Opening Your Cape Cod Summer Home: What to Clean First

Open the windows if the weather allows and let the house breathe for a while. Then walk through every room. Look for signs of leaks under sinks and around windows, mice in kitchen cabinets and closets, and damp spots in the basement. Finding these first means they are handled before anything is cleaned twice.

Dust from the top down: ceiling fans, light fixtures, the tops of cabinets and bookshelves, picture frames, window casings and finally baseboards. Working top to bottom keeps dust from falling on surfaces that are already clean. In a home that has been closed for months, this step alone changes how the house feels.

Wipe inside cabinets and drawers, especially where dishes, glasses and food are stored. Wash anything that sat out in the open. Clean the refrigerator inside, the microwave, the stovetop and the oven front. Check under the sink for leaks or signs of pests from the winter, and replace any old shelf liners.

Run the dishwasher empty once and run water in the sink for a minute to clear the lines. It is a small step that makes the kitchen ready for the first real meal.

Closed homes on the Cape often show mildew in showers, on caulk and around windows. Scrub grout and caulk, clean fixtures and mirrors, and run water in every sink, tub and shower before guests arrive. Check under the sinks for drips and make sure exhaust fans work, because the summer will bring plenty of steam.

Linens stored all winter can pick up a stale smell. Wash bedding and towels before the first guests, or at least air them out. Vacuum mattresses and under beds, dust nightstands and dressers, and clean mirrors. Closets benefit from a quick wipe of shelves and floors.

Salt air leaves a film on glass over the winter. Clean windows and sliding doors inside, along with sills and tracks, where sand, dust and the occasional insect collect. Finish with floors, vacuumed and mopped edge to edge, and rugs vacuumed thoroughly.

Porches and entries collect leaves, pollen and winter grit. Sweep them out, wipe down outdoor furniture and clean the entry floors and doors. On Cape Cod, the porch is often where summer happens, so it deserves the same attention as the living room.

Before the cleaning: open windows, walk through every room, look for leaks, damp spots and signs of mice. During the cleaning: dust top to bottom, clean inside kitchen cabinets and appliances, scrub bathrooms with attention to mildew, wash linens, clean windows, sills and tracks, then vacuum and mop every floor. After the cleaning: run water in every tap and shower, stock basic supplies and make the beds.

Keeping this list in a drawer of the house, or on your phone, makes next year's opening faster.

Late spring on Cape Cod brings a heavy coat of pine and oak pollen. It settles on porches, sills and outdoor furniture, and it comes inside on clothes and through open windows. If anyone in the family has allergies, plan the opening cleaning close to arrival day and give extra attention to window sills, screens, ceiling fans and soft surfaces like rugs and upholstery.

Vacuuming slowly and wiping surfaces with a damp cloth, instead of dry dusting, traps pollen and dust instead of sending it back into the air.

If the home is rented, the opening cleaning is the standard the whole season will be judged by. Use it to set the home exactly as you want guests to find it, take updated photos if anything changed and leave notes for whoever will do the turnovers.

Plan the opening cleaning close to your arrival or your first booking, but not so close that there is no time to fix anything the walk-through finds. A week or two before is a comfortable margin for most homes. If a repair is needed, like a leaking faucet or a broken screen, there is still time to call someone.

Spring on the Cape fills up fast with openings, so sharing your dates early makes everything easier.

The outdoor shower, sheds and storage closets are easy to forget. Clear leaves and debris from the outdoor shower floor, run the water once it is turned on and wipe the walls. In storage spaces, check beach chairs, umbrellas and toys for dust, mildew or signs of mice before they come out for the season. A quick wipe now saves a surprise on the first beach day.

Keide's Cleaning Services opens summer homes across Cape Cod before the season, from Falmouth and Mashpee to Chatham. Tell us your arrival date and we plan the cleaning so the home is ready when you get there. We are family-owned, licensed and insured, with more than 20 years of experience. Call or text (774) 487-7671 for a free estimate.