Cleaning between seasons on Martha's Vineyard: closing the house and the off-season

When the summer season ends

On town beaches, Labor Day ends the summer rules. Dukes County's beach listings say Squibnocket Beach in Chilmark needs a town permit from June 15 to Labor Day, and that Lambert's Cove Beach in West Tisbury is for residents from mid June to Labor Day. Source: Dukes County

The fall still brings people to the island. The Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby has been held each fall since 1946 and runs from September into the middle of October. In 2026 its final awards ceremony was set for October 18. Source: Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby

If you leave in September or October, our advice is to book the closing clean when you book the opening one, and to set it for the day you leave or soon after.

The cleaning plan builder puts the opening and closing cleans for your house in one plan, season by season.

A closing checklist

• Take all food out of the house, including the pantry, so nothing draws mice over the winter.
• Empty, clean and dry the refrigerator and freezer. If the power will be off, leave the doors propped open.
• Wash and fully dry linens and towels before you put them away, and store them in closed bins.
• Clean the kitchen and bathrooms and leave every surface dry.
• Vacuum the floors and upholstery, and clean under the beds.
• Empty every trash can, inside and out.
• Take photos of each room, so you can compare in the spring.
• List anything that needs a repair before the next season.

Damp over the winter

A closed house can get damp. The EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control, and advises keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

Draining pipes, setting the heat and checking humidity over the winter are jobs for a plumber or whoever looks after the house, not for a cleaning company. Ask them before the first frost.

The off-season

Winter is the quiet part of the year. The Martha's Vineyard Commission measures its summer peak against a year-round population that is far smaller. Source: Martha's Vineyard Commission

Holiday visits are the usual reason for a winter clean. Christmas in Edgartown, a December event for more than four decades, ran from December 12 to 14 in 2024. Source: The Martha's Vineyard Times, Edgartown town column (December 9, 2024)

If you come back for a holiday, book one clean before you arrive and one after you leave. A quiet month is also a good time for work that is hard to do with people in the house, such as a deep clean or the inside of the windows.

About mvhousecleaning.com

mvhousecleaning.com introduces homeowners on Martha's Vineyard to independent cleaning companies that cover their town. It does not clean houses, and it never holds keys or codes. Cleaning companies pay mvhousecleaning.com a flat fee for each new client introduced, and homeowners pay nothing. A person reads every request and replies to it.