Snowbird Season: Getting Your Arizona Home Ready

Every October the same thing happens. Winter residents roll back into Mesa, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Surprise and the rest of the Valley, open the front door, and find a house that’s been sitting in 110-degree heat with the blinds closed since April.

It usually isn’t dirty in the way a lived-in house gets dirty. It’s dusty, stale, and has a few surprises. Here’s what to check and clean first, in the order that saves you the most work.

1. Open it up and let it breathe

Turn the AC on, open a few windows if the weather allows, and run the ceiling fans on low for an hour before you start cleaning. A closed-up house holds fine dust in the air. Let it settle first, then clean it once, instead of chasing it around.

While it airs out, replace the HVAC filter. Months of monsoon dust get pulled into the system even when nobody’s home, and a clogged filter just blows that dust back into rooms you’re about to clean.

2. Water: toilets, faucets and the “ring”

Valley water is hard. When toilets and sinks sit for months, the water left in them evaporates and leaves a mineral ring behind.

• Flush every toilet and run every faucet and shower for a minute to clear stale water.
• If there’s a ring in the bowl, a pumice stone made for toilets or a descaling bowl cleaner usually lifts it. Don’t use a metal scraper.
• Check the base of faucets and showerheads for white crust. A cloth soaked in white vinegar and wrapped around the fixture for 20 to 30 minutes softens it. Skip vinegar on natural stone like marble or travertine, because acids etch it.

3. The kitchen

• Fridge and freezer: if anything was left in there, empty it, wipe every shelf, and leave a box of baking soda inside.
• Pantry: check for anything opened, and wipe the shelves. Dust settles on top of cans and boxes.
• Dishes and counters: anything left out all summer has a film of dust on it. Run the dishwasher once before you use your everyday dishes.

4. Top to bottom, every room

Dust rises and falls. Clean high spots first so you’re not re-cleaning the floors.

1. Ceiling fan blades, tops first. This is where months of dust live.
2. Light fixtures, vents and return grilles.
3. Blinds and window sills. Window tracks collect a surprising amount of grit after monsoon storms.
4. Shelves, frames, furniture tops.
5. Baseboards.
6. Floors last: vacuum, then mop hard floors.

5. Linens and soft surfaces

Sheets, towels and throw blankets that sat in a closed house all summer smell like it. Wash everything you’ll use in the first week. Vacuum upholstered furniture and shake out area rugs outside.

6. Patio and outdoor furniture

Desert dust and monsoon debris pile up on patios. Hose down the furniture, sweep, and wipe the sliding door tracks so you don’t track it all inside the first time you open the door.

When it’s worth hiring it out

If you’re flying in, unpacking and trying to get the house ready for family visits, this is a full day of work. A lot of our seasonal clients book a deep cleaning for the week they arrive, then switch to recurring maid service while they’re in town and pause it when they leave in spring.

We clean seasonal homes across the Valley, including Mesa, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Surprise and Goodyear. If you’d like the house ready before you land, send us a quote request with your arrival date.