When you think about it, we should be obsessing over fall cleaning instead of spring cleaning. After all, people tend to stay inside with all the dust and dirt their homes have collected during the hot, open-window days of summer. The EPA estimates that indoor air quality can be 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Here’s a quick checklist to help you breathe easy all winter long.

1. CLEAN CEILING FAN BLADES - Those blades are great for moving air, but they’re big dust magnets. Take an old pillowcase and gently cover the blade, pull it back slowly to remove the dust without getting it all over the floor and furniture!


2. VACUUM BEHIND THE FRIDGE - Your fridge needs to be cleaned periodically so it operates at peak efficiency. The objective is to clean the condenser coils, and here’s how:
   
   
   
   • If they’re on the back of the fridge: pull the unit out completely, unplug it while working on it. Brush or vacuum the coils and make sure your freezer vents are clear.
   
   
   • If the coils are on the bottom of the fridge: you’ll need to clean them from the front of the unit. Take off the bottom face plate and clean using a thing vacuum attachment or condenser-cleaning brush.
   
   
   
   


3. CLEAN WINDOWS - By some estimates. dirty window glass cuts daylight by 20%. That’s a lot less light coming in at a time of year when you really need it to chase away winter blues. Clean windows inside and out with a homemade non-toxic solution:
   
   
   
   • 1/4 cup white vinegar
   
   
   • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon eco-friendly detergent
   
   
   • 2 cups water
   
   
   • Wipe clean and polish with microfiber cloths
   
   
   
   


4. VACUUM BOTTOMS OF FURNITURE - You may shift around furniture to vacuum the floor, but the underside is another story. The dustcovers underneath furniture can catch dreck and dustbunnies, so vacuum them off, being careful not to press to hard on the fabric.


5. CHANGE FURNACE FILTER - This may seem like a no-brainer, but everything else you do could be moot if you’re not changing your filters at least once every 60 days. Cheap filters won’t do you much good, so you’re better off paying $12-$17 for a pleated filter with a 1250 MPR, or $20-$24 for a filter rated 2,400. Keep these in mind when buying your new filter:
   
   
   
   • Minimum efficiency values (MERV) for filters range from 1-16, but 7-13 is tryical for households (14+ are used in hospitals)
   
   
   • Micro-particle performance rating (MPR) range from 300-2,400
   
   
   
   


6. WASH & DISINFECT GARBAGE CANS - Clean out these germ havens before being stuck with them all winter. For an environmentally safe cleaning: take them outside and use a hydrogen peroxide or vinegar mixed 50/50 with water. Caution! Don’t mix hydrogen peroxide with vinegar - the result is harmful peracetic acid. Regular bleach is also an effective disinfectant - 1 part bleach 6 parts water.