The Treasure Coast does not have four seasons so much as two: a dry, pollen heavy winter and spring, and a hot, wet summer and fall with hurricanes in the mix. Here is what to clean when.
Most seasonal cleaning advice is written for places with snow. Stuart's normal January high is 74 degrees and freezing nights average well under one a year, so there is no salt, slush or mudroom season to plan around. Instead, the year turns on rain, pollen, bugs and storms.
This calendar uses NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Stuart station, the UF/IFAS pollen and insect calendars and the Atlantic hurricane season dates to show which parts of the home need attention in which months.
Stuart's normal annual rainfall is 62.72 inches, with about 92 days a year getting at least a tenth of an inch. From December through April, monthly normals run about 2.6 to 3.8 inches, with February the driest month at 2.61. From June through October, every month tops 6 inches, peaking at 8.49 in August and 8.28 in September.
Heat follows the same split. Normal July and August highs are about 91 degrees with lows near 76, and the station averages about 81 days a year at 90 or hotter. Up the road at Fort Pierce, near Port St. Lucie, the pattern is the same, with September the wettest month and January lows a little cooler at 53 degrees.
This is the easiest stretch of the year to keep a home clean, and the best time for the projects that need dry weather. With January highs near 74 and little rain, windows, screens and lanai furniture stay clean longer once they are done.
Oak pollen begins to build toward the end of this stretch. UF/IFAS says Florida's pollen seasons are longer than in most places, and that trees generally pollinate in winter and spring.
February to May is the peak for Florida's 11 oak species, and the yellow film shows up on sills, cars and screens. Bermudagrass also pollinates year-round in this part of the state, so the grass side of allergy season never fully ends.
Asian subterranean termites begin swarming in early March at dusk, drawn to lights, and Formosan termites follow from late April into May. Lovebugs make their first flight from April to May.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1. In Stuart the same month brings the shift to more than 6 inches of rain a month. The Florida Department of Health recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent to help prevent mold, and below 50 percent for dust mites, which makes the air conditioner and bathroom fans part of the cleaning routine.
Lovebugs return from August to September.
The National Hurricane Center puts the peak of the season on September 10, and September is also one of Stuart's two wettest months. Both Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne came ashore just east of Stuart in September 2004. The storm season guide covers cleaning before and after a storm in detail.
Rain eases through October and November, and the season ends November 30. That is the natural time for a deep clean to clear the summer's mildew and grime before the dry months.
The questions Stuart homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Stuart 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.
