Everyone wants to live in a clean and well-maintained home, especially in a season when we’re spending more time than ever indoors. Hygiene is of utmost importance this year, and it goes beyond the dust bunnies. We want clean, sanitized homes where germs don’t reside.

However, when it comes to home maintenance, there are quite a few tasks that go unspoken or just generally forgotten about. Since they only need to be done on a biannual basis at most, it’s easy to put them off to another day. It can be hard to keep tabs on what you should be tending to.

Here are a couple of duties that you may not have included in your list:

1) Cleaning The Gutters

Having a gutter system is important when your home is located in an area that gets a lot of rain. It helps to collect the water from the roof and streamlining it down and away from the house to protect the property’s foundation. However, aside from water, dirt and leaves, rocks, and many more can build up in the gutters. You’ll need to have them cleared out at least twice a year to keep the system and your roof in best condition!

2) Checking The Roof

While you’re cleaning the gutters, don’t forget to check the roof. This part of your home is often susceptible to a lot of cracks because it bears the brunt of what your house is going through, be it heavy rain or a snowstorm. Check the roof a couple of times for any damage, mold growth, or missing shingles. You can better maintain the structural integrity of your home if you attend to the problems immediately.

3) Resetting The Water Heater

Unbeknownst to a lot of people, the water heater should be reset annually by flushing it out. It can be a pain to deal with a faulty heat source, and letting debris collect inside the tank will make it even harder to fix up in the future. Save yourself the trouble by making the reminder.

4) Dusting Out The Dryer Vent Pipes

These vent ducts help remove any vapor in the home, but it’s prone to getting lint stuck in there. Instead of letting it build up and create the potential for a house fire, try not to forget to clean it next time. You also get to check for bugs that might be lurking in the pipes too!

5) Clearing The Weep Holes

This chore goes unspoken primarily because no one knows what weep holes are. They’re located by the bottom of a window and are used to drain out water from the windowsill and frame. Unclog them of any dirt by using a small metal clip.

6) Tidying The Fridge’s Coil Area

Most appliances go unwritten in the list of things to do for home maintenance, even though you use them every day. Not a period goes by where the refrigerator isn’t open. Do it a favor by checking the coils and removing the dust from them. 

7) Running A Cleaning Cycle With The Dishwasher

The dishwasher helps to get you fresh and clean dishes, but many seem to forget how exactly they should be maintaining it. If you use your dishwasher every day, aim to run a cleaning cycle monthly. Just add some vinegar and run a hot dishwasher cycle. You’d be surprised at the difference it can make!

8) Scrubbing Your Cleaning Tools

Even if certain tools like your broom, duster, vacuum are used for cleaning, this doesn’t mean they’re immune to getting dirty and dusty too. Be sure to give the proper care and maintenance to your tools every couple of weeks to lengthen their lifespan. 

Conclusion

Carrying out these tasks is vitally important to maintaining a functioning home. Proper maintenance can also save you a lot of dollars from any potential repairs, meaning that keeping up with them is more than cleanliness—it’s also safety and smart money management! 

We understand that busy homeowners don’t have the time to remember every single detail of home maintenance. That’s why we’re making it easier with HomeManager! Our app to manage household chores was developed in Livingston, Montana, and it’s perfect for reminding you every month about what you need to do to maintain your home. It’ll even tell you how much you’ll save by DIY-ing it. Sign up today!