Make Household Cleaning A Priority In The New Year

With the start of a new year, maybe you and your family have promised yourselves to do a better job when it comes to household cleaning duties

. If this is the case, here are a few simple tips to make achieving your goal a bit easier.

Getting Your House in Ship Shape

For starters, break down the household responsibilities by creating a chore chart. This should list the chores itself, who will perform each particular duty and when it's expected to be completed. If necessary, organize the chart by day, week and month.

Before you start on the cleaning, evaluate your home. Is there a place for everything you want or need to keep around? Could you be better organized with storing your household goods, supplies, tools, sporting equipment and other items that might be eating space? If there is too much clutter, you might have to comb through these items and get rid of some things before you can begin to organize and clean. Additionally, if you have any kids helping out with the chores, create incentives for them to ensure they meet the deadlines.

Then, let the cleaning begin! Use soap and water wherever possible if you want to save money on expensive cleaners. Soap, water and a little "elbow grease" is as good of a way to get things clean as any. Maybe rent an industrial strength carpet cleaner after you get everything off the floors. If your carpet is dirty, this may be a one-time deal; then you can try to maintain a clean carpet after that.

Mop and wax all floors where applicable and spray down any cement floors. Also, take a sponge with a light cleaning solution mixed with water and wipe around all baseboards. Have some putty available for any small cracks or holes, and paint to match the color of the wall you're working on.

The Bathroom and Light Plumbing

Cleaning the bathroom tile will require soap and water, with maybe a little tile cleaner mixed in. Also needed will be a sponge, a very fine-surfaced scrub brush and a little more elbow grease. You'll want to check around the bathtub for areas that need sealed with caulk. Check for mold as well, especially around the shower curtain and surrounding area.

Light plumbing repairs will probably be necessary around the toilet and sinks. Fix any leaky faucets by replacing gaskets and making sure units are tight. Check your toilet to make sure the water pressure and septic tank levels are correct. This may require a few turns of a wrench, but it shouldn't be anything you can't handle.

Heating and Cooling System

You can save yourself repair costs and even put off new furnace installations for years by performing some minor maintenance to your heating and cooling system. You may not be able to keep the HVAC specialist away forever, but you can go a long way toward making sure his visits are few and far between. This can be achieved by:Making sure there is no black soot or residue on or around the furnace.Ensuring the pilot flame is burning blue, not yellow or orange.Vacuuming the inside of your furnace to relieve it of any dust or debris.Checking the tension of all belts.Wiping the inside of the unit down with a wet rag.Checking the filter about once a month, replacing or cleaning it when necessary.Of course, always turn off your furnace before opening it up when cleaning or servicing it. Now, that you know what to do, it's time to get motivated and make your home feel like new again!by: Wesley Holm

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