Pre-Fall Tips

Ask Agnes

Fall is almost here...! Are you back from your summer away from your Corte Bella home? Getting the house opened up after a time of vacancy? These tips can help get everything ready for the fall season. • Go from room to room with a notebook and write down what needs to be done. List everything whether it’s dusting walls, washing or dry-cleaning window treatments (sometimes a cool cycle in the dryer will get the dust out), washing baseboards, or carpet cleaning. • Concentrate on one room at a time. • Start with an easy one, maybe the guest room. Hopefully you’ll develop a system and gain momentum. Doing one room at a time means the entire house doesn’t have to look torn up. • Remember, if it’s not dirty, don’t clean it. Clean from top to bottom, left to right, so you don’t miss anything.

Cross off the list as you go. Large rooms like the kitchen need more time. This is the perfect time to purge things you haven’t used in a year. A charity organization would love the donation. As you move throughout the house, take time to purge closets and dressers. Cover out-of-season clothes with a sheet to keep them dust free. During the monsoon season, a lot of silt has blown into your house through crevices. I’ve noticed it has been driven in through the ceiling vents. I vacuum them at the end of the monsoon and vacuum window and slider tracks as well. Don’t set impossible goals for yourself! Try to enjoy the Zen moment of what you are doing.