Ah, those bittersweet last few weeks of summer. The kids are headed back to school (if they’re not there already), the weather is cooling off, everyone’s vacations are over, and it’s nearly time to get back to the usual daily routine and get ready for fall.

But before you start getting out the blankets and carving pumpkins, there’s still a few summertime chores you can get done around the house! Take a look at our list of late-summer home organization projects and see what you can squeeze in before we all say goodbye to summer:

Replace Air Conditioner Filter
If the weather out by you has been anything like it has for us here at The Shelving Store, you probably had your AC cranked for about a month straight earlier this summer. This means your poor AC can probably use a fresh filter (and maybe a few days off once the temperature begins to drop). Follow all the manufacturer’s instructions and replace the air filter inside your AC unit - even if you’re not going to use it again for a while, you’ll be glad you did it when next summer rolls around.

Start Bringing In The Outdoor Fun
If you have a big deck, a pool, a grilling area, or anything else that you use in the backyard when the weather is good, now might be the time to start considering bringing it all back inside. Get some wire shelving or garage storage and gather up all your yard tools, sports equipment, pool toys, barbecue stuff, or anything else that needs to come back inside for the year and start putting it away now. When the leaves start to fall, you’ll be glad you made the effort now.

(On second thought, maybe wait until after Labor Day to hang the grill up.)

Declutter Your Yard
Yardwork is basically never done until that first snowfall, and even in fall you’re still going to find yourself doing a lot of raking and cleaning up. Take some time to get the big obstacles out of the yard like fallen branches before the leaves start to turn so you’re not stuck trying to clean them both at once, and now might be a good time to bring in some excess yard furniture you won’t be using too much before the end of the season to avoid having to clean around them.

Relocate Your House Plants
A lot of houseplants don’t react too well to being near the cold (much like some of us) and need to be moved somewhere a little more temperate before the weather turns. Set up some wall shelves or corner shelves away from areas that might get hit by drafts (right near windows, doors going outside, etc) to keep them as warm as they need to be until the blooming season is over with. (Pruning them in this case might be a good call too.)

Scrub The Outside Of Your House
This might be one of the last chances you get to wash your siding, so take advantage of the sunshine and dry weather while you can. Rent a power washer to take care of the sides of your house and wash down all the doors while the weather still holds up, and once these are done you might want to take a second to look at the gutters too before the leaves fall and really make a mess.

After these are done, all you have to do is kick back and enjoy the last few weeks of summer! And hey, if you’re THAT anxious for fall, you could always start getting out the blankets and cocoa. You know, just in case the weather dips overnight.