With warmer, sunnier days comes the annual tradition of spring cleaning, a time to freshen up your home inside and out. Getting rid of the extra clutter and dirt that accumulated throughout the winter can make you feel bright and ready for relaxing during long summer days. Here are a few tips on how to have a successful and refreshing spring clean this season.
1. Clear your eavestroughs
Clearing your eavestroughs of leaves and other debris that may have built up over winter is an essential part of spring maintenance. Clogged eavestroughs will prevent water from flowing off your roof properly and could lead to leaks. Double check that your down spouts are clear and directing water away from your foundation.
2. Tidy up your garage or shed
When you’re grabbing the lawn mower or other tools, you won’t want to wade through a sea of cobwebs and clutter. Take a moment this spring to go through the things in your garage or shed, sell or donate what you don’t need, and organize and clean the rest so that you’ll have easy access to your tools and equipment.
3. Get ready for gardening
Wait until the daytime temperatures are consistently above 10⁰ C before you clean up your garden or flower beds. If you disturb the plant litter too early, you’ll disturb the insects using the litter for winter shelter, like butterflies and ladybugs. Once the time is right, roll up your sleeves and rake out leaves, pull out last year’s dead annuals, trim back perennials and prune summer blooming trees and shrubs.
4. Clean out your indoor storage areas
We all have a space in our homes that seems to accumulate barely used items that gather dust. Go through your crammed closet or basement and consider getting rid of anything you haven’t used in the last year by donating it to a thrift store or charity. Old electronics can be recycled—search for a drop off location near you at recyclemyelectronics.ca.
5. Wipe down seldom-cleaned surfaces
Did you know that walls can build up a layer of dust and grime over time? Wipe down your walls with a soft cloth or sponge, warm water and a non-abrasive solution. Take notice of other seldom-cleaned surfaces such as ceiling fan blades or window blinds and give them a good wipe as well.
6. Check the batteries in your CO and smoke detectors
While you’re cleaning around your home, it’s a good time to perform the annual check of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are fully operational and have charged batteries. Typically, you can test your alarm by pressing and holding the test button—if the battery is working, the alarm will sound.
7. Update your home inventory list
As you go through your closets and storage areas, make a list of all your belongings. This list will come in handy if your possessions are ever destroyed or stolen and you need to make an insurance claim. If you notice you have accumulated several valuable items, you may need to update your contents insurance amount to ensure these items are covered.
If you have questions about the amount of coverage you need for the contents of your home or wish to update your home insurance policy, please call your OTIP broker today at 1-888-892-4935.