Here we are, mid-February, and hibernation is almost over. The holidays are behind us and spring is peeking around the corner. Now is a good time to focus on a few indoor cleaning tasks. These maintenance tips can also save you money in the long run. Spending the time on the upkeep of mid-winter maintenance helps prevent more costly issues in the future.
Kitchen Area
Your kitchen has just endured a marathon of use, so this is probably a good place to start. From baking goods for desserts and gifts, to preparing meals for holiday parties, and serving as a welcome area for visitors, the kitchen could benefit from a little TLC.
One of the first tasks you should tackle is cleaning your kitchen exhaust fan. Grease builds up quickly in a kitchen and if you are running your fan regularly, the grease will get sucked into the unit. There are several elements you will want to clean and/or replace including the filter, interior hood and fan. Homeadvisor offers great advice on tackling this task. While you are at it, give your stove top and oven a thorough cleaning – BHG offers best practices for multiple different stove tops and ovens here.
Airborne grease doesn’t stop at your exhaust fan. In fact, it travels throughout the kitchen landing on all types of surfaces. While we clean our counter tops, stove tops and furniture regularly, we tend to forget about the vertical surfaces such as our cabinets. Give your cabinets and other surfaces a fresh cleaning using a citrus based cleaner or a white vinegar solution.
The next appliance that could use some attention is the refrigerator. It is a good idea to clean your fridge’s condenser coils every six months or so. You may want to do it more frequently if you have pets that shed a lot of hair. As these coils are hidden from the naked eye, it is easy to forget about cleaning them. However, they help your fridge cool more efficiently and if they become caked with dirt, dust or pet hair, they cannot do their job properly. Locate your owner’s manual for guidance on where your fridge’s condenser coils are located.
This is also a good time to clean out the inside of your refrigerator and freezer. You may be surprised at how many out-of-date items you may find.
Furnace Maintenance
Many homes must keep their furnace running throughout the winter months. Furnace filters should be checked and either cleaned or replaced on a regular basis. Indoor air quality and furnace efficiency depend on a clean filter. February is a good time to inspect your furnace filter and change it, if necessary.
It’s also a good time to pull out the vacuum and clean out your HVAC system. By removing dust, you will improve the efficiency of your system while also reducing the chances of overheating. Added bonus – your system will be blowing cleaner air.
Filters
Not only is it a good time to change the furnace filter but look around the house for other appliances that may have filters. For instance, humidifiers, air purifiers, microwave, water filters, refrigerator, etc. Is it time to change those as well?
Create a list of all the appliances that contain filters and start setting calendar reminders when they need to be changed. Perhaps you could get them all on the same schedule. Even if you cannot, knowing when they were last changed will help extend the life of your appliances.
Fire Safety
Now is a good time to conduct maintenance on your home’s fire alarm system and ensure its proper operation. It will provide household members with ample warning in the event of a fire. Failure to ensure fire alarm systems are operating correctly can decrease the alarm’s effectiveness. Remember, a working fire alarm is beneficial to your safety. Check out these tips to ensure your fire alarm is working properly.
Additionally, you will want to check your portable fire extinguishers as they are lifesaving equipment. They may turn out to be your first line of defense against small fires in the home so ensuring they are operable is imperative. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) advises that with proper inspection, testing and maintenance protocols fire extinguishers can be long lasting, reliable options for combating a small fire early on.
Dryer Vent
Sometimes you can notice warning signs that there is a buildup of lint in the dryer vent. These include:
Laundry taking longer to try
Dryer is hot to the touch
burning smell noticeable when dryer is running
You can prevent these things from happening with proper maintenance.
Clogged dryer vents and ductwork don’t just reduce the dryer’s performance, but it can lead to a fire hazard. In fact, it is the cause of thousands of house fires per year in the United States. It is recommended that a dryer vent and ductwork be cleaned (vacuumed) at least once a year. This not only will help ensure that the machine runs at peak efficiency, but will also reduce the risk of a fire hazard.
These maintenance tips should help you keep your home safe, comfortable and operating efficiently.
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