MONTHLY TASKS FOR YOUR CLEANING SCHEDULE

Monthly chores are ones that do not necessarily have to be done daily or even weekly. Most people save these kinds of cleaning jobs for weekends or spring cleaning. These tasks can vary widely from one household to the next, so making a personal list for yourself is recommended. However, it can be difficult or overwhelming to start from scratch, not knowing where to start. Use this list of monthly cleaning ideas to get your customized personal list going.

1. Change your heating and cooling unit's air filter. Also use this time to check your thermostat's programming schedule to make sure that it still matches seasonal changes that are going on. As the weather cools down, you probably do not need your air conditioning set quite as low, especially at night. You can also use your vacuum hose to suck dust and dirt out of your air vents, preventing the debris from getting into the air and onto your floors.

2. The areas on the walls around your light switches and outlets can get very dingy. This is also true of the wall behind the sink, stove, up and down your hallways and staircases, and around your doorknobs. Take a pitcher of hot water and a wash cloth and walk around the house cleaning these areas. If your paint has a satin or gloss finish, it will be fine resisting the water of a damp cloth.

3. Windows can be cleaned with window cleaner monthly, or even quarterly. The window sills and latches may need to be wiped down a little more often. Cleaning dust and markings from your windows will make the whole house seem sparkly and clean.

4. Curtains, blinds, shades, and shutters do need to be cleaned regularly or they will stain and become permanently damaged. An easy way to get this type of cleaning job done is to use your vacuum hose attachments to suck away loose dust from blinds and shutters. You can use a handheld steamer for drapes and fabric window shades. Just make sure that the fabric does not say "dry clean only" before you do this.

5. Wash your bathmats and throw rugs. These can hold a lot of dust and pollen, causing allergens to build up in your home. If they don't need to be washed, you can at least toss them in the dryer to shake free any loose debris and fluff them up a bit.

6. Go through your closets and remove any clothing that you haven't wanted to wear or that you have discovered is damaged or doesn't fit right. Shoes and storage items can also be quickly picked through to see if you still want to keep everything that is filling up your closet. Use specialty hangers, cascading hangers, and coordinate clothes hangers to keep the closet organized so that it's an easy job to go in and quickly update things.

About the Author: Jo Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online retailer and manufacturer of well made clothing hangers.