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New Year’s Resolution Guide to Year Long Home Maintenance

You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Home & Garden / Cleaning / New Year’s Resolution Guide to Year Long Home Maintenance

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March 5, 2020 by Home Jobs By Mom
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New Year's Resolution Guide to Year Long Home Maintenance

Maybe this is the year to go on an adventure or take a business risk. Perhaps you've decided to cook healthier foods or save more money. The beginning of the new year is an opportunity for improvement, from spending more time with the family to elevating your career. But for many on-the-go busy working moms, merely maintaining the home can be a never-ending task. And without regular tuneups, you may face difficult and costly repairs down the road. If you want to make regular home maintenance your New Year's resolution, stay on track with this list, ranging from monthly to annual tasks. Identify tasks to complete every weekend, and your house will be a healthy, happy home for the long term.

Monthly Home Maintenance

  • Inspect HVAC filters and replace if dirty. If you're a smaller family without pets or allergies, replacing filters every 2-3 months may be sufficient.
  • Clean the kitchen sink disposal by running vinegar ice cubes through the disposal. Vinegar ice cubes help freshen and sharpen blades. Flushing with hot water and baking soda is another option.
  • Degrease your range hood vent filter using an auto degreaser and hot water. Rinse the filter in the mixture in the sink for a few minutes to clean the filter.
  • Clean out dirt and debris in the sink and tub drains with a drain stick.
  • Ensure that your fire extinguisher is in proper working condition, including adequate pressure, intact locking pin, unbroken tamper seal, and no visible signs of wear or tear.

Quarterly Home Maintenance

  • Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries if no alarm sounds when you hit the “test” button.
  • Check the water heater. Repair any leaks. If you live in an area with hard water, drain 1-2 gallons to reduce calcium buildup. Also, check the pressure relief valve to prevent mineral and corrosion buildup and keep it running efficiently.
  • Check the water softener. Add salt if necessary.
  • Clean faucets, showerheads, and aerators.
  • Inspect weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows. Replace holes and cracks with new material.
  • Lubricate hardware to help keep windows and doors in good shape, providing free and easy movement. Rid of sliding windows and doors of dirt, dust, and debris.

Semiannual Home Maintenance

  • Give the whole house a proper deep clean. Keep your home in optimal shape by eliminating dirt, grime, and dust buildup from room corner to room corner.
  • Vacuum refrigerator coils. As coils get dirty, the fridge will use more energy to run. Keep it running efficiently and save electricity with well-maintained coils.
  • Exercise electrical breakers so all moving parts break through any grease and grime buildup and ensure proper operation. (Without opening for an extended time, a circuit breaker can have performance issues.)
  • Test Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GCFI outlets), which detect dangerous current flow and instantly shut off the power. These electrical devices may damage or wear out.

Annual Home Maintenance

  • Winter: Check for ice dams and remove icicles. Massive icicles can be hazardous to others and damage your home, as well as damage the foundation when melting.
  • Spring: Inspect the home exterior for any winter damage. Check drainage and clean out gutters to avoid water damage. Make any necessary repairs, such as chipping paint, damaged siding, roofing leaks, holes in bricks or cracks in the foundation.
  • Summer: Treat insect infestation with pest control. Ants, ticks, and termites can be particularly problematic during the summer months. Also, clear cobwebs and make sure after your summer vacation to look for any signs of bed bugs upon your return home.
  • Fall: Winterize your home. Hire a pro to inspect your furnace and heating ducts. Trim nearby trees, caulk air leaks, replace the furnace filter, check insulation, wrap pipes and install storm windows and doors to increase energy savings.

What is your best home maintenance tip?

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Category: Cleaning, Home & GardenTag: Home Maintenance, New Year's Resolution

About Home Jobs By Mom

Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erica Luckstead

    April 11, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    Great List–I’m downloading.

    Reply
  2. Edna Williams

    April 8, 2020 at 2:50 am

    I need this list! Wonderful!

    Reply
  3. Chenoa F4Family

    February 9, 2016 at 12:24 pm

    This is a great list! I need to pin this for when we finally make our home purchase!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      February 10, 2016 at 2:58 pm

      Thanks! It will come in handy 🙂

      Reply
  4. Spencer

    January 28, 2016 at 7:39 am

    Breaking the task down like this is a great idea because it is easier to keep track of things! I make a similar list every start of the year but looking at your list, it seems I have forgotten to add a couple of things!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      February 2, 2016 at 8:55 am

      Well, add away. I hope it helps you Spencer:)

      Reply
  5. Yona Williams

    January 24, 2016 at 9:31 pm

    I think a lot of people forget to maintain their fridge by tending to the coils and other upkeep. I learned that the hard way.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 26, 2016 at 10:20 am

      I think so too. I rarely think about the fridge.

      Reply
  6. Donna Janke

    January 22, 2016 at 9:04 am

    Great list of house maintenance tips. I didn’t know the one about draining some water from water heaters if you have hard water. I may need to look into that.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      We have hard water here. I’m very thankful for my water softner.

      Reply
  7. Lex

    January 22, 2016 at 5:30 am

    Great post Great blog Great woman…. Thanx for sharing…

    Greetings from…. leXHansplaCE

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:29 pm

      Thank you Lex!

      Reply
  8. Fatima

    January 21, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    Thanks for sharing the tips. Really helpful. Do you have any tip to clean the hob?

    Fatima | http://www.blogsbyfa.com

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      No, unfortunately not. I’m sorry. You probably could find some good tips online for it.

      Reply
  9. W.A. Rusho

    January 21, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    These are really great tips, and very important.
    I live in a snow belt, which means severe winters. I am constantly checking for winter damage, and in the spring I am always working on something to fix it.

    thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:26 pm

      I hope your house survives the winter with flying colors this year.

      Reply
  10. CourtneyLynne

    January 20, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    Oooo great tips!!!! Swear my house can never be too clean!!! Love learning new tricks and hacks!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:03 pm

      I agree! I wish I had a maid to do it though 😉

      Reply
  11. Caroline

    January 20, 2016 at 8:17 pm

    I love these tips; all adults need these before getting a house it’s serious business keeping it up

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:04 pm

      Very true Caroline! A house requires a lot more than an apartment that someone else keeps up.

      Reply
  12. Shanti

    January 19, 2016 at 10:45 pm

    Some great ideas here. I was happy when I saw the winter annual one and thought Yes! one that doesn’t have to be done! I live in New Zealand so not necessary

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:23 pm

      Awesome. Very lucky 🙂

      Reply
  13. Elizabeth

    January 19, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    This is an ambitious list! I wish I had the motivation that you do to keep up the house! Good luck and happy new year!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      We shall see how much we actually get accomplished with our hectic schedules LOL.

      Reply
  14. Adarsh

    January 19, 2016 at 9:26 pm

    Wow, this is a good resolution.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:05 pm

      Thank you! What was yours?

      Reply
  15. OurFamilyWorld

    January 19, 2016 at 8:38 pm

    I love your list. I will be printing this as I tend to forget to do some of these things.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:59 pm

      Thank you so much! I hope it helps your home be more healthy this year 🙂

      Reply
  16. Jennifer Pilgrim

    January 19, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    Thanks so much for these tips. I’ve been looking for a checklist setup like this everywhere, and it looks like I’ve finally found it.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      Glad you found it Jennifer. Put it on the fridge 🙂

      Reply
  17. Heather

    January 19, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    I have no home maintenance tips! I barely keep it together with three little ones under foot! I used to be really good about keeping everything together, but have definitely slacked off. This year is my year though! This is a great list!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      You can do it Heather. It IS your year!!

      Reply
  18. Debra

    January 19, 2016 at 5:46 pm

    Replacing HVAC filters is huge! Thanks for the reminder! I just put this on the hubby’s to-do-list.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:43 pm

      Glad it helped Debra!

      Reply
  19. Erica Brooks

    January 19, 2016 at 5:19 pm

    This is a great reminder of tasks I need to stay on top of. It’s amazing how fast cleaning and maintenance gets away from me.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      I know what you mean Erica. The list will help!

      Reply
  20. Ken Dowell

    January 19, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    I have to admit that I’m embarrassed about how few of these things I actually do. However, in line with the image at the top of your post, I do have a dog who does pre-wash in the dishwasher nightly.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      Haha. Good dog!!

      Reply
  21. Jenn

    January 19, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    What a great list! I don’t have a task to add, but I did want to mention that This Old House usually includes 3-4 reminders to check or update around the home in each issue, which really comes in handy.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:37 pm

      Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check it out.

      Reply
  22. lauriel

    January 19, 2016 at 12:14 pm

    Great list of tips and reminders to check up on all parts of the house to make sure things are working well and smoothly. I’ve never heard of the vinegar ice tip for the sink, thanks for that!

    xo,
    lauriel (EyeForElegance.com)

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Let me know how you like the vinegar ice if you try it 🙂

      Reply
  23. laura londergan

    January 19, 2016 at 11:43 am

    what a great checklist. Of course, sometimes we don’t feel like doing these things but it’s necessary and this list helps!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:31 pm

      Yes, the list helps. We just have to get motivated too!

      Reply
  24. Beth Niebuhr

    January 19, 2016 at 11:25 am

    Such important tasks. Especially testing detectors and water heaters. A great checklist to keep on hand.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Thanks! I we need to see how our water heater is doing this year.

      Reply
  25. Allie

    January 19, 2016 at 7:58 am

    I’m pretty good about keeping the house clean but I need to be better about the overall home maintenance. This is a great list to get started with!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      I hope it helps you Allie 🙂

      Reply
  26. Nikka Shae

    January 19, 2016 at 7:20 am

    My husband has a list to check for the house. Now I have to remind him to check the list!! Haaa!!!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      That’s a good system 🙂

      Reply
  27. Phoenicia

    January 19, 2016 at 5:27 am

    Great tips.

    I feel so much more “together” when I have organised paperwork, spring cleaned and checked appliances.

    Vinegar is excellent for cleaning metallic taps -it leaves them sparkling.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 12:45 pm

      I will have to try vinegar on mine. Thanks!

      Reply
  28. jill conyers

    January 19, 2016 at 3:55 am

    I’m embarrassed to say I don’t have any home maintenance tips. Probably because my husband is on top of it all.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 12:41 pm

      Sounds like you have a great husband 🙂

      Reply
  29. Ana De- Jesus

    January 19, 2016 at 2:09 am

    I agree New Year New Home. Time to make a fresh start!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      Yes, it’s the perfect time!

      Reply
  30. Hilesha O'Nan

    January 18, 2016 at 11:46 pm

    This is a wonderful list! I love how you broke everything down.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 24, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      Thank you! I hope it helps you!!

      Reply
  31. Rho

    January 18, 2016 at 10:57 pm

    I’m going to print this out and place it on my fridge. Great tips!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:05 pm

      That’s a great place for this list!

      Reply
  32. Sarah

    January 18, 2016 at 10:43 pm

    What a great list! Thanks for putting it together!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:10 pm

      No problem Sarah 🙂

      Reply
  33. Debra

    January 18, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    I need be so much better about all of these things. I used to be so great about the filters on our AC!

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:08 pm

      We have one of those filters that last a year. I’m not looking forward to my husband going up in the attic for it. It’s in an awful location right above an open railing. I’m afraid he will fall!

      Reply
  34. TaMara

    January 18, 2016 at 8:46 pm

    I need to do this. I’ve said it before, but I’m going to actually taken action this time.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      It’s a New Year. Perfect time to start!

      Reply
  35. laci

    January 18, 2016 at 7:43 pm

    My husband does it all thank god !! Laci

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 23, 2016 at 7:05 pm

      Good man you got there Laci!

      Reply
  36. Robin Rue (@massholemommy)

    January 18, 2016 at 5:53 pm

    I need to be better about taking better care of my house. I Love that you broke everything down like this.

    Reply
    • Krystle

      January 18, 2016 at 5:55 pm

      Thanks! It’s a New Year. You can change habits of last year and start fresh, better this year 🙂

      Reply

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