Fall Cleaning: Refresh Your Space and Mind for the Semester Ahead

Fall cleaning is a seasonal tradition, similar to spring cleaning, that involves giving your living space a refresh as the weather gets cooler. It’s the perfect opportunity to declutter, deep clean, and reorganize your environment after the busy start of the school year. Unlike the rushed tidying up you might do daily or weekly, fall cleaning helps you create a fresh, inviting space to thrive in during the messiness of finals and the holiday season.

Why It Matters Even as a College Student

Juggling classes, homework, and a social life is enough as it is, so why would you want to add yet another thing to your plate? Although it can be annoying, fall cleaning may improve your focus, reduce stress, and create a healthier environment within a small college space. It’s a chance to say goodbye to all the summer messes and organize your study area to prepare for the demanding semester ahead.

Your Cleaning Checklist:

Trying to clean and organize a semester’s worth of mess is overwhelming. Breaking it down into more manageable pieces can be a helpful tool.

• Bedding

  • Wash and refresh sheets, pillowcases, and blankets

  • Replace old pillows

• Desk

  • Clear off old papers

  • Wipe down desk surface

  • Organize supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks, etc.)

• Bathroom

  • Scrub sink, toilet, and shower

  • Wash or replace shower curtains and bathmats

  • Organize toiletries

  • Clean mirrors

• Closet

  • Sort through your clothes and donate what you no longer wear

  • Organize by season or color to make your morning routine easier

  • Store away summer clothes to create more space for fall and winter clothes

  • Utilize bins or shelf dividers to maximize storage space

• Kitchen Area

  • Throw out expired or unwanted food items (don’t keep something just because you bought it. It’s just taking up space!)

  • Thoroughly clean inside and outside of the fridge

  • Wipe down countertops and clean out microwave (if applicable)

  • Restock snacks and other essentials for the upcoming weeks

• General

  • Vacuum floors

  • Empty trash bins

Cleaning Tips and Tricks

As someone who gets easily distracted, I’ve had to find ways to keep my brain focused on the task at hand, especially when it’s something like cleaning that I don’t want to do.

• Start simple: Jumping right into the huge tasks is not motivating. Starting with the quicker, easier tasks helps to get your mind in the right place to knock out the next thing on the list.

• Take breaks: Depending on the size and state of the space, fall cleaning can take a while. It’s important to take breaks in between tasks or sections to keep yourself motivated throughout. This could mean scheduling parts of your list to be completed on different days, setting aside an hour or two to go out with friends, or just having some "me time".

• Make a time lapse: It may sound weird to video yourself as you clean, but I have found that setting up a time lapse video prevents me from getting distracted on my phone. Plus, it can be fun (or funny) to watch it back when you’re done!

• Create a playlist: Put together a playlist of your favorite songs to help keep your mood up.

Fall cleaning isn’t just about making your dorm or apartment look nice; it’s a chance to reset your mind and create an environment that supports your academic and personal goals. By dedicating time to refreshing your space, you will be able to enter the new semester with a more focused and motivated mindset. So, grab your cleaning supplies, press play on your favorite playlist, and embrace the new season with a fresh space and a clear mind!

Be Well, Auburn.