The winter will be upon us soon, and if history tells any story here in the Rockford area, we know that the weather can be very unpredictable. Much of our time during the winter months is spent indoors to avoid the cold. This means we have to be extra diligent in making sure our home is clean and safe. With these winterization tips, you will be one step closer to a clean & safe home.
Change Furnace Filters
Yes it’s easy to forget, but it’s important to replace or clean furnace filters once a month during the heating season. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy demand. Here’s a worry-saving tip: mark a monthly check on your calendar.
Winterize Your Entryway
Place a rough mat (coir, wood, or rubber) outside for wiping off mud and snow and an absorbent mat inside to soak up moisture. Want to save money on heating bills? Consider one of those door guards that you put under your door.
Vacuum and Rotate Mattresses
For the best, most even wear on your mattress, it’s recommended that you turn and rotate it each quarter. The winter season is a great time to do it, especially if you are changing your bed coverings for the winter anyways.
Reorganize the Kitchen Pantry
The holiday season comes with a ton of kitchen duty. An hour or two of time spent reorganizing your pantry will go a long way in making your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals easier, and maybe more fun, to create.
Clean Your Lights & Chandeliers
Those Rockford nights are coming faster now that we’ve moved our clocks back an hours. This means we will be using our lights even more. Its important that they are clean, and free of dust, bugs, and other unsafe particles that make the lights shine a little less than they should.
Clean Your Gutters
If there is one thing that most people forget, or neglect, to do – its cleaning their gutters. Rockford is full of homes surrounded by trees that dump tons of stuff on our roofs, and that stuff ends up clogging our gutters. A clean gutter can better handle the snow, ice, and melt, keeping your sidewalks, entries, and yard, in much better and safer shape.
These are just a few tips that can help you out this winter. If you want some more, see these great sites with other wonderful tips:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/g52/winterize-home-tips-energy-461008/