The spring cleaning is a common practice. But what should actually be “autumn plaster”? Granted: with cleaning in the narrower sense of the autumn plaster has little to do. Rather, it is about preparing home and garden for the approaching winter. In addition, the autumn plaster provides an opportunity to devote to those household tasks that were simply not come in the summer heat.
The following list should help to systematically tackle the things that need to be done before frost, heavy rain and Christmas stress begin.
Compost foliage
From a single tree fall in the fall of masses of leaves. So that the lawn takes no damage, it should be freed regularly from the withered leaves. How to do it the fastest and what to consider when composting leaves is covered in this article . But above all, it is important to store the leaves in airy bags or wire baskets and chop them up so that they can rot more easily. Because from foliage you can indeed gain good compost soil, but you should not give it to normal garden waste.
Seal window
Leaky windows drive up heating costs in winter. For many plastic windows, the contact pressure for the cold season can be adjusted manually . With the old candles trick you can also check whether the seals are still intact: A quiet flame signals a dense window. This trick also makes sense: put a piece of paper in the window frame and close it; If the strip can be pulled out effortlessly, the pressure must be increased or the seal renewed. If your home never gets really warm, even though the windows close tight, then these tips can help you with proper heating – because mistakes are made more often than you think.
Ventilate the basement
In countless cellars, the windows are open throughout the summer. In winter they are then nicely locked. In this way you breed but at most a nasty mold to the masonry. Because in the summer with the warm outside air moisture in the cellar and condenses on the cold walls. In order to get moisture out of the cellar, the outside temperature must be as high or lower as in the basement, so it is advisable to open the basement window in the cold season. The fall plaster is therefore the right time to once again check the grids and wire nets on the basement window so that no rodents flee to the supplies. In the meantime you should do without constant ventilation in winter, otherwise water pipes could freeze.
Wash blankets
As the night becomes increasingly frosty, many bring back the thick pillows and blankets they had stowed away for the summer. Before you get them, you should grab the opportunity and wash them . For even in garment bags not seldom creeps fine dust in which mites multiply.
Mop out the wardrobe
Autumn is the ideal opportunity to think about which clothes you have actually worn in the summer and which are not. Garments that are not sure if you will ever wear them again are best worn separately. If you are still there at the next autumn cleaning, an aid organization or a piece of clothing will be happy about the donation. Maybe you’re sewing something new from it?
Terrace and balcony
Not only does it rain a lot in autumn, but at night it can also be the first ground frost. Empty flower pots should therefore be turned over. Delicate plants are moved to the wall of the house or placed in the cellar or conservatory. With hare wire and old foliage, many hardy potted plants – such as roses or hydrangeas – can be packaged in a frost-proof manner: Lay the hare wire around the pot and fill the space with leaves. Then put in the shade, so as not to expose the plants to large temperature fluctuations. In addition, sick or damaged shoots should be cut off.
Impregnate garden furniture
Now is also the time when the garden furniture should be impregnated, oiled or painted. So they are perfectly equipped against the stresses of wind and weather. The same applies, of course, to the garden fence, the pergola and all the trellis aids in the garden. This article shows you how to revamp garden furniture made of plastic, wood and metal .
Protect the gutter
You can also take another look at the gutter right now. It should be free of leaves so that it does not clog in heavy rain. A rain gutter not only protects against falling leaves, but also against birds nesting in the spring.
Cut the hedge
Speaking of bird nests: In autumn, it is worthwhile to re-cut the hedges, as this is not possible in spring due to the nesting season. By the way, the cut also does the bushes well, as the plant saves energy and can drive out all the more densely in the coming year.
Examine facade
Homeowners should inspect the facade for cracks. Damage in the exterior plaster can burst further by rain and frost in the winter, whereas now they can be repaired by minor repairs. There is also the danger that rainwater that has been trapped in the masonry due to cracks close to the ground can reach the basement.
Dust the heating
Dusty heating air irritates the mucous membranes, which cause it to feel uncomfortably dry much faster. At the same time you become more susceptible to colds, allergy sufferers often feel dull and drained in the warm dust. But not only that: thick dust layers also affect energy consumption. Therefore, first remove the grille and clean the fins inside the radiator either with a special radiator brush or with a hair dryer.
Defrost the freezer
Freezers without automatic defrosting must be defrosted regularly. However, while in the summer you are always worried about what to do in the meantime with the supplies, so they do not spoil or soften the packaging box, you can put them in frosty nights just in a box outside.
In addition to the mentioned points, you may also come up with other important things that you should do urgently in the fall: for example, forest walks or quiet puzzle evenings with a hot cup of tea. You will find the most beautiful deco ideas for autumn in this post .
