Hurricane-Season Home Prep:
A SWFL Cleaning Checklist

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Southwest Florida’s hurricane season runs June through November, and every year a surprising number of homeowners get caught unprepared — not because they didn’t board up the windows, but because the cleaning side of prep was skipped entirely. A home that wasn’t properly cleaned and documented before a storm is a home whose insurance claim takes twice as long to settle.

This checklist is what we walk through with snowbird and full-time homeowners alike before the season ramps up.

Why Cleaning Is Part of Storm Prep

Debris, mold, and standing water after a storm compound exponentially when a home wasn’t clean going in. Gutters packed with organic matter overflow into soffits. Lanai screens clogged with pollen and dirt trap moisture and accelerate corrosion. A dirty pool cage harbors algae that spreads to your deck and pavers the moment the water recedes.

The other side is documentation. Insurers need a clear before-and-after to process a claim. Photographs of a dirty, already-degraded exterior are nearly impossible to work from. A clean home photographed right before the season is a clean baseline your adjuster can actually use.

The Pre-Season Cleaning Checklist

Exterior

• Soft-wash the full house exterior, including soffits and fascia
• Clean and inspect gutters — remove all organic debris
• Pressure-wash driveway, pavers, and walkways
• Clean lanai screens and pool cage frames
• Wipe down outdoor furniture before storage
• Remove any dead vegetation or debris from the yard perimeter

Interior

• Deep-clean all rooms (easier to document a clean baseline)
• Check under sinks for any existing moisture damage — address before the season
• Clean and wipe down window tracks and seals
• Launder and pack away items you’re storing for the season
• Wipe down all hard surfaces, especially kitchen and bathrooms

Post-Clean Documentation Walk

• Photograph every room with good lighting after the cleaning is done
• Capture exterior — all four elevations, roof line, pool cage, and driveway
• Date-stamp and store photos in the cloud (not just on a local device that could be lost)
• Note any pre-existing cracks, chips, or damage so they can’t be attributed to the storm

If You’re a Snowbird Leaving for the Summer

This is the most important time of year for a deep clean. Homes that sit empty in SWFL heat and humidity through hurricane season without proper preparation come back with mold, pest issues, and odor. Before you leave, you want every surface wiped down, the refrigerator emptied and cleaned, and a home watch service engaged for regular check-ins.

Our Departure Clean + Watch Package combines a full departure clean with ongoing home watch visits through the season — including a post-storm inspection visit.

Timing

We recommend scheduling your pre-season cleaning in late May or early June — before the first named storm has anyone scrambling. By July, we’re fully booked for storm prep and post-storm cleanups. The homeowners who plan ahead are the ones who get appointments.