Yearlong Guide To House CleaningMy wife loves to keep our home in the best shape possible. Countless hours are spent every year on keeping up with clutter, dust bunnies, kid’s toys, window cleaning, etc. Not mentioning kitchen and all the bathrooms in the house. And that is only our home interior. I take care of the outside of our home, and let me tell you… That job never ends either. Last week she came across great article from The Washington Post written by Lindsey M. Roberts. This article talks about how home maintenance done on annual bases will help us prevent costly repairs that are completely avoidable. I will republish this article in it’s entirety below. It has nothing to do with stucco repair at all, I hope you find it useful. So here we go… A Yearlong Guide To House Cleaning, Starting With The January De-ClutterBy Lindsey M. Roberts Prevention is the best medicine with your house, as well as your body. “We go for our annual checkups to our doctor and dentist, so why not do it for our home?” says Mike Holmes, host of HGTV’s “Holmes on Homes.” Annual maintenance will help prevent you from having to make an avoidable, costly repair, he says. For a comprehensive list of important annual maintenance tasks, we consulted with Holmes and other home-maintenance, cleaning and organizing experts. Stick to this basic list each month and your house will run like a machine. JANUARYClean kitchen light fixtures. Becky Rapinchuk, author of “Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Organized, Clean, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day,” recommends using a microfiber cloth or duster on glass shades and fixtures. FEBRUARYDust baseboards and vents. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner with a hose and nozzle attachment, Rapinchuk suggests using a long-handled duster or a broom with a T-shirt secured over the bristles. MARCHWash and fluff pillows and bedding. Focus on bedding that doesn’t get washed every week, i.e., the down comforters, pillow shams and covers. APRILGet the HVAC system serviced. Holmes says to use a professional technician in the spring and fall to prepare for the most extreme seasons. “Part of their regular maintenance should be to vacuum any debris from the furnace blower,” he adds. MAYReview contents of your emergency kit. If you don’t have an emergency kit, create one with a flashlight, batteries, candles, matches, a battery-powered radio, nonperishable food, bottled water and a first-aid kit, Holmes suggests. Also consider a backup generator. JUNEGet ducts and vents cleaned. Clean ducts will help with air quality and efficiency, Holmes says, adding, “Unless you have pets or suffer from major allergies, this isn’t a job you’ll need to do annually, but having the ducts cleaned every few years – or after a renovation – wouldn’t hurt.” Check dryer ducts, too. Wash windows inside and out. Rapinchuk says her natural recipe for window cleaner works better than anything she has purchased. Mix four tablespoons of Castile soap, four tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and a half-gallon of warm water. Check the attic. Make sure that there is sufficient insulation, that it is properly sealed with a vapor barrier, that vents are in good condition and that it’s well ventilated to let out moisture. “If your attic doesn’t have enough insulation, you could see instances of ice damming on your roof as heat escapes out of your home,” Holmes warns. “This can cause water to flow back toward your home.” JULYDeep-clean the refrigerator and freezer. Consider containing and labeling items to make them more streamlined and attractive, Rapinchuk suggests, and don’t forget the pantry. Oh, and brush those refrigerator coils with a condenser coil brush. AUGUSTGet an annual inspection of the chimney and fireplace. “When you use your fireplace, the chimney’s flue will begin to get coated with creosote – a highly combustible substance,” Holmes says. “A proper chimney cleaning will remove that creosote, lowering your risk of a chimney fire.” Get it done in August so the fireplace is ready to use when chilly weather sets in. SEPTEMBERTrim back overgrown and dead branches. Pay special attention to trees near your home and electrical wires, Holmes says. OCTOBERGet the HVAC system serviced. NOVEMBERClean gutters DECEMBERVacuum lampshades. You can also use a lint roller to remove dirt. MONTHLYVacuum baseboards. QUARTERLYSpot-clean walls. Check for fingerprints, smudges and smears, and wash with a solution of a half-gallon of warm water to one or two drops of Castile or dish soap. Read original Lindsey M. Roberts’ article. CONCLUSIONLike I mentioned before, this article has nothing to do with stucco repair services, but I would like to include some stucco maintenance tips… via Tumblr Yearlong Guide To House Cleaning
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Robert Molina
Working for a stucco repair Jacksonville FL contractor since 2015 responsible for daily business operations, marketing and lead generation. Archives
October 2017
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