9/3/13

8 Things to Do at Home Before Cold Weather Arrives


With Labor Day weekend behind us, there's no denying that summer is coming to a close. Soon we'll be huddling around bonfires and drinking hot cider as we begin to nest for winter. Before we hole ourselves up in our homes, let's get them prepared. Use the waning days of summer to get your home in shape and you'll be able to enjoy hot toddies in peace.

1. Clean your windows. In a few months you'll be huddling inside your home, looking out your windows and wondering why you didn't clean them before it was too cold. Wash your windows now and enjoy a clear view all fall and winter long.

2. Air out your mattress. If you're able to, pull your mattress outdoors and let it sit in the sun for a couple of hours. This will no only give your mattress that fresh outdoor smell, the sun will also help kill the little dust mites and other creep crawlies that live in it. If you don't live in a place where you can leave your mattress sitting outdoors, pull off the bedding and mattress pad, throw open the windows and let the mattress air out.

3. Launder your duvet and pillows. Now that your mattress is feeling fresh, don't forget the duvet and pillows. Many pillows and duvets can be machine washed and then thrown into the dryer on a low setting. To help the pillows fluff up, throw a few tennis balls into the dryer too. You can also have your pillows and duvet professionally dry cleaned.

4. Clean your radiators/vents. This is a good time to get your radiators and heat vents cleaned before they're too hot to handle. For radiators, use a vacuum with a crevice tool or a long feather duster to clean between the pipes. For vents, have a professional service clean your duct work.

5. Wash your curtains. You've had your windows open all summer so chances are your curtains have collected dust and debris. Wash your curtains before you close up your home for the upcoming cold weather season. If you wash your curtains while it's still warm enough to have windows open, you can re-hang them while they're still a little wet and let the fresh air and sunshine do the rest.

6. Have your rugs cleaned. You've spent the summer running in and out of the house, tramping all sorts of things inside in the process. If you use area rugs, send them out to be cleaned. If you have wall to wall carpeting, have it professionally shampooed or rent a shampooer and DIY it. Do it now while you can still have doors and windows open to help the carpeting dry.

7. Have your fireplace prepped. One of the best things about cold weather is having a crackling fire in the fireplace. It's a good idea to have your chimney swept once a season. Or, at the very least, burn a fireplace cleaning log.

8. Check your smoke detectors. Between using the fireplace, heating up the oven more often and burning candles, your home is one big fire hazard. Make sure you'll be alerted to an emergency by checking your smoke detector batteries.


Image: Jason Loper

No comments:

Post a Comment