Thursday, October 6, 2011

Take Five Fall Clean-up

This is the start of a brand new, periodic segment here on the blog, Take 5.  Here is how it works:  Take five minutes to come up with a list of 5 things to fit a particular goal or desire.  

The fall season is such a busy time and flies by, sometimes, without notice.  In the past I've looked out the window to the back yard and realized with a start that there is snow on my picnic table, BBQ and garden hose (all of which should have been put away eeep).  This year I am taking five for fall clean-up.  Making a list of 5 things that must get done before the snow flies {since I live in Michigan that could be any day now}. 

Take Five Minutes to write down Five Things that must be done before the snow flies.  

  1. Put away the garden hose.  Disconnect from the spout and disconnect any attachments.  Empty all the water out to prevent expansion and contraction of the hose fabric when the water freezes. Store on a holder that supports the whole hose, not just a nail, to prevent kinks.
  2. Clean and store house fans.  This includes ceiling fans, box fans and stand fans.  For a ceiling fan, take a damp microfiber cloth and wipe down the blades.  For a free standing fan.  Take the grill off then wipe everything down with a damp microfiber cloth.
  3. Wash Windows.  I use window cleaner and paper towels, although a vinegar/water solution and a microfiber cloth or squeegee would also work.
  4. Cover patio furniture.  Ok, honestly, I don't have any patio furniture, but I do have a picnic table.  I flip the benches on top of the table for the winter.  That somewhat protects the top of the benches and the table top.
  5. Put away the BBQ grill.  Give it a good scrub down.  Then cover and put in a weather proof place - I put mine in the garage.  
  6. Ok, I know I said only five, but I thought of another good one.  Winterize the A/C.  If you have a window air conditioner this might mean taking it out for the winter.  For central air conditioning units, covering the fan so leaves, debris and snow can't drop in is a good idea.  


I made a graphic of my take five fall cleaning list.  Want to print it out?  Just click on the picture, and it will {hopefully} print out as 8 1/2 by 11 inches - a regular sheet of printer paper.


1 comment:

I love comments. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!