October means different things for different people. For some, it means the time of pumpkin flavors, scents, and decor, getting ready for the upcoming holidays, or the general time for the magical season of fall. For some people it might mean the time of spooky season: thriller movies, Halloween, and all things scary and grim. Whether you’re on Team Pumpkin or Team Spooky, there’s something quite scary happening right now. Lurking in and around your home for the past several weeks and maybe even months, unwelcome visitors have come to stay… There’s only one thing you can do to rid your home of these menaces, S.C.A.R.Y. cleaning! This acronym stands for the unwelcome and unsightly things that happen around your home that need to be dealt with. Read on for the full S.C.A.R.Y. October cleaning check list.
S – Soap Scum
Soap bars in a dish, soap dispensers or pump bottles, and general suds in the bathroom or kitchen areas cause scum to build up over time. Soap scum begins to collect and build up immediately after use when you don’t see it. Because of this, it’s one of the easiest messes that grow without notice, until it becomes thick and unsightly. Go around your house to wipe down and remove caked on liquid soap from dispensers and soap bar dishes. Clean all soap scum from tubs and sinks.
C – Cobwebs
Perhaps the spookiest clean up item on the agenda is a classic cobweb. Cobwebs form from left over spider webs and dust. The spider who created the web has been long gone and the web has lost elasticity and collected layers of dust causing it to droop and thicken. Common areas to look for cobwebs include areas above wall cabinets, corners, and dark spaces behind fixtures or around furniture. Don’t forget to check light fixtures in and outside the house.
A – Air Vents
Similar to cobwebs, air vents are a dust collecting haven. With constant use of air conditioning over warmer months condensation builds on the vents and dust begins to stick and layer. Besides being unsightly, these lines of caked on vent dust can burn and smell when you start to use the heater as the season gets colder. Although a little dust burning inside air ducts may be inevitable you can definitely control the outer portion.
R – Refrigerator Cleanout
We are all guilty of letting foods and sauces overstay their welcome in the fridge. Sometimes things get pushed to the back, or quite literally, get lost in the sauce (an overabundance of sauces). This causes scary odors to takeover and increases the likelihood of spilling. Take some time to go through the fridge and throw out old and expired items. While you’re there you might as well wipe down the inside and replace the baking soda you use for odor absorption.
Y – Yard Maintenance
When the sizzling summer heat gradually changes into a fall breeze a lot can happen in that time right outside your doors. Around mid-September for most people, it has become cool enough for weeds and algae to grow back before the winter snow kicks in. Do a quick check around any garden areas, mulched beds, and rock displays you have in the front and back yard. Maintain accordingly and remove any dying annual foliage.
It may be spooky season for some, but that doesn’t mean your home needs to be. Unless we’re talking Halloween decorations, of course.
