Fall is nearly here and, chances are, your life is going to be getting much busier. On the home front you have school and kids’ extracurricular activities starting up. On the work front, you’re heading into conference and travel season, not to mention the race to get it all done before the holidays and year end. The last thing you need is major home maintenance added to the list, so here are 9 things to do right now before fall gets into full swing:
- Get ready for closed windows! Ensure good indoor air quality by getting ducts cleaned and filters changed. Wash windows inside and out and vacuum screens to improve your view.
- Book an appointment to have your chimneys, flues and heating appliances inspected and cleaned.
- Get ready for more indoor cooking and regular meals with a thorough cleaning of your ovens and stove. Don’t forget overhead cooking exhaust fans where substantial grease can build up over time, causing a fire hazard.
- Make room for frozen meals and kids’ snack and lunch supplies by giving your refrigerator a deep cleaning and defrost.
- Get a jump on the holidays by sorting, organizing and pruning your supplies of seasonal decorations.
- Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries as needed.
- Pull your electric (not gas!) clothes dryer out from the wall; minimize fire hazard by vacuuming any lint that has collected in back and/or underneath the appliance. Disassemble the dryer’s venting tubes and clean those out as well.
- Shampoo or steam clean carpets and furniture upholstery now that daily foot traffic and use will be diminishing.
- Prepare your kitchen to be well stocked for healthy, home cooked meals by purging older unused and out-of-date items from kitchen cabinets and weeding/organizing your supply of food-storage containers.
