Hayley's Feng Shui Tip: FALL CLEANING TIPS!

Fall is in the air! Prepare for the change of season (even if you are in California!) with a few deep-cleaning tips for your home. A clean home is a happy home! Clean from ceiling to floors, starting with the most used rooms. Tackle this list over a few weeks if you get overwhelmed. I won't tell anybody! 

LIVING ROOM

• Dust fans, crown molding and air vents. Soak and wash glass light fixtures. 
• Walls and corners collect lots of dust (and dog hair, in my case!) Wipe down latex or oil painted walls with an All-Purpose Cleanser** (read the label!) and water. We recommend testing on an inconspicuous area first. Don’t forget the baseboards! 
• If you paid attention to the last Feng Shui Tip, you already cleaned your windows (:-) If you missed that one, there is still time! Wash the screens on a warmer day and allow to dry in the sun. Next are curtains and blinds.
• Vacuum furniture and upholstery. Make sure to clean underneath furniture as well. 
• Lastly, clean the floors, carpets, and rugs. If they are heavily soiled, it may be time to call a professional** or rent a cleaning machine. 

KITCHEN

• Clean under and behind the refrigerator, vacuuming the condenser coils. 
• Clean and organize kitchen cabinets. Plan on one cabinet a day to make the task less daunting.
• Take unwanted, unopened packaged foods to a local food shelter (or toss expired or questionable foods). 
• Clear the kitchen counters of all appliances not used in the last week. 
• Deep clean your oven with a mixture of 2:1 All Purpose** and Surface Scrub** and let sit for 15-20 minutes, then wipe down the insides and outsides of the oven and range.
• If you have drip pans under your burners, run them through the dishwasher, or consider replacing them. 

BATHROOM

• Clean out the medicine cabinet; be sure to discard expired prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and lotions. (Please do not dump prescriptions in the toilet!)
• Empty each drawer and cabinet so you can wipe down the interior. 
• Give your shower or tub a good scrub. My friend Becky discovered that it is much more fun using scrubbing bubbles if you are also drinking bubbly. 
• Launder or clean the shower curtain and liner.
• Scrub down the toilet, both inside and out - don’t forget the handle, seat, or base of toilet.
• Dust the outsides of vents and fans. 

BEDROOMS

• Launder all bedding, including bedskirts, mattress pads, sheets, pillows, blankets, duvets, and comforters. 
• Clean and organize drawers, shelves or nightstands. 
• Once the weather turns cooler, pack away summer clothes (for Californians - just move to the back of the closet!)
• Determine what your favorite clothes are, then donate the unwanted, clean, usable clothes to a charity thrift store (I personally like Mission Thrift on Broad Street). 

OUTSIDE

• After the leaves have fallen, empty the gutters, then rinse clean gutters with a special hose attachment. 
• Clean up your patio furniture. (Californians are lucky enough to not have to worry about storing our patio furniture!)
• Check the weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows to ensure your home is energy efficient. 

** This list is brought to you from my favorite GREEN cleaning product line: CALDREA. Find your favorite Caldrea scent (mine is Basil Blue Sage), and your entire home will smell amazing when you clean (rather than caustic). www.Caldrea.com, Fortini’s in SLO carries it, and every once in awhile, you can even find it at Ross or TJ Maxx (if I haven’t found and bought it first!) They have spectacular concentrated laundry detergent. Your sheets, towels, skin, nose, family and home will thank you! 

If you need to buy or sell a home, call or email Comet Realty: 805.546.9925, Info@CometRealty.com. 

If you need to clean your home, do it yourself! (refer to list above) 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

Timing is everything…

Spring forward, fall back! This weekend is Daylight Savings Time (unless you live in Hawaii, or Arizona - two states who don’t need that extra hour of sunshine!) Beginning this Sunday, most of us get an extra hour of daylight added to our day. 

I give my house a tune-up on DST weekend. I challenge you to spend one of your extra hours of sunlight making your home healthier for you and your loved ones. The cost of these few items is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

SMOKE ALARMS

The batteries in your smoke alarm should be tested, and/or replaced. Your detector may take 9-volt, AA or AAA batteries. Be sure to check before you head to the hardware store. 

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR

It is always good to protect yourself against the unseen. If you don’t have one in your home, now might be a good time to pick one up. You can find them at your local hardware store, or on Amazon.com. Some models plug into an outlet, but I like ones that have a battery, or a battery back-up. First Alert and Kidde both make a combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector. 

FILTERS

Clean or replace them.

Since you’re already going to the hardware store for batteries, pick up a filter for your furnace, unless yours is re-usable and can be cleaned with a hose (check your manufacturers directions to find out).

Replace your kitchen exhaust air filter, and clean the exhaust hood. Also dust/vaccuum your heating/cooling registers.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER

When was the last time you picked up a new fire extinguisher? If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to get a new one! You can usually find them in packages of two. I like to have one in the kitchen, one near the barbecue, and one in each of the cars. 

Tip: Don’t store the fire extinguisher over the stove. If something on the stovetop needs the extinguisher, you do not want to have to reach over flames. 

HOT WATER HEATERS

You don’t think about it until it stops working. Visit DIYnetwork.com to find out how draining your hot water heater annually can add years onto its life. 

CLOCKS

Of course, don’t forget to change all your clocks–in the house (living room, bedrooms, microwave, VCR and other electronic equipment), garage, office, cars and watches–spring forward one hour this weekend. 

I’m sure you can think of other items you can attend to, since you have that extra hour of daylight. I’d love to know what you have on your list, in case I need to add it to mine too.

Enjoy your longer days!