Don’t get caught unprepared: 10 home and garden tasks to do in September to future-proof your home for autumn
Lock in a calm, beautifully ordered home today so you can actually sit back and enjoy the crisp season ahead
As the days get shorter and a chilly snap enters the air, this essential September housekeeping checklist will help you transition your living spaces smoothly into the colder months ahead.
With the official start of autumn on Tuesday 22nd September, now is the perfect time to start using our ultimate non-toxic cleaning routine to refresh your interiors naturally for the new season.
From speedy shelf swaps and slick storage solutions to necessary pre-winter garden fixes, here is your list of urgent tasks to complete this month.
Your September housekeeping checklist
1. Ensure home offices are up to date
For those who work from home, take the lead from the new school term and spend some time ensuring that working spaces are as functional and beautiful as possible to inspire focus and creativity. While a desk and office chair are obvious essentials, smaller touches can also help foster a better working environment and a smoother working day.
Desk storage, such as pen pots or trinket trays, helps maintain a tidy desk area while decorative items like artworks and objets add a stroke of colour and pattern. For stationery enthusiasts, don’t miss our favourite luxury stationery brands.
2. Exchange fresh floral scents for autumnal fragrances
As the evenings get darker, candles can provide an atmospheric glow and increase the cosiness of your home. When choosing candles, opt for seasonal scents to fill your home with the joys of autumn. Fragrances inspired by warming spices, crackling firesides and comforting cashmere are perfect for this time of year.
Discover our favourite autumnal scented candles.
3. Rotate soft textiles for richer, tactile layers
September is the ideal time to pack away soft textiles in light linens and fresh cottons and instead decorate with cosier, tactile velvets and wools. Swapping out bed linen, table linens and cushions can help bring the mood of the season into your home. Opt for darker, jewel tones rather than pale pastels or vibrant brights for a snug feel.
4. Create dramatic seasonal flower displays
Make the most of the autumn palette in the garden with seasonal floral displays throughout your home. Pick dahlias, lilies and hydrangeas fresh from the garden (or realistic faux) and arrange them in vases in dining rooms, coffee tables or mantelpieces to fill your home with floral scents and bright tones.
5. Transition your wardrobe with underbed and vacuum storage
September is the season to stash away your summer shorts, sheer blouses, and sandy swimwear. Before we pull out those oversized cardigans, it’s time to get set with vacuum storage bags, underbed bags, and compartmentalised boxes, ensuring last season’s wares are clean, safe, and no longer taking up precious room in your closet.
6. Overhaul your pantry for hearty autumn cooking
Goodbye for now to cool summer salads; it’s time for hearty stews and soups. Make room on your pantry shelves by removing any out-of-date dry stocks, and decant baking essentials, pulses and grains into stackable glass jars or enamelled canisters with lids. Store any newly dug root veg and onions in open-weave rattan hoppers.
7. Streamline your utility room for heavy laundry loads
Now that the weather is turning damp and rainy, there’s no getting away from indoor laundry-drying duties, especially when the day is short and the weeks will soon be packed with rainy days. Don’t wait until laundry baskets are overflowing and make use of your utility zone at its best this September.
Stash messy boxes of powder neatly in metal detergent caddies; help tablets last longer in closed bins and hang your bulk equipment from wall-mounted shelves.
8. Capitalise on post-rain lawn care after a dry summer
Now that we have finally had heavy autumn rain after one of the driest summers on record, your dry lawn will soon begin to turn from brown back to green. Make the most of September and give it a chance to recover properly before the frost sets in: this is a great time for scarifying dead thatch and aerating compacted soil, as well as spreading a high-nitrogen autumn feed.
9. Get spring and summer bulbs in the ground
When it comes to the September garden, planting bulbs is your absolute highest priority. ‘Spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, crocus, and hyacinths, should ideally be planted in September,’ advises gardener and presenter Sarah Raven. ‘Hardy summer-flowering bulbs, such as lilies, alliums, and crocosmia, should be planted throughout September and October, saving tulips for November.’
10. Deep clean and store outdoor furniture before first frost
Sweep and wipe down garden chairs, the outdoor table and any parasol to remove dust and dead leaves, before the autumn weather really kicks off. Dry everything off and store all soft furnishings and cushions in a shed or waterproof chest. Wrap all wood and metal garden furniture in sturdy covers so they don’t rust or become mouldy over winter.
Once the pre-autumn housekeeping tasks are done, you’ll not just be ensuring that your house is running perfectly, but you’ll also guarantee it feels toasty and inviting as the season begins to shift. Instead of getting swamped with frantic preparation as October arrives, ease your way into a calm, effortless transition to the crisp months ahead.
To finish, elevate your space with timeless autumn table decorating ideas that bring seasonal warmth to every meal. We love bringing out something like this classic, hand-blown glass hurricane lantern from The White Company to cast a warm, flickering glow over cosy indoor dinners long after the sun goes down. With your home in peak condition and the candles lit, all that’s left to do is pour a drink and savour every last drop of the season.
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