August house cleaning checklist: Some tasks only need to be done once or twice a year. The problem is that we forget to do them once or twice a year. 

Or else we save them all for spring cleaning, which makes spring cleaning such a daunting chore that it doesn’t occur, either.

I’ve found the best plan is to break down annual and seasonal tasks by month and tackle them daily or weekly. Nothing gets too backed up, and things eventually get done. I’ve also found that concentrating on one room or area each month is more rewarding because you can see the results. 

Here’s the August house cleaning checklist that works best for me.

Or rather, clean ball using a sports equipment cleaner.

In fact, clean all your sports equipment and put it away in the proper place. Time is going to be tight in the months ahead.

Open up all the windows - and clean them while you're there. Refresh your house one last time before closing up shop for winter.

Give your big and little ones a cobweb duster or broom and send them on cobweb hunts around the patio, into the garage, and up in the attic if you're feeling particularly brave.

When the last cobweb has been demolished, take the tykes and the teens (and those in between) to a movie or out for a cool treat.

Clean trashcans, recycling cans, and the trash compactor, using a trash can cleaner and deodorizer. It's incredible how quickly they get dirty and smelly.