Along with the beauty of winter wonderlands comes a yearly winterizing check of your home. Make certain your list includes cleaning, and checking the following:

 

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• Gutters
• Chimneys
• Fireplaces, wood stoves and pipes
• Furnace filters and ducts (cleaning air ducts is best left to the professionals)
• Drain lawnmowers, replace spark plugs, etc.
• Check car tires, belts, plugs, radiator fluids etc. Make sure your chains are in good condition and your ice scraper handy.
• Use an augur, drain cleaner or call a plumber to clear your drains before they clog. Winter is a terrible time for overflow problems. It's colder and takes longer for water to dry if a drain overflows giving mold and mildew time to cause structural problems.
• Wash or dry clean stored blankets, bedding, coats and sweaters before you need them.
• Dispose of any and all old paint, varnishes etc. Be sure the cans you do keep are stored away from sources of heat along with any flammable material.
• Check your home for any cracks that might need sealing. Clean windows and framing making sure the drain holes are unplugged.
• Trim bushes back away from the house so they don't hold in the moisture. This helps reduce mold and mildew growth next spring and gives your foundation that breathing space it needs.
• Replace smoke detector batteries.
• Have your fire extinguisher checked to make sure it is working. Do you have the right fire extinguisher? There is a difference. Do you have one conveniently located in each part of your home and not tucked away at the back of a closet?
• Clean outdoor grills. Properly store propane gas.
• Toss out old candles. Replace them with soy or smokeless candles that burn with very little if any smoke. Look for ones that burn with natural, not lead, wicks. Your lungs and arms will love you for it; arms because of the elbow grease it takes removing soot stains from walls. Breathing that smoke and lead can be a killer – literally.
• Look for natural cleaning products to clean your home. The toxic buildup of chemical fumes cause a multitude of health problems. This worsens during the winter when windows and doors remain shut. Homes are built to be somewhat air tight. They don't let cold air in or fumes out. If you are suffering from headaches, asthma or other health problems it could be caused from the chemicals you use.
• Winter is especially hard on leather, vinyl and wood furniture. The heat from fireplaces and furnaces dries and cracks them. Clean and condition all your furniture.

© 2004 by Mary Findley. 

 

About Mary Findley

Mary is a veteran cleaning expert with over 12 years experience. She has developed a full line of cleaning tools. Visit www.goclean.com or call (800) 345-3934 for more information.