A month by month plan for Miami homes that follows the local year instead of a northern one: tree pollen early in the year, termite swarms in spring, a wet and dusty summer and a hurricane season that peaks in September.
Spring cleaning advice is usually written for places with snow, mud season and a cold winter. Miami has none of that. Its year splits into a dry half and a wet half, with pollen, pests and storms layered on top, and the right moment for each chore follows those patterns, not the date on a northern calendar.
The plan below walks through the year in five stretches, using National Weather Service normals for Miami International Airport, pollen research from the University of Miami and UF/IFAS, and the hurricane season dates from the National Hurricane Center.
January is about as cool as Miami gets, with normal lows around 61 to 62 degrees and highs around 76 to 77. It is also one of the driest months, at roughly 1.8 inches of rain, and February adds only about 2.2 inches. With the air drier, this is a sensible time for jobs that need things to dry fully: washing out closets, cleaning behind furniture and wiping down window tracks.
UF/IFAS reports that Florida trees begin releasing pollen as early as January, and that February to May is peak season for the state's oaks. Start dusting fan blades and blind slats more often from February on.
This is the most demanding stretch of the dry season. University of Miami researchers, who have tracked local pollen since 2018, find high levels from March through May, with live oaks among the big producers. Sills, patio furniture and the floor inside sliding doors carry the most.
At the same time, UF/IFAS reports that Asian subterranean termites swarm at dusk from early March, drawn to lights, and Formosan termites swarm from late April into early May. Expect shed wings near lamps and windows on spring evenings. Keep porch lights off on swarm nights where you can, and vacuum wings promptly.
Late May, once the pollen peak and swarms have passed and before the June rains, is the natural moment for a One-Time Deep Clean.
June is the wettest month at the airport, with about 10.5 inches of rain on average, and July adds about 7.4. The Atlantic hurricane season also runs from June 1, so June is the month to check storm supplies and clear balconies of loose items.
These are also the peak months for Saharan dust episodes in South Florida, and rain falling through the dust can leave cars dirty. Window tracks, screens and balcony glass gather the same grit. Mosquitoes multiply with the rain, so follow Miami-Dade Mosquito Control's Drain and Cover advice and empty plant saucers and bromeliads that hold water.
Normal highs stay around 89 to 91 degrees and lows near 76 to 77. In 2023, the city's warmest year on record, highs stayed above 90 for 56 days straight, from July 9 to September 22. August brings about 9.6 inches of rain, September about 10.2 and October about 7.7.
The National Hurricane Center puts the peak of the season on September 10. Keep a light, steady cleaning routine in these months rather than planning big projects that a storm watch could interrupt. Bathrooms and closets need the most attention, and the Florida Department of Health advises holding indoor humidity under 60 percent, which means keeping the air conditioning running even when you travel.
Rain drops to about 3.5 inches in November and about 2.4 in December, and the hurricane season ends November 30. This is the time for the year's catch-up: wash curtains and bedding that stayed damp all summer, clean out closets and drawers, and dust high shelves and ceiling fans that the wet months made easy to ignore.
UF/IFAS notes that Bermudagrass pollinates year-round in subtropical Florida, so even the quieter months bring some pollen indoors. Keep entry mats clean through the holidays, when homes host more guests.
The questions Miami homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
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