As much as we all love the warm days and fun activities that summer offers us, it eventually needs to come to an end. The fall season is just over the horizon, and while homeowners might not want to, now is the time to start preparing for it. This means cleaning, performing home maintenance, and packing all your seasonal items safely away before the temperature officially drops. Use these end-of-summer cleaning tips to get the process started.
Clean Your Gardening Tools
Though it might be sad to see them go, your gardening tools won’t be of much use to you once the first cold front comes in, so it’s typically a good practice to clean them off and pack them away over the winter season. These items commonly hold onto chunks of dirt, mud, and even stringy sections of grass. As such, make sure you scrub them very well and let them dry fully before setting them aside. This is the best way to ensure that they don’t experience any additional wear or tear over the next few months.
Wash and Stack Patio Furniture
You should also spend this time washing and stacking your patio furniture. It’s only natural that they’ve collected dirt and other types of grime from sitting outside for so long, and this debris can eat away at the material if you allow it to sit. Instead, wash them off and stack them under protective tarps to keep them safe through the weather changes.
Maintain Your Home’s Heating System
Another important end-of-summer cleaning tip to keep in mind is to clean and maintain your indoor heating unit. Whether you have a brand-new central air system or an older, location-based heating appliance, keeping it in good shape is vital to maintaining the comfort of your home. Taking care of your old baseboard radiator and cover is especially important, as these units won’t radiate heat if dirt or hair is blocking their panels.
Check Your Home’s Weatherproofing
Make sure that you take a few minutes as well to check your home for potential seal damage and leaks. The winter months can be very harsh on the exterior of your home, and the last thing you want is for the cold to worsen an existing problem. For this reason, inspect all potential weak points, such as the windows and doors, for broken seals, and repair or replace all points of weakness. Otherwise, you risk spending more to heat your home than you need to.
