In Western New York, winter sometimes comes early, so it is never too early to start your fall cleaning. We have collected some of our favorite fall cleaning tips to help you get started. Before you even lift a box or a cleaning rag, lift a pen, and make a plan of attack. Your fall-cleaning plan of attack should start with the bigger obstacles and work down to the smaller things. If you have a room that you use for storage that is impossible to walk through, then that room should be at the top of your list. Rooms that just have a couple of drawers that need to be gone through should be toward the bottom of your list. Cleaning your house from top to bottom, focusing on public rooms such as the living room, family room, entryway and guest bath including washing walls and ceilings. A cleaner home during the winter months will help cut down on allergies and colds. Clean your windows, inside and out, including in between the sills. If you have new windows, check with your manufacturer on cleaning tips. You may not be able to use typical window cleaners. If you can't (or won't), use soap and water and dry with a microfiber cloth. Valu now offers environmentally safe household cleaners. Professionally clean your carpets. All summer they have been building up with dirt and allergens that will get trapped in your home during the winter. To save costs, you can always rent a Rug Doctor! Get out your vacuum and attachments. Make sure you vacuum the drapes, window treatments, baseboards and in the corners. Move furniture and vacuum beneath and behind it. Vacuum upholstered furniture, or have professionally cleaned if needed. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall, and vacuum the condenser coils. For bottom-mounted coils, use a long, narrow brush to clean coils of dust and debris. If you have a forced air furnace, this would be a good time to have your air ducts cleaned. While you are at it, change that filter. Valu offers several types of furnace filters from basic to allergen free. Ask an associate for details. Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If you can, use a can of compressed air to gently blow out any dust particles that may be around the sensors. Toilets, exterior spigots, sinks, and the dishwasher are all potential areas for mold to form. Check attic spaces and roofing to ensure that rain isn’t trickling in. A few drops a week can be enough for some forms of mold to really take over. If you didn't get a chance to do so in the spring, then turn over your mattresses and wash all of your bedding, including comforters and blankets. Inside isn't the only place to clean. It's also a great time to clean you gutters to prevent water and ice damage to your roof. And while you are at it, install gutter protectors that keep debris, like falling leaves, out of the gutters. Check out our section on gutter cleaning tips.

One last tip: If you haven’t used it in the last 12 months, re-purpose it. Does this item need to go to the local theatre company for the props and wardrobe closet? Maybe a preschool could benefit? Tax deductions are great. Or better yet, hold a garage sale.