When to do what in a Louisville home, month by month: snow and dry air in January, the wet May peak, muggy July, stink bugs in September, lady beetles in October and leaves into winter.
Generic spring cleaning lists assume a generic climate. Louisville's year has its own rhythm, and the cleaning that matters most moves with it. The calendar below is built from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Louisville International Airport, insect timing from University of Kentucky entomologists and a few local dates that fill homes with guests.
Use it as a checklist for your own chores, or as a guide to when a deep clean or an extra visit earns its keep.
July is Louisville's warmest month, with a normal average of 79.9 degrees, and January the coldest at 35.7. The median last spring freeze falls on March 31 and the median first fall freeze on November 7, which frames a long growing season of pollen, mowing and mud. Normal snowfall is 13.4 inches a year, mostly in January and February.
Humidity tracks the heat. Dew points average about 63 degrees in June, 67 in July and 65 in August, then drop to about 26 in January. That swing, from damp to bone dry, is the single biggest reason the cleaning list changes so much across the year.
These are the snow months, with about 4 days a year bringing an inch or more. Wet boots and the grit off driveways and sidewalks end up on entry floors, and hardwood near the door suffers first. Put a mat outside and another inside, and wipe the floor along the door often.
Indoors, cold dry air means static, and static pulls dust onto screens, picture frames and the tops of door casings. A damp microfiber cloth works better than a dry duster this time of year. The winter cleaning guide goes deeper.
With the last freeze typically at the end of March, windows and screens can come down for washing in April. University of Kentucky entomologists report that stink bugs leave homes between March and May, so expect to vacuum stragglers from sills and window tracks.
Spring is also when winged termite swarmers typically emerge inside Kentucky homes. If a pile of wings turns up on a sill, vacuum it, keep a few in a bag and call a pest professional.
May is Louisville's wettest month at 5.18 inches. This is the time to wash entry rugs, clean the bottoms of patio doors and keep a towel by the back door for the dog. As June humidity climbs, wash shower curtains and bath mats and check the grout lines for the first signs of mildew.
Louisville averages about 43 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter, most of them in these two months. Run bathroom fans after every shower, leave the shower door ajar to dry, and wipe the kitchen sink dry at night. Ceiling fans run all day and collect dust fast, so wipe the blades every few weeks. The humidity and mildew guide has the full list.
In early to mid September, brown marmorated stink bugs start pushing indoors, and in October Asian lady beetles gather on buildings. Vacuum them up rather than crushing them, since both can stain walls and fabric, and check window tracks and light fixtures weekly.
These are also big months for visitors. The Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival is held each September, and Old Louisville hosts the St. James Court Art Show on the first weekend in October. If you are hosting, a deep clean the week before covers the baseboards, fans and fixtures that guests notice.
The median first freeze falls around November 7, and the furnace comes on for good. Replace the furnace filter, vacuum floor registers and wipe the cold air returns. Leaves get tracked in on every shoe; in La Grange, Public Works picks up bagged leaves at the curb in fall and winter as needed. Before holiday guests, clean the guest bath and the oven door glass, and wipe the inside of the microwave.
Severe weather is part of life in the Ohio Valley. A major F4 tornado struck Louisville in 1974 during the Super Outbreak, and an EF2 tornado caused major damage in Prospect on April 2, 2024. Keep a flashlight, shoes and a few cleaning basics in the room where you shelter. Cleaners do not take on storm repairs or anything soaked by flooding, but a regular visit can get a home back to normal once repairs are done.
The questions Louisville homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Louisville and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
