Maintaining a home, whether you live alone or with others, maybe tough, especially if you don’t know where to begin. Fortunately, before you become overwhelmed by the pile of responsibilities on your plate, there are some strategies you can take to ensure that your home is clean and safe from top to bottom.
Divide Your Attention
Regardless of how big your house is, it’s highly recommended you layout your ‘plan of attack.’ After all, what you want is to clean your home as much as possible. But unless you’ve managed to squeeze in a day solely for house cleaning in your schedule, you can’t afford to waste time going back and forth, especially if you’re doing maintenance for your basement foundation. After all, doing so will only tire you out for nothing.
Therefore, predicting your next course of action easily affects your cleaning efficiency. What you need to do first is decide which part of the house you want to take care of first: indoors or outdoors.
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Outside The House
Many prefer to get the outdoors done because it’s the first thing people see. However, as a homeowner, you should know that aesthetics shouldn’t be the only quality you need to maintain your house outdoors. You should also bear in mind that the outside of your house is your first line of defense against the elements.
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Yard
The condition of your yard could be telling of how well you maintain your home as a whole. After all, this is where you welcome any new guests to your house. With this in mind, prioritizing this part of the property has made it more important.
If you (are planning to) have landscaping and ornaments, be prepared for how much work they need to maintain them. Without proper planning done by professional landscapers, there’s a high likelihood this can impact other aspects of the house, especially certain plants and trees.
So, make sure to check how your yard is coming along. If trees or plants are getting too long for your comfort, trim them shorter.
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Roof
It should be known how crucial the roof is for one’s household. With it working to protect the rest of the structure, the roof’s gone through too much trouble for it to wear down eventually. However, this could only happen if you neglect it.
If your roof got damaged in any way, this could only result in water leaking indoors—or worse, ruin the indoor temperature despite the heating system working overtime.
Make sure to have a regular schedule to check on your roof. Doing so will keep you on top of any potential holes or cracks about to happen. Patch them up as much as you can. However, if it’s far beyond your capabilities, don’t be afraid to contact a professional.
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Gutters
Other than holes and cracks, another thing you need to check is the gutters. The gutter system guides any rainwater or melted snow to stay away from the house. As a result, it prevents standing water from the home foundation.
So, include checking the gutters as part of your regular roof check-ups. If you see clumps of leaves and other trash, be careful in removing them since the wind can carry away almost anything that may hurt you if you’re not wearing the proper gear. By getting rid of all the dirt, it will allow smooth water flow and push the gutters’ lifespan even further.
Inside The House
Naturally, people stay indoors more than outdoors. After all, that’s where comfort comes from. It would make sense for many people to pay more attention to what’s inside the house rather than outside.
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Living Room
It’s the place where you receive guests, and it’s also the place that is exposed to all kinds of dirt. This is the house’s designated ‘common area’ where most activities were done. So, you can probably tell why neglecting this room would impact everyone inside.
Clean up after you’ve finished doing something there. Be it eating something or relaxing on the sofa, make sure you take any dirt you’ve produced with you and arrange what you’ve used. Dust the furniture and vacuum every corner of the room regularly to prevent any particles from accumulating. This way, you can prevent any typical household hazards from happening to anyone indoors, namely tripping.
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Kitchen
The kitchen is where food is made. It only makes sense for it to be one of the most hygienic (and safest) places in your home. Since cooking tends to bring in smoke, it’s best to have an exhaust fan to improve air circulation. Once you’re done with cooking, wipe up any spills to prevent pests from thriving.
However, if you ever came by a problem with pests in the kitchen, never use insecticides or bug bombs. Because you’re where food is made, having chemicals floating everywhere could be detrimental to one’s health. Therefore, it’s highly recommended you remove any food and water source to force them back into hiding.
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Bathroom
Besides the kitchen, the bathroom is another place where health is a top priority. This place is where one frequently freshens up. Since water tends to be used the most, puddles or wet surfaces are inevitable. And because of how water can get anywhere, it has become the perfect grounds for mold to build up.
Therefore, wipe these surfaces dry as much as possible. Opening the windows and doors is highly recommended to have fresh airspeed up the drying process. If you don’t have any windows (and dislike leaving doors open), have an exhaust fan installed to encourage air circulation.
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Bedroom
Although some of you barely stay in your bedrooms except to sleep, it’s still important to keep it clean. If there are potential risks nearby without your knowing, you’ll be subjected to dangers.
But of course, the type of dangers found in bedrooms may not be as dangerous as mold or leakage. Regardless, decluttering your home can easily lower your likelihood of any tripping hazards. Furthermore, tidying up your bed and the rest of your room could lift your spirits back up to start the day with a job well done.
Install Safety Measures
Accidents can happen when you least expect them. While some would chalk it up to ‘stupidity’ or ‘carelessness,’ many accidents tend to be unavoidable, such as an energy spike or your body suddenly failing you. So, to keep yourself safe, have preventive measures installed around the house.
While it’d be ideal to have it all in smart technology, these preventive measures can be as simple as a handrail when you’re under the shower, or you need help getting in the bathtub. Placing covers on electrical outlets and using cordless blinds or neatly setting aside cords can give the inside of your house a tidier look while preventing any tripping hazards from occurring, especially for children.
It’s also highly recommended to have a smoke alarm in case of fires. This way, most of your property won’t be consumed by the fire already once you’ve reached the problem.
Regularly Check On Your Heating
Air circulation is one of the heating system’s functions. Although it lets in air from outside, it still maintains the household’s nominal temperature. Consequentially, your heating system can be susceptible to dirt accumulation. The more dust collected in its air filters, the weaker its heating capabilities get.
That’s why you must remain vigilant in checking your heating system. Pay attention to its pipes if they have leaks or cracks. See if the vents are blocked by dirt. Regularly cleaning them up can be much cheaper than calling in a specialist if the heating system isn’t worth saving anymore.
Encourage Air Circulation
Besides the temperature, the heating system is responsible for smooth air circulation. However, as mentioned earlier, it tends to collect dirty particles. Be it dust or debris, these kinds of dirt can affect one’s health if not paid attention to.
Every part of the heating system is important. However, air filters are the first thing that the external air comes into contact with and gathers most of the dirt. With this in mind, you must check on it regularly and clean out any collected dust there.
Why You Need A Clean And Safe Home
Your home should be your place of refuge. With how hectic life is outside, having somewhere to feel safe can relieve anyone. And because you’re most vulnerable in your home, ensuring it’s conditioned to cater to your comfort is a must. After all, comfort is closely linked to your health when the latter can impact the former at the end of the day.
