A cleaning calendar built on Madison normals: snowy months from December to February, a wet June, boxelder bugs and lady beetles in fall, August lease changes and city leaf collection through Thanksgiving week.
Madison's seasons are strong enough that you can plan chores around them. This calendar uses NOAA normals for the city, advice from UW-Madison Extension and Wisconsin DHS, and the city's own collection schedules.
Adjust freely. Winters here vary a great deal, and 2025 to 2026 brought more than twice the snow of the year before.
January averages 13.7 inches of snow, February 12.8 and December 12.0. January's mean temperature is 19.4 degrees, and about 17 mornings a year reach 0 or below. From November 2025 through March 2026, 50.6 inches fell, compared with 22.1 over the same months a year earlier, so plan for the possibility.
Once snow is unlikely, wash baseboards near doors and check stairs where boots go. Vacuum window tracks, where boxelder bugs and lady beetles that spent winter indoors may turn up as the house warms. UW-Madison Extension says boxelder bugs become active indoors when warmed by the furnace or sun.
Spring is also a sensible time to check on your softener, if you have one. The utility asks residents to set softeners to the correct hardness, which at 18 to 20 grains matters for scale in your home and chloride in the wells.
June is the wettest month, at 5.28 inches out of 37.13 a year. Mud becomes the entry problem, and basements deserve a look. Wisconsin DHS says a lengthening growing season is raising pollen and mold allergens from trees, grasses and weeds. Dust with a damp cloth, wash bedding often if someone reacts, and leave shoes at the door.
Verona celebrates Hometown Days each June. If you are expecting visitors, a One-Time Deep Clean a little ahead of time deals with shower glass and faucets, which are what guests notice first in this water. See the deep cleaning guide.
NOAA data put relative humidity at about 71 to 74 percent in July and August. Run bath fans and let stalls dry. Wisconsin DHS also notes that wind can carry wildfire smoke thousands of miles into the state. On smoky days, keep windows shut and damp dust afterward.
August is lease season. Madison runs extra trash, recycling and large item collections for the student move-out, which ran from August 3 to August 21 in 2026 in the area from the Yahara River to N Allen Street and down to Haywood Drive. If you are in a rental, read the move-out guide early, as many others will be moving at the same time.
Boxelder bugs move into Wisconsin homes in fall, and multicolored Asian lady beetles that come indoors can stain carpets, walls or curtains if handled roughly. Vacuum gently, and check the sunny side of the house. Have the furnace and venting checked before heating season, as Wisconsin DHS advises.
Madison collects fall leaves and yard waste set at the street edge or terrace, with three scheduled set-out dates per neighborhood from early October until the week after Thanksgiving. Bring out the boot tray and mats before the first snow, and use a late fall visit to reset your home before the windows stay shut. NOAA data show November and December as the most humid months by relative humidity, so check closets and cold corners too.
The questions Madison homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Madison 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.
