Albuquerque's year runs from dry windy months to a brief storm season to a crisp fall. This calendar uses actual local normals to place each cleaning job where it helps most.
Most seasonal cleaning advice assumes spring rain and a slushy winter. Albuquerque has neither in any quantity, so a local calendar has to follow something else: the very dry months at the start of the year, the monsoon, and the cool, smoky edge of winter.
The dates below are based on normals at the Albuquerque airport, at about 5,310 feet. Treat them as a guide for the order of the work rather than a strict timetable, and shift a job by a few weeks whenever the weather says so.
Normal annual precipitation at the airport is 8.84 inches, and July, at 1.64 inches, is the wettest month. January through May each sit at 0.36 to 0.51 inches. Snow totals 7.9 inches a year, with December highest at 2.8 inches, and an inch or more falls on only about 2 days a year.
About 93 nights a year are at or below freezing, about 70 of them from December through February. About 64 days reach 90 degrees or hotter, nearly all from June through August. Daily temperature swings of 21 to 29 degrees are normal, and June averages a 90.4 degree high and a 61.9 degree low.
These are the coldest stretches of the year, and the city may issue wood burning restrictions when wood smoke and weather raise particle pollution. It notes that wood smoke can pollute your home. Wipe the mantel and nearby walls, check vents and change furnace filters.
Very little precipitation falls, so dust continues to build up even in winter. Because snow rarely stays long, mud is seldom the issue. Keep up with floors around entries and dust the rooms you do not use.
This is the time when Albuquerque's dry spring and its pollen record meet. The city adopted its Pollen Control Ordinance in 1994 because of serious allergy problems from airborne tree pollen, and it still reports counts every day. Check them before you leave windows up.
Wipe window tracks and sills often, wash curtains and vacuum soft furniture. May is a good moment for a One-Time Deep Clean, since precipitation stays low and the monsoon has not yet started.
June's normal high is 90.4 degrees, and the monsoon typically begins in mid June. The National Weather Service says hail with flash flooding becomes a threat from June through September, so check door seals and windows ahead of the first big storm.
Evaporative coolers need attention at this time of year. The Water Authority explains that dissolved minerals left behind when water evaporates are the residue that collects on coolers in the summer months. Servicing the unit is an HVAC job, but wiping nearby vents helps keep what ends up indoors under control.
Inside, keep entry mats handy. Storm mud dries quickly, so vacuum it up once dry rather than spreading it around while wet.
The monsoon usually runs until late September. Once it fades, clean the mud from entry floors and wipe tracks that caught dirty rain. Many households also tidy up for guests before the Balloon Fiesta, held during the first week of October with about 600 balloons and hundreds of thousands of visitors.
If you rent out a short stay during the Fiesta, check the city's permit rules first. Albuquerque's ordinance requires a permit for each short-term rental, which it defines as a stay of 29 days or less.
Freezing nights become regular, and December is the snowiest month at 2.8 inches. Keep a mat at the door for the few snowy days. Plan your last detailed clean before guests arrive. If you are getting rid of a large item after the holidays, Albuquerque Solid Waste collects appliances and large items free on request from residential customers, on the next normal trash day.
The questions Albuquerque homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
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