Winter Clean Up

With the transition from fall to winter upon us (thank you mother nature for the double-digit temperatures this week!), here is a reminder of things to do around the house to prepare it for the coming months.

Outside Your House

• Wash all of your windows inside and out. This will let the light pour through in the darker months.
• Store all patio furniture and outdoor toys but clean and dry them properly first. Be sure to cover them with drop sheets or even fabric sheets.
• Make sure the caulking, seals and weather stripping around all your windows and doors are in good shape and repair where needed. Be sure to wipe down window wells and ledges and hose and wipe down exterior doors.
• Drain and store garden hoses. If you have an in-ground sprinkler system, have it professionally blown out and winterized.
• Empty any ceramic planters and store so they don't freeze and crack.
• Clean out your eavestroughs and downspouts, otherwise you could have blockage when it freezes causing water to drain improperly.
• Give your garage and driveway a good clean.
• Make sure your shovels are in good shape and stock up on salt or sand for the sidewalk.

Inside Your House

• Inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney.
• Change your furnace filters for cleaner air and more efficiency.
• Replace the batteries in smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and other home safety devices.
• Flip your mattress and turn it end-to-end. Clean all bedding you don’t do every week, such as mattress pads, pillows, blankets, bed skirts and bedspreads.
• Clean all your carpets.
• Clean out the kitchen cupboards and pantry - anything you haven't used since spring that is non-perishable can be donated to the Food Bank.
• Pull your refrigerator, clothes washer and dryer out from the wall and clean behind them (and retrieve any long lost socks!). Brush dust off of refrigerator coils and use a narrow vacuum hose attachment to clean inside the lint catcher of your dryer.
• Clear out summer clothing items and store to make more room in your closet. Bring out your winter clothes and donate anything you didn't wear last season.