid laundry detergent
- Submerge pillow for 24 hours
- After 24 hours, wring out pillow then use normal wash cycle without detergent
- Place in dryer with dryer balls or tennis balls
