Now’s another new year, and it is time for the regular spring-cleaning. We definitely love doing it. After all, it is a chance to let the house breathe through the open windows — refresh your home with clean air.

We advise you that you should not be daunted by this task. You can do it one at a time. An hour every day. And once you are done with everything, we are sure that you will never regret doing it or spending time with your home.

Anyway, for us to give you a bit of help, we have supplied an awesome check to follow.

Maintenance

• Check exterior exhaust vents to ensure they are not blocked – birds, leaves etc need to be removed
• Check exterior foundation for cracks
• Check exterior grade for settling – its important to ensure that the ground is sloped away from your home to keep the foundation as free from water as possible.  If there is any settling be sure to add some soil to bring up to the proper grade
• Check exterior caulking – cracked out deteriorated caulking can let water rot your exterior framing.  Take the time to remove old caulking and re-apply
• Exposed wood or peeling paint – winters can be harsh in Canada and as a result rotting wood is a concern – especially wooden pillars, pickets, and handrails.  Inspect these carefully they can be a safety hazard.
• Check shower/tub caulking and grout lines – remove old caulking and re-grout where necessary.

Basic Stuff

• Dust bulbs and other lighting fixtures.
• Wash and disinfect switch plates, knobs, cabinet handles, wherever people put their hands on regularly
• Open windows and turn on electric fans — be sure it is not that cold outside or not snowing, but it is up to you
• De-clutter rooms
• Clean, vacuum, or wash carpets and mats
• Clean places under furniture pieces
• Wash windows
• Clean air conditioning filters and vents if possible
• Clean, and sanitize refrigerator and freezer
• Clean oven, stove, and toaster if you have one
• Vacuum sofa and wipe down chairs
• Sort books and magazines

Hardcore Stuff

• Wash sills, trims, and walls
• Wash and scrub doors, especially the ones in the washrooms
• Empty closets and cabinets, clean and wipe the insides and the items, and put them back in
• Find unused items and get rid of it — donating or selling them is a good way to get them out of the house
• Shine or polish metal fixtures like faucets
• Sharpen your knives, disinfect cutting boards

Take the time maintain your home and you will feel better as well as retain the value of your home.