The majority of us like to keep our clothes neatly in the wardrobe or regularly change the car’s oil for smooth running. However, how many of us usually pay attention to home maintenance? We typically neglect or keep delaying home maintenance. It may be because it looks like a dreadful and expensive task. Though carrying out regular maintenance can save you from large issues and costly repairs in the future.
A best practice is to create a calendar for home maintenance; online or on a notepad. Note down a list of task which suits best for you. The checklist may vary depending on the condition of the house. Evaluate your house frequently to check if everything is functioning correctly or you need a replacement. Maintaining your home can also increase the market value if you want to sell it.
Below are some easy home maintenance tips you can follow every month:
1. CHECK INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VENTS
Vents play a role in cleaning out smells and dust from your place. Are your fans doing the job properly? If not, this might be the reason mold is growing in your house. Additionally, to prevent mold growth, you should take some time out to clean your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans.
In summer, change the rotation of fans counter-clockwise to push cool air down. Whereas in winter, rotate it back to the clockwise direction by reversing the switch.
2. CLEANING CARPETS AND FURNITURE
Let’s face it – house maintenance is incomplete without the cleaning of furniture and carpets. However, you might have some unused furniture or rugs taking up space. These unused items may cause hindrance in the maintenance of your home. A good approach is to keep your unwanted items in self storage while you carry out the home maintenance. It will save you time and help in accomplishing the tasks efficiently.
Below are some easy and handy tips to keep your carpets tidy:
- Make a good habit of vacuuming carpets regularly. It will help you remove any dirt, improve the air quality, and enhance the rug’s sustainability.
- Look out for any spills at your earliest.
With the following care tips, you can protect your furniture from repairs:
- Use a soft piece of cloth or brush to dust your furniture.
- Extensive heat can damage the polish of your furniture, so keep your furniture away from direct sunlight.
3. REPAIR PLUMBING
If the tiles of your home consist of a cement mixture or caulking material, their condition can depreciate eventually. That is why a monthly check-up is necessary to observe any signs of moldering, rusting, and mustiness.
Go over the sinks of your kitchen every month. Make sure that there is no leakage. If there is a clog piling up at the sink, avoid using fats and oil.
Also, examine the ceiling of your home for any leakage of water. For the bathroom, inspect each faucet and valves. If the fluid pressure is not up to the mark, then repair the aeration device. Don’t forget to fix the toilet flapper when it gets in a shabby state. Call a plumber if you think you can’t fix something out.
4. CHECK ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Checking your electrical appliances is a must, else you will have to buy a new one or pay a high repairing cost. If you sense some fault in electrical wiring, call a technician. Make sure that you have a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breaker at your home. It acts as a protective shield and cuts off the power in case of ground faults in a matter of seconds.
Most people do not bother inspecting their HVAC systems at home. They only get worried when it stops working. To avoid such situations, spare a few minutes every month to check the air-conditioning units. You should change the air filter once a month, specifically during the peak season.
5. TEST SMOKE ALARMS AND FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Non-working fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can be the cause of serious problems. Ensure that the sensor has a “test” button. If this test button does not ring any alarm, you need to change the smoke detector’s battery. Still, if it does not make a sound, there might be corrosion on the metal plates. In this case, you probably need to buy a new smoke detector.
Moreover, you should know how to use a fire extinguisher in case of any bad incident. Check the pressure knob and try to keep it clean.
CONCLUSION
A stitch in time saves nine. All of these maintenance tips will hardly take a few minutes or hours of each month. Make a mental note to yourself about the tasks and schedule them. These useful tips will not only keep your home neat and tidy but also saves a lot of money. You can conserve energy and increase the span of the devices installed in your home.
