You would be surprised to find out how many people do their spring cleaning in summer. There are many benefits of cleaning your home in summer. For instance, you have more energy in summer than in winter. If you have been procrastinating about getting your home cleaned this is the time to get it done. This is why we have created this summer home cleaning checklist for you. Keep on reading to find out more.
HVAC Duct Cleaning
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are a few considerations that you should make before deciding to get the air ducts of your air conditioning system cleaned. There isn’t much conclusive evidence that supports the notion that clogged-up ducts affect air quality significantly or not. Nor has there been any proven evidence of a link between duct cleaning and the prevention of health problems. But this doesn’t mean that you should skip your HVAC ducts as part of your summer home cleaning checklist this year.
Even though you shouldn’t worry much about some visible dust particles in your air conditioning system, you should consider cleaning your air ducts under certain circumstances. For instance, if you notice any visible mold growth inside the sheet metal you should contact an expert to handle the problem. You should also find out if you need to replace your insulated air ducts or not. The EPA recommends that air ducts should be cleaned when needed instead of routinely. It further suggests that should you find a reliable service provider for air duct cleaning, you should ensure that they use environmentally-friendly methods for the job. If you believe that getting your air ducts cleaned will improve the air quality in your home, you should know that the price of this service is determined by several factors. It can vary depending on the level of contamination, the size of the HVAC system, and the accessibility of the system. If you are planning on putting air duct cleaning as part of your summer home cleaning checklist this year, it is important to use the services of a skilled professional.
Septic Tank Cleaning
If you use a wastewater treatment system you should know how essential conducting regular septic system cleaning is. Your summer home cleaning checklist should include taking care of your septic tank. It is important to hire a professional who can ensure efficiency and maintain the optimal functioning of your septic tank. There are four separate elements that go into the effective maintenance of a septic tank cleaning. They can be summarized as the following.
Inspection and Pump Frequency – The recommended inspection timeframe is every three years by a professional. This is also the ideal time for pumping the tank. But remember that there are components of the tank that still need to be inspected separately on a regular basis. For instance, if you have advanced features on your septic tank such as electrical switches, you should consider obtaining a service contract to provide you with more frequent inspections. Additionally, other factors such as the size of your home, the size of the tank, and the amount of waste that is being generated can affect the number of inspections that are needed. You should keep track of all the inspections and additional information relayed to you by the inspector in the case that you need to reference it in the future.
Efficient Water Use – Efficient water use in your home should help you improve the maintenance of your septic tank. This is why it is essential to conserve water. You should do this by fixing any leaks in your pipes or toilet. This will decrease the probability of a septic tank malfunction unexpectedly.
Proper Waste Disposal – Proper waste disposal helps to avoid issues such as a clogged septic system. Things that are disposed of in the drain can affect how it functions. This can affect the effective treatment of wastewater. Some things that should never be flushed in the drain include diapers, oil and paper towels amongst others. When you are doing your summer home cleaning checklist, be sure to take adequate care of the things that go into your drain.
The Drain Field Area – This is a significant component of your September water system. It is responsible for the removal of various contaminants from the water that gets through the tank. This is an important step that ensures that the water is adequately filtered. Maintaining the drain field area is important. There are certain things that you can do to ensure optimal functionality. For instance, if you are landscaping your yard, make sure that you do not plant any trees near this area. This is to avoid the roots of the trees growing into the septic system. Failure to avoid this can lead to costly damages that you do not need.
Floor Cleaning
What is a summer home cleaning checklist without any thorough floor cleaning? Floor care is important. It doesn’t matter what type of floor you have. There are numerous dust particles that enter your home from movement throughout the day. Reducing dust particles can help to prevent allergens from invading your home. If anyone has asthma or any other respiratory condition, they can rest assured knowing that you have gone out of your way to clean your floor.
If you have hardwood flooring installed in your home, you need to follow proper care to prevent it from being damaged. For instance, the accumulation of debris on a hardwood floor can cause scratches on it. Keeping the floor clean is a great way to prevent damage to the floors or any accumulation of debris over time.
Yard Cleaning
Summer is the perfect time to host family and friends for dinner parties outside on the patio. Getting a tree removal service as part of your summer home cleaning checklist this year should be a great idea if you want to start hosting dinners soon. Cleaning your yard is an excellent way to get busy and to redecorate it with new features.
Moreover, studies suggest that taking care of your yard has some health benefits. For instance, it can boost your overall mood and help you to achieve the recommended dose of physical activity in a day. The planning and organizing of creative ideas of how you will spruce up your yard is also an essential way to enhance your brain function. This can help to prevent the early symptoms of memory loss or dementia.
Once you have cleaned out your yard, you should consider adding things that will make it easier to maintain it. For instance, you can opt for a simple residential garden irrigation system such as sprinklers to keep your lawn hydrated and green throughout the summer.
Pest Control
Have you noticed the increased pest activity since summer is in full swing? Summer is the season that pests such as mosquitoes and cockroaches thrive. There are several reasons why this happens. Factors such as rising temperatures, moisture, and general life cycles can contribute to the pest infestation problem in summer. This is why your summer home cleaning checklist should include pest control to do some much-needed fumigating. You should do it before you start hosting those outdoor dinner parties.
Using professional pest control methods to clean your home is the recommended solution. It will help with accurate identification of the pest issue and discover the source of the problem in a less damaging way. Pest management services are adequately trained to protect your health during the removal of pests. It is always advisable to compare quotes before you select a pest management company. Use referrals from people that you trust like friends and family as well.
Garage Organization
Organizing your garage should be something that you considered first when you were thinking of a summer home cleaning checklist. Part of ensuring that you have a functional garage is getting that garage door repair that you have been putting off getting done. If you do not want to overstretch your budget, there are plenty of cheap ways to organize your garage. But first you need to create a plan on how you will do everything.
Planning how you will pack everything will help you to know what you will keep and what you will sell or give away. Before you decide on what will be stored in the garage or not, you should know which items can be safely stored in a garage or not. For safety reasons, there are items such as paint and propane goods that should not be stored in a garage. It is also recommended that you should keep things off the floor as much as possible. When you are doing your summer home cleaning checklist, you should not forget to swap your closed cabinets for open ones in your garage. It makes it easier to install vertical organizing systems if you use open shelves.
Furniture Cleaning
Furniture cleaning is an important part of your summer home cleaning checklist. Upholstery cleaning is known to offer a wide range of benefits. The most obvious benefit is the prolonged life of your furniture. Other benefits include improved air quality and a fresher aesthetic. Professional cleaning on your furniture should remove dust, pollen, and other allergens from the fibers on your furniture. It also promotes safer cleaning practices on the materials that are used on your upholstery.
Deep Kitchen Cleaning
Deep cleaning your kitchen is the best way to get rid of the dirt and grime that was collecting on your stove as you cooked the winter blues away. Perhaps, you can use this time to also check if you can get your gas stove repair conducted. A deep clean in your kitchen this summer is a great way to give your appliances much-needed attention. You should wipe behind the fridges, dust the cobwebs behind your washing machine and cut through the grime in your oven.
Before you decide to deep clean your kitchen, you should use the following tips first.
- Declutter the kitchen first. Move any fragile items.
- Clean from the top to the bottom to get things done faster.
- Work systematically.
- Always start with the dirtiest things.
- Stay in the kitchen to prevent the mess from spreading.
Exterior Cleaning
If you want to ensure that your home is summer-ready, you should not forget about doing some much-needed exterior cleaning. This includes your roof, gutters, and siding. You should hire the right kind of contractors to do your exterior maintenance. For instance, to clean your gutters contractors that deal with roofs should know what to look for to ensure that your gutters are functional.
Summer weather has many rain showers, and it is important to ensure that your roof and gutters can withstand the effects of such weather conditions. Part of cleaning the exterior of your home includes doing some much-needed maintenance on some structural issues before they cause damage to your home.
The Bottom Line
Having a clean home is important to maintain optimal levels of air quality. There is nothing that smells as fresh as a clean home. It is an instant mood booster. Moreover, according to research living in an unclean environment can affect your mental and physical health. It can also trigger respiratory complications in most people. To prevent your home from being a haven for dust mites, you should take the time to create a summer home cleaning checklist.
It will help you organize your home better and help you to maintain a healthy and clean home. There are other areas that may require some professional cleaning. Using this guide should help you to plan your time and help you to understand what services will be paid for. Doing most of your cleaning yourself can be therapeutic, but you should have the option of outsourcing your home cleaning if you think it will be too much for you. At the end of the day, a professional cleaning company may be a better solution.