In an earlier post, we talked about taking advantage of a free weekend to perform some home maintenance on the outside of your home. There are several things you can do to ensure the inside of your home is safe for your family and runs efficiently as well. Many of these easy tasks bring an additional benefit in the form of energy cost savings. Try to perform the following indoor home maintenance tasks on a regular basis starting the next wet and rainy weekend that comes your way.
Every day Home Maintenance
Always keep an eye out for ceiling and wall cracks. Their presence in a new home may be caused by the house settling but can be symptoms of larger problems such as foundation shifts or water damage. In addition to cracks, check for water leaks under sinks and near toilets and appliances. Catching a leak will likely prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Replace loose floor tiles and fix carpet bubbles immediately to prevent trip and fall accidents. Keep an eye out for anything that reduces the efficiency of your home appliances or poses a safety hazard to ensure your home is the safe haven it’s meant to be.
Once a Month/ Once a Quarter
Air filters should be changed regularly to maintain the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning system in your home. Debris in the system slows down air flow and a hard working system is more expensive to run. Check your manufacturer’s guide to see if your filters should be changed every month or every quarter.
Throw away outdated medicine, food and cosmetics. While reports of toxic expired medicine are rare, drugs in liquid form are not as stable as tablets, powders and capsules, and should not be used beyond an expiration date or if cloudy or discolored.
Keep your kitchen sink smelling fresh by using ingredients already in your cupboard. Pour one-half-cup baking soda in the drain followed by one-half-cup white vinegar. After 10 minutes, flush with boiling water. While you’re hanging around the kitchen, change the filters in your water pitchers or your faucet mounted water purification system. If you have a filtered water source connected to your refrigerator, check the manufacturers guide for instructions on replacing the filter.
Grab some ears plugs and test your smoke detector once a month by pressing the test button or letting the smoke trail from a recently blown out candle curl into it.
Twice a Year
Inspect and clean your smoke detectors, and change the battery every year when you set your clocks back for Daylight Savings Time.
Clean your clothes dryer vent. About 15,000 fires are caused by clogged clothes dryer vents each year. Unplug the dryer and disconnect from gas before detaching the vent hose and vacuuming it out. Consult your manufacturers guide before attempting this procedure.
Once a Year
Your refrigerator condenser coil can get pretty dusty in a year’s time – especially if you have pets. Unplug the unit and shut off the water supply if applicable before you begin cleaning the coil. If you have an older refrigerator, the coil will be on the back. Newer models sometimes place the condenser coil at the bottom of the refrigerator. Usually a good vacuum and a soft brush are all you need to perform this maintenance annually but consult your manual or hire a professional if you’re uncomfortable doing it yourself.
