You’re ready for more sunlight. You can smell the shift in the air that announces warmer weather. It’s almost time to start thinking about outdoor patio dinners, fresh flowers in the garden beds and lazing about in bare feet.
Aligning your lifestyle and habits with seasonal change is an important part of remaining in sync with nature. It’s also a great tool for keeping your home in good running order. As daylight saving time approaches, consider making these maintenance tasks part of your periodic household switch-out routine.
Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Locate the test button on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and press it to check each alarm. Be sure to call your central monitoring company first if you have one, so they know it’s just a drill. The American Red Cross recommends changing detector batteries once a year and replacing alarm systems every 10 years.
[See: 12 Home Improvement Shortcuts That Are a Bad Idea.]
Change Appliance Filters
Any filter in your home that purifies air or water requires periodic cleaning or switching out to remain effective. Don’t wait until you notice a problem. Consumer Reports cites ease of filter replacement as one of the main things it routinely checks for when testing appliance viability.
You might be surprised how many appliances in your home utilize filter systems. Be sure to check:
— Furnace and air ducts
— Vacuum cleaners
— Dishwashers
— Refrigerators
— Drinking water purification systems
— Air purifiers
— Air conditioners
— Microwaves
— Kitchen hood exhausts
— Clothes dryers
— Bathroom exhaust fans
[See: 10 Ways to Save Energy and Reduce Utility Bills at Home.]
Seal Air Leaks
Now that the air in your home is running newly freshened, it’s a good time to check for air seal leakage. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice commonly wear away caulk and weatherstripping around doors and windows.
In preparation for the warmer weather, check for drafts and recaulk, weatherstrip or spray foam insulation to keep the cool air in. You and your family will be in and out of the house a lot in the coming months.
Consider installing door sweeps to block air transfer from steady movement. A poorly insulated door can account for over 20 percent of your home’s energy loss, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That means you’re missing out on cheaper heating and cooling bills, and of course, a more comfortable place to live. Making simple fixes here and there can do wonders to help prevent energy loss.
Clear Out Medicine Cabinets
Cold and flu season can wreak havoc on a medicine chest. Clear out all medications that have expired and any prescription drugs you no longer take. Make sure to use proper disposal methods, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Check into local collection sites for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which happens annually in April.
Restock First-Aid Kits
With all the room left over from your medication overhaul, you should have plenty of space to store first-aid and safety items. Warm weather brings bee stings and scraped knees on the playground. Mayo Clinic recommends you restock your first-aid kit with seasonal items such as Band-Aids, aloe vera gel, eyewash solution, tweezers, antiseptic solution and antibiotic ointment.
Additionally, some safety and emergency preparedness items have the potential to be more useful than others during the warmer months. The Red Cross recommends making sure that you stock your home with matches, extra batteries, towels, flashlights and jugs of commercially bottled or distilled water, among other things. Be sure to replace dwindling supplies as needed in travel kits as well as those for use at home.
[Read: 7 Home Renovations to Consider for 2018.]
Flip Your Mattresses
Extend the life of your mattresses by flipping or rotating to help distribute weight evenly. While the sheets are off, grab the vacuum and thoroughly clean the top and sides.
Don’t forget your pillows. Oil from skin and creams, dust mites and dead skin cells can build up. Run stripped pillows through the wash or replace entirely if they’re older than two years.
Donate Your Clothing
While you’re boxing up winter jackets and boots, long underwear and heavy sweaters for storage, go through your closets with an eye toward donating clothing that hasn’t been worn in over a year. Decluttering is less intimidating when it’s done piecemeal, and there’s no better place to start than acloset that’s already partially cleared out.
Clean Out Your Oven
Before those outdoor patio dinners made on the grill begin in earnest, clean your oven and put it to bed for the summer prepped and ready for fall holiday baking. Gently scrape off built-up residue before starting the self-clean cycle, and wipe down thoroughly when finished.
Are you ready to get out and start walking on sunshine? Because your house is now in full-out spring-forward mode.
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Home Maintenance Tasks to Align With Daylight Saving Time originally appeared on usnews.com
