Spring cleaning tips to protect you and your home
Spring is in the air! And spring cleaning isn’t just for making your house look cleaner and invoking a feeling of new beginnings. There are certain preventative maintenance steps that should be taken this time of year in order to help protect you and your home.
Deep Clean Your Dryer
While you most likely clean the lint trap of your dryer each time you use it, you should take the time to deep clean the lint trap and the vent. Doing this will help prevent a fire in your laundry room. Use your vacuum’s hose attachment to really get all excess lint out of tight areas. Use a shop vac to clear out the vent on the outside of your home.
Clean Around Your Furnace
It is always a good idea to pay close attention to the area around your furnace when cleaning. This will help prevent fire hazards from forming in this part of your house. In addition, it is a good idea to schedule the yearly tune-up and inspection of your furnace and air conditioning systems.
Power Wash Your Home
Spring flowers also bring lots of pollen that can discolor your home and clog your gutters. Now is a great time to make an appointment power wash your exterior siding and remove debris from gutters.
Check Exterior Wood Structures
Check exterior wooden structures such as decks, stairs, and trellises for nails that may have come up or wood that may have split/splintered during the winter months. Hammering nails back down and replacing or sanding trouble spots will help prevent injuries when it is time to enjoy the outdoors again.
Maintain Detectors
It is essential to perform battery changes twice per year in both your fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. You should also test them to make sure they are working properly.
Check Fire Extinguishers
It is important to keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen just in case something ever goes wrong. What some people may not realize is that these home extinguishers have an expiration date. Spring cleaning time is the perfect opportunity to check and make sure you don’t need to get a new one.
These are just a few simple preventative measures you can take to make sure your home and your family are protected this spring.
