February Home Maintenance Tasks

Take advantage of the last month of winter and spruce up your home before venturing out for Spring. Once the first warm day rolls around, you won’t want to spend any unnecessary time inside. Make sure you’re able to soak up the sun as soon as possible by completing this end of winter home maintenance checklist.

Entry Way:

Keep up with entryway cleanup to minimize floor damage from tracked in mud and moisture.

• Keep a dry mop or cloth nearby to wipe up puddles from rain or snow.
• Enforce a no shoe house by placing a shoe rack, bench and throw rugs in your entryway.
• Make sure winter boots and coats all have a place to dry that won’t damage your flooring.

Floors:

Carpets, tile and wood flooring are all susceptible to winter damage. Inspect your flooring and treat any stains or scuffs you find.

• Spot treat stains on your carpet with a gentle stain remover and microfiber cloth.
• Vacuum slowly over high traffic areas.
• Wipe up moisture from wood floors as soon as you see it.
• Place throw rugs over high traffic areas to protect wood floors.
• Scrub stained grout on tile flooring with a bleach solution.
• Seal grout to prevent further staining.

Ice Dams:

The majority of winter may be over but if you’re still experiencing snow and freezing temperatures, check for ice dams.

• Ensure snow and ice on your roof is melting evenly.
• Complete a bypass test to see how susceptible your home is to ice dams.
• Schedule a professional ice dam inspection if you’re unable to verify the absence of an ice dam on your roof.

Plumbing:

Prevent late winter water damage from occurring by inspecting your pipes for damage.

• In your bathroom, look for leaks around your toilet, bathtub and sink while in use.
• Next, move to your laundry room to check for leaks around your washing machine while in use.
• Last but not least, make sure your heat never dips below 55 degrees in your home to prevent frozen pipes. This is important especially at night or when your home is unoccupied.

Organize Clutter Zones:

You’re trapped inside due to winter weather anyways. Take advantage of your time indoors by organizing your home. Doing so could also help you prevent a home heating fire.

• Sort through seasonal clothing, décor and general items that you’ve collected throughout the winter.
• Decide what you want to donate, throw away or store for next winter.
• Give everything you decide to keep a place away from heaters or fireplaces.

Clean fans, curtains and windows:

Everything you don’t use during the winter has probably collected dust and grime throughout the season. Give items like ceiling fans, curtains and windows a pre-spring cleaning.

• Dust ceiling fans and spot treat curtains.
• Use a window cleaner to wipe down windows so you can let in as much light as possible once spring rolls around.

 

ServiceMaster Cleaning and Restoration Services is your leading provider for emergency and residential cleaning services in Central New Jersey. Contact us to learn more about our services or to request a quote.

 

 

Photo by: istockphoto.com/ Motortion