Autumn and Winter Home Cleaning Guide

As the temperature drops and the windows stay shut, your home needs a different cleaning routine. Autumn and winter bring condensation, damp, muddy floors and dust from the heating. Get ahead of these with a seasonal clean, and your home stays fresh, healthy and warm through the coldest months.

Beat condensation and damp

Condensation is the biggest winter problem in UK homes. Warm, moist air meets cold windows and walls, then mould follows. Manage the moisture and you avoid the mould.

• Wipe condensation off windows and sills each morning before it soaks in.
• Open windows briefly after showering and cooking, and use extractor fans.
• Keep lids on pans, and dry washing outside or by an open window where you can.
• Leave a gap between furniture and cold external walls so air can move.

If small black mould spots appear, treat them early with a mould remover and dry the area well.

Get your heating ready

Radiators gather dust all summer, then blow it around the room once the heating comes on. Before the cold sets in, vacuum behind and under each radiator, and push a thin brush or cloth down the back to clear the trapped dust. Bleed any radiator that is cold at the top, so it heats fully and runs more cheaply.

Deep clean before you shut the windows

Autumn is the natural time for a proper clean, before you close the house up for winter. Focus on the jobs you will not want to face in the cold.

• Clean windows inside and out while the weather still allows it.
• Wash curtains and blinds, which trap dust, smells and moisture.
• Clear gutters of autumn leaves so rain drains away from the walls.

Protect floors from mud and salt

Wet weather drags mud, leaves and grit indoors. A good doormat at every entrance catches most of it, and a no-shoes rule near the door keeps floors far cleaner. Keep a cloth handy for wet paw prints and boots, and mop hard floors more often to lift winter grit before it scratches.

Make it cosy and fresh

Winter is soft-furnishing season. Wash or air duvets, throws and cushion covers as you bring them out, and vacuum the sofa where you now spend more time. A quick weekly airing, opening the windows wide for ten minutes, clears stale air even on cold days.

Short on daylight and time for a seasonal deep clean? You can book a GlowSpark cleaner from £19 an hour, from £16 for members, with vetted cleaners across West and South West London.