Living in California the warm weather extends long after the official end of summer (which is September 23^rd), but for so many of us Labor Day starts the change in seasons.  Many of us (or our kids) are going back to school and summer vacations are behind us as we move into the fall season and stores are already displaying Halloween and Fall items.

Whether you rent an apartment in Sherman Oaks or own your own home this is still a good time to do some fall cleaning in your kitchen.

Here are some great tips:

1. Change Bedding. Rotate and turn over your mattress and wash all of your bedding including comforters, blankets and mattress covers.

Fall Cleaning: Rotate Mattress

1. Wipe down and organize the kitchen cupboards. Fall is a perfect time to clean your kitchen cabinets, use a gentle cleanser (dishwashing detergent with a decreasing agent is a good choice) to wipe down your cabinets, paying extra attention to handles and finger marks.  Empty the cabinets and wipe the shelving down, replace liners, declutter by getting rid of items you don’t use and reorganize based upon usage.
2. Empty and clean the refrigerator. Again, Fall is a good time to clean and reorganize your refrigerator and freezer. Start with the freezer by emptying the freezer and cleaning thoroughly with warm sudsy water.  Use an all-purpose cleaner to remove stains.  Next clear out items that have been stored longer than they should or food you haven’t eaten.  The general rule is not to keep items for more than 3 to 6 months.   Once you have tackled the freezer tackle the refrigerator; remove everything and discard those items that you haven’t used or will likely not (or should not use).  This is a good time to purge those half used bottles of BBQ sauce or pickles.  Once the items have been removed, wipe down the shelving with warm sudsy water, remove trays and drawers and give them a good cleaning in the sink.  While you have the shelves and drawers out think about how you use the refrigerator and reorganize shelf heights and organization.
3. Clean that trash can. Remove trash from the trash can and thoroughly clean the can inside and out with warm sudsy water and a disinfectant cleaner.  Once you have finished pour the sudsy water down the toilet and give it one wipe over with an all-purpose cleaner.  Be sure to use bags that fit your trash can all year long.
4. Organize the pantry. No matter how big or small your pantry (or cabinets) are, organizing them can increase your storage capacity and make it more usable.
   • Empty the pantry; get rid of expired or items that you won’t use and place like items together.
   • Wipe down all shelving with warm sudsy water and let dry.
   • Purchase step shelves for cans and jars. This will raise the jars/cans from the shelf and allow you to see them all easily.
   • Purchase a small lazy Susan or a two-tiered turntable to store items or spices/
   • Purchase jars or decanters and fill and label them. Place ingredients you use less frequently behind more frequently used ingredients.
   • Purchase low clear plastic containers and put like ingredients with them, for even more organization label them.
   • Another great addition to a pantry is a wrap organizer; this helps keep bags, wrap, tinfoil and more organized and easy to access.

Fall Cleaning: Organize Pantry

1. Clean the Oven. This is a great time to clean your oven.  Remove the oven racks and spray them with an oven cleaner.  Wipe up any spills and turn on the clean cycle in your oven.  Don’t forget the stove top; remove elements and clean thoroughly.
2. Clean the Kitchen Floor.  While you are organizing and cleaning your kitchen, don’t forget the floor.  Most of us do a quick mop each week, but Fall is a great time to get out the bucket and sponge and do a deep clean.

Fall Apartment Cleaning: Sherman Oaks

If you are interested in renting an apartment in Woodland Hills check out the great amenities at Parkview Terrace Apartments.  For more cleaning tips, check out these great articles.  Happy Fall Cleaning.