Key Home Maintenance Tasks for Every Homeowner

NEW YORK – Whether you just became a homeowner or bought a house years ago, keeping it clean is always a priority. Nevertheless, there are some tasks that you probably avoid because you think they're time-consuming or difficult.

If you don't do these cleaning and maintenance tasks regularly, you inadvertently worsen your life. As time passes, grime accumulates, and appliances get older and harder to fix.

To avoid spending extra time and money on your home's upkeep, you must do these easy tasks now and add them to your routine. Here's how.

Clean the dryer and dryer vent

Built-up lint inside dryers and in vents can pose a serious fire risk. Dust and lint escape through the small gaps around the edges of the dryer drum and fall inside the cabinet.

They can ignite from anything, like a spark from the dryer's motor, and travel through the exhaust vent, driving the flames with them. Cleaning your dryer vent is as easy as ensuring it's lint-free every time you do laundry. In addition, you should get the vent professionally cleaned yearly.

Keep aerators clean

Buildup and soap from your dishes and hands can clog aerators found on your kitchen and bathroom faucets. They can reduce the water flow and make the water unsanitary.

To clean aerators, take them off the faucet, disassemble them, soak them in vinegar for thirty minutes or more, and scrub them well with a brush -- even a toothbrush will do.

Clean the oven door

Oven doors are often covered in old food splashes and can cause odors and smoke inside the kitchen. Never ignore big spills; clean them thoroughly as soon as they happen, and wipe down your oven door every time you clean the kitchen.

If you've neglected your oven for a long time, you may need to remove the oven door and clean between the glass door panels. It's more complicated than wiping spills down as they occur, but that's what you get for ignoring a simple task.

Dust the bath fan

Bath fans are the perfect spot for dust and moisture to combine into a disgusting film. They're also on the ceiling, so they're easy to ignore until they're caked in dirt.

To clean your bath fan, pull down the cover, remove it, and use a brush to remove the grime. Depending on how dirty your bath fan is, you may also need to vacuum it. Do this task often, and you'll finish in no time.

Wash the garbage can

You probably use liners and bags in your garbage can, so you don't think you need to wash it. Nevertheless, trash often leaks, and anything that comes into contact with it should be regularly sanitized.

You don't need to wash the garbage can daily or weekly. Simply spray the inside of the can with disinfectant whenever you take out the garbage -- problem solved!

Vacuum the mattress

You may think changing the sheets is enough to keep your bed clean. While it's an important step, it's not all there is to it. Mattresses also get dirty under those sheets and comforters; you need to vacuum them.

Try vacuuming the mattress every couple of months and air it outdoors for a few hours when it's sunny to naturally disinfect it and remove musty odors.

Wipe down walls

Interior walls and trims don't attract dust as effectively as TV and computer screens, but they still get a layer of dust if you never wipe them down.

To avoid this source of dirt, use a Swiffer floor mop to dust your walls and trim. Cover the end with a dry dust rag and run it along the walls. Because of the long handle, you won't need a ladder to pick up dust and cobwebs and have sparkly clean walls.

Clean the back of the fridge

The back of your fridge is often out of sight, out of mind. However, it's also the perfect spot to get stubborn dust and grime in the kitchen. Don't wipe it down (or vacuum it) every week but include it in your kitchen cleaning routine a few times a year.

You'll notice your fridge will run better when the back is free of dirt, as well, which is a bonus.

Wash the deck

Washing your deck can be one of the chores you hate the most. Because it's exposed to the elements all year round, it can become covered in everything from dust and dirt to debris and grease from the barbecue.

However, if you have a power washer and long-handle brush, washing the deck is easy (and fun). Use a degreasing agent to reduce the elbow grease needed for the job, and enjoy your refreshed deck!

Clean the dishwasher

Much like the bathtub doesn't stay clean, although it cleans us, the dishwasher doesn't get sparkly clean when it leaves your dishes spotless. If you don't clean it regularly, food bits can get into its nooks and crannies, causing bad odors and dirty dishes in the long term.

Clean the dishwasher regularly, especially if you use it every day. It's the best way to keep it running well.

Clean the chimney

We don't recommend you clean your chimney yourself unless you have some experience with shop vacs and standard chimney cleaning tools. However, you must clean the chimney yearly to prevent creosote fires, which can be deadly.

Secure the services of a professional cleaner every spring and enjoy peace of mind – and lovely evenings by the fire – all winter long.

Wash the siding

Vinyl siding is usually easy to clean with a hose or power washer. Still, if it's old, it may have stubborn stains that water can't eliminate. You can use a soft sponge or cloth and powdered laundry soap or household cleaner alongside vinegar to remove these stains.

Alternatively, you can get a professional cleaning done, although it will be more expensive. To prevent that, hose down your siding regularly, especially during the summer.

Clean the fridge

Cleaning the back of the fridge is a great way to keep the kitchen clean, but not washing the inside of the fridge does you a great disservice. Dirty fridges are smelly and unclean, and they can make you and your family sick.

Empty out the fridge and wash it with soapy water regularly. It will also help you rotate your food and avoid old leftovers, mold, and expired products.

Blow soffit vents clean

Soffit vents ensure that your attic gets good ventilation, saving you air conditioning costs during summer and protecting your roof from condensation damage during winter.

Yet, if they're blocked by debris, cobwebs, or pieces of broken insulation, your ventilation will suffer. Use a compressor with an air nozzle or a leaf blower to clean them and protect your eyes while you do it!

Wash weep holes

Weep holes are located on the exterior bottom of sliding windows. They allow rainwater to drain from the window but can also get blocked by the debris that rain brings down.

The easiest way to keep them clean is to use a hose on them until you see a steady stream of water exiting these holes. If water doesn't do the job, use compressed air or a wire hanger, and then spray them again with water to confirm they're clean.

Wipe down doorknobs

Doorknobs often crawl with dirt and bacteria because every person in the household touches them multiple times a day. You may have never cleaned them because you don't think about them – similarly to how light switches may be under your radar when you vacuum, dust, or sweep the floors.

Cleaning doorknobs is as easy as wiping them down with a bleach-based cleaner-infused cloth every few days – and a similar treatment can also keep your light switches sanitized.

Clean outdoor lights

Outdoor lights may only become an obvious problem when they're too dim to do their job because they're covered in dust and even pest nests. They attract insects, and the heat they provide can also make mice and other rodents feel at home.

Clean outdoor lights regularly and replace any burned-out bulbs. Besides being clean, they'll also increase your home's curb appeal.

Clean closets

Cleaning closets is a great way to stay on top of clutter, but it can feel like the worst chore if you don't do it regularly. A good idea is to rotate your summer and winter wardrobe as the seasons progress and only keep the mainstays visible and at hand.

Always dust shelves, wipe down inside drawers when you do your seasonal rotation, and store things you don't need for the next few months. Wooden boxes come in handy and can be stacked on top of each other to maximize space.

Remove sink and tub drain buildup

If your sink and tub drains aren't draining as quickly as they should, they're probably blocked with buildup. Buildup can contain many things and can get especially bad if you have long hair or don't properly clear out plates before rinsing them.

First, manually remove any visible obstructions with a plunger or a pipe cleaner. Then, pour about a cup's worth of baking soda down the drain and follow up with boiling water.

Clean range hood filters

The range hood filter does a great job of collecting grease and keeping odors and smoke down as you cook. If you don't regularly clean it, it will become covered in grease buildup and lose effectiveness.

The easiest way to clean your hood filter is to place it in the sink after filling it with hot water and dishwashing liquid. Leave the filter soaking for fifteen minutes, scrub it with a brush, rinse it, and dry it with a paper towel. Add baking soda to your soaking water if the grease buildup is particularly stubborn.

Clean the pillows

Clean pillows and bedsheets go a long way to making your sleep more peaceful. Because pillowcases protect them, you don't need to wash your pillows weekly. Nevertheless, you should regularly wash them on a gentle cycle and cool water.

Try washing them every three months to remove sweat stains and dead skin cells. Add clean tennis balls to plump them up in the dryer, which will also prevent their innards from clumping.

Clean and wipe shower curtains

Plastic shower liners and curtains can develop mildew when not cleaned regularly. To keep them clean, give them a good wipe-down with a vinegar solution or a mix of water and baking soda.

It goes without saying that you should wash fabric shower curtains at least every three or four months like you would any other curtains. It will help keep the bathroom smelling fresh, and you'll enjoy your shower more.

Keep a paperwork binder

One way to avoid paperwork from taking over your kitchen drawers or countertops is to organize all your bills, repair receipts, and insurance papers in a binder. If all your house information is in one spot, your life is easier whenever you need to look this information up or set up a budget.

Likewise, having all this proof can help if or when you decide to put your house on the market.

Make appliances smudge free

If you have stainless steel appliances, you probably hate nothing more than cleaning them because they show every little fingerprint and smudge as soon as someone touches them again.

You'll forget about smudges for good if you replace your usual surface cleaner with car wax. Apply a thin coat of wax to the appliance, let it dry, and then buff it clean. It's as easy as that!

Use baking soda to clean upholstery

If your kids ever overturned a plate of spaghetti on your sofa, you know it's hard to get the stain and, more importantly, the smell out of the upholstery. However, sofas can be easily deodorized and cleaned with baking soda.

Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the stain, let it sit for half an hour, and then vacuum it off with your handheld or regular vacuum. It will get rid of the stain and the odor.

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