How2Day: Fall Organization Tips

If you organize your home in the fall, you'll be ready when winter comes. Alistair Berg/Digital Vision/Getty Images
When autumn arrives, the process of "turning over" from summer items to expected winter needs begins. People need to prepare for the onset of cold weather. Although the process repeats itself yearly, it still seems to cause tension and stress for some people. A few tips for organizing fall tasks can ease the strain of preparing for winter.

Organize your closets. Take out summer clothes and store them. Get rid of anything that you didn't wear this past summer. Don't assume that you'll wear it next summer; you may lose weight and get something new, but in the meantime, you're just collecting extra clothes -- the ones that you need now as well as the ones that you hope to wear in the future. Leave out a few warm-weather items for the Indian summer days that will still come, as well as for the first warm days of the coming spring.

Bring out the winter clothes. If you didn't wear it last year, get rid of it. Leave your autumn clothes in the front of the closet and put your winter clothes toward the back, so that you can quickly rotate them when the weather turns from fall-cool to winter-cold.

Have a professional check your heating system for leaks and energy loss. Have him clean the system for maximum energy efficiency. Ask him for advice and tips that will allow you to save on your heating expenses during the coming winter (changing filters on the furnace, etc.). Check with your state's energy department to see what new energy- and money-saving incentives it offers. Many states offer rebates and tax credits for individuals who upgrade their heating systems. In addition, local utilities have programs to encourage customers to invest in energy-efficient heating systems, so find out what your provider offers.

Winter-proof your car. Take your car to your repair shop for an oil change and ask the mechanic to add the right oil viscosity, or thickness, for winter driving. Have winter tires put on the car if you live in an area that gets a decent amount of snow or ice, and have the tire pressure checked even if you live in a warmer climate. Add antifreeze to the car's radiator, and make sure to fill your car with freeze-proof windshield washer solution.

Organize your indoor space to accommodate more indoor time. Make sure that you have plenty of light for reading, writing and watching TV watching. If you have kids, put board games and toys in an accessible area, but make sure that you have specific shelf space or drawers for the games and toys so that when you say "clean up," the kids know where everything should go.

Replace any old weatherstripping along the bottom of door frames and caulk any windows where you see that the caulking has cracked or peeled off.

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