4 ways to keep your home spotless all fall and winter long

You don't have to wait for spring to give your house a good cleaning. Here are some tips to get your home in tip-top shape during the long, cold months.

Your furnace works hard during the winter months, and that means it also accumulates a lot of dust and dirt.

• Change the filter at least once a month to make sure the furnace only blows out clean air.
• A filter change also helps make your home more energy efficient, which can lower your winter utility bills.

If you live in a snowy environment, chances are your floors get pretty grimy in the winter when people track snow, sleet and salt all over them.

• Use your snow day as a chance to get on your hands and knees and give the floors a real scrubbing.
• After you're done, make sure you provide a special tray for wet shoes and boots. Ask people to drop their shoes or boots in the tray when they come in from the cold so that the water and salt doesn't soil your clean floors.

It may sound strange to clean your ceiling, but it's particularly important in the kitchen. Moisture and fumes from cooking can lead to the formation of a layer of grime, and the ceiling and walls can usually use a good cleaning from time to time.

• Add a little dish soap to a bucket of warm water and mix thoroughly.
• Choose a soap that cuts through grease, and use this solution to scrub the walls and ceiling and get them looking like new again.
• Be sure to cover countertops or other surfaces you do not want getting wet before beginning this project.

Your house can accumulate dust in places you don't usually think about.

• Use a free day to break out the feather duster and vacuum and clean all those hard-to-reach places underneath furniture, on picture frames, on top of the refrigerator and in little nooks and crannies around the house.
• You'll have an easier time breathing once the dust is removed, and your family will thank you for your efforts.

Follow these tips to make sure to keep your house in great shape through the winter and into spring!