Remove Your Air Conditioner
As part of your preparations for summer, be sure to schedule a regular air conditioning check-up and seal windows and doors against drafts. By taking steps now to prepare your home properly for warmer weather, you may save money on energy costs, improve air quality and prevent mold/mildew growth in advance.
Remove and store your air conditioning window unit safely away in your garage, basement or under your porch. It is best to have another person help as AC units can be bulky and heavy to maneuver.
Also keep a pan or bucket handy in case any water spills out as you remove your unit – water may come gushing from it during removal!
Once you’ve removed your air conditioner, be sure to empty and clean its filter before disposing it properly.
For those looking to save on energy costs, many services offer A/C pick-up for a fee and storage services as an additional service option. You can visit www.ridlyrubbishremoval.com.au to learn more about this service. These professionals are able to ensure every part of these units are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
If yours is in an inconvenient location, lay a dirty towel under it to prevent water from dripping onto the floor when uninstalling it and protect your carpet and hardwood flooring from any stains caused by its removal.
While vacuuming, be sure to also vacuum the area where the unit was installed as well as any floors surrounding the vents. If your outdoor A/C unit features a cover, be sure to open it, remove dirt and debris, wipe down its metal exterior, and wipe down any mold or mildew forming on it in order to prevent mold growth on it.
Likewise, if you use reusable filters, wash and allow them to dry before reattaching them back onto your A/C system.
Test Your Smoke Detectors
Summer is a time to kick back, enjoy the sun and recharge. But it can also be an extremely hectic period. Before embarking on any vacation plans, there are various tasks you must complete first such as making sure your home is prepared for summer heat – most importantly ensuring all smoke detectors are working as they should be.
Testing a smoke detector requires pushing and holding its test button until it begins beeping. As some alarms can enter “programming mode” if held longer than necessary, it’s best to press it quickly.
It’s wise to purchase extra batteries and possibly replace your old ones before the summer heat arrives. Furthermore, make sure your smoke detectors are tested with all members of the household present, to make sure all hear and recognize the sound of the alarm.
Furthermore, this initial test provides an ideal opportunity to discuss a family evacuation plan and outside meeting points in case of fire.
Altering the direction of return air vents on ceilings and floors is another quick and simple way to prepare your home for summer, enabling more effective cooling of your home.
Clean Your Fridge
If your fridge is overflowing with sticky jam jars and crusty condiment bottles, it’s time for a thorough cleanup. Empty all removable drawers and shelves before hand-washing with warm water and gentle dish soap.
Be careful when exposing any glass components to hot water as extreme temperature changes could crack them; baking soda could be an alternative cleaning agent that won’t transfer its smell onto food items in your pantry.
Once everything has been washed and rinsed, allow it to air-dry thoroughly before placing it back in your refrigerator. Don’t forget to wipe down handles and any grooves in the door of your fridge as well.
Start cleaning your refrigerator regularly to avoid future messiness. Check open dating labels every week and discard foods past their prime. This keeps odors, sticky spills and moldy crumbs at bay in your fridge!
If a spill proves particularly stubborn, soak a sponge or cloth in hot water for several minutes in order to reconstitute its dried mess and make cleanup simpler. This will reactivate its substances so you can clean more easily.
To keep your refrigerator looking its best, use a nonscratch sponge or towel dampened with mild cleaners like degreaser, liquid dishwashing soap or an antibacterial homemade solution made with vinegar, lemon and bicarbonate.
Additionally, rubbing alcohol on a microfiber cloth may help remove sticky fruit juice or ketchup residue left behind by fruit juices or sauces.
Clean Your Outdoor Furniture
Summer is the season for backyard barbecues, picnics and spending quality time outside with friends and family.
As you prepare your outdoor furniture for use during warmer weather months, take the time to give it a good cleaning to remove any build-up of grime accumulated from prior use.
Outdoor furniture of all kinds – wood, metal, and plastic – should be regularly cleaned in order to prevent mildew and mold growth.
A hose equipped with a spray nozzle or bucket filled with soapy water should suffice in most cases, though wicker pieces often collect dirt in tight crevices that need thorough scrubbing. You could add bleach or pine oil for tough stains.
Once your furniture and cushions have been thoroughly cleaned, ensure to rinse it with clean water to rid themselves of any soap residue and any dirt or dust accumulated over winter. Rinse cushions as well to eliminate build-up of dirt or dust that has settled over time. Once everything is clean, store your furniture and cushions somewhere dry during summer to reduce mold growth and mildew growth.
Clean Your Grill
Grilling practices that give your burgers their signature Instagram-ready char can also leave behind carbon deposits on virtually every surface of your grill, including grates, hood, firebox interior surfaces, as well as flavorizing bars and burner tubes.
Cleaning your grill involves more than simply scraping away leftover grease and food — it’s an opportunity to eliminate potentially hazardous bacteria that could potentially make you and your family sick.
Food poisoning cases tend to increase during summer months when people spend more time grilling outdoors and eating grilled foods.
Launch your grilling season off right by conducting a comprehensive cleaning session.
Arm yourself with a long-handled wire brush and bucket of soapy water, and get to work. Start by brushing away visible debris off of the cooking grate before using a metal scraper or putty knife to get any bits that remain.
Soak the grates in hot, soapy water for one hour to loosen any stubborn grime deposits before giving them one more scrub using your wire brush, before finally rinsing everything off thoroughly afterwards.
If your grill’s stubborn dirt or grease won’t come loose with wire brush and elbow grease alone, consider creating your own food-grade cleaner using equal parts vinegar and baking soda in a paste form and applying to its grates as a poultice for 10-20 minutes before scrubbing off with your wire brush and rinsing clean.
Repeat as necessary to clear away all oil or grease lingering within. You can click here to learn more about this process.
Prepare Your Pool at the Beginning of the Summer
Preparing your pool for summer may take some work, but doing it right can save money in repairs and maintain swimmer safety. Making sure it’s ready early so you can begin swimming quickly is important.
Start by clearing away any leaves or debris that have collected around your pool area, carefully unzipping its cover to make sure no leaves fall into the water.
Next, carefully scrub and clean the walls of your pool to get rid of any stains or algae buildup, using a telescopic pole and protective clothing as needed to use brushes for this task. Finally, check and make any needed poolside repairs such as fixing broken equipment before proceeding further with pool maintenance tasks.
Make use of a telescopic pole with a vacuum head to skim the surface of your pool to remove dirt and debris that has accumulated over winter. This step is particularly essential if you own a saltwater pool; salt particles adhere to surfaces of saltwater pools more strongly and require additional brushing in order to be effectively removed from them.
After conducting a visual inspection, it’s time to test your water for chemical balance. You will need a kit to test chlorine, pH levels, calcium and phosphates levels – also considering adding algaecide now as algae can quickly take hold in a swimming pool environment.
Deep Clean the Exterior of Your Home
Few household tasks offer as much satisfaction as taking to your spray nozzle and blasting away dirt that has collected on your house’s exterior walls, deck and driveway. But be careful – too much pressure could damage siding, shingles or even the foundation of your home!
First, cover shrubbery, plants and trees around you with drop cloths or plastic sheeting for protection, close doors and windows securely as required and cover leaky ones with tape if they leak water into your room.
Next, use an appropriate cleaning solution and tools to suit the surface you’re washing, such as water mixed with mild soap or bleach cleaner and warm water, for most surfaces.
For vinyl siding or painted surfaces requiring stripping or paint removal, a commercial cleanser can be helpful; while for stucco walls require washing with an adjustable machine with lower gallon per minute settings and wider spray radius settings to distribute pressure instead of pressure concentrated on one area.
There is a lot to do when summer begins. Preparing your home can help you enjoy the season safely!