We’re halfway through Spring and running headfirst into Summer. Here are some things you should be doing to keep your home in tip-top shape for the season:
Interior –
- Spring cleaning. It’s the first thing that comes to mind when planning your Spring home maintenance, and for good reason. With increased daylight hours, and so much gorgeous natural light, Spring is the perfect time to give your home a good deep cleaning. Start small and break it down room by room; you don’t need to accomplish this task in one weekend. (For a room-by-room breakdown, check out this helpful guide from Home Made Simple.)
- Flip your mattress. As you take off your sheets and duvets to throw in the wash, flip your mattress over. Or if they aren’t designed to be flipped, give them a rotation. This will help keep your mattress from wearing too much in one area and extend its life. Rub some baking soda on top while you’re at it, and let it rest an hour or two before vacuuming it up.
- Reverse your ceiling fans. In the winter, you want your ceiling fans to spin clockwise to push warm air back down into the room. In the warmer Spring and Summer months, reverse the spin, making it counter-clockwise to help cool down your rooms. And give those fan blades a good dusting while you’re at it.
- Check your smoke and C02 detectors. Replace batteries as needed.
- Clean your washing machine. It’s not something typically considered when it comes to cleaning checklists, but your washing machine needs to be cleaned periodically to keep it operating to the best of its ability. For more information, follow this step-by-step guide from Houzz.
- Have your A/C serviced. You can change the filters yourself (and should do this once each season), but you should schedule a professional to service your A/C. This will keep it running smoothly and help extend its life. The sooner in the season you get it checked, the less likely it will quit on you during the hottest day of the year.
- Recharge your living space. Spring is the perfect time to bring in some new plants, change out old pillows, and spruce up your decor.
Exterior –
- Mowing and weeding. That first mow of the season always feels so satisfying (and smells so good). Start the season off right with some weeding and edging to keep your lawn in beautiful shape. Check on your lawn equipment while you’re at it and get it serviced as needed.
- Dump standing water. Mosquitoes love standing water. Take some time to dump any water in fountains, bird baths, etc. to keep larvae from making it a new home. This will help limit the swarm of mosquitoes around your home. Make sure to continue to dump water on a weekly basis for best results. If you find standing water in a place where there should not be standing water, give us a call to help determine what can be done to prevent it from returning.
- Spruce up your garden. Different plants require different planting times, and it varies by location as well. Here in the Northwest DC area, most Spring plants should be moved into the ground by early May. Confirm planting times with the Farmer’s Almanac.
- Clean out your exhaust vents. Keep your home safe from exhaust fires by making sure all vents are thoroughly cleaned.
- Plan your outdoor living space. If you spend a lot of time outside, now is the perfect time to pull out and clean off your patio furniture. Give your deck a good wash (and a stain & seal as needed). Lay new pavers where you plan to hangout. Pull your barbeque out of the garage and give it a test run. Set up your clothesline for energy-efficient drying.
- Wash your windows. The weather is finally nice enough to spend some time and elbow grease giving your windows a good cleaning, both inside and out. Check screens for rips and tears, and have the repaired/replaced as needed. As you work around each window, be on the lookout for water and termite damage.
- Check on your sprinkler system. Turn each zone on, one at a time, and walk the zone. Inspect for leaks and broken sprinkler heads. Adjust the heads as needed to keep them from spraying water on your home, especially around windows.
Big Budget Considerations –
Take a look at these items on and around your home to determine if it’s time to call in a professional for an estimate.
- Exterior paint
- Roof
- Resealing decks, fences, and concrete
- Scheduling routine pool maintenance
- Outdoor living space additions like a porch or a new patio cover
Feeling daunted by some of the tasks on this list? Give us a call! We at Merrick Home Services are the go-to for all your Montgomery County and Northwest DC home maintenance needs.
