Home Maintenance Checklist

Not everyone is a checklist person, but having one sure does help when your memory fails you. Having a master list you can go to can help you get the things done that need to be done and save you some time. If you know what needs to be done and when, it will work like clockwork and you won't have to rely on your memory.

Regular home maintenance will not only keep your home in working order, it will also save you money. Upkeep of your home will keep it running smoothly and save you from having to wait until something totally breaks or goes out before you take action and then having to spend big bucks for repair or replacement. Some maintenance needs to be ongoing while others can be done at certain times of the year. Let's start with ongoing maintenance.

Ongoing Maintenance: It is very important to change the dryer lint out of your dryer. This may seem like a trivial thing to consider home maintenance, but it is very important. Not changing it can be a fire hazard. I recommend Flylady's Dryer Lint Kit. This will help clean the lint out of the vent and vent hose.

About once a month, it is a good idea to clean your oven and stove top. I mean deep clean. Open up the top of the stove and clean inside where food can fall during cooking. This is a good time to clean the burner bowls and replace them if needed. Clean inside the oven. If you have a self-cleaning oven, then do that. If not, you can purchase some good oven cleaner at the store. Here is a tip: I put foil in the bottom of the stove. That way it can catch drips and spills and save you some cleanup time. All you have to do is take the foil out and throw away and replace it with new foil. This will also work for the burner bowls.

If you have a garbage disposal, you want to clean this about once a month. You can use hot water and baking soda. By the way, baking soda is a great non-abrasive cleaner! It works great on stove top spills!

Spring Maintenance:
In the spring, you want to have your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned and serviced after using it in the winter. This gets it ready for the next winter. Spring is also a good time to have the air conditioner serviced and to make sure it is in good working order for the summertime heat. This is a good time to start on your landscaping projects and check outside water hoses and watering systems. If you have a deck, now is the time to check for any damaged steps or railings or any nails that may be out. This is very important, especially if you have a lot of cookouts in the summer and use your deck. Get your lawn mower serviced and make sure it is good working order for summertime mowing.

Fall Maintenance:
Check the fireplace and chimney again to be ready for the winter. Clean or replace the furnace air filters. This may actually need to be done each month it is used. If you have extreme winters, this is time to cover your outside air unit. In the fall, you need to clean out your gutters and check your roofing. Drain and store your outside water hoses. If you leave them out all winter, they could get damaged or get a hole in them. If you have storm windows and doors, now would be a good time to check them out and make sure they are OK and fix any needed repairs or replace them if needed. If you don't have them, now is the time to get them installed.

Hopefully this checklist will be a guide in taking care of your home and getting it ready for the seasons. There is always more that can be done, and you will likely find things you want to add to this list. This checklist can at least get you started and possibly motivate you to maintain your home even better than you already are.