Don’t Skip These House Chores!
by Liz Suto
Is that beautiful new home you bought three years ago looking more like a teenager than a toddler? Do you treat your home as a temporary rest stop rather than an investment? Springtime is a great season to tackle some of those chores that you’ve been ignoring because of the rain and cold weather. But really, these tasks can be done any time. Print this list and dole out the chores.
Water-seal your gate.
Remember when the wooden slats in your gate were a honey brown instead of a moldy black? Tisk, tisk. You have not been sealing your wood. Take a look around at any other wooden objects in your back yard and you might notice the same problem.
A wood cleaner may remove the dark coloring. If your wood is 911-status, you may have to break out the sander (or use muscle power and sanding paper) to remove the top layer. Then, buy a cheap paint brush and Thompson’s Water Seal (or similar product) and paint away.
Empty your Pool.
Have a salt water pool? Take special care in monitoring your Total Dissolved Solids, which, if too high, will take out your Salt Water System quicker than Arnold Schwartzenegger can say “I’ll be Back.” Shawn VanIwarden, owner of PoolSide Inc. says that salt system owners need to take special care of their chemicals.
“You’re on a completely differently different chemical playing field than people with pools that don’t have salt,” he says. “I recommend that pools with salt water systems drain and refill their pools approximately every 2 years. Pools without a salt system can wait for 3-4 years.”
When you fill your pool from the hose, your total dissolved solids (TDS) may measure about 400 parts per million. Evaporation will remove water from your pool, but all the minerals are left behind, slowly raising TDS. Adding salt increases your TDS close to 900, and when you get to 1200-1500, you may have more difficulty keeping chemical levels correct and your salt water system working. Backwashing more often can help extend the interval between refills.
While you’re draining the pool, consider removing that white line around the water’s edge that results from our hard water and an over-chlorinated pool. Kurtis Stumpf from Clearview Pool Cleaning and Repair uses a glass beading system, which he recommends because it removes the line without damaging tile or Pebble-Tec. Prices for glass beading can range from $3-$4 dollars per foot and may include pool drainage fees as well.
Before planning to drain your pool, talk to your pool care professional. Summer heat can harm a drained pool, depending upon the type of surface.
Make your windows see-through again.
Now that most of the rain is behind us, its time to clean the windows and screens. A good old-fashioned way to clean your windows is to create a mixture of ½ water and ½ white vinegar. Dip a wad of paper towels into the solution, and wipe your windows. Squeegees also work well for some, but have a paper towel handy to wipe up the leftover lines. Some amateur cleaning experts swear by newspapers instead of paper towels. Resist the urge to shoot the top windows with the garden hose, as the high mineral content of the hard water will dry on the glass.
Want to hire someone? Professional window washers are great for getting those second story windows when you don’t care to risk life and limb. When you hire a window washer, have them explain what services they perform. Kendy Mendez from The Perfectionist says that their window washers leave windows looking like new.
“We don’t give up on a window until it’s perfect,” he says, “We scrape off paint, cement and glue, without scratching the glass and bending the screens.” The crew also cleans window tracks, sliding glass door tracks and screens.
Clean the coils and the vents.
Hidden, but crying out for attention is your refrigerator coils. If you don’t remove the dust from these coils, you might be buying a new refrigerator a few years earlier than you might like. You can buy a special brush just for this purpose from stores like Sears, or use a vacuum. Check your owner’s manual for more information, and be careful not to jam your cleaning tool into a fan that might be exposed on the back of the refrigerator.
Also hidden in the recesses of the dryer is killer lint, just waiting to clog up your vent and perhaps start a fire. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually. Cleaning your lint trap after every load will help enormously, but sometimes lint builds up in the hose behind your dryer. Remove the hose from your wall and use a vacuum to pull as much lint out as you can.
Call for Air Conditioner Maintenance
Servicing an air conditioner is rarely a job for most homeowners, and most air conditioner manufacturers suggest annual maintenance by a professional. Our air conditioning season lasts up to up to 7 months, so air conditioning maintenance is even more important. Frequent maintenance can help extend the life of your air conditioner and save money on air conditioning bills. According to Eric Nichols from Daisy Mountain Air Conditioning, a fine grade of dust settles on the coils. “Running a dirty air conditioner is like putting a piece of cardboard over your grill in front of the car,” he says, and recommends yearly service for an air conditioning unit.
Nichols says that a good air conditioning tune-up takes about 1 ½ hours for one unit, and less for the second unit. He warns against companies that do $25 inspections. “You’re basically getting a sales call for that price,” he says. “They are going to try to sell you something.”
If a service person says that you need refrigerant, ask where the leak is – air conditioners are closed systems that don’t “use up” refrigerant.
The number one mistake homeowners make? “Not changing air filters,” says Nichols, which can ice up the indoor coil, causing damage to the compressor. He also recommends that you should find the right air filter to complement the design of the duct work. Most new Anthem homes should be using the cheaper air filters, not the expensive air filters that constrict air flow into your air conditioner. The air conditioner has to work harder to pull the air in.
Get your white tile white again
For those of us who chose a light tile, there is a price to pay. That price may be down on your knees with a sponge and tile cleaner, or you may skip the whole deal and hire someone to do it. Whatever you choose, clean tile and grout can really lighten up your home this spring.According to Curt Johnson, owner of Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile, it’s important to use a neutral ph-level cleaner, not anything that is too acidic or alkaline. For daily or weekly cleaning chores, hot water is best. He also cautions against using vinegar, which can damage grout.
To make the cleaning job easier, consider sealing your grout (Natural stone like travertine, slate and marble can be sealed as well). Sealing grout lines keeps the grout cleaner, protects the grout from stains, and makes your floor easier to maintain. You can seal the grout yourself using products at home improvement stores, or employ a professional. The professional-grade sealant that Johnson uses will last from 3-5 years.
If you clean the tile yourself, tile cleaner and scrubbing on your hands and knees is one way. Oreck Floor Care Center (6661 W. Bell Rd. 623-487-0285, www.oreck.com– check for coupons online), also rents out “orbiters”, which do the tile scrubbing for you (share one with a neighbor for a great value). Stores like Home Depot sell grout sealers, but they vary in quality.
Fertilize, Fertilize,
Trees are budding, and plants are blooming. Keep those buds and blooms looking good with some well-timed spring fertilizer.
Smite those smells
Refrigerator smells, carpet smells, bathroom smells – What is a nose to do? Having your carpets cleaned and washing pet beds will help with pet, child and smoking odors. A refrigerator cleaning will take care of the food smell when you open that door. If you cleaned the whole contraption and it still smells, check underneath the refrigerator for a drainage tray that may be catching and growing nasty stuff. For pet urine smells, try treating carpet with enzyme odor neutralizers like “Nature’s Miracle,” or other similar products. Have a stinky microwave after the kids left the popcorn in too long? Put some lemon in a dish of water and cook on high for a few minutes.
Now, celebrate!
Don’t even consider cooking in your spotless kitchen. Grab the family and celebrate your success with a dinner out.
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