Shopping Checklist for Interior Fall Cleaning

As fall approaches, you might feel an urge to deep clean in preparation for the winter months. By now, it has been several months since you completed spring cleaning, and summer's dust may have settled into the corners again. The thought of pulling out all your cleaning products might seem overwhelming, but relax: You really don't need much to get the job done right. In fact, the fewer products you have to tote around, the faster you will be able to finish. Your fall cleaning shopping checklist includes six essential items.

1. Light duty cleaner - A glass cleaner, like J.R. Watkins' Lavender Window Cleaner ($3.20-$4.60 for 24 fluid ounces), not only leaves a streak-free shine on your glass surfaces but can be used on nearly any hard surface in the home. Use a light duty cleaner for everyday, routine cleaning.

2. Heavy duty cleaner - J.R. Watkins comes through for us again with its Lemon Natural All Purpose Cleaner. A 24-fluid-ounce bottle costs from $3.43 to $6.49. Use a heavy duty cleaner for deeper cleaning and cutting through the grease and grime on appliances, sinks and more.

3. Bathroom cleaner - To get rid of bathroom scum, you will need a tub and tile cleaner, like Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Bathroom Cleaner ($3.99-$10.61 for a 24-ounce bottle). Spray it onto any bathroom surface from the bathtub to the sink to eliminate germs and scum.

4. Abrasive cleaner - An abrasive powder cleaner will help scrub away food and other hard substances. Baking soda is a good, natural choice for cleaning the oven and other surfaces. Simply add water to achieve a paste and scrub away. You may need to let it sit overnight on difficult areas.

5. Clean cloths - You will need plenty of clean, dry rags for fall cleaning. Microfiber cloths might come in handy too. Use your cloths for cleaning windows, bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances, floors and even for dusting shelves.

6. Broom/vacuum - Technically these two make a total of seven items, but since they are both used on the floors, they can count as one. Save sweeping, mopping and vacuuming (and possibly steam cleaning) the floors until everything else has been completed to avoid having to clean them again.

You don't need dozens of specialty cleaning products that can only be used for one application. Just make sure your inventory includes the above six items, and you will be set for both light and heavy cleaning all year round.