Check, please

furniture cover, potterybarn.com

I know more lists, we write them, read them, save them and always there is more to do- especially when the seasons are changing. Summer clothes need to be stored, beach and boat gear moves down to the basement, storm doors and rakes are moved out. Recently I bought a ConsumerReports, shop smart  magazine, which I never do, but they had a special issue all about organizing and I always love to discover an untapped resource. This magazine gets right to the point and provided a house Fall checklist that anyone could follow and put to use. When the craziness of summer winds down, I always think fall will be a great time to conquer house projects- wrong, the schedule continues to be in full swing, but read this list and grab a few hours- your house can make the leap into Autumn.
1. Hose off the gear- clean off the gardening gear, stack pots and lay newspaper in between fragile ones to protect from scratches and chips. Use a storage bench or cabinet for large items and a tote bag for smaller hand tools.
2. Summer clothes- If you need to preserve precious closet space, get a garmet rack and store it in the basement- clean clothes first. Use bins for t-shirts, shorts and bathing suits- try ones that slide under the bed, put a dryer sheet in before closing so clothes smell fresh. Under bed storage bins, canvas or clear are great for summer shoes.
3. Summer towels, blankets and linens- Clean out the linen closet and place in jumbo storage bins, bonus- place outdoor plates and cups on top. If the basement is getting crowded use vaccuum sealed space bags and smoosh onto the highest shelf.
4.Outdoor furniture- If you do not have basement room or and outdoor shed, there are products to help protect your furniture during the winter. A moisture proof container will protect cushions. Vinyl furniture covers will keep patio sets safe. Use odor/moisture absorbing crystals (Damprid) in bins for an extra advantage. Before storing any wood furniture, rub it down with a generous amount of lemon oil, that will help it from drying out.    

shoe storage, lillianvernon.com