Here’s the ultimate home maintenance checklist that will help you stay organized all summer.
1. Swap for the seasons
Transition to summer by swapping out your seasonal equipment. Trade cold-weather gear like skis and snowboards for warm-weather essentials like beach umbrellas and surfboards.
Enjoying the season’s activities is so much easier when you have everything you need close at hand—and with pickups at your home and on-demand deliveries, Clutter makes the seasonal swap easier than ever.
2. Wash your windows
Wiping down the inside of your windows may be something you do once a month.
When was the last time you washed the outside of your windows? Those need to be cleaned too, especially as spring rages on with its flash thunderstorms and waves of pollen. However, if there is any kind of cracked or damaged caulking, it may be a sign your windows need further maintenance aside from your typical rub wipe down.
Take a Saturday to use a hose and spray down your windows. Add in some soap for a deeper clean. They’ll dry quickly in the afternoon sun and you’ll immediately be able to see a difference.
3. Check your AC unit
It’s the one summer moment everyone dreads—when your AC unit gives out.
Look for some basic signs that your AC unit needs some attention. Make sure every vent in your house blows a steady stream of air when the fan is on, and that every room is the same temperature.
If you ever have questions, call a professional for an inspection before things get bad.
4. Clean out that garage
No one loves cleaning in the cold, which is why garages get dirty and disorganized by the time summer begins.
Organizing your garage will save you tons of time for more summer fun. Yard work or other big projects should be a breeze after you know where everything is stored.
5. Prep for al fresco eats.
Get your grill in working order for summer cookouts and lots of outdoor eats.
After a long BBQ hibernation, maintenance is key. Grillmasters recommend checking tanks and hoses, doing a full cleaning of the grill and grease trap, and giving it a test run before hungry company shows up.
Attach a foil dispenser to the grill for easier access, and consider a grill bucket filled to the brim with essential utensils (tongs are a good place to start.
6. Test your sprinkler system
If you have a sprinkler system, it’s probably been off during the winter if you live where it’s cold and the grass lies dormant. It’s a good idea to give your sprinkler a quick test before you leave it on a pre-programmed schedule during your summer vacations.
Turn on the sprinkler system while you’re home and give it a good fifteen to thirty minutes to run. Check to see if any spigots aren’t operating correctly or if some of them don’t shut off.
You might save yourself the water waste and yard damage that a broken sprinkler system could cause.
7. Spray for bugs
You love summer. So do bugs.
So make sure to schedule when you should spray.
There are bug sprays that will work inside and outside of your home. Keep both separate, as the level of powerful chemicals will differ for each one.
Not a fan of spraying chemicals anywhere around your home? You can make your own bug sprays that will work just as well if you want to spend a little extra time creating them.
8. Check in with your plants
No matter how green your thumb is, the change of seasons is a good time to check in with our houseplants.
Will your cold-weather regiment translate to the warmer months? Give your green friends a little extra love and attention during this transitional time, and discover some genius hacks for all of your houseplants in the process.
9. Inspect screened windows and doors
Another way to fight bugs is to inspect your screened windows and doors, so double check that they’re all intact before you leave them open.
Don’t be intimidated if you find a tear or hole! They can be easily fixed with a repair kit in just a few minutes.
Larger tears, like when the screen is ripped completely out of the edging around it, may be a bigger project. It can still be done at home, but you’ll have to replace the entire screen itself instead of just patching it up.
10. Try to be proactive
Summer always flies by faster than you think. Staying organized helps you make the most of it!
Invest in a summer planner to get organized and after you figure out what you’ll need to do, you can relax and have some summer fun while it lasts.
