12 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Spring

Maintaining a healthy home goes beyond dusting and vacuuming. When is the last time you checked your smoke alarms? How about the last time you cleaned out your dryer vent? Follow the tips below to make sure your family and home are ready for a happy, clean spring season.

  • Clean gutters – remove debris and check downspouts
  • Scrub walls, baseboards and outlets
  • Replace filters (water, range hood, air vent); consider replacing every 3-6 months
  • Clean faucets and showerheads – remove and soak in vinegar and water; let dry and replace
  • Clean out the dryer vent – disconnect the vent from the back of the machine and clean with a lint brush. Remove the dryer vent cover on the outside of your house and clean with a brush – making sure the vent cover flap moves freely.
  • Wash exterior windows – consider hiring a window cleaning service
  • Keep allergens away – declutter your home, checking pipes for leaks and keeping the air clean
  • Check foundation vents – houses with crawl spaces have vents along the foundation walls. The screens collect leaves and debris that should be removed.
  • Clean the grill
  • Prep your garden by adding good quality soil
  • Test smoke alarms and CO detectors, changing the batteries as needed.
  • Clean outdoor furniture with a solution of detergent, water and borax.

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Spring Maintenance Tips

Below are several outdoor items you’ll want to attend to now that spring has sprung:

  • Gutters and downspouts: clean out and check for leaks
  • Siding: Clean with a pressure washer and repaint if necessary.
  • Exterior caulking: Inspect caulking and replace if deteriorating.
  • Window sills, door sills, and thresholds: Fill cracks, caulk edges, repaint or replace if necessary.
  • Window and door screens: Clean screening and patch any holes. Tighten and lubricate door hinges and closers.
  • Drain waste and vent system: Flush out system.
  • Hot water heater: Lubricate circulating pump and motor.
  • Evaporative air conditioner: Clean unit, check belt tension and adjust if needed. Replace cracked or worn belt.
  • Heat pump: Lubricate blower motor.
  • Foundation: Check foundation walls, floors, concrete, and masonry for cracking, heaving, or deterioration. If you can slide a nickle into a crack in your concrete floor, slab or foundation call a professional immediately.
  • Roof: Inspect roof surface flashing, eaves, and soffits.
  • Deck and porches: Check decks, patios, porches, stairs, and railings for loose boards and deterioration. Open decks and wood fences need to be treated every 4-6 years, depending on exposure to sun and rain.
  • Landscape: Cut back and trim all vegetation and overgrown bushes from structures.
  • Sprinklers: Check lawn sprinkler system for leaky valves, exposed lines, and improperly working sprinkler heads.

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