Honey Do’s You Can Put Off Until After Labor Day

From last-minute urgent tasks to life’s daily to-dos, “current you” has quite a bit on their plate as summer comes to a close. Instead of heaping more on and wearing yourself out, consider which household tasks can not only wait until September, but actually make more sense to push off. Next month offers a nice lull right after the rush of back-to-school but before the holiday season kicks off, so lighten your load now by skipping these chores until after Labor Day.

Washing the Windows

Did you know there’s a right time of year to wash your windows? That time is either in the fall or spring when temperatures are lower, and streaking is less likely to occur. When done in the autumn, it allows you to remove dust and debris that’s accumulated during the summer months. 

By September, a lot of the messy pollen and rain is over. Plus, because the days are shorter, you’ll want to have nice clean glass so the natural light can shine in.

Heavy Dusting

From the baseboards to ceiling fans, heavy dusting is another chore to skip until September. In the summer, there are plenty of particles in the air, including pollen and dust.

Once temperatures drop and pollen levels lower, you can tackle this big chore. Meanwhile, do light dusting as needed and run a HEPA air purifier. 

Cleaning Rugs & Upholstery

Curtains, carpet, rugs, and upholstery all need a deep clean every once in a while, but you can postpone this big chore until autumn–they are still collecting the dust, pollen, and dirt from windows being open and people going in and outside more frequently in the summer. 

Lawn and Garden Cleanup

In August’s peak temperatures, trees, grass, and flowers struggle to flourish. While it’s important to water them, you can hold back on tasks like trimming and pruning until temperatures cool–plants need to put their energy into enduring the heat versus producing new growth (which is what pruning is meant to help with). 

Deep Cleaning the Garage

Your garage does the most in the summer, allowing you to take beach chairs, gardening tools, coolers, sports equipment, and camping gear in and out as needed. It’s also apt to stay consistently dirty for this reason, so cleaning it now is a bit premature. 

Not to mention, it’s much easier to clean the garage when temperatures aren’t as sweltering. When you’re ready, Murphy says to take everything out by category instead of emptying the entire garage at once. That keeps the project from turning into a driveway-sized disaster.