Fall Household Checklist

Now that the kids are back in school and the weather is cooling, it’s time to tackle a few fun homemaking projects that might have fallen by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of summer. Here are five household tasks to put on your to-do list for fall, adapted from the new book “Happy Homemaking: An LDS Girl’s Guide” (Cedar Fort, $16.99).

Check your budget to make sure you are on track for holiday savings: Your budget should be a living document that you adjust monthly. The fall is an especially important time to make sure you will have enough money set aside for the holidays. If you haven’t already, consider a separate savings account for holiday spending. Look for ways to save extra money in the next few months by cutting spending on entertainment and eating out, for example.

Swap summer clothing and items for ones for fall: Properly store shorts, swimsuits, pool towels and bags, sand toys and other items that you won’t need for the coming season. We like clear containers that allow us to instantly see what’s stored inside, and we like to keep out one well-stocked “pool bag” for vacations and trips to the indoor pool. Wash or dry clean all items before putting them away. Pull out the boots, light jackets and other fall items and make sure they are in good, ready-to-wear condition.

Tackle quarterly deep-cleaning chores: Just as spring cleaning is important, so is a good deep clean of the house in the fall. Take time to scrub baseboards, wipe down walls, clean out your refrigerator, clean windows and window treatments, dust in hard-to-reach places, and vacuum and shampoo carpets.

Test furnace and smoke detectors to make sure both are in working order: Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are in working order. (You’ll need to change the batteries twice a year, so this is an ideal time to change them if you haven’t already.) Check the filter on your furnace —these should be inspected monthly and typically changed every three months, depending on the age of your furnace — and make sure the furnace properly pumps out heat.

Update the look of your home with simple fall décor: This can be as simple as swapping out bright, summery-looking throw pillows for ones made of earth-toned fabric. You can incorporate fall harvest themes in your home, adding white pumpkins to the mantel, or creating a floral centerpiece with brightly colored leaves.