Our top 10 home maintenance summer to-do’s.
Though we specialize in custom new homes, once a client is in their new home is it important to start on a seasonal home to-do list to make sure everything inside your home is operating properly. So whether you’ve owned your home for years or you are a new owner, follow these summer home maintenance steps to make sure your house is in tip-top shape.
- Ceiling Fan Blades – The blades on ceiling fans tend to get dusty over time and keep churning that dust around in your room. Which never helps allergies! To clean ceiling fan blades, use a dryer sheet to brush away that built up dust.
- Wash your Windows – If you didn’t tackle exterior window washing in the spring, now’s the time to get your glass clean.
- Add Mulch to your Flowers Beds – Add a layer of mulch to keep weeds down and help the ground retain its moisture in the heat. Your plants will thank you with beautiful blooms!
- Clean your porch – Thoroughly sweep painted porch floors; then mop them with an all-purpose cleaner. If there’s a lot of built-up dirt on the floorboards, you may need to scrub them with a brush.
- Check for Leaks – Check your hoses and exterior faucets for leaks — even a tiny drip can add up to a big waste of water. Pinhole leaks in hoses can be covered up by winding regular electrical tape around the (dry) hose in overlapping layers.
- Test your Fire Detectors – Check your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re working properly.
- Refrigerator coils – even a slight bit of dust can make your refrigerator work harder. Dusty coils can amount to $100 extra dollars each year just to run your fridge! Make sure you are periodically dusting these off. The coils can either be located behind or under the fridge, the wand on your vacuum cleaner is the best tool to get these back to their former glory.
- Refrigerator Door Gasket – These get a lot of use and if not properly aligned, again, this can cause your fridge to work harder thus affecting your electric bill. Take some soapy water and clean the gasket. Next, test the seal by closing the door on a piece of paper or dollar bill, then gently pull it out. You should feel resistance if the seal is working properly. If the paper pulls out easily, you may need to realign the door or replace the gasket.
- Clothes Dryer Vent Pipe – The accumulation of lint inside clothes dryers causes approximately 15,000 fires annually! Be sure to clean your vents regularly. Start by removing the dryer hose and/or outside vent pipe cover, then clean the inside of the hose and pipe thoroughly with a special brush or vacuum cleaner. Also, make sure to clean the lint filter on your dryer every time you dry a load of clothes.
- Range Hood and Filter – Allowing grease to buildup on range hoods and over the stove microwave fans can reduce their efficiency and shorten the life of the fan. In addition to cleaning the outer and inner surfaces of a range hood or microwave with a citrus-based cleaner, it’s important to remove and clean the range hood grease filter regularly by washing it in the sink in hot, soapy water or running the filter in the dishwasher. If you can access the exhaust fan on the range hood, turn the circuit breaker off and clean the fan blades as well.
Looking to build your dream home in Northern Colorado? Let our expert guide you through the process. Take a look at our floor plans to jump start the process or contact us to discuss custom options.
