I couldn't resist-- I have a few more messy jobs for you this fall! (Plus, I have been a bad blogger lately... I forgot to post "The Weekly" last week and have not done anything creative!!)
Whew, now that the weather--mostly the wind!--has calmed down a bit, it is a great time to do a bit of outside work. A lot of these tasks are things I have been doing as I "winterize" this place! We got a bit of a scare this week with the the threat of snow...so I actually had to do all this work in the freezing cold and howling wind. Lucky you.
First-- clean out your shed or garage! You may need to store items for winter, and you need to have a clean space for this. With the shed here at the Inn, it worked best to take everything out, sweep it out, throw old/ruined items away, and leave everything out until your deck/patio items have been placed inside. (step 2 in today's cleaning process :)
Second-- clean off your deck/patio area. Clean your grill WELL for once, and put it in your shed or garage, preferably covered, for the winter. Keeping your grill clean and out of the elements will help it to last longer. Throw out all the old, wintering plants you have been holding on to. Sure, they may still look "ok," but it's fall and "the look" of the season is changing. Clean any glass such as patio tabletops and store inside for the winter. This glass can be stored in the basement, and is best kept in a cardboard sleeve of sorts. Find a box large enough, and tape it together on three sides so there is only space to slip the glass top inside. Be sure to label it as FRAGILE, especially if you keep several other items in your basement! Some patio furniture may not need to be put away for the winter, but any items made of wicker or plastic definitely should be. Though Lanesboro is in "the tropics of Minnesota," it does get cold enough for plastic to crack, and the moisture of snow is hard on wicker. Before putting the wicker items, if any, away, get out your trusty hot glue gun and fix any places where the wicker is unraveling. Remove any chair cushions from outside and seal in large garbage bags, then place them in the shed, garage, basement, or other place where they can avoid damage from moisture. You may need to buy a rust remover to get rid of rust stains on you patio area. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle, or the orange-y stains could turn into bleach spots! Sweep or blow off leaves and other debris.
Third-- Clean out your refrigerator, freezer, and closet. Honestly, not everything lasts forever even if you freeze it. Do you have just a half cup of rhubarb or zucchini left? PROBABLY not going to use it. Frozen fruit? ...how long has it been in there? Hamburger and hotdog buns should also be discarded. Toss any opened packages of frozen meals that you have not used recently-- these tend to get freezer burn. In your fridge, look for these items: expired eggs, expired yogurt, rotten vegetables in the bottom drawers, sweets (you don't NEED to toss these, but as it gets to be winter nearly everyone gains weight) and old leftovers. Leftovers should not be kept for more than a week, so be diligent in eating those up! When everything is out of your fridge and freezer, wipe them out using hot, soapy water. As for your closet, make sure everything fits you. Are there any items you did not wear this summer? Don't make excuses...if you didn't wear it over the course of this past summer's months, you will very likely find no reason to wear it next summer. Throw away all socks and underwear with holes. Get rid of old swimsuits. Place tank tops and shorts in storage or a specific area of your closet and bring out the long sleeved shirts, jackets, gloves, and hats! Make a list of items thrown away that need to be replaced, such as socks, and donate your used clothes to a Salvation Army or Goodwill.
Finally- clean your floors and furniture! For carpet, move all furniture to the kitchen or other large tiled area temporarily. Get out that great vacuum you got for your wedding, or some sort of shampooer and really clean! If shampooing, be sure to allow adequate drying time, and find a few fans to speed the process. Use one of the attachments to go around the edges of each carpeted room-- dust, pieces of food, and other interesting items can accumulate here. Before putting furniture back, remove cushions and vacuum them. Also vacuum the fabrics that are not removable, and the space underneath the cushions. Once the furniture is put back, clean your other flooring! A mixture of Lysol and warm water works great for tile and linoleum, while most wood flooring has specific cleaners you can find anywhere.
I still have the extreme vacuuming and closet cleaning to do... but really this is a great task list that will keep you busy for a while. Just be sure to finish before the snow comes!
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