Spring is in the air, and summertime is just around the corner. Now is a great time to get a head start on spring cleaning and summertime fun. As you get your home ready for all your outdoor activities, remember to take the time to prepare before it’s already time for fun in the sun. Here are 6 tips for getting your home summer-ready!
Every season, it’s important to take the time to maintain your property. It’s easier and less expensive to tackle a few tasks every season than wait until something goes wrong. This list is where I start each spring. Join me and start your own spring cleaning.
Let’s get going!
6 Tips for Summer Prep
Roof and gutters
Start from the top. Make sure any debris that made its way onto your roof or into your gutters has been cleared away. As we get into the summer stormy season, it’ll be more and more important to make sure your gutters are working right. Keeping gutters clear is one of the easiest ways to protect your investment.
Windows
As we switch into warmer weather and get ready to open windows wide, it’s time to do a little cleaning. Vinyl window frames can be cleaned with a quick pass with your favorite cleaning product, while some wooden frames can take a bit more elbow grease. Either way, it’s easier to clean those windows before summertime screens are put in.
Winter Equipment Storage
The great changeover of equipment that accompanies each seasonal shift is here! It’s time to put the snow shovels, rock salt, and ice scrapers back into storage for a few months. Likewise, now is the time to maintenance any machinery, like snow throwers and generators. Make sure any lingering fuel and oil are purged for storage, and any generators are still accessible. Letting old gasoline and other fluids sit in engines is a great way to rot them from the inside. Using stale gas is just as dangerous, and likely to foul the plugs.
Summer Equipment Maintenance
The second part of the seasonal equipment changeover is to get the summertime tools out and ready. Grab any rakes, shovels, and other implements you may need for landscaping. For any motorized tools, check them over to make sure nothing rotted in storage, fill them with new fluids, and give them a test before you need to use them. Any blades should be checked over, as well. From lawnmowers to hedge trimmers, any blades that look dull should be sharpened up before heading back into use. Don’t forget the air filters – they clog easily and attract bugs.
Hoses
It’s just about time to turn on the outdoor water. This means getting the hoses out of storage, making sure they’re still in good shape, and getting them in place for when we’re past the frost warning stage of spring. The whole point of turning off the water in the winter is to prevent the pipes from freezing, so turning things back on too early could prove perilous. The good news is that we won’t need our hoses too much until it’s time for planting, and we don’t want to start planning until after the frosts end, as well.
Garden Prep
While it’s been a relatively mild winter, we’re still not out of the woods yet. That doesn’t mean it’s too early to get your gardens ready. While it’s still cool and the summertime flies haven’t hatched yet, it’s the perfect time to rotate your compost and clear out your garden beds. Some early flowers are budding, and planting season will be here soon.
Conclusion
We’ve had frost warnings this week, but the warm weather is almost here. It’s a great time to take care of chores to get ready for summertime fun. Today we explored some steps to get started. While this isn’t everything you can do, they’re 6 things I take care of every year.
Start from the top and work your way down. Clear any debris from your roof and gutters before cleaning your windows and swapping in the summer screens. Swap out your winter tools for summer options and get your hose and gardens ready for once we’re past the freeze warnings.
Thank you for joining me as I went through my checklist of springtime chores! I hope you’re on your way to being ready for summertime fun. What’s your checklist every year? I’d love to hear how you get your home ready in the spring.
