Home is where your heart is, and you wouldn’t leave your heart dusty, and prone to malfunctions, right? How you take care of your home, shows what kind of person you are, and while it’s okay to tolerate some mess, every now and then, it’s definitely not ok to neglect it. Each room in your house is like a piece of a puzzle, it fits in differently and has different purpose, so it wouldn’t make sense to maintain all of them the same way. If you want to keep your home in tip-top shape, you’ll have to dedicate time to each of them and provide the needed attention. Here’s the ultimate Home Maintenance Guide for that.

Living Room Family Room - Cleaning tips

Home Maintenance Guide – Six Focus Areas

Entryway

First impressions matter, and when it comes to your house, it is the entryway that makes that impact. Start with the front door, though. If you have a good door installed, you will have fewer problems. Nevertheless, you should give it a fresh coat of paint, and from time to time and apply a borate treatment, which will lengthen the jamb’s life. Moving on to the indoors we will move from room to room in this home maintenance guide. Considering the fact that entryway is a high-traffic area, you should pick a resistant flooring, such as tile, solid hardwood, laminate, concrete or natural stone. Choose a low-maintenance rug or mat, that is dark (so the dirt isn’t visible too often) and easy to wash.

The Living Room

Living Room - Cleaning tips

The living room is the place where you spend the most of your time, and where you invite your guests, so it deserves special treatment. First, you should take care of the devices. Smart Home Maintenance Guide Tip: Organize the once tangled cords with a cable zipper to protect and hide them. Ensure your LED TV longevity by turning it off when no one is around, adjusting the brightness level (medium) and contrast (standard), using a voltage regulator, and allowing it to breathe (don’t lean it onto the wall/shelf). Take care of your furniture and rugs with regular cleanings (don’t use harsh cleaning products) and get professionals to do it once a year. You can protect the furniture from the wear with covers.

Rooms Requiring Constant Maintenance

The Kitchen

Kitchen - Cleaning tips

Although you may not spend as much time in the kitchen as in the living room, you are actively using it the most, which can cause it to look worn out and its appliances to break down. Start from the very beginning and hire an appliance installation service when buying a new dishwasher, stove, or refrigerator, to make sure they’re installed properly and there’s no initial damage when getting them inside. In Southern California, Lowe’s and Home Depot install appliances in the home. After that, you should maintain them properly.

  • The Fridge: Keep the inside of the fridge at about 39°F (4°C) 35 to 38 degrees is ideal for most refrigerators. Remember to vacuum the back of the appliance once in a while and clean the drain pan.
  • Freezer: If you have one that is not frost-free, then de-ice it from time to time, (empty it, and unplug it).
  • Stove: Use cleaners intended specifically for your cooktops. Clean the oven regularly.
  • Dishwasher: Keep it in good shape (the door seal needs moisture so it does not dry out) by using it or running it once a week to help lubricate the seal.

Also, make sure you take care of the wooden surfaces by cleaning them with mild cleaners. Smart home maintenance guide tip two: Don’t forget to use cutting boards and other bases when preparing the food for easy cleanups.

Bathrooms

Bathroom - Cleaning tips

An unappealing and poorly maintained bathroom is the worst thing that can happen to a house. Don’t let that happen and be sure that you have a good bed of caulk in shower/bathtub and that the grout in tile is solid. Caulk the areas at least once a year. Good seal around the fixtures can make cleaning easier and more efficient. Shower doors and curtains should be scrubbed and cleaned at least once a week, as well as the sink and toilet. Clean the bathroom sink thoroughly, by pulling out the drain stopper. It is helpful to soak it in vinegar. Clean out the filters of the exhaust fan regularly.

Rooms Requiring Organization

Bedrooms

Bedroom image - cleaning tips and maintenance

Bedroom maintenance is as almost identical to that of the living room. It’s even more important to keep it top notch, since it is your place of relaxing. Open the windows often (make sure you have quality windows installed, that don’t allow too much heat in or out) to let the fresh air in. Keep it decluttered and clean from the floor up.

Clean Your Windows Inside and Out

guy hanging out the window cleaning windows - window-cleaner

Okay, so we don’t suggest you try this! If you live in anything other than a single story – hire a professional window cleaner!

Windows are an essential part of each room, and it is important to clean them well and regularly. See these window cleaning tips. The interior windows should be cleaned more often, while the exterior deserves a professional-like cleaning at least twice a year. Rubbing the windows with newspaper or paper towel, which is the standard way of home washing, is actually only moving the dirt from one place to another, without actually removing it. Smart home maintenance guide tip three: Instead, do it like the pros – use a strip applicator, squeegee, and wrung-dry chamois. Cleaning the windows is a good occasion to check them for moisture build-up between the double-pane glass and see if there is a need for replacing them. If you happen to have single pane windows consider having energy efficient new or replacement windows installed.

The more time and effort you invest in taking care of your home, the more it will return to you with longevity and welcoming ambiance. Proper maintenance puts the “sweet” in “Home sweet home”.

Guest author: Chloe Taylor

Edited by: M.Hill