While it doesn’t yet feel like autumn, don’t let these warm temperatures fool you. Autumn and winter are notorious for creeping up on us, arriving suddenly and with blasts of icy air. So in the interest of prepping your home for nesting and hibernation, we’ve rounded up the top ‘must-do’ items on your quarterly checklist.
From primping your natural bedding and giving your skincare a spring clean, to booking a skin check and sprucing up the carpets, here’s our guide to getting ready for the cool season ahead…
Give your organic mattress the flip
While natural bedding accessories and pillows are cleaned more frequently, your organic mattress can often be forgotten. So at the change of the season - particularly one where you’ll be staying in bed a bit longer - we like to give our bedding some pep. And flipping your mattress is one of the main ways we do this.
Most of our organic latex mattresses consist of a layer of untreated Australian Downs wool between the latex and cover. Sleeping in the same spot night after night can cause the wool to pack down and leave a small body imprint - and while this is perfectly normal, flipping it 180 degrees can help even out the wear and maximise support.
And if your mattress goes both ways (like ours do!), then call in reinforcements to flip your mattress upside down. The main reason we do this is to minimise the risk of mould growth, which can occur as a result of moisture build-up under your mattress.
Check out our handy demonstration for how to best flip your mattress.
Put a spring in your step with clean carpets
If you’ve got wood floors in your home, this trick also applies for your jute rugs and hall runners - a true all-rounder! As a natural bedding company, we love a natural cleaning solution, with few better than baking soda. The powder of this household staple works as a base that can neutralise acidic stains, making them easier to remove from fibres. The powder also works a treat when removing odours from your rugs and carpet - and given how useful they are once things get chilly, it’s nice to give them a seasonal spruce.
First things first, vacuum your carpets and rugs thoroughly, then sprinkle liberally with dry baking soda. If you’re just looking to deodorise your carpet, then leave for 15 minutes (or overnight for potent smells) before vacuuming up. Simple!
If you’re dealing with stains, then after sprinkling the baking soda on, use a spray bottle to spritz with cool water until the carpet is damp. Use a scrubbing brush and some elbow grease to work the baking soda into the carpet fibres, then remove the loosened dirt with an old towel or rag. Allow the floor to air dry, then swoop in with your trusty vacuum to get rid of any leftover baking soda.
Give your skin the once-over
As we wrap up the summer months and prepare for layers and cold fronts, it’s the ideal time to book in at your local skin clinic. We often don’t notice new freckles or moles, let alone changes to existing ones, so it helps to get a professional opinion.
It might be the last thing you want to think about, but even if you’re ultra careful or always wear sunscreen, with Australia having one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Think of it as a healthy way to close out the summer months before rugging up for winter.
Trash your beauty stash
Speaking of skincare, there’s no time like the present to audit all the products in your bathroom. Have you looked at the expiry symbols on your beauty products lately? With six and 12 months the most common lifespans, make the new season the time to ditch any dead weight.
That means dragging your lipsticks, mascara, moisturisers, serums and sunscreens out of the cupboard - and laying it all out on the table. If you can’t remember when you bought a product, that’s usually a sign that it’s past its prime - although in this digital age, a quick search through your emails will likely tell you when you ordered each product.
If you’re worried about the cost of a whole new skin kit, this chore can be stretched out over the first month or two of autumn, allowing you to gradually replace what may have expired. As we head into winter, it’s a good time to restock anyway, as certain skin needs will change with the season. Your skincare should be more nourishing and occlusive to keep your skin soft and hydrated, while your foundation might need to go a shade lighter if you tan over summer.
Revisit your winter to-dos from last year
Remember those heaters you said you’d replace last winter? Or the gaps under the door that let cool air into the house? Now’s the time to sort those tasks out before winter sneaks up and catches you off guard. Mark out a day in your calendar to pop into Bunnings and buy door seals or weather strips. Ask the friendly DIY folk for some advice if you need it, and seal out those chilly draughts by the time happy hour arrives.
As for heaters, watch for pre-winter deals to grab one that’ll get you through winter, like Afterpay Day on 16-19 March or sales around Easter.
If you have a fireplace in your home (lucky!) then sort your firewood out early, as prices will only climb the closer you get to winter. Search on Facebook Marketplace or look for signs on main roads to get the best deals. And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to have your chimney serviced. Chimneys carry dangerous gases from your fireplace out of your home, helping to keep the air inside breathable, so an annual inspection is a must.
Closet spring clean, but make it autumn…
If you’re the type of person to have two seasonal wardrobes, you’re likely getting ready to swap your summer outfits for jumpers and jeans. And if you’re the other type of person - the one who has everything all together, all the time - this autumn chore still applies.
It's probably been a while since you looked through your winter clothes, so before you slide into a new season, consider tackling your wardrobe in two parts. The first? Go through all your summer clothes and locate the stuff you didn’t wear this season. If you’ve outgrown it, don’t like it, or it doesn’t fit, pop it in a bag to donate.
As for the second, scan through all the winter items in your closet. If you stumble across anything that feels out of date, too big/small, or not your current style, add it to the donation pile. You can drop these off to a local donation hub like Vinnies, or if it’s not in good enough condition, look into textile recycling companies like Upparel or Clothing Cleanup, who collect old clothes straight from your door to repurpose, upcycle or recycle.
New-season ready
Adding chores to an already-full list of tasks might not sound like the most fun, but it becomes more achievable if you think of it as self care. These seasonal steps will give you, your home, and your comfort levels a serious boost as the weather cools down.
Plus, once they’re done, you can probably get away with not doing them again until autumn next year. We promise not to judge!
