The average homeowner spends almost $10,000 a year on maintenance. You can save a little bit on some of these costs by choosing to maintain your home throughout the year. You’ll be less likely to have big expenditures if you take the time to take care of your home.
Maintaining your property can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What tasks should take top priority?
Keep reading to find our tips on interior maintenance tasks to keep your home in tip-top shape.
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Set a Cleaning Schedule
One of the problems with today’s busy society is that it’s easy to forget menial tasks. So unless you’re excited at the prospect of cleaning your home, it may be hard to remember to clean it.
We recommend setting and sticking to a cleaning schedule. You can go old school and put pen to paper to set up your plan or choose to go digital. There are many cleaning-centric applications you can download for your smartphone to help.
Figure out what tasks need to be done when. Things like washing your bedding need to be done more often than cleaning out your pantry, for example. Determine how often to dust depending on how many knick-knacks you have lying around your home.
Make a Preventative Maintenace Schedule
Preventative maintenance tasks are chores you need to do on a regular basis. Ensuring these chores get done will prevent the breakdown of your home or appliances.
Make two separate maintenance lists – one for springtime and one for autumn.
Your spring list should include tasks like:
- cleaning gutters and downspouts
- resealing any questionable woodwork on the exterior of your home
- look for signs of termite around your home
- inspect the roof to ensure winter storms didn’t cause any damages
- inspect concrete on your driveway to ensure winter freezes didn’t wreak havoc
- check the attic for signs of birds or damage to your soffit panels
- inspect outdoor faucets for damage
Your fall home maintenance checklist should include tasks like:
- uninstall garden hoses from faucets to prevent freezing
- remove gunk from all the gutters
- install new storm windows or doors if necessary
- inspect the roof for missing or damaged shingles (and repair them immediately)
- weatherstrip and caulk doors and windows
- inspect your heating system
- care for trees and shrubbery around your home
- stocking up on winter supplies like shovels, ice melt, and emergency kits
Care for Your Laundry Machines
Laundry machines cause almost 16,000 home fires every year. Failing to clean and maintain the dryer accounts for a large percentage of these fires.
Clogged vents or ducts are the most common cause of dryer fires. Lint builds up every time you dry a load of laundry. It can build up not only in the lint filter but also in the vents that lead outside.
Even birds or insects claiming your outside vent as their home can cause fires.
This is why it’s important to add laundry machine care to your basic home maintenance skills list.
Ensure you clean the lint filter after every load of laundry. If the filter gets too full, airflow will be obstructed, and heat can build up.
Your dryer’s lint filter does a great job of catching most of the excess dirt and lint. Some will inevitably make their way through the exterior vent, though. Make it a habit to check the vent at least once every three months.
Your dryer isn’t the only part of your laundry set that needs regular maintenance. Check your washer’s hoses every month to ensure there are no cracks or bulges.
Run an empty load of hot water with vinegar to keep your washer smelling clean. Clean the drum, door, and gasket every month to keep odors at bay.
Get the Moisture in Check
There are a lot of ways that moisture wiggles its way into your home. It occurs when warm and humid air comes into contact with a cool surface. Activities like cooking, showering, or drying clothes adds moisture to your air.
Excess moisture in your home can lead to mold issues. Household mold can cause allergy-like symptoms such as congestion, eye irritation, and headaches. People with chronic conditions like asthma or cystic fibrosis may experience complications after mold exposure.
Homes with more moisture are also attractive to pests like rodents and insects.
Keep the rooms in your home aired and well-ventilated. This will promote a healthier airflow throughout your space and prevent a build-up of dampness.
Use exhaust fans when you cook and as you bathe to reduce humidity in your home. If you don’t have fans, get them installed as soon as possible or crack open a window or two.
You might also consider investing in storm doors and windows. Windows that have double or triple-pane glass will help insulate the interior glass from cold weather. This leads to a reduction in moisture and even better energy-efficiency in your home.
Maintain Your Chimney
Over 25,000 chimney fires occur every year in the United States. Built-up creosote is the main cause of most of these fires. Creosote is a sticky, flammable substance that can build up on the walls of the chimney lining.
Have your chimney swept inspected once a year. If there’s 1/8-inch of soot on the chimney liner, it’s time to get it cleaned. A licensed inspector will look for structural damage or malfunctioning components.
Waterproof it to keep moisture and the elements from weakening its structural integrity. If you notice water in the firebox or strong, musty odors, you may have a leak.
Start Your Interior Maintenance Today
Interior maintenance doesn’t have to be a big, incomprehensible task. Committing yourself to little chores here and there makes these duties much more digestible.
Keep reading our blogs to find more tips for keeping a clean and well-maintained home.