Fall cleaning — I had never seen it or heard of it until I moved to the South.

Admittedly, I barely recognize spring cleaning myself. I’m the kind of person who dusts only when a thick layer is obstructing the view of the television or computer.

But just look around you, and you’ll see everyone cleaning up their landscape, throwing out old furniture and the heaps of junk that accumulates in our limited storage spaces.

In the Midwest, where I’m from, fall cleaning didn’t exist. No one was rushing to fix up their lawn, knowing that at any time, the messy landscapes would all be covered by a thick layer of cold, white snow, hidden until spring would melt the cover away and leave us with our hands full for spring cleaning.

In Coastal Georgia, nothing hides lazy landscaping. Being so close to the ocean, basements are a luxury, so that limited storage space forces you to play a round of “trash or treasure” more than just once a year.

I can think of no better time to get working on the hard and home than beautiful autumn when the heat of the summer finally is beginning to subside.

As an enemy of household cleanup, you’d think I would much prefer to do it as little as possible, but there is something refreshing about decluttering your home — or driving around Hinesville to see everyone else doing the same, if their overflowing trash cans and piles of discarded branches are any indication.

Autumn always will be my favorite time of year, just like it always has been. Whether it’s the scarves and jackets in the Midwest or pants weather and fall cleaning in the South, this is best time of the year.