Autumn Cleaning at Home – 10 Tips for a Tidy and Cosy Home
Von Natacha Christen, zertifizierte Ordnungscoach FO in Baar ZG · Zuletzt aktualisiert: 14. Oktober 2026
Autumn cleaning is the perfect time to get your home ready for the cosy season. The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping and we’re spending more time indoors again. Now is the perfect opportunity to tidy up your home, give it a thorough clean and make space for cosiness. As a certified organisation coach in Baar, I’ll show you in this checklist how to tackle your autumn clean in the right order: first, clear out; then, clean; then, keep things tidy. After all, if you organise things before you clean, you’ll save time and won’t have to move things around as much.
And let’s be honest: you can enjoy the cold season so much more in a clean, tidy flat!
Table of Contents
What should you include in your autumn cleaning routine?
When doing your autumn clear-out, it’s best to follow this order: first, have a clear-out, then do the cleaning.
Autumn cleaning involves switching your wardrobe from summer to autumn and winter, cleaning windows, blinds and shutters, and thoroughly cleaning your living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Decluttering your basement and attic, as well as preparing your balcony for winter, are also part of the process.
When is the best time for autumn cleaning?
September and October are ideal months for autumn cleaning, before the colder weather really sets in. Make the most of the last mild autumn days for outdoor tasks and try to complete the bigger jobs before the clocks change at the end of October.
Why is autumn cleaning worthwhile?
Autumn cleaning helps you create a cleaner, more organised home while preparing your living space for the winter months. With a well-organised wardrobe, sparkling windows and cosy living areas, you can enjoy the colder season in comfort.
What makes autumn cleaning different?
While spring cleaning focuses on refreshing your home after winter, autumn cleaning is all about preparing it for the colder months ahead.
Four areas deserve particular attention:
Cosiness: Create a welcoming atmosphere with carefully chosen accessories, soft blankets and warm lighting.
Seasonal wardrobe change: Pack away summer clothes and make room for jumpers, jackets and winter accessories.
Natural light: Clean windows, blinds and shutters to let as much daylight into your home as possible.
Heating season: Remove dust from radiators and make sure your home is ventilated regularly.
With a little planning, you can spread the tasks over several days rather than trying to do everything at once.
Autumn cleaning checklist: What should you clear out and clean in each room?
Room | What to declutter | What to clean |
Living room | Books, magazines, decorations | Furniture, shelves, sofa, radiators, floors |
Bedroom | Clothes, bed linen, bedside table items | Mattress, bed frame, wardrobes, floors |
Kitchen | Unused crockery, kitchen utensils, food no longer safe to eat | Fridge, oven, extractor hood, cupboards |
Bathroom | Old cosmetics, toiletries, towels | Sink, shower, toilet, tiles, taps |
Entrance and coat area | Shoes, jackets, bags, scarves | Shoe racks, coat cupboards, floors |
Basement and attic | Old boxes, broken items, unused belongings | Shelves, storage units, floors |
Balcony | Broken flowerpots, unused gardening equipment | Outdoor furniture, railings, balcony floor, bike racks |
10 Tips for Your Autumn Cleaning
Why should you declutter before you start cleaning?
Before you begin cleaning, take some time to sort through your belongings and get rid of things you no longer need. The fewer unnecessary items you have, the easier it will be to clean your home and put everything back in its place.
Ask yourself whether you still need each item, use it regularly or simply enjoy having it.
From my experience as an organization coach: if you tidy up first and then have a clear-out, you often end up moving the same things back and forth two or three times. If you have a clear-out first, you’ll tidy up more quickly and thoroughly.
Make decluttering easier with the three-box method
:Prepare three boxes or bags and label them:
Keep: For items you need, use regularly or genuinely want to keep.
Charity shop (Brockenhaus): For clothes, household goods and other items that are still in good condition but no longer needed. Donating them gives these belongings a second life.
Dispose of: For broken, unusable or irreparable items that need to be disposed of correctly according to their material.
Pick up each item and decide which box it belongs in.
Small successes encourage you to carry on!
How can you prepare your wardrobe for autumn and winter?
Now is the perfect time to put away your summer clothes and bring out your warmer outfits.
Use this seasonal changeover to take a closer look at your wardrobe. Which clothes did you not wear all summer? What no longer fits or suits your style?
Store the summer clothes you want to wear again next year in clean, dry, labelled storage boxes under your bed or in your attic, provided the storage area is suitable and dry.
You can place unwanted clothes that are still in good condition in a clothing collection.
Make room in your entrance area for coats, jackets, scarves, hats and winter shoes.
When it comes to your wardrobe, this is often where you see the quickest results in my coaching sessions: as soon as you’ve only got the clothes you’re wearing this season hanging in your wardrobe, the rest almost sorts itself out.
Wardrobe checklist:
Sort and store summer clothes
Donate unwanted clothes to a clothing collection
Arrange autumn and winter clothes within easy reach
Clean wardrobes and shoe racks
Organise shoes and winter accessories
Why is autumn a good time to clean your windows?
As the days grow shorter, every bit of natural daylight becomes more valuable.
Choose a mild, preferably cloudy autumn day to give your windows a thorough clean. Remember to clean the glass, frames, windowsills and seals.
Do not forget the blinds and shutters. Dust, pollen, dirt and cobwebs can accumulate on them throughout the summer. Remove loose dirt first, then clean the surfaces with a suitable product.
This is also a good opportunity to wash or freshen up your curtains.
Window cleaning checklist:
Clean windowpanes and frames
Wipe windowsills and seals
Clean blinds and shutters
Wash curtains if needed
How can you make your living room clean and cosy?
During autumn, the living room often becomes the heart of the home. It is therefore worth giving this space some extra attention.
Start by sorting through magazines, books and decorative items. Dust shelves, lamps, picture frames and furniture.
Vacuum your sofa and upholstered furniture thoroughly. Clean underneath and behind furniture, as well as along skirting boards. Wash cushion covers and throws according to their care labels.
Getting ready for heating season: Remove dust before switching on the heating
Dust can accumulate on and behind radiators during the summer months. Once the heating is switched on, rising warm air may circulate this dust around the room.
Clean your radiators before the heating season begins, using a suitable brush or vacuum cleaner attachment. Make sure furniture and long curtains do not block the heat.
Once everything is clean, add soft cushions, cosy blankets and warm lighting to create a welcoming autumn atmosphere.
Less is often more: carefully chosen autumn decorations look much nicer than cluttered shelves and windowsills.
Living room checklist:
Sort through books, magazines and decorations
Dust shelves, lamps and furniture
Vacuum the sofa and upholstered furniture
Remove dust from radiators
Wash cushion covers and blankets
How can you organise your kitchen and pantry cupboards?
Over time, kitchens tend to accumulate food, crockery and utensils that are rarely used.
Start by emptying your pantry cupboards and checking the dates on your food products.
Arrange your supplies according to their best-before dates. Put products with earlier dates at the front and those with later dates at the back.
Important: A best-before date is not the same as a use-by date!
Many foods can still be safe to eat after their best-before date, provided they have been stored correctly. For suitable products, check their appearance and smell and, if everything seems normal and the food is safe to taste, check the flavour.
Use-by dates are different. For food safety reasons, you should not eat products after their use-by date.
Next, clean your kitchen cupboards, drawers and shelves. Do not forget the fridge, oven and extractor hood. Clean the extractor hood filters according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Take a look at your kitchen utensils too. Do you really need several identical wooden spoons or kitchen gadgets? Crockery and utensils in good condition can be donated to a charity shop.
With a well-thought-out organisation system, you’ll save time in your day-to-day life and find everything straight away.
Kitchen checklist:
Check food dates and condition
Arrange pantry supplies by date
Clean cupboards, drawers and shelves
Clean the fridge, oven and extractor hood
Sort out unused kitchen utensils
How can you prepare your bedroom for the colder months?
A tidy bedroom creates a peaceful atmosphere and can contribute to a good night’s sleep.
Begin by decluttering bedside tables, chests of drawers and other surfaces.
Remove anything you no longer need or that does not belong in the bedroom.
Switch to warmer bedding and wash your duvet and pillows if their care labels allow it. Vacuum your mattress thoroughly and rotate or turn it if recommended by the manufacturer.
Dust furniture, lamps and skirting boards. Remember to clean underneath the bed and behind bedside tables.
How should you ventilate your home in autumn to help prevent mould?
During the colder months, windows often stay closed for longer. At the same time, everyday activities such as breathing, showering, cooking and drying laundry increase indoor humidity.
Open your windows fully several times a day for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. During heating season, short periods of thorough ventilation are generally more effective than leaving windows tilted open for long periods.
Make sure air can circulate behind larger pieces of furniture, particularly those placed against cold external walls. This can help reduce moisture problems and the risk of mould.
Bedroom checklist:
Declutter bedside tables and chests of drawers
Change bedding and wash duvets and pillows if needed
Clean the mattress and bed frame
Vacuum under the bed and behind furniture
Ventilate the room regularly
What should you include in your autumn bathroom cleaning?
Bathrooms often contain a surprising number of toiletries, cosmetics and small items.
Empty your bathroom cupboards and drawers. Check which products you use regularly and which have expired or are no longer suitable for use.
Pay attention to the recommended period of use after opening cosmetic products.
Important: Return expired or unwanted medicines to a pharmacy. They should not be thrown into household rubbish or disposed of down the toilet or sink, as their active ingredients can harm the environment and contaminate water.
Next, clean cupboards, shelves, taps, the sink, shower, bathtub and toilet. Remove limescale using a cleaning product suitable for each surface. Remember the tiles, grout and mirrors.
Check your towels and other bathroom linen too. Old, worn towels can often be reused as cleaning cloths.
Bathroom checklist:
Check cosmetics and toiletries
Return expired medicines to a pharmacy
Clean cupboards and shelves
Clean the sink, shower, toilet and tiles
Sort through towels and bathroom linen
How can you prepare your basement, attic and balcony for winter?
Autumn is also an ideal time to organise storage spaces and outdoor areas.
Decluttering your basement and attic
Basements and attics often become storage areas for old cardboard boxes, broken belongings, unused sports equipment and other forgotten items.
Sort through everything you no longer need using the three-box method: Keep / Charity Shop (Brockenhaus) / Dispose of. This makes it easier to categorise your belongings and stay organised while decluttering.
Clean shelves and storage units before putting the remaining items into labelled boxes.
Keep walkways clear and make sure frequently used belongings are easy to access.
Preparing your balcony and outdoor furniture for winter
Remove leaves, dirt and plant debris from your balcony. Thoroughly clean the floor, railings and outdoor furniture.
Allow tables and chairs to dry completely before storing them in a sheltered place or covering them with suitable weatherproof covers. Store outdoor cushions indoors in a dry location whenever possible.
Move frost-sensitive plants to a suitable place before temperatures drop too low.
Cleaning bike racks and bicycles
Remove dirt and leaves from your bike rack. If you use your bicycle less frequently during winter, clean it beforehand, maintain the chain and store it in a dry, sheltered location.
Basement, attic and balcony checklist:
Declutter the basement and attic
Clean shelves and storage units
Label storage boxes
Clean the balcony and outdoor furniture
Prepare furniture and plants for winter
Clean bike racks and bicycles
How should you dispose of unwanted items correctly?
Autumn cleaning often leaves you with items you no longer need. However, not everything belongs in your regular household rubbish.
Separate waste correctly and choose environmentally responsible disposal options whenever possible.
Official rubbish bags: Non-recyclable household waste belongs in your municipality’s approved rubbish bags or designated local waste disposal system.
Bulky waste: Larger items such as broken furniture, mattresses and carpets may require a bulky-waste sticker or need to be taken to an authorised collection point, depending on your municipality.
Glass recycling: Empty glass bottles and jars should be taken to glass recycling containers. Separate them by colour where required.
Batteries: Used batteries and rechargeable batteries must not be thrown into household rubbish. Return them to a retailer or an authorised collection point.
Electrical appliances: Unwanted or broken electrical equipment can generally be returned free of charge to suitable retailers or official collection points, such as an Ökihof recycling centre.
Hazardous waste: Paints, solvents and other hazardous substances must be taken to designated collection points rather than disposed of with household rubbish.
Where can you dispose of waste in Zug, Central Switzerland and Zurich?
For information about where to dispose of bulky waste, electrical appliances and hazardous materials in the cantons of Zug and Zurich, as well as other parts of Central Switzerland, visit your municipality’s website or contact your local waste management provider.
You will find details about collection points, opening hours and applicable disposal regulations.
For Baar: You can find local waste disposal information at www.twerenbold-baar.ch. The Ökihof Baar is run by Franz Twerenbold AG. You can find general information on waste disposal in the canton of Zug at Kanton Zug.
How can you keep your home tidy after autumn cleaning?
Your autumn cleaning is complete – but how can you make sure the results last?
A few simple daily habits can prevent clutter from building up again.
Give every item a designated place and return things as soon as you have finished using them. Before buying something new, ask yourself whether you really need it and where you will store it.
Spend around 10 to 15 minutes each day putting things away and clearing frequently used surfaces.
Checklist for lasting organisation:
Give every item a designated place
Put things away after use
Keep surfaces clear
Think carefully before buying new items
Declutter small areas regularly
Conclusion: How can you enjoy autumn with less clutter?
Autumn cleaning in Switzerland does not have to be completed in a single weekend. Ideally, start planning before the clocks change at the end of October, while the days are still a little longer and the weather is relatively mild.
Spread the tasks over several days or weeks and take things one step at a time. Begin by decluttering, then work through the different rooms.
Autumn is the perfect opportunity to let go of unnecessary belongings, give your home a thorough clean and create a more comfortable living environment.
Being organised does not mean everything has to be perfect. What matters most is feeling happy and comfortable in your own home.
With a clean and well-organised living space, you can look forward to enjoying the colder months.
And then the next round will follow in the spring: https://www.ordnungundmehr.ch/en/post/spring-cleaning-guide
Do You Need Help Decluttering and Organising Your Home?
Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start, let go of belongings or find an organising system that really works.
Ordnung & mehr – Professional Organising in Zug, Zurich and Central Switzerland helps you declutter your home, organise your belongings and create lasting order, one step at a time.
As a certified professional organiser, I offer personal, individual support tailored to your needs. Together, we develop practical organising systems that suit you, your home and your everyday life.
Together, we can make room for what truly matters to you!
Frequently Asked Questions About Autumn Cleaning (FAQ)
How long does a thorough autumn clean take?
That depends on the size of your home and how much work needs to be done. Allow several hours or spread the tasks over a few days so you can work at a comfortable pace.
Do I need to finish autumn cleaning in one weekend
Not at all. You can easily spread the work over several weeks. Create a realistic plan and prioritise tasks that require mild autumn weather.
Which cleaning products do I need for autumn cleaning?
For most tasks, an all-purpose cleaner, a suitable bathroom cleaner, microfibre cloths and a vacuum cleaner will be enough. Always choose cleaning products that are appropriate for the surfaces you are cleaning.
How can I motivate myself to start autumn cleaning?
Set small, achievable goals and begin with a manageable area. Listening to your favourite music or an interesting podcast can make cleaning and decluttering much more enjoyable.
What should I do with items that are still in good condition but no longer needed?
Furniture, household goods and other usable belongings can be donated to a charity shop or given away. Clothes that are still wearable can be placed in a clothing collection, provided they meet its donation requirements.
When is it worth hiring a professional organiser?
If you feel overwhelmed by clutter, do not know where to begin or find it difficult to part with belongings, a professional organiser can help. Together, you can develop practical solutions that make it easier to maintain an organised home in the long term.
Find out more on the page https://www.ordnungundmehr.ch/en/ordnungspakete
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