When you own your own home, it can feel like an endless battle when you try to keep it well-maintained and clean. We all want our homes to look nice, and we definitely want them to be hygienically clean. But, it can be so much hard work… do you agree? And, trying to fit it all in around a family and a career is almost impossible. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to make looking after your home a much easier task.
Maintaining your home is a better job to have to face than repairing it. If you leave something long enough, it is sure to get worse. Then you could end up with a disaster on your hands that will cost you thousands. Burst pipes can easily be prevented, and expensive decorator’s bills can be avoided too.
Make a list of all the things around your house that you know have the potential to be problematic. This can include the roof tiles, the guttering, the basement pipes, and the window seals. You may have many more things on your list, depending on your home, and how diligent you are. Once you have the list, it’s time to organize it into a simple checklist.
Keep an eye on the weather reports. If there is a storm brewing or a cold snap, it’s time to do your rounds of the house to check everything on that list is in good shape. Repeat it as soon as the storm has passed. If a roof tile is dislodged, call a roofer straight away before rain penetrates your ceilings, if the guttering is leaking, get it fixed before damp penetrates your brickwork.
Circle a day each month in your agenda when you can spend a full afternoon tending to your property. This might be tasks like clearing the gutters, sweeping the patio or repainting the woodwork. Committing to this time ensures all those pesky jobs get some attention. They don’t stack up, and they don’t get left until it’s too late.
Cleaning is a task we all love to hate. One of the worst jobs to have to tackle is the carpet cleaning. This might be one of the reasons more and more of us are choosing hardwood floors. Cleaning as you go is the best way to keep on top of things; it saves you from having any big jobs like cleaning the oven or scrubbing the bathroom tiles. However, you need everything to be in a good, clean state to start with.
Use steam cleaners to dislodge the worst of the dirt. Steam also kills all bacteria and germs; that means it’s great for use in places where you really don’t want hidden nasties lurking. Your bed, carpets, and bathroom can be riddled with microscopic bugs and germs, but steam will ensure they are all killed instantly. Best of all, it’s chemical free so you can use it for the kid’s room, or even if you have allergies.
With a handheld steamer in one hand and wiping cloth in the other, you can whizz through any room you want to clean. It takes only a minute or two to reach temperature and only a tiny bit of water. Aim to use a steam cleaner daily to make your house a hygienic home all the time. When you are generating steam from a cleaner, a cooking pot, or the shower, be sure to have a window open to help everything dry out.
While steam will dry very quickly, any buildup of moisture can cause problems without proper ventilation. Mold and mildew can be quite harmful to your health, so it’s best to use fresh air to dry your surfaces and carpets. You can see evidence of a damp problem quite easily in your home. Check the windows for water droplets. If you see any black marks on the walls near the ceiling or the floor, this can be mold.
Vacuuming is another pet hate most of us share. An easy solution is to use a robot vacuum cleaner. They can be programmed to vacuum your entire house and be done by the time you get in from work. They are almost completely hassle free, although you may need to empty their dust container each day. Best of all, they save you those valuable minutes and help prevent pest invasions attracted by crumbs on the floor.
You may now be in a good routine of home checks and cleaning that is much simpler to implement than before. Sadly that doesn’t always stop home disasters from happening. Even in warm weather, pipes can suddenly spring a leak. You should have a list of emergency contact numbers on your phone. This saves you having to Google, or rummage through the phone book in the middle of all the chaos.
Plumbers, electricians, handymen, roofers, and drain experts are among the numbers you might need. Locksmiths are also handy to have on speed dial. If you lose your keys, or your home is broken into, you’ll need to change the locks quickly. A glazier is also essential and as you know broken glass is extremely dangerous. Any broken window also leaves your home vulnerable to the weather and home invaders. It needs to be fixed immediately.
There are a number of insurance companies offering specialist policies for your home. Some of them cover home emergencies and will send out a reputable tradesperson within hours of you calling for help. While you may have to pay an excess charge, most of the cost of call-out and repair can be covered by your insurance. This is an additional cover that goes beyond what your regular buildings insurance might offer.
Looking after your home is vital to your health and security, but it can be a tricky juggling act to be sure you are on top of everything. Follow these tips to keep track of the condition of your home. Keeping it clean and hygienic goes a long way to making sure it is structurally sound too. Look after your home, and it will take care of you.
Photo by Jim DiGritz
Mia Guerra
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