Check-list for Post Winter Home Care
The sun has come back, the crocuses and daffodils are blooming wild—winter is leaving! It’s warming up and you’re shedding your boots for thinner flats or possibly even sandals, because you are so ready for summer…aren’t you? Now that winter is over, your home has taken a beating and it’s time to show it some love and care.
Windows
Windows are an important transition—you need clean ones to soak up the sun! Now it will be warm enough you can open the windows and get the window track nice and clean—no more dirt, no more dead bugs! As you clean, inspect the windows for cracks or holes—fix them now! As for the outside, special bottles of outdoor window washing cleaner hook up to your hose and enable streak-free cleaning of large, hard-to-reach windows with ease.
HVAC
Soon you’ll be discontinuing use of your heater for about three months, and switching to your air conditioning…at least you think so. There’s nothing worse than realizing just as you need it that your air conditioning unit is broken. If you think it might be broken, or just want to check and perform preventative maintenance, try to find a local, trusted HVAC technician in your area. If you are looking for air conditioning in Salt Lake City, it’s as simple as going online, searching “Salt Lake City air conditioning” and seeing which companies or individuals have good customer reviews.
Garden
Once the HVAC unit is definitely up and running, it’s time to turn you attention to the rest of your garden. Do you know what you’ll be planting this year? If not, find out what climate zone you’re in and plan accordingly. If you have saved seeds from last season, start them sprouting now if you haven’t already, and plant them after your city’s last frost—you can find that out easily through online almanacs. In the meantime, get your soil prepped! First, get any weeds out that popped up, then dig up the soil to aerate it and add that compost or other fertilizer! Now you’re ready to plant.
Porch
Your porch will need a little care right now as well. Make sure it’s clean of salt, muck, or any other grime that built up over winter. If you have a stained wood porch, you may need to re-stain it, especially if it gets the harsh rays of sun that make spring and summer so warm. Clean it with either deck wash or a mixture of vinegar and baking soda (depending on how dirty it is, you may need to scrub it and use the baking soda mixture). Then apply two even coats over the course of around four days, to ensure the stain is adequately dried. Your porch or patio will now be ready.
Garage
You may not think to clean your garage—really, who even likes to think about it? But this is important. You don’t want to be tracking in winter muck all summer long, you’ll need different tools to be easily accessible in summer than in winter, and who wants to drive a clean car into a dirty garage?
That was a great feat of home care, so sit back on your patio chair with some lemonade and enjoy the summer sun—your house is ready to face the warmth, and you’ve more than earned it!
Leslie Mason is a home-maker and gardening expert. She loves writing, gardening, do-it-yourself projects, and fixing up her house.
Image Credit: TRIP
