Although there are many benefits to owning a home, one of the biggest challenges for many homeowners is maintaining the home. Here are some home-related tasks you should complete in January to keep your home running smoothly.
I love owning a home, but the thought of maintaining it can be overwhelming.
While it’s easy to fix problems in your home, preventive maintenance is key to preventing problems from occurring.
Properly maintaining your home can save you a lot of time and effort. Decide on a monthly schedule and stick to it!
Here are some important home maintenance tasks you can complete to keep your home in tip-top condition.
Holiday cleaning
Many people decorate their homes for Christmas both inside and outside. A big task at the beginning of the month is to put away all your decorations.
Pack everything carefully and evaluate it as you go. If something breaks, make a plan to repair it or throw it away or recycle it.
If you have something you didn’t use this year and don’t plan on using in the future, donate it or throw it away. By cutting back on Christmas decorations and organizing your closet space, you’ll feel cleaner and more organized in the new year.
Clean the refrigerator thoroughly
Whether you were hosting on vacation or simply cooking for yourself, there’s a good chance you had more food in your fridge than usual.
This month, take an hour to completely empty your fridge. Wipe down all drawers and shelves and throw away expired or unwanted food.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly this process can happen, but it can really make you feel like you’ve made a fresh start.
Clean the refrigerator coils
After cleaning the inside of your refrigerator, don’t forget to clean the coils!
If the coils are dirty, your refrigerator will have to work harder to stay cool, which can waste electricity and put a strain on your refrigerator. The spool is located on the back of the machine, or at the bottom front behind the plastic grill.
For your safety, always unplug the refrigerator before cleaning it. If I leave the door closed and reconnect the plug after a few minutes, the food is perfectly fine.
Use your vacuum cleaner’s brush attachment to remove pesky dust, dirt, and hair from the coils.
Don’t forget to turn on the refrigerator when you’re done!
Take inventory of all valuables
You may have received or purchased some nice new items during the holiday season. Document what you own, such as electronics, jewelry, and furniture.
Take a photo and save it to a cloud-based server like Dropbox. Make sure you note down the details of any items that may be covered by insurance and keep them in a safe place or back them up electronically.
In the worst case scenario, a detailed home inventory can mean a thousands of dollars difference in home insurance reimbursement.
Stock up on storm essentials
In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, January and February are the coldest months of the year. This cold weather is often accompanied by heavy snow and ice storms.
Take your time and make sure you have the right emergency supplies. Be sure to have batteries, a flashlight, and a water bottle on hand, especially in case the power goes out or water pipes freeze during a winter storm.
Stock up on first aid kits
While preparing your storm essentials, also check your first aid kit.
The best course of action is to empty the kit completely and inspect each item. Please replenish any items that are missing. If anything is damaged, replace it.
Make sure the kit is stored in the correct location. It’s also a good idea to keep a small first aid kit in your car.
Organizing documents
The new year is the perfect time to get organized. Even though we live in a paperless era, there are still documents that need to be kept.
Try to collect them all in one place. Decide whether to store it in a file cabinet, folder, or box.
Browse through and recycle or shred anything you no longer need.
Organize everything else as logically as possible.
Don’t forget to scan anything that you want a backup electronic copy of!
Protect exposed pipes
If you live in a cold climate, freezing pipes might be a worry for you in January and February. Take a moment to be sure any exposed pipes are protected.
Adding a layer of insulation to exposed pipes and spigots can help to keep them from freezing and prevent a costly burst pipe.
You can use foam pipe insulation or pipe wrap tape. It’s easy to add inexpensive foam faucet covers over your spigots, too!
Change your range hood filter
Did you know that there is a filter inside the hood in the range over your stone? If not, I think yours is really disgusting!
These filters should be replaced once or twice a year. If you frequently cook oily foods, you will need to change it more often.
Replacing these filters will ensure that the hooks work efficiently and will not become clogged or damaged.
Replace air and water filters
January is the perfect time to reboot all your filters. These filters should be replaced especially if you use your heating frequently.
If your refrigerator has a water dispenser, take the time to replace the water filter. This usually results in faster water flow and better water pressure.
