Spring has become a traditional time of year to tidy up your home. By doing a deeper clean in a few key places will help you and your family stay safe from surprises later on, and if you’re a person who gets satisfaction from living in a clean space, you’ll feel great about the extra effort.
Preventing fires at home can often come down to making sure that there’s no clutter that can cause problems, and that sources of heat are clean and working well.
Clean around your stove and oven – Cleaning your stove and your oven is important, but don’t forget the area around appliances. Take the time to vacuum around the appliance to clean up any crumbs and dust tucked away. While you’re at it, vacuum around the back of your other appliances, clean out the toaster, and declutter your counter tops. Don’t forget to look up and clean the range hood too.
Laundry Room – Hopefully you clean the lint trap regularly, but now’s the time to do more. Vacuum out the inside of where the lint trap fits into the machine and pull the machine out to vacuum around it. Also take the time to pull the dryer vent hose and clean out the back of the machine. If you’re booking a duct cleaning service, get them to do the dryer ducting as well. Tidy shelves and loose stuff in the laundry room, and make sure the iron is stored safely with the cord unplugged.
All those cords – This one can feel like a biggie but tie it into your general cleaning and it’ll happen quickly. Check all of your power cords to make sure they’re in great shape, with now cracking, fraying, or toothmarks from pets. Replace anything that isn’t in top shape.
Fire Extinguishers – While you’re cleaning, be sure to check on your fire extinguishers. You should have one on each floor of your house, plus one in the kitchen, laundry room, garage, and basement workshop. We hope you’ll never need one, but it’s best to be safe.
Spring Cleaning is also a great time to do the work to keep allergens from building up and cleaning out mold. You’ll breathe easier – literally – once this work is done, ad any guests that come by for a visit will too.
Change filters – A lot of appliances and devices have filters. Changing these out is a quick job and makes a big difference. Furnace, range hood, vacuum, and air conditioners are all places to check. Be sure to change the filter in your vacuum before starting to clean.
Cleaning out mold – This isn’t as simple as wiping up mold. You’ll need to spray it down with an appropriate cleaning mix (specific mold cleaner), and then let the spray do the work before wiping it up. If possible, rinse with water once you’re done.
Cleaning windows – Spring means pollen, so opening out all of your windows to clean at once isn’t always the best strategy. Instead, clean one window at a time, only opening when you have to, and closing when done.
A little extra effort this spring will have your home feeling fresh and clean, and you ready to enjoy yourself as days get longer and warmer.
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