Clean and vacuum curtains
Curtains can go a long way in decorating your home, but they can also contain a lot of dirt and dust. It is important that you regularly dust or vacuum your curtains and / or blinds with a feather duster, duster or damp cloth or a smaller cloth attachment on the vacuum cleaner. If you haven’t cleaned your curtains in a long time, you can wash them or have them dry cleaned.
Check the caulking around showers / bathtubs; Repair if necessary
The bathroom seal doesn’t last forever and can crack and discolor over time. If not repaired, water damage can result. If you have old caulking in your shower or bathtub, you’ll need to remove the old caulk, clean the surface, and then apply new caulking. There are many tips and videos online to help you with this.
Check regularly for ice dams and icicles
Ice dams and icicles form when the water from melting snow freezes again on the edge of the roofline of your home. If this option is not checked, ice dams can become large enough to prevent water from draining off the roof. This can cause the water to potentially pool under shingles and enter your home.
Garbage disposal
You may think your disposal is relatively clean considering the number of times water flows through it, but food particles can often lodge inside, creating the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow.
Test carbon monoxide and smoke alarms
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends consumers test their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms every month to make sure they are working properly. Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of the house, in every bedroom, and outside of the sleeping areas. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector, be sure to get one. These should also be installed on every level of the house and outside of the sleeping areas.
Replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
The National Fire Protection Association reports that 71 percent of smoke alarms that were not working had missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. The batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke alarms should be changed twice a year. It is therefore essential to mark your calendar with the dates on which you changed the batteries and when the next change is due. You can also mark the actual battery with the date you replaced it.
Repair any damage to the interior wall. Touch up or repaint as necessary
Damage to your interior walls can be difficult to avoid, but luckily, most problems can be fixed easily and cheaply. Small holes from a screw or nail can be filled with a little putty knife and then sanded with fine-grain sandpaper. Larger holes can be a little trickier, but can be fixed with drywall repair kits available at most hardware stores. If you have some of the required materials lying around, you might not even need a kit.
Visit REALTORS®’s Greater Lansing Association Facebook or visit www.lansing-realestate.com for more home maintenance ideas.
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