Ready to take charge of the new year? Your home is a great place to start. Creating a monthly home‐maintenance routine is an achievable, smart, and satisfying way to start fresh with a mini “new year” every four weeks. Regular home-maintenance rituals reset your space while helping to keep hardworking appliances and other home essentials clean and in peak working condition. Swapping out one big resolution for smaller monthly rituals will keep your home humming this year. Your living space will be easier to maintain, and every month will feel like a fresh start. Cheers to that!
BASIC HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Change the furnace filter each month to improve indoor air quality and to help the unit function more efficiently.
HOME AIR QUALITY
□ Portable Humidifier: Empty, rinse, and disinfect the tank to prevent mold and mineral deposits.
□ Furnace filters: Check and replace monthly to help your heating and cooling system run efficiently and keep the air clean.
□ HEPA filters: Clean the filters on vacuums and air purifiers; many are washable.
KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY
□ Dishwasher: Pull out the filter and rinse away food debris. Scrub the filter with a soft brush before putting it back in the machine. Run a full load of dishes and include a commercial cleaner to get rid of odors and buildup. Look for a cleaner that is made specifically for dishwashers, like Lemi Shine.
□ Refrigerator and freezer: Clean dust and debris from the grill in the back of the appliance. Wipe down shelves and toss anything past its prime.
□ Microwave and oven: Loosen grime by heating a cup of water and lemon juice in the microwave for 2 minutes, then wipe clean. For the oven, run a self-cleaning cycle or use baking soda paste to clean tough spots.
□ Coffee maker: Wipe down the outside of the machine. Run a cleaning cycle with water only — no ground coffee — and a small amount of citric acid to remove mineral buildup. Then run two cycles with only water to rinse it completely.
□ Garbage disposal: Pour ½ cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of citric acid into the disposal. Wait 10 minutes, then run the disposal with hot water.
□ Washing machine: Run an empty cycle using hot water and a washing machine cleaning tablet like Afresh. You can find this and similar products in the commercial cleaner aisle at your local supermarket.
□ Clothes dryer: Vacuum the lint trap and the vent hose — special attachments are available for this — to improve heating efficiency and reduce fire risk.
BONUS POINTS
□ Rearrange food items in your pantry for meal inspiration and to help you remember what you have in stock.
□ Do one task you have been putting off, like replacing a burned-out light bulb, hanging a picture on the wall, or cleaning out a cluttered drawer.
□ Donate a box of clothes or items you no longer use to your local thrift store.
Author: Mary Peck
