Home Maintenance Week!

This is the first summer in years that I feel like we have given ourself some grace and time off from around-the-clock house projects (although there are always plenty to do).  It has been so wonderful to dedicate our evenings to parks and baseball and our weekends to bonfires and boat rides with Grandma and Grandpa.  All this soaking up summer fun is great until that classic cartoon crash and burn motion sets in; the one where the character is moving along swimmingly and then suddenly slams into a brick wall, smooshes their face, slides down the wall only to have a flower pot fall and land on their head.  That's how I felt this week.  I started to realize that there are some very necessary household projects/maintenance items that really need to take place each summer (as well as seasonally). So, Bryan and I decided to take the entire week to tackle a variety of not-so-fun but oh-so-necessary tasks around the house.

As I type up this post I am covered in paint with dirt under my fingernails and ready for the longest hot shower and massage available.  But I wanted to touch base with y'all to say hi, and to share the items we are choosing to tackle this week in lieu of playing in the sun or even working on the exciting and tranformative house projects (although I did sneak in one of those too, goodbye birch tree wall stencil).


WASH WINDOWS

I give the windows inside a good cleaning every few weeks or so, but the outside windows go far too long without a proper scrub down.  I recently picked up an extension pole window cleaning kit (similar) and after I got started with it, I thought about switching professions to Certified Window Cleaner.  There is something so exciting and satisfying about watching the windows go from dusty and dirty to sparkling and gleaming in seconds.  The window cleaning tool definitely made this chore quick and easy in terms of reaching all of the windows around the house.


WASH TRIM & DOORS/TOUCH UP PAINT

I shared the process I use here, but this year I also found a magic eraser cut the total time down even more.  I took time to scrub down each door (especially around door handles), as well as trim around doors and windows and all of the moulding and risers down our stairway.  I also grabbed a few old paint brushes and touched up scuffs and dings on the trim and walls (thank you paint cabinet organization!).


DESCALE COFFEE MACHINE

Coffee machines can generate build-up over time, so a quick descaling every few months will keep all of the inside components and tubes free and clear of anything on the gross side that you don't want added to your morning brew.  Some machines offer special descaling kits, but I have found that running hot water through the machine with a bit of vinegar also works quite well.  After descaling, I find that all of the heat and steam makes it the perfect time to give the entire thing a good scrub on the exterior surfaces as well.


CHANGE FILTERS

It was time for us to change our furnace filter, as well as the filter for our automobiles and refrigerator water.  Other filters you may want to consider checking are range hoods, vacuums and air conditioners.


PULL WEEDS/TRIM SHRUBS

This took us a few different days this week because we get weeds through our pavers out back, as well as in all of our garden beds and landscaping around our home.  Oh, and up through our retaining wall out front and through cracks in our sidewalk.  Our grassy yard is consistently maintained and weed free... but everywhere else needed a lot of attention.  This is one of my least favorite jobs, but necessary nonetheless.  And really, it is kind of amazing the difference pulling some weeds makes to overall curb appeal.  Good gloves were a sanity saver, and we also treated areas with a few types of weed killer so now I am crossing my fingers my plants survive and the weeds don't. We also trimmed back a few of our shrubs, giving them a little shape and symmetry.


REPLACE WINDOW SCREENS

Three of our bedroom windows had small holes that grew over the last year.  We purchased a roll of screen and replaced the screen on those three windows using a simple spline rolling tool (we were also able to reuse our previous spline).  Shoo flies, don't bother us!  This quick project only took about 10 minutes per window and is a great alternative to purchasing an entire new frame.


REPAIR BROKEN FINISHES

We did a quick walk through of each room to check the mechanics of any technology, appliances, plumbing and windows.  We also walked the exterior and checked around windows and doors, the lighting, the gutters and the garage fixtures.  We found that our turn cranks on our front windows are worn, so we took the steps to hunt down the window manufacture to order a new one.  This is when it is really useful to keep your home details and contractor digits filed away in a safe place.  We also found that one of our hose spigots is leaking and we purchased the replacement parts to attempt to fix it ourselves.


CLEAN MAJOR APPLIANCES

Our fridge, washing machine, dishwasher and range all received good muscle filled scrubs, and the washer and dishwasher were both cycle cleaned.


VACUUM VENTS

For this task, I took our vacuum to each of the floor and ceiling vents, as well as the cold air returns (removing the covers and vacuuming inside).  Additionally, I took the time to vacuum out the lint vents on our dryer, both inside and behind (using these tips).


ROOM-BY-ROOM DECLUTTER

Last but not least, I used my pre-printed basket labels and took a trash and donate bin to each room in our home.  I gave myself 10 minutes in each space to declutter and find things that no longer serve a purpose for us.  This is by far my favorite seasonal task, it feels so good to let go and reap the benefits of a clean slate.  For this task I like to set a timer which helps me make quick decisions.

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I created a sweet and simple printable that I used all week, and I love it so much that I will be using it even more for additional projects around our abode.  Here it is for you to print and enjoy also.  It is always rewarding to check something off of a list, and a little color is a great way to keep chores a smidge more exciting.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE HOME PROJECT CHECKLIST HERE

And for you digital pals, have you tried Brightnest?  I recently added it to my phone and think it will help to keep me on better task with a few of these types of home maintenance items.

I like that it will remind me to complete important household tasks (instead of letting them go for too long), and that it also provides helpful tools and tips.


How do you handle these types of important household tasks?  Are there certain to do's that are worth hiring out?  Do you do these seasonally or just as needed?  I found I was more inclined and motivated to do these projects by selecting ten things, dedicating this specific week to them all, and not stopping until they were done.  Once I got into a groove, I found myself just going from one thing to the next.  Now, our home is happier and we can get back to enjoying it again!  I think I will make sure to put a reminder in my planner to find ten things to focus on every quarter/season.

Here are a few more resources with additional tips and checklists for annual and seasonal home maintenance:

Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape: An Incredibly Handy Home Maintenance Checklist
Yearly Home Maintenance Schedule
BHG Home Maintenance Checklist