Keep up with these home maintenance tips to ensure a safe and healthy home this season.
By: Anne Reagan, Porch.com
If the chill of December is making your home cold, you’ll want to make sure your winterizing tasks are being completed this month. This can include insulating the plumbing so that your pipes don’t freeze, sealing out drafts, and making sure your home is protected from the elements. Another great December focus is to prevent accidental fires by thoroughly cleaning out your dryer ducts, being smart about fireplace safety and keeping a fire extinguisher in your kitchen in the event of a grease fire. If you decorate your home for the holidays, remember to hang your lights safely and be cautious when climbing ladders, especially in wet or slippery conditions.
Keeping your home safe and secure this month will ensure that you are able to enjoy the season!
Untangle and inspect holiday lights
Get ready to decorate for the holiday season by prepping your holiday lights. Watch our videos for how to choose the right lights for your home, how to safely hang them, and how to store them without getting them tangled.
Clean your carpets
Schedule a professional carpet cleaner to take care of post-party spills and stains after the holidays
Check humidifiers
Inspect and clean humidifiers for better air indoor quality
Inspect insulation
Schedule an attic insulation specialist to make sure your home is operating efficiently this winter. Want to know if you could do this project yourself? Read this article, here.
Check for fire extinguishers
Check the fire extinguishers and make sure you have at least one in the kitchen and near the fireplace. Read this article to learn more about what types of extinguishers to buy and where they should go in your home.
Test your GFCI outlets
A GFCI outlet is a ground-fault circuit interrupter outlet that you typically see in kitchens and bathrooms. Learn how to test your GFCI outlets, here.
Test all alarms
Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure a safe home this season.
Reverse ceiling fans
House too cold? Try reversing the ceiling fans to push warm air down, stop drafts at doors and windows, and try laying down rugs over cold flooring to save money on heating costs.
Organize
Call and schedule a professional home organizer to ensure a clutter-free year.
Get ready for snow
Have de-icers and shovels ready to keep sidewalks and driveway clear of slippery ice and snow. See all of our snow-removal tips, here.
Check and clean your gutters
Check your gutters for ice dams or icicles and remove any leaves or debris.
Prepare for power outages
Inspect the backup generators in the event of winter power outages. Stock up on candles and extra batteries for flashlights and lamps.
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