What to clean and when in Lancaster, built from NOAA normals, Penn State Extension insect timing and the city's own collection schedule, with no guesswork about the weather.
Lancaster sits right on the line between two climate types, a hot-summer humid continental climate and a humid subtropical one, depending on the isotherm used. In practice that means four real seasons, with winters cold enough for steady snow and summers warm enough to keep the air conditioning busy. Most of the county is in plant hardiness zones 6b and 7a.
This calendar uses local normals and insect timing to decide what deserves your attention in each stretch of the year. Use it as a guide, since any given year can run early or late.
NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals put the mean July high at 87.0 degrees Fahrenheit and the mean January low at 22.2 degrees. Precipitation totals 44.15 inches a year, with September the wettest month at 4.82 inches and February the driest at 2.52 inches, even though February is also the snowiest, averaging 7.4 inches out of 21.4 inches a year. January runs close behind with 6.1 inches.
Extremes happen as well. The snowiest winter on record, 2009 to 2010, brought 72 inches. An ordinary year comes nowhere near that, though it is a good reason to keep a heavy mat and a boot tray ready before you need them.
January and February are the months for grit control. Snow melts off boots and leaves a film across entry floors, so a mat on both sides of the door and a quick daily sweep protect hardwood and old tile. With the house shut up, this is also a good time to wipe ceiling fan blades and vents, and to look at window frames, since condensation can gather on old glass on the coldest nights.
Late February is a natural point for a deep clean. Heating season has been running for months, the floors have taken the worst of it and the house is due for a reset.
March and April are about undoing the winter. Wash entry mats, clean door tracks and storm windows, and go through closets while you are at it. Salt residue that has dried along baseboards near a door comes off with warm water and a soft cloth.
This is also a useful time to take stock of old products under the sink. LCSWMA's Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1299 Harrisburg Pike takes household cleaners, paint and thinners from county residents at no charge. May is a good month to wash blinds and screens, before the summer heat arrives.
Spotted lanternfly adults appear in July and stay active until hard freezes. Penn State Extension says they leave honeydew that grows sooty mold and stains decks, patios and vehicles, and that they lay egg masses on houses, decks and outdoor equipment. Outdoor stains are a separate job, so the indoor task is simple: shoes off at the back door and a washable mat where the deck meets the kitchen.
With July highs near 87 degrees, bathrooms take longer to dry and kitchens work harder. Run the fan after showers and keep grout clean on a steady schedule. A clean house in summer is mostly about moisture and traffic.
September is the wettest month, and it is also when brown marmorated stink bugs begin to gather on warm exterior walls. Penn State Extension says they can enter in large numbers from September through October to overwinter. Keep a separate vacuum bag ready and clean sills and tracks once the rush is over.
The city collects bagged leaves alongside trash on set weeks from September through November, and leaves may not be swept into the street. Leaf bits come in on shoes and paws in those weeks, so entry mats do double duty. A good fall clean finishes before the holidays, with fans, vents and blinds dealt with before the windows stay shut for the winter.
Here is the same calendar in short form, for the refrigerator door.
The questions Lancaster homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
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