Did you follow along with my 12 Week Spring Cleaning Challenge? Did you get the feeling that maybe I missed a few things (like the grease building up in your oven?) That wasn’t a mistake. There are some big items that should be done once a year and spreading them out into 2 different challenges makes the idea of seasonal cleaning much more manageable. This fall cleaning guide will tackle the areas we missed in the Spring as well as repeat the areas that should get a twice a year scrubbing.

For a printable checklist to follow along, click here. I’ll also be tweeting and Instagramming each week’s chore on Saturday mornings to help you stay on track!

Week 1: Entryways and Mudrooms
Be sure your entryway has a few open coat hooks for any house guests you’ll be hosting. It’s a small thing that will go a long way to making your guests feel welcome and right at home while they stay with you. If you use cubbies in your mudroom, have one cleared out for them to keep their coats, bags, and shoes.

Week 2: Laundry Room and Closets
Why is it important to tackle these areas? If you’re like most people and planning to host guests at any point over the holidays, you will make their stay a whole lot less stressful if you have organized closets. Being a guest in someone’s home can feel awkward – you don’t know where anything is and you hate to be a bother by constantly asking “where is…?” If your closets and laundry room are well organized, your guests will be able to find the things they need on their own, making their stay more pleasant for them and for you. Use temporary labels on laundry room and closet shelves so guests know where towels, cleaning supplies, and extra TP are located.

Don’t forget: this is also the time to clean out your dryer vent

Week 3: Bathrooms
Be sure your bathroom is fully stocked to accommodate your guests. This means extra toothbrushes, loofahs, soap, and room spray. Think of the amenities you expect to find in a hotel bathroom, and that will guide you on what to supply for your guests. You could even put together a little toiletries gift basket for them.

Week 4: Kitchen
The holidays means a lot of baking for most people and that means your oven will be running non-stop come Thanksgiving. This is the time to give it a good scrubbing and get it sparkling! This is also the time of year that I like to give the refrigerator a thorough cleaning, before it gets packed to the brim with all of those delicious leftovers!

Week 5: Dining Room
It might seem a little early to be getting your dining room ready – there’s still 4 weeks until Thanksgiving! But the idea is to be organized and plan early. Create a mock tablescape with a seating chart so you can be sure you have enough seats, dinnerware, napkins, and party favors for each guest. Getting the dining room ready now will give you time to switch things up if you need to. Take photos of the table set for dinner so that on Thanksgiving morning, it can be set back up in no time.

Still not sure how to create a stunning holiday tablescape? Check out my holiday staging promotion on my Facebook page!

Week 6: Bedrooms
Now is a great time to switch out your summer sheets for your cozy winter ones. Nights have started getting cooler and beds are calling for flannel sheets and extra blankets. This is also the time to clean under the bed – an often ignored spot where dust bunnies tend to multiply like… well.. bunnies!

Week 7: Guest Rooms
Just like in the bathroom, treating your guest room like a hotel room will really wow your guests and make them feel right at home. I’m not saying to splurge on plush bathrobes for them – it’s as simple as making sure there are fresh sheets on the bed, a place for them to put away their clothes, and room in the closet to store away their suitcase.

Week 8: Living room
Hosting parties means your spaces will be used differently than day to day living. This may mean rearranging furniture to allow for more conversational seating rather than having everything facing the television. Be sure there is plenty of seating as well as places to rest drinks for all of the guests you are expecting. Once you have finished this, you are ready to rock your holiday get together!

Bonus: Week 9
You’re probably stuffed from too much turkey. Give yourself a day to rest and enjoy the quiet before the craziness of Christmas begins!