Chapter 3: Monthly Maintenance

Chapter 3: Monthly Maintenance

Every month, you’ll want to set aside a day or two first to inspect the inside and outside of your home and then do a deep-cleaning. In this chapter, we’ll show you what you need to do to maintain your house monthly and provide some handy tips. If you have any questions about your home’s condition and how it can impact your homeowners insurance, please contact us at David Pope Insurance, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Indoor Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Deep-cleaning the inside of your home once a month makes it easier to keep your house sanitary and comfortable until your next thorough cleaning. By removing dust, food crumbs and other built-up debris, you’ll enjoy cleaner air and prolong the life of appliances and furniture in your home. Use this monthly checklist to guide you:

• Change the HVAC filter if you have pets, smoke indoors or have allergies.
• Inspect your fire extinguishers and make sure they are fully charged.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Clean out the sink and shower drains to prevent clogs.
• Sweep and mop bathroom floors.
• Clean and repair caulking and grout.
• Flush the garbage disposal with baking soda and white vinegar.
• Deep-clean the oven, refrigerator and dishwasher.
• Check your dishwasher for leaks and make sure it’s completely level.
• Clean the inside and outside of kitchen cupboards.
• Clean the range hood filter.
• Clean windows, drapes and blinds.
• Wipe down baseboards, air vent covers and molding.
• Vacuum upholstered furniture and under furniture.
• Clean throw rugs.
• Clean light fixtures.
• Dust ceiling fans.
• Clean the inside and outside of the washing machine.
• Remove lint buildup from the lint filter area.
• Wash bedding.

Deep-Cleaning Tips

Giving your house a thorough cleaning once a month can seem daunting if you don’t have the right supplies or know what to do. Cleaning becomes a much less stressful process if you gather your tools first and learn a few tricks. Here are some tips to help you clean your home with ease:

• Remove carpet stains with rubbing alcohol: Did someone knock over a glass of wine? Blot the stain with a paper towel or a clean cloth, then sponge it with rubbing alcohol. Quickly blot the area with a paper towel and repeat until the stain is gone.
• Dust screens with coffee filters: If you have some spare coffee filters, you can use them to remove dust from computers and TV screens, and you won’t have to worry about towel fibers being left behind.
• Use baking soda to clean the stovetop: Let baking soda do the work for you when it’s time to clean your stovetop. Pour some baking soda on the stove with a few sprinkles of water, then let it sit for an hour before wiping it down.
• Clean blinds with a sock: Dust and dirt quickly accumulate on blinds, but you can fix the problem fast. Moisten a sock with a mixture of half water and half vinegar and wipe down the blinds to easily remove grime.
• Leave the floor for last: Always work from top to bottom no matter what room you’re cleaning. That way, you can let the dust settle to the floor before you vacuum or sweep and save yourself from extra work.
• Use a dry sponge to remove pet hair: Pets can make life much sweeter, but they also add a little extra to the list of chores. Simplify your cleaning routine by collecting pet hair on furniture, carpet or curtains with a dry sponge.

How Do You Prevent Plumbing Problems?

Your plumbing system is responsible for bringing potable water into your home and draining wastewater and sewage from your house. It can also lead to troublesome leaks. It’s critical your home’s pipes, fixtures, appliances and drainage system works well and keeps you supplied with clean water without making a mess. You can avoid many common plumbing problems, liked clogged drains, with a few simple tricks and save yourself from needing a plumber. Here are preventive plumbing maintenance tips for your home:

• Install mesh drain screens in showers and tubs.
• Strain grease over the trash can rather than dumping it down the kitchen sink and run hot water to eliminate any remaining grease from dishes.
• Wipe dishes with a paper towel before putting them in the sink.
• Avoid dumping caustic chemicals down the toilet or sinks.
• Consider replacing old pipes before they cause problems.
• Winterize your home to keep pipes from freezing.
• Inspect your water heater for leaks at least once a year.
• Do not flush baby wipes, cotton balls or other trash down the toilet.
• Check your septic tank, especially after storms or heavy rain.
• Fix any leaks or drips immediately.
• Install hose screens on washer machine hoses.
• Learn where plumbing pipes and shut-off valves are located.

How Do I Clean Plumbing Pipes in My House?

There are few ways to clean the pipes in your house, depending on your needs. Here are a few solutions:

1. Flush Stagnant Water

If you recently had your water service turned off and turned back on, you might have stagnant water sitting in your pipes that should be flushed. To flush your pipes, take these steps:

• Remove the faucet aerators, showerheads and water filters in your home.
• If you have a water softener, turn or press the bypass valve.
• If possible, close the inlet valve on your water heater.
• Turn on the cold water at all taps in your home, starting at the lowest level in your house, moving to the highest floor.
• Let the water run for 30 minutes, and be sure there is no flooding.
• After 30 minutes, turn each faucet off, starting at the lowest level of your house and working your way up.
• If you bypassed a water softener, check the manual or contact the manufacturer to determine how to start a regeneration cycle.
• Reopen the valve on your water heater.

You’ll then need to flush your water heater. It’s recommended to follow the instructions in your manual or contact the manufacturer for guidance. After you completely flush the pipes in your house, run the taps at the kitchen and bathroom sinks 10 minutes each and then reinstall clean aerators.

If you were recently on vacation or want to flush stagnant water in a guest bathroom, you can quickly refresh plumbing pipes by letting the water run for five minutes at each faucet for cold and hot water. Remove the faucet aerators to help the water flow. While you have the aerator or screen removed, clean it with white vinegar and an old toothbrush.

2. Unclog Drains

Dealing with a clogged drain anywhere in the home is never a fun way to start the day, but it doesn’t have to be too time-consuming. To unclog drains, you can take the following steps:

• Pour half a cup of baking soda into the sink, followed by a cup of white vinegar.
• Plug the drain.
• Wait 15 minutes.
• Pour 4 cups of boiling water down the drain or run hot water for a couple of minutes.

If you have polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes rather than metal pipes, avoid boiling water and use hot water instead.

If the clog is severe, such as a shower drain blocked with hair and soap scum, you may want to remove as much as you can by hand first. Put on rubber gloves, remove the shower drain cover, then stick a straightened wire hanger down the drain and pull out the debris. After you clear the drain with the hanger, you can complete the above steps and put the cover back in place.

3. Remove Mineral Buildup

If you have hard water in your home, it means you may have a high amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium. You might have hard water if you find white stains on items like sinks, appliances and sometimes dishes. Although hard water is generally not something you have to worry about regarding health, it can clog pipes with mineral buildup. One thing you can do to solve the issue of hard water is to install a water softener system. However, if you don’t have room in your budget to invest in a water filtration system, you have other options. Here’s what you can do to clear mineral buildup from your pipes:

• Fill a large pot of water for every drain you plan to treat and set each one aside.
• Turn off the water supply and breaker at your water heater.
• Turn on all the water taps inside and outside your house and flush the toilets to drain the pipes.
• Turn all the taps off once you drain the pipes.
• Pour one cup of baking soda followed by as much vinegar as a sink can hold down the drain.
• Wait three hours for the vinegar and baking soda to break down the minerals.
• Boil a large pot of water for each drain 30 minutes before the solution is done working.
• Pour boiling water down the drains to flush away leftover mineral buildup.
• Turn your water supply and water heater breaker back on.
• Turn on each tap one by one.

Hopefully, the above solutions help you clean the pipes in your home, but if they’ve gone too long without attention and clogs do not resolve, you may need to call a plumber for help.

Outdoor Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Once a month, you’ll want to do a more thorough investigation of your home’s exterior than your usual weekly glance-over. Walk around the outside of the house and look for any problems with the roof, foundation, gutters, drainpipes or vents. If you find issues, be sure to schedule a repair as soon as possible. Otherwise, here’s what you’ll want to do to maintain the outside of your home every month:

• Clean gutters and downspouts if needed.
• Lubricate the moving parts of garage doors.
• Test garage door safety features.
• Sweep the garage, walkways and deck or patio.
• Trim any shrubs near air conditioning units and remove leaves from the area.
• During the winter, clear snow from all outside vents, gas and electric meters and the oil fill pipe.

How Do You Evaluate Tree Health?

Sometimes trees add value and beauty to a property. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, a mature tree might be valued between $1,000 and $10,000. Trees can also help your home be more energy-efficient and offer cooling shade in the summer and block the house from wind in the winter.

Other times, trees can be a hazard and should be removed. You’ll probably want to remove a tree if it’s dead, dying or located under power lines. You may also wish to get rid of a tree if it’s too close to your house and cannot be regularly pruned.

In general, trees should be at least 20 feet away from the house or other structures. There are several reasons for this. First, when a tree is too close to your house, it’s easy for leaves and twigs to accumulate on the roof and in the gutters. Also, the wind can cause branches to scratch the siding and roofing materials. A tree’s roots can also put pressure on your home’s foundation and cause it to crack or become unstable. Lastly, you’ll have to worry more about a tree or branches falling onto your home during a storm.

How do you know it’s time to get rid of a tree if it’s not too close to your house? Here’s what you’ll want to look for when you perform a tree health evaluation:

• Cracks, large wounds or dead branch stubs on the trunk
• Hollow trunk
• Leaning
• Sprouts at the base of a tree

If you’re unsure whether you want to get rid of a tree despite signs of ill health, contact an arborist and find out what they recommend.

Lawn Care Tips

One of the best parts of being a homeowner is having your own outdoor space. If you have the time and resources, you can create your own oasis outside to enjoy whenever you want. Your front lawn, in particular, can potentially raise the value of your home and increase curb appeal. According to a recent study, homes with curb appeal sell for 7% more than homes with less attractive exteriors. In some areas, homes with curb appeal might be worth 14% more than unappealing homes. When buyers see a home that’s well-maintained on the outside, they are apt to assume the inside is taken care of as well. This is something to keep in mind if you decide to sell.

In the meantime, you should take advantage of your yard and enjoy it as much as possible. To have a beautiful lawn you can’t wait to come home to, you’ll need to put some effort into the upkeep. Here are some tips:

• Cut grass 3 to 3.5 inches high to prevent issues with insects and weeds.
• Mow when the longest grass leaves are 4 to 4.5 inches high.
• Mow when the grass is dry to protect your lawn and your lawnmower.
• Keep mower blades sharp.
• Frequently alternate your mowing pattern to support healthy grass growth.
• Leave the clippings on the lawn to nurture the soil.
• Fertilize in the fall and spring to help grass prepare for winter weather and encourage growth when it warms up.
• Water the lawn if grass turns a bluish color or if footprints stay in the lawn.
• Add mulch around trees to prevent weed growth and keep the soil moist and cool.
• Prune dead or broken branches.

What Is the Best Fertilizer for Spring?

The best fertilizer depends on what your plants need. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to grow. Depending on the soil, your lawn may need more or less of one of these nutrients. You can test your soil first to determine exactly what’s needed with a DIY kit or contact a soil testing lab. To give you an idea of what to expect, Purdue University recommends using high-phosphorus fertilizer for a new lawn and high-nitrogen fertilizer for an established lawn.