Get Your Chicago Home Winter-Ready: A Stress-Free Cleaning & Prep Guide

Between work, commutes, and Chicago’s unpredictable weather, keeping your space clean and organized can feel overwhelming. As temperatures drop, taking a few simple steps now can save you stress (and money) all season long.

Start With Your Home’s Heart: The Furnace Filter

This single task impacts your comfort, health, and wallet more than any other winter prep. A clogged filter makes your HVAC system work harder, increases dust, and raises energy bills. The good news? professional home cleaning experts recommend this as a monthly habit for cleaner air and lower costs.

Why Change Your Filter?

• Reduces allergens and dust throughout your home
• Lowers energy bills by improving HVAC efficiency
• Extends the life of your heating system

Clear Those Gutters Before the Freeze

Clogged gutters lead to ice dams, roof damage, and even foundation problems when water overflows and freezes. While you’re up there, you’ll notice it’s the perfect time for a thorough deep cleaning help to prevent winter moisture issues.

Organize Your Entryway for Winter Chaos

Create a “winter station” by your door with these essentials:

• Waterproof mats for wet boots
• Designated spots for gloves and scarves
• Boot trays to contain slush and salt

This simple system makes cleaning your apartment much easier when you’re tracking in less mess daily.

Protect Your Pipes From freezing

Chicago winters are brutal on plumbing. Drain outdoor hoses and shut off exterior water valves to prevent frozen pipes that can burst and cause thousands in damage. While you’re at it, consider fast cleaning services to tackle any pre-winter messes.

Store Outdoor Furniture Properly

Don’t let your investment get ruined by snow and ice! Clean and dry all cushions completely before storage, and cover grills and furniture. This is where cleaning services in Chicago can help with the heavy lifting.

Seal Those Drafty Windows

Feel a chill near your windows? Use weather stripping or thermal curtains to keep warm air in and cold air out. This simple fix can lower heating bills significantly. If drafts persist, you might need someone to clean my apartment and help identify problem areas.

The Pre-Winter Declutter

As we spend more time indoors, clutter feels more overwhelming. Set a timer for 30 minutes and:

• Go through old papers and mail
• Remove summer items from closets
• Create a donation pile for coats and warm clothing

This is the perfect time to schedule a cleaning to start the season with a fresh, organized space.

Emergency Preparedness Basics

Winter storms can knock out power. Be ready with:

• Flashlights with fresh batteries
• Non-perishable snacks and water
• Blankets and warm layers
• Charged power banks for devices

Test Safety Devices

Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly, but especially before heating season begins. Replace batteries annually to ensure your family’s safety.

Make Winter Cleaning Manageable

Chicago winters bring salt, slush, and extra messes. Having a reliable home cleaning service means you can enjoy a clean home without spending your weekends scrubbing. As a trusted Chicago cleaning company, we understand the unique challenges of keeping your space spotless during our harsh winters.

It’s time to put on our big girl pants and do the things we don’t want to do because winter is coming. Not with white walkers or dragons, but with frozen pipes and gutters that are making icicles and lost mittens. But fear not, I am Cassandrias of house clutterbug, breaker of clutter, protector of the realm of clean, and the mother of cozy homes. Today we are preparing our homes for the long winter ahead. It’s time to enter the cavernous cave to inspect the dragon’s heart of the home. Basically, we have to change our furnace filters. And if you do nothing else, like if you have no other takeaways from this video, change your freaking furnace filter because this contributes to not only a lot of dust in your home, but it could cost you money. a clogged, dusty furnace filter means that your HVAC system needs to work a lot harder. So, if you just take a few seconds, change out the filter right now, you’re going to have a cleaner home. It’s going to have less allergens, and it’s going to save you money, too. Oh, it’s so dirty. Oh, it’s a whole It’s a freaking art project. Ew. Yay. Ooh, yay. Um Um ADHD nightmare. Do you need it? Do you need it? Do you need it? Do you need it? Do you need it? Why aren’t you clicking? Why did I put on backwards? Maybe it’s I’m I’m Oh my god, that’s not even where I go. It’s just here. You’re an idiot. You’re just Okay, piece of cake. No problem. I promise your furnace filter will not be a Build-A-Bear workshop like this was. They just come in like a pack of three and you slide them in. It’s easy peasy. This was like a build your own nightmare. But uh it’s done. On to the next thing. Until next time, demon. We must clean the eaves or icy daggers shall form and fall from the sky, impaling your loved ones or yourself, causing death. That was very dramatic. But when I was a kid, I heard that icicles can actually fall and kill you. And in order to prevent icicles, you’ve got to clean the eaves drops. But cleaning your eaves drops is more than just preventing icicles. If your eaves drops are like packed full with leaves and debris, it can rot your roof. And if the water’s spilling over, it can actually run down your foundation and cause your basement to flood or like foundation issues. And I just noticed the other day that a squirrel was literally burying nuts in our eaves troughs. So yeah, clogged eaves troughs also like attract pests. Basically, it wrecks your house, my friends. So grab a bucket, get up on a ladder, and empty your eaves troughs. No one should go into battle unprepared. It’s time to check your armor. I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in Canada, it’s nice one day and the next day you wake up to a foot of snow. And I am never prepared. So, what I’m doing is going through I’m like rotating out the Crocs and the flip-flops and making sure everyone has winter boots that fit, mittens. Milo grew a foot this summer, so his coat and his boots definitely aren’t going to fit. Be prepared. Get organized. do a little declutter and make sure that you are ready for winter. Not only is everyone’s cubby like super organized and ready for the cold weather, but I found a lot of things to donate and this is the time of year where it’s the perfect time to donate your children’s old coats to school programs for kids who can’t afford new coats this winter and other things like to homeless shelters or women’s shelters. They’re always looking for warm gloves and coats that you’re no longer using. So, make sure that you find a good home for these things. Water is the enemy that freezes from within. We must banish it before the frost claims it as its own. Basically, uh, water expands as it freezes, which means it can burst your hose, but more importantly, it can burst your pipes, like your outdoor water pipes. So, it’s really like super really important that we drain them. You can whip it around to drain it. I whip my hose back and forth. You do other things for the taps. I’m not sure Joe does that tappy stuff to the taps, but you can drain your hose. This is how we do it at the fire hall. One end super high and just walk it out, man. Let gravity drain it. Come, Panarian. Come fly. It’s time to feed the wildlings that are beyond the walls of your home. This isn’t actually like home maintenance, but I do think this is the perfect time of year to make sure you’re filling your bird feeders and just being extra kind to the nature outside because it’s freaking cold and it’s hard for them to find food. So, I’m taking time making sure they have lots and lots of food. We’re actually hanging a little bird house for them, too. And then I thought, why not take it a step further? I’ve been watching a lot of Tik Toks with these adorable squirrel houses, and we have an albino squirrel here in our backyard. I’m coming. I love her. Her name is Egret. I want her to be my friend. She’s like a white walker wildling. So, I made her her own house all by myself. I painted it. I decorated it and I’m hanging it in a tree with a camera inside. So fingers crossed I get to catch my own wildling and watch her cozy in her winter home. If you have bird feeders, now is the time of year definitely to fill them. And even like putting out your scrap food in the winter just to make sure that all of nature is taken care of when it’s cold outside. The time has come for retreat. Say goodbye to the outdoor pillows. Cover the grill because winter is upon us. I should have done this like probably a month ago, but packing up all the cushions and the outdoor furniture that might get ruined in the winter is so important. Some of the stuff right now is wet, so I have to put it in the garage to dry. And I see that some is like dirty and moldy. So, this is the time of year you actually want to give things a clean. Make sure they’re really dry before you pack them up for winter and cover your barbecue if you’re not going to use it. Just make sure everything’s protected from the elements. It’s time to prepare the garden for a long winter sleep under the cold darkness. This is the part honestly I think I hate the most and that is just preparing the garden bed for next year. So any perennials that you have, you should really cut them down so that they have a better chance of survival through the winter and it’s just less clean up in the spring. So this is a pain. I got to chop all this down. If you have really sensitive plants, you actually might want to take time to either cover them with mulch or there’s like lots of different products you can buy to protect them. I’m probably going to do that to my lavender because it didn’t make it through the winter. So, I’ll probably cut it down, mulch it, and maybe even cover it with straw or something just to keep it extra warm. It also means packing up all the hanging pots that are dead and like emptying all that out and just getting a fresh start for the spring. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it so your garden looks extra beautiful once winter’s over. in my eyes. Definitely in my eyes. Oh my god, my eyes are burning. All right, can we just be done now? Look at this fern. I know they’re cheap. I think they were like $20, but it’s still alive. I’m thinking of moving it in the house, but I feel like I’ve done this in the past and it’s just made a giant mess and didn’t live anyways. But my memory is short. Let’s see how long I can have this fern’s life be. I’m moving them in the house. I’ll shake them so they get all them dried leaves off the side. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake your booty. Shake your booty. Yes. Okay, let Oh, it’s all over you, Penny. Joe doesn’t want them in the house, so we’re going to see if we can make them go dormant in the heated garage. Fingers crossed. I have to take a quick second to thank today’s video sponsor, HelloFresh. This is the time of year where I like to get four meals every week delivered for HelloFresh because I don’t want to gain that 10 lbs that I gain every year. So cooking with HelloFresh means not only am I saving time, I don’t have to go to the grocery store, but I can choose really healthy options that are totally delicious. And there’s over 100 recipes each week to choose from, which is double the normal size. And the portions are so much bigger than they used to be. And they have twice as many healthy options with really high protein recipes that we can choose from. I’m not great in the kitchen, so I especially love the step-by-step instructions that mean even I can cook like a professional chef. Right now, you can get up to 10 free meals on your first box at hellofresh.com with the code clutterbug FM. Free meals apply at discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. That’s up to 10 free HelloFresh meals and free shipping. Just go to hellofresh.com with the code clutterbug FM. The enemy cannot be seen, but it sneaks through the cracks. This is the time of year where we have to save ourselves some money and make sure that our house isn’t having giraffes. So, go through to all your windows. Make sure that they’re all locked down tight. And you could easily search for drafts just by grabbing a candle and putting it around your windows and doors. If it flickers, you’re probably going to need a little weather stripping. Or even using thermal curtains can save you a ton of money in the winter because it keeps your house warmer by stopping the warm air from escaping and the cold air from creeping in. Order must be restored before the frost. It’s time to declutter our realms. We all need to spend like a half an hour decluttering our space. There are two times a year when we feel the mojo and the motivation to go through our things and get stuff out and that is in January and right now in fall. It’s biological. It’s time to feather our nest and make it cozy cuz we’re stuck in this house all winter. So, make sure the excess and the clutter are out. Grab a box or a bag or a trash bag and just go through and hunt for things that are excess. Old papers or those things in your kitchen you’re never using. Make room for a cozier, more relaxing space. Set a timer for 30 minutes and you will be amazed at how much you can find. >> You’ve prepared well, Khesi. But what will happen when the lights go out? What will you need then? >> An emergency kit. Of course, most emergency situations actually happen in the winter. And honestly, the electricity going out is a huge emergency when it’s cold. not only because it’s dark, but because your heater’s not going. So, make sure you have an emergency kit. Find and gather things like flashlights. Check and make sure they have batteries and that they’re working. This is a black light. The only thing it’s going to do is find pee. A real flashlight. Make sure you have those and they’re somewhere like, you know, easily to access. And lots of candles. You don’t have to buy the candles. You probably have like scented candles. Maybe it’s an emergency. Why not make it a cozy emergency? and lots of snacks, things that are non-p perishable. I’d only eat these if I was starving, but in an emergency, you never know. Loaded up with definite like extra things that light lighters lighters. Be prepared, my friends, because you’re going to need it. Hopefully not, but probably maybe. See, it’s like, does it work or does it not? Does it work or does it not? It’s heavy. I can bash in an emergency, I can bash someone’s head in with it. So, it’s going. It’s And the He’s an emergency. Let no smoke beast or carbon phantom invade your home. Seriously, check all your smoke detectors. It’s working. Make sure you change the batteries, too. One more time for good measure. Still working. The house feels cozy. It’s warm and everything’s done. I am officially ready for winter. It kind of sucked. I’m not going to lie. Like my arms I should have wore long sleeves were attacked by white walkers. Pretty sure it was the grass and the the flowers outside. Wear long sleeves, friends. But otherwise, I’m feeling really good and I’m just ready to like enjoy clutter-free, tidy, winter ready home. Let me know in the comments below what you do to get your house ready for the winter. We got to put on our big girl pants and do the things we don’t want to do. Because whether we like it or not, winter is coming. Thank you guys so much. For those of you who have stayed to the end, I thought I’d give you a quick squirrel box update. If you watched my last video, you saw that I built a squirrel box all by myself. I feel like woodworking is very similar to crafting. I had so much fun. I decorated it. Wampmp wamp. It’s been about a week and no squirrel has even stepped foot in my squirrel box. I filled it with nuts. I thought like for sure it’s such a warm, cozy home. Nothing. Nada. So now what am I doing? Building a second one. I’m convinced they don’t like the decor. Maybe they don’t like white. Maybe it’s the trees. I don’t know. I’m going with like a plane. I might even cover it with bark. Let’s try this again. But if you have a squirrel box, like a squirrel nesting box, and you know the trick to making them venture inside, let me know in the comments below. Also, let me know if you’ve had one of these weird ADHD hyperfocus moments when suddenly you care very intently about something you never cared about before and you know it’s going to pass. But right now, this is all I think about. It’s all I watch on social media. I check my cameras for the scroll box compulsively. I have issues. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. I’ll see you guys next time.