Spring is the perfect time to give your home some love and care. We can all grow a little lazy over the winter and home maintenance tasks fall by the wayside. But now that the days are getting longer and the sun is shining a little more, it’s time to get your house back in shape. Whether you’re looking to do some large home remodeling projects or you just want a cleaner home, below are some easy home maintenance tasks to get you started.
Clean Your Dishwasher
A simple place to start is with your dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher in your home, you know how great of a convenience it can be. You don’t have to spend all that time in front of your sink washing dishes every day. Instead, you can just pop your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, come back an hour or so later, and they’re all clean. However, if you don’t take proper care of your dishwasher, you’ll likely find that your dishes don’t get as clean as they once used to.
To fix this, you’ll want to clean out your dishwasher. There are products you can buy that will clean out all the gunk that may be clogging up your dishwasher and lowering its effectiveness. You can also try home solutions, such as ones that involve vinegar and water. Once you give your dishwasher a thorough cleaning, keep it from clogging up again by scraping off your dishes as best you can before you load them in.
Perform HVAC Maintenance
Another home system that needs regular maintenance is your HVAC system. Spring is a perfect time to perform HVAC maintenance, as you may soon be relying on it heavily to cool down your home in the summer. Just like your dishwasher, your HVAC system can become clogged over time and lose some of its efficiency.
According to Fixdrepair, a provider of appliance repair in Carrollton, “To make your HVAC system run smoothly, you must clean your return vents by using a vacuum with a dust attachment. Also, change the filter once a month to make sure the furnace continues to trap dust and allergens effectively.” By taking the time now to either clean out your HVAC system yourself or hire a service to do it for you, you can ensure your system is ready for summer and that you don’t end up spending extra on home energy costs.
Check Your Home’s Insulation
Insulation is another important factor in regulating the temperature in your home. If you don’t have good insulation throughout your home, the energy you use to control your home’s temperature will go to waste. So, before you start turning on the AC this summer, take some time to make sure your home is properly insulated.
A simple way to do this is by checking all the exterior doors and windows. Make sure they all close properly and that there are no gaps on the edges. If there are, you can easily seal them up using things like caulk or installing door sweeps. These simple fixes can go a long way toward saving you money this Summer.
Examine Your Pipes
Winter has a way of wreaking havoc on our homes’ pipes. Cold temperatures can freeze the pipes, which in turn can lead to damage or leaks. This is why it’s a good idea to examine your pipes once spring arrives to ensure you didn’t experience any damage during the winter. Look for signs of leaks, which may include water on the floor, wet spots on the walls nearby, or even rusting pipes. If you notice any signs of damage in your pipes, you’ll want to schedule an appointment with a local plumbing service as soon as you can.
Clean the Exterior of Your Home
The spring is also a great time to clean the outside of your home. The weather is a little warmer, so you won’t mind as much spending time in the yard with a hose. Your home likely accumulated some dirt and grime throughout the fall and winter. If you take a close look at the exterior of your home, you’ll likely notice that it’s dirtier than you expected. A good pressure washer can blast this dirt off your home’s siding and make your home look like new again.
Once you’re done pressure washing, spend some time on landscaping. Clean up any debris that may have fallen into your lawn, like broken tree branches. Then move on to simple tasks like mowing the lawn, cleaning off the patio furniture, and trimming some of your bushes. Cleaning the exterior of your home will help to set a better atmosphere when you arrive home and improve the curb appeal if you’re looking to sell.
Remove Clutter
Finally, take this opportunity to remove the clutter from your home. Go from room to room and get rid of anything you no longer need, either by selling it, donating it, or simply throwing it away. Removing clutter will not only help you feel better about your home, but it can help you with maintenance costs. For example, less cluttered homes are easier to clean and are less of a safety hazard. You may even notice signs of a problem, like water in your basement, as you start to remove junk.
As you’re removing clutter, take the time to organize everything that remains. Grab yourself some storage tubs or add some new shelving to a room. Organize things that are just lying around and make sure everything has its own place. By organizing each of your rooms in turn, you’ll get a better idea as to what you want to keep and what you should get rid of. It will also make future cleanings easier, as you’ll be able to tell what doesn’t have a place in your home.
Get Started on Home Maintenance and Repair Tasks
As you can see, it doesn’t take a lot to give your home some attention. If you were to complete the tasks above, you’d likely feel a lot better about the shape of your home. Pick one of the easier items on the list above, or start with the most pressing issue for your home. Then, as you cross one item off your list, you can move on to another one. Before long your home will feel a lot better and you can enjoy it throughout the following seasons.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
