An upfront caution: this is a VERY comprehensive list. You may not need to do everything on it (and you may not have time to do everything).

In all rooms:

• Dust mop, scrub, or vacuum floors and carpets.
• Move belongings and furniture and dust or sweep under them.
• Put all possessions where they actually belong and, if they don’t have a designate spot, do you need them?
• Clean mirrors.
• Launder or beat rugs.
• Dust baseboards, doorjambs, vents, and walls, especially corners.
• Vacuum, launder, dust, or dry clean window treatments as needed.
• Clean all lighting fixtures (vacuum shades, wash glass globes, etc.).
• Wash windows (inside and out).
• Replace batteries and test smoke detectors. Even better, install detectors that don’t require you to change batteries.

Bedrooms:

• Change linens.
• Launder blankets and comforters.
• Hang up clothes.
• Launder pillows and mattress pads.
• Flip or rotate mattresses and vacuum box springs.
• Replace summer bedding with heavier comforters.

Living Room/Dining Room:

• Declutter as much as possible.
• Launder slipcovers and tablecloths.
• Vacuum sofa and chair cushions (including dining chairs).
• Designate a spot for mail and errand materials.
• Spot clean furniture.
• Polish wooden furniture.

Kitchen:

• Do all dishes and put them away.
• Clear and scrub countertops.
• Scrub stovetop.
• Clean oven.
• Scrub sink.
• Clean refrigerator. (That means tossing out the science experiments hidden in the back and scouring away the apple juice spills from last month.)
• Scrub cabinet fronts.
• Prune fridge art gallery.
• Match up plastic containers and discard the ones missing lids or bottom.

Bathroom(s):

• Scrub all fixtures.
• Wipe down shower walls.
• Wash shower curtain.
• Bleach shower liner.
• Empty medicine cabinet, discarding outdated medications and cosmetics. (Note:  Do NOT flush medicines. Many pharmacies and police stations provide containers for safe disposal.)
• Discard or donate any worn, stained, or torn linens or towels.  (Many animal rescue groups are happy to accept old towels, blankets, and sheets.)

Yard

• Clean, repair, and store outdoor furniture.
• If you have a pool, prepare it for winter.
• Winterize outdoor faucets.
• Prepare flower and garden beds for the winter.
• Fall is a great time to begin composting since leaves mixed with food waste make for excellent compost.
• Clean gutters.
• Replace outdoor light bulbs.

I know, this is a lot. I typically allow 1-2 hours per room to do everything. Since I live in a small house, I can finish up in a weekend. I treat myself with a long, hot bath and takeout for dinner.

You can also tackle it in stages. First, you clear things and put things away. possibly doing a little bit each day. Once everything is decluttered, you can start laundering and mopping and dusting in a larger bloc of time. It will amaze you how much faster cleaning goes when you aren’t mopping and dusting around extra stuff!