Autumn is the deep clean with a deadline: within weeks the heating goes on, the windows close, the big cooking season starts and guests arrive. Done in one weekend it is a marathon nobody finishes; done across four themed weeks it is just the next thing on the list.
This calendar sequences the autumn deep clean the way the season demands: the kitchen first, before the heavy cooking months; bedrooms and the wardrobe swap while bedding can still air outside; windows and heating prep before the house seals up; and bathrooms, entry and the final polish last, so the home finishes guest-ready. Tick each week off as you go — progress saves, and every week is sized to fit real evenings and one weekend morning.
The short version: 72 tasks, about 10 hours in total if you do it in one go — and every task can be ticked off in the checklist above as you finish it. The full list is written out below, so the page still works printed or saved.
Week 1: Kitchen Reset Before Cooking Season
- Week 1: Empty the oven and deep-clean the inside, the racks and the door glass
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Oven cleaner - Week 1: Degrease the hob and splashback, and wash the extractor hood filters
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser - Week 1: Empty the fridge, wash the shelves and drawers, and audit every date inside
~20 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 1: Defrost the freezer if it needs it, and list what is in it for autumn meals
~15 min · Medium - Week 1: Run the dishwasher empty on its hottest cycle and clean its filter
~8 min · Easy - Week 1: Descale the kettle and coffee maker before the hot-drink season
~10 min · Easy - Week 1: Audit the pantry: cooking-season staples in, expired items out
~12 min · Easy - Week 1: Clean the microwave inside, including the ceiling of the cavity
~6 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner - Week 1: Wash the cabinet fronts and handles where grease film builds
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Degreaser - Week 1: Scrub the sink, descale the taps and freshen the drain
~8 min · Easy - Week 1: Clean inside the bin cupboard and wash the bins themselves
~6 min · Easy - Week 1: Replace the sponge, brushes and cloths ready for the season
~3 min · Easy - Week 1: Sweep and mop under the fridge and cooker, if they pull out safely
~10 min · Medium - Week 1: Sort the baking and roasting gear so the season's tools sit at the front
~6 min · Easy - Week 1: Clean the kitchen window inside, where cooking film settles
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Glass cleaner and squeegee - Week 1: Test the oven light and extractor fan; note anything failing before November
~3 min · Easy - Week 1: Wash or replace the kitchen mats and the oven gloves
~5 min · Easy - Week 1: Wipe the tops of the cabinets and the top of the fridge
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Duster (extendable)
Week 2: Bedrooms, Bedding and the Wardrobe Swap
- Week 2: Wash the summer clothes before storing them — nothing goes away dirty
~15 min · Easy - Week 2: Vacuum-bag the summer clothes and label the bags by person and contents
~12 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum storage bags - Week 2: Bring the winter clothes out, air them, and check for moth damage
~10 min · Easy - Week 2: Wipe the wardrobe shelves and rails before the winter clothes go in
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 2: Swap to the heavier duvet; wash the summer duvet before storing it
~12 min · Easy - Week 2: Wash the mattress protectors and pillow protectors
~8 min · Easy - Week 2: Vacuum the mattresses and the under-bed areas while the swap is underway
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with upholstery tool - Week 2: Rotate or flip the mattresses if the maker allows it
~8 min · Medium - Week 2: Wash or air the pillows in daylight; replace any that fail the fold test
~8 min · Easy - Week 2: Sort the drawers while clothes move: outgrown and unworn go to donation
~10 min · Easy - Week 2: Bring blankets and throws out of storage and air or wash them
~8 min · Easy - Week 2: Dust the bedroom high spots: wardrobe tops, picture frames, lamps
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Duster (extendable) - Week 2: Clean the bedroom windows inside, before the closed-window months
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Glass cleaner and squeegee - Week 2: Wash or vacuum the bedroom curtains and get their dust out
~8 min · Easy - Week 2: Sort the nightstands and tame the charge cables before the dark evenings
~5 min · Easy - Week 2: Test the bedroom lamps and swap in warmer bulbs for winter evenings
~4 min · Easy - Week 2: Vacuum the bedroom floors fully, including under the furniture
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with upholstery tool - Week 2: Put a cedar block or sachet in with the stored summer natural fibres
~3 min · Easy
Week 3: Living Areas, Windows and Heating Prep
- Week 3: Run-test the heating on a mild day and note any radiators that stay cold
~10 min · Easy - Week 3: Bleed any radiators that are cold at the top, catching the water
~12 min · Medium - Week 3: Dust the radiators and the wall behind them before they heat up for the season
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Duster (extendable) - Week 3: Change or wash the HVAC and extractor filters
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Replacement HVAC filter - Week 3: Clean all the inside window glass throughout the home
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Glass cleaner and squeegee - Week 3: Clean the window tracks and sills, where summer grit and insects collect
~10 min · Easy - Week 3: Wash or vacuum the curtains and blinds, room by room
~12 min · Medium - Week 3: Deep-vacuum sofas and armchairs, including under the cushions
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with upholstery tool - Week 3: Spot-clean upholstery stains before the long indoor season
~8 min · Easy - Week 3: Vacuum the rugs and turn them; shake smaller rugs outside
~8 min · Easy - Week 3: Dust ceiling fans and light fittings; reverse the fan direction if yours supports it
~8 min · Easy · Needs: Duster (extendable) - Week 3: Clean the fireplace or stove area if you have one, and book the chimney sweep if due
~8 min · Easy - Week 3: Wipe door handles, light switches and banisters throughout the home
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths - Week 3: Check window seals and note any drafts for the maintenance calendar
~5 min · Easy - Week 3: Move houseplants away from radiators and check them for pests
~5 min · Easy - Week 3: Dust the bookshelves and the tops of tall furniture
~6 min · Easy · Needs: Duster (extendable) - Week 3: Vacuum skirting boards and the corners where dust webs form
~6 min · Easy - Week 3: Test every smoke and CO alarm — the clock-change weekend is the classic moment
~5 min · Easy · Needs: 9V / AA batteries (alarms)
Week 4: Bathrooms, Entryway and the Guest-Ready Finish
- Week 4: Scrub the bathroom grout and treat any mould before the windows-close season
~15 min · Medium - Week 4: Descale the shower head and taps — indoor showers work harder all winter
~10 min · Easy - Week 4: Wash the shower curtain or liner, and the bath mat
~8 min · Easy - Week 4: Clean the bathroom exhaust fan cover so steam clears all winter
~6 min · Easy - Week 4: Sort the medicine cabinet: expired items out, cold-season basics restocked
~8 min · Easy - Week 4: Set a guest towel set aside, washed and folded, ready before it is needed
~5 min · Easy - Week 4: Deep-clean the toilet, including the base, seat fixings and brush holder
~8 min · Easy - Week 4: Convert the entryway for autumn: boot tray out, heavier coats onto the hooks
~8 min · Easy - Week 4: Put the stiff outdoor mat and the longer indoor mat down for the wet season
~5 min · Easy - Week 4: Sort hats, gloves and scarves into one entry basket for the household
~5 min · Easy - Week 4: Clean the inside of the front door and polish the handle
~4 min · Easy - Week 4: Sweep the doorstep and clear leaves away from the drain and step edges
~5 min · Easy - Week 4: Take a gutter glance from the ground after leaf fall; book a clearing if they overflow
~5 min · Easy - Week 4: Check the outdoor taps and drain them if your winters freeze
~6 min · Easy - Week 4: Do a final full vacuum of every floor, edges included
~12 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum with upholstery tool - Week 4: Do a final mop of all the hard floors
~10 min · Easy - Week 4: Restock cleaning supplies and bin liners for the busy season
~4 min · Easy - Week 4: Walk the home at guest eye level and fix the top three things you notice
~6 min · Easy
Pro Tips
- Heating is tested in Week 3 on purpose: on a mild day, while engineers are still bookable and radiators can be bled calmly. The first frost is the worst day to discover a cold radiator.
- Never store clothes away dirty. Moths and set-in stains both prefer last season's food and sweat — wash summer clothes before the bags, not after.
- Pair the smoke alarm test with the clock-change weekend and it never needs remembering again. Batteries and a test button: five minutes, once a season.
- Guest-ready is a finish, not a start. Kitchens and heating first; the final polish lands last so it is still fresh when guests actually arrive.
- If a week slips, slide it — do not stack two weeks into one weekend. The calendar works because each week stays small.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start the fall deep clean?
About four weeks before your heating typically goes on, or before your first holiday guests arrive — for most homes that means starting in late September or October. The calendar is four weekly plans, so count backwards from your deadline.
What is the difference between fall and spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning opens the house up after winter: windows thrown open, outdoor spaces back in use, bedding lightened. Fall cleaning closes the house down: heating tested, heavier bedding on, windows and tracks cleaned before they seal shut, and the kitchen reset before cooking season. The jobs genuinely differ, so the two lists share only their depth.
Do I have to do the weeks in order?
Mostly, yes — the order carries the logic: kitchen before cooking season, heating tested before it is needed, the polish last. If guests arrive in Week 2, swap Weeks 3 and 4 — but keep the heating test ahead of the first cold week.
How long does each week take?
Each week is sized for roughly two to three hours, split across evenings or taken as one weekend morning. The whole calendar is about ten hours across a month — the same work as one marathon weekend, without the marathon.
More Checklists and Guides
- All Home Checklists, Calendars & Idea Lists — every list in one place
- Monthly Cleaning Schedule — Every recurring deep-cleaning job placed in its week of the month — the schedule itself is the product.
- Bathroom Cleaning Checklist — Daily habits, the weekly clean and the monthly chemistry jobs — grout, descaling, fans and seals — in one list.
- The mirror image: the spring cleaning checklist, room by room
- After the deep clean: the month-by-month maintenance calendar that keeps it done
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