There is something about the kids going back to school that makes me look around my house and think, what happened here?
Moms, if the shoe pile by the door and the handprints down the stairwell are giving you a twitch, same. Three teenagers were home all summer, and my house has the receipts.
We spend August getting the kids ready to go back to school. New shoes, new backpacks, school supplies, sports gear, schedules. They all have a list, so I’ve decided the house gets a back-to-school list too.
For me, this is the real reset of the year.
I’m not sure who came up with “spring cleaning,” because spring is right before summer, when the kids are about to be home all day destroying everything you just cleaned. Fall cleaning makes so much more sense. They go back to school, the house gets quiet again, and I can finally see what three months of summer actually did to it.
My fall house list usually starts with the things that have been slowly driving me crazy:
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Touch up the walls. Backpacks, hands, shoes and who-knows-what have left their mark. I keep leftover paint around for the obvious spots, but for everything else, a trusty Magic Eraser can work miracles.
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Wipe down the doors, handles and light switches. This is where the Costco-size Clorox wipes come in clutch. You don’t realize how dirty those little areas have gotten until you wipe them down and suddenly everything feels cleaner.
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Clean the light fixtures. A good handheld extendable duster can reach most of them. And for the ones I can’t get to, my window guy is already up there and will clean them for me.
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Give the kitchen a real reset. Wipe down the cabinets, counters, refrigerator handles and all those little places where the spilled chocolate milk somehow traveled. Again, Costco Clorox wipes are earning their keep.
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Clean the upholstery. Sofas, dining chairs, barstools and all the places teenagers apparently believe napkins are optional.
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Purge the closets. If nobody wore in the last year, it probably doesn’t need to keep taking up valuable closet space.
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Attack the entryway and shoe situation. Everyone gets a home for their stuff again.
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Wash the windows and glass doors. Fingerprints, dog noses, whatever is happening on those surfaces all summer, it’s time to go.
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Edit, donate and organize. Less stuff almost always makes the entire house feel better.
This doesn’t have to turn into some giant, overwhelming home project. I follow some great DIY accounts that have taught me tricks for everything from touching up walls to cleaning upholstery, organizing drawers and finding the right little tools that make these jobs so much easier. I’ll can always share some of my favorites because there are plenty of things you can knock out yourself in a weekend.
But I also know when to call in reinforcements.
If your closet needs more than a Saturday afternoon and a few donation bags, I have professional organizers who can come in, edit everything, create a system and even help get the excess out of the house and donated. I have upholstery cleaners, painters, window cleaners, handymen and all the people who can tackle the list you’ve been staring at for months.
These people are basically on auto dial at this point.
Maybe it’s because I spend my days walking through homes and noticing all the little details, but I really believe our surroundings affect how we feel. I don’t need my house to be perfect. With three teenagers, that would be an exercise in disappointment. But I do need it to feel calm, clean and somewhat under control.
So while the kids are heading back to school with their fresh notebooks, organized binders and brand-new schedules, I’m giving the house its own fresh start.
Fall reset > spring cleaning.
Your house and your peace of mind will thank you. 🍂
If you’re local and need one of my people, ask me. There is a very good chance I have exactly the person you need already saved in my phone.
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