I really hate to admit it, but I can be a pretty forgetful person at times. Despite my best intentions, if I have a lot on my plate, text messages are often left half-written, online purchases are left in the shopping cart, and chores get pushed to tomorrow.
But I also know that many home maintenance tasks are too important to forget, procrastinate, or ignore! I was sure that there were tasks that I wasn’t addressing as often as I should, but I was also sure that I wasn’t alone in that!
So I did some research on the topic, and I’ve come up with a list of nine important home maintenance tasks that we could all probably stand to address more often. So here’s to us all taking a step toward diligent and attentive home maintenance! :-)
9 Important Home Maintenance Tasks You Might Be Neglecting
1. Air Filters, Vents, & Ducts
It’s important to change the air filter in your home’s HVAC system at regular intervals. Dirty air filters can actually inflate your energy bill and aggravate allergies or breathing problems! But how often you should you change your air filter?
That depends on a few different factors, like how many people live in the house, if anyone has allergies, if you have pets, etc. So someone who lives alone might be fine replacing their filter every 3 months, but an allergy-sufferer with a few kids and a couple of dogs would be better off replacing their filter every month.
In addition to changing your air filter, you also need to keep the vents and ducts of your HVAC system clean. Keep your vents clear by tackling them with your vacuum every few months. Cleaning your ducts is probably a job you’ll want to hire a professional for, and that can be done just once per year. (Add “get ducts cleaned” to your annual spring cleaning list!)
2. Dryer Hose & Vent
Did you know that clothes dryers are one of the leading causes of residential fires? And it’s not because dryers are inherently dangerous – it’s because a lot of people don’t clear out their lint traps and dryer hoses nearly as often as they should!
If it’s not a habit already, you should start emptying your lint trap every time you use your dryer. You should also inspect your dryer’s exhaust hose a couple of times per year. Just unhook it, use your vacuum to clear out anything stuck in there, and hook it back up. Easy!
There are all kinds of special vacuum attachments that can help you get into the nooks and crannies of your dryer to clean out lint and dirt. This flexible vacuum hose is a bit pricey, but it would be really useful for keeping your dryer well-maintained!
Related: How To Clean And Maintain Your Dryer To Avoid A Fire
3. Refrigerator Coils
Refrigerators have a system of coils that cool and condense the refrigerant that keeps the inside of the fridge cold, and those coils can be real dust and dirt magnets! On some makes and models, the coils are located at the bottom of the fridge. Dust and dirt accumulate under appliances anyways, so those coils can get caked in grime over time.
Grimy coils can’t operate efficiently, which means bad things for your energy bill. (Fridge coils that are on the back of the fridge can also get pretty grimy, so check your coils no matter where they’re located!)
Once or twice a year, you should use your vacuum to clean out your fridge coils. (It would be even easier with a flexible hose like the one I mentioned above!) It’s a simple job, but it has the potential to lower your energy costs and extend the life of one of your major appliances!
4. Gutters
The gutters along your roof can only do their job if they’re kept free of debris. Experts suggest cleaning them twice a year, once as part of your spring cleaning, and then again in late fall when the leaves have fallen.
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If you have any trees in your yard that drop fruit, pinecones, or anything else on your roof, you’ll probably want to check your gutters every few months.
5. Ceiling Fans
If your house has any ceiling fans, then you probably already know how dusty they can get. But they’re also easy to overlook when you’re doing your everyday cleaning, especially if you have tall ceilings!
Try to tackle your ceiling fans at least once a month to make sure they’re not just spreading dirt around when you turn them on. I’ve written a whole post about the quickest and easiest way to clean ceiling fans, so no excuses! ;-)
Related: How To Clean Your Ceiling Fan In Seconds
6. Bathroom Fan
When was the last time you really looked at the state of your bathroom exhaust fan? Probably never, right? It’s easy to overlook when you’re not actively using it!
But your bathroom exhaust fan does an important job by whisking moisture out of the bathroom. (Without an exhaust fan, your bathroom would likely be quite humid, soggy, and even mildew-y.)
I wrote a post detailing how to clean your bathroom exhaust fan, which you can view at the link below. Do this process once a month or so to keep your fan running in tip-top shape!
Related: How To Clean That Neglected Bathroom Exhaust Fan
7. Siding
If the outside of your house looks like it could use a facelift, it may be time to clean your siding. I was never quite sure how to clean all the siding on our house, until a couple of years ago when I bought a pressure washer that I found on sale online.
Pressure washers aren’t as expensive as you’d think, and they make jobs like cleaning your siding so easy! It’s actually pretty fun to watch the dirt get blasted away, so my boys usually jump at the chance to do chores that involve the pressure washer. And that suits me just fine! :-)
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If you don’t own a pressure washer or want to buy one, you can often rent them for an hourly rate at major hardware stores.
Related: Surprising Things You Can Clean At The Car Wash
8. Stove/Range Hood
Similar to the fan in your bathroom, the fan above your stove has an important job to do. The fan helps draw the air above your stove into a filter, which captures all the greasy airborne oils that are produced when you’re cooking.
But the filter in your range hood can eventually get bogged down with grease and grime, making it much less effective. Replacement filters are easy enough to find online or at hardware stores, or you can try cleaning it following the instructions in my post about how to clean your range hood filter! Either way, you should check the state of your hood filter at least once a year.
Related: How To Clean A Greasy Stove Hood Filter
9. Underneath Appliances & Furniture
Finally, the last easily forgotten household maintenance task I’ll mention is the area underneath your large appliances and furniture. This came to mind just the other day when I was reaching for something I had stored under my bed. I saw how dusty it was down there and thought to myself, “Have I ever vacuumed under there?”
A layer of dust under your bed, couch, or oven may not be a problem for some people. But for others who have allergies or breathing problems, any sort of dust or dirt build-up can be problematic. Shoot to clean under your big furniture and appliances at least once a year.
To help you move your heavy items, recruit a few strong friends or family members for an afternoon. I find that bribing people with food is usually pretty effective! ;-)
I hope these tips have helped empower you to take charge of your home maintenance! With a bit of extra effort, you’re sure to be the best homeowner on the block in no time!
Which of these tasks is at the top of your home maintenance to-do list?
Great ideas. We actually several ago somehow some birds had gotten into our outside dryer pipe and were building a nest. I knew they were in there because we kept hearing chirping noises. It took my dad about 2 tries to fix the hole in the exhaust pipe (?). One other thing is you are older try and hire someone to clean the gutters on the roof. I have an older dad who loves to scare us by using the ladder to climb up on the roof.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, everybody out there! Jillee, I love this post. I am pretty OCD when it comes to cleaning things in my home that no one ever really sees, but I know if it’s dirty or clean! One thing that you mentioned was our dryer, and how right you are. My ex-husband is a firefighter and people have no idea of the number of fires due to not tending our hard-working dryer. Also, about 12 years ago, my dryer died. I didn’t have much money so I bought a used, re-furbished one from a local ministry, which helps the men working on them to maintain their life of newfound sobriety! Knock on wood, I am still using that set and I believe it is because I have treated it well. Cleaning inside and out, which includes cleaning BEHIND it…gets really dirty back there! Also, Jillee, one more thing. I recently read your post about how your laundry habits can affect your water bill. Well, I tried your tip and started measuring my amount of detergent more carefully, and was pleasantly surprised when my water bill came down almost $10!!! My jaw dropped to the floor! Thank you so much for sharing all of your woman/wife/mother/business wisdom…may God richly bless you and every one of your readers. :0
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tips Jillee!…. One thing further on the dryer lint… Just cleaning out the dryer’s lint trap and hose won’t always be enough. Where the hose fits into wall to where that vents outside should also be maintained. Depending on the house design, some vent straight outside if laundry area backs to side of house. Some go up and vent out roof while others go down and vent to the ground underneath the floor (pier & beam construction). There are usually trap doors on the outside to prevent varmints, birds, etc from getting in. The lint gets trapped there, too, and needs to be cleaned out.
I have a friend whose pier and beam house burnt to the ground. Dryer lint that got past the filter ended up in a pile underneath floor, eventually piling high enough to clog the vent opening coming down. Then the heat from next load of laundry caught that pile on fire and her house went up like smoke! Apparently the previous owners had never cleaned that area out, and home inspector didn’t catch it either. Lesson learned the hard way. At least no one was hurt. Her hubby got out in time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where did you get the item that you were using to clean under the dresser? Looks like it would extend? Thanks as always for all your great advice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s a duster with an extendable handle :-) Here’s a link to the same duster on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uC3VtB
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you!!
Loved the idea of washing windows. My question is if I use water from the hose will the hard water leave spots on the windows when they dry. Thanks for all your great ideas.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have very hard water, but my windows always look perfect after washing them! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hey Jillee, I really enjoy all of your advice. I wonder what has happened to the symbol to print the info you post. I have not seen it for awhile. I have a 3ring binder that I have almost full with you advise. Several things I have wanted to print but there was nothing to click on. Please bring it back. Keep up with all the good things you tell us. Thanks…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There is still a print button towards the bottom of the post. It’s a green rectangle that says “printer friendly.” :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks so much for saving me $20 on air filter from EasyFilter! I live in an apartment in Texas and this area is known for having high dust content in the air… just this week my air conditioning system failed and when maintenance removed the CHEAP filter it was incredibly filthy even though changed every 3 months. He recommended I could buy my own of a better quality which I ordered today…. I’ve had terrible allergies since moving here and so I ordered the highest grade filter… thanks again for the free 2 months of filtering that I am looking forward to!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had an HVAC man tell me that the “cheap” filters were the best; and to change them monthly. I’ve done so ever since, and had no problems.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Totally forgot about the dryer hose! Thanks for the reminder.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have a furnace filter that can be washed instead of one that you replace. It is so easy to remove it and rinse it of with the garden hose! With my allergies it has been wonderful! Every month my husband takes care of that small task.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yup, I have one also. It is better for the landfills and my pocketbook!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The trap door from the dryer vent on the outside of your house needs to be cleaned as lint can get clogged in it. I have a little Stanley brush that I use to get the lint cleaned from it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What do you do in winter?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Is that something that came exclusively with your particular furnace, Kath or it is something you can purchase? That sounds absolutely amazing! It would be a purchase that would be well worth the money, I would think!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, you are preachin’ the truth! This is an excellent article for homeowners (or renters, for that matter). My husband is a retired home inspector and stressed the importance of cleaning out the gutters. People would call him months after moving in and complain that their basement was wet. He would always ask them if they cleaned out the gutters…”well, no”…gotta maintain your home, folks. Gotta keep the bathroom exhaust cleaned too…the fan is to draw out moisture, not for the “stink”. If the exhaust dumps into the attic, you definitely don’t want mold up there. Ideally, the fan would be vented through the roof to the outside. He inspected a house once that had no filter in the furnace. I love the tips you share with your readers. You are a great inspiration!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Unfortunately, most rentals cut corners wherever they can and I know that my bathroom and stove exhaust both go straight into the attic! I have yearly inspections by the state and a few years ago, a new inspector noticed I had no exhaust fan in my bathroom. My landlord showed up with an “exhaust” fan in hand and installed it in about 1/2 hour! Yuck, huh?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, Jillee! These are definitely handy, but I have a tricky one. I have birds that continually nest next to my balcony door. Since they’re insect eaters, I leave them alone until the babies are grown and then shoo! I get rid of the nest. The mess they leave on the siding is awful. Any ideas to clean it just once or twice?
Thanks million!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you happen to have a pressure washer? If not, try this method for washing widows :-) http://jillee.co/2tZNR15
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There is a washing solution, obtained at any hardware store, that you attach to a hose to clean the siding. A pressure washer that is too powerful can damage the siding. You wash with the solution and rinse with plain water.