Cleaning Your Ontario Cottage or Second Home
Ontario has more freshwater lakes than any other jurisdiction on Earth, and hundreds of thousands of Ontario families have cottages, cabins, or second homes across Muskoka, Georgian Bay, the Kawarthas, Haliburton, Prince Edward County, the Ottawa Valley, and Northern Ontario. Opening and closing a cottage for the season involves specific cleaning tasks that differ from urban home maintenance.
Spring Opening Clean
After a closed winter, an Ontario cottage has typically accumulated: mouse activity (inspect and clean thoroughly — mice active all winter in an unheated cottage are virtually guaranteed in rural Ontario), dust and mustiness, potentially mould in the bathroom and kitchen if the space was not properly dehumidified through winter, and general winter grime on surfaces. The spring opening clean should address:
- Full wipe-down of all surfaces after a winter of disuse
- Bathroom deep clean (mould-check and clean tile, grout, and any visible mould spots)
- Kitchen: wipe all surfaces, check fridge after power-on, clean any mouse-entry points and any droppings found
- Floor sweep and mop throughout
- Bedding: wash all linens before use
Fall Closing Clean
The fall closing clean is an opportunity to leave the cottage in a state that makes the spring opening easier:
- Empty and clean fridge and freezer completely — a powered-off fridge left with food is a mould disaster
- Clean all kitchen surfaces and leave cupboards open to allow air circulation
- Mouse-proof all food storage — sealed metal containers only
- Strip all bedding and store in sealed bags
- Dry and clean all bathroom surfaces; leave windows cracked if safe