Adapt Your Cleaning Routine to the Season

Everywhere we look these days we see reminders that the cold dark days of winter will be here soon. For most of us, it means less time outdoors, driving to and from work in the dark and wearing layers of clothing.

I've also noticed that I've changed my cleaning routine.

The cleaning starts a little later in the day when there's enough natural light to see what we're doing. The hardwood floors get vacuumed more frequently to remove the leaves that blow in from outside whenever I open the garage door or front door. A BEAM Central Vacuum sure beats a broom for removing leaves. And raking the yard is overrated.

Speaking of outdoor issues, some Asian beetles were introduced to the Midwest several years ago as a way to control other insect pests in farm fields. They look like ladybugs, but an insect expert told me once they're a different species. The problem is they have become pests in their own right and cling to the south wall and window of  the house and often find their way inside. And they occasionally bite.

So last week, I pulled out the ultimate weapon -- my 30-foot central vacuum hose, and got every last one of them, removed the bucket, wrapped it in a plastic bag and drove five miles out to the countryside and liberated my catch.