Keeping yourself and your family safe is a priority – and inadequate maintenance of your home can ruin it. We’re sure that you have already established habits when it comes to housekeeping. You couldn’t be more thorough when it comes to dusting, doing your regular wash up and you never miss a regular vacuum-cleaning and tidying.
But, sometimes, those parts of the house that we rarely remember are the most problematic ones. Your living place is there to give you a sense of freedom. It’s our peaceful corner and our personal oasis – rest for body and soul – and it offers a bunch of possibilities to arrange it the way you’ve always dreamed of. Very exciting! But, hand in hand with this feeling, there comes great responsibility. Also, when we’re moving into a new residence, the investment itself might be pretty large, and that’s why we need to try to make everything last.
So, hey, what are those mostly unnoticed corners that we should take care of and that we sometimes forget about, you’ll ask? Let’s find out together.
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Check the drains
Bad maintained drains that remain unchecked for a long time might become clogged and later flood the whole apartment. But, of course, we usually remember that only when the problem arises – and then we wish we were thinking about that much earlier. Here, preventive action is crucial. You should occasionally let the water flow into the drain and check how fast it flows. Everything’s fine if it runs quickly – however, if it’s slowed down, then you should consider a little bit of thorough cleaning.
Bathtubs, sinks and showers often start spreading rather unpleasant odors due to the retention of foul-smelling gases. The best thing you can do is prevent this in time with regular maintenance so that you don’t get into the situation of bringing plumbers in.
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Inspect your fire extinguishers
Thank God, you weren’t in a situation where you had to use a fire extinguisher. That’s great. But, just in case, it should always be somewhere near – preferably around the kitchen as it’s most susceptible to being accidentally set on fire. You mustn’t allow the risk of not reacting at the moment when you need it most to save yourself.
We’ll agree that there might always be certain unpredicted circumstances from which we can’t escape so easily, but it’s certainly recommendable to remain careful. This includes the regular servicing which should be performed at least once a year. Check all seals as well as the pressure on the manometer. Anything that seems ‘suspicious’ needs to be reported to the relevant service that deals with such issues.
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Start checking smoke detectors
These devices are increasingly used in homes as people are increasingly buying them to prevent fire accidents. And so they go – they get a detector, put it on the ceiling and think that the job ends in this very moment. No chance! If a fire occurs and the smoke detector doesn’t ‘trigger’ your alarm due to your lack of maintenance, the consequences can be fatal. You know that, right?
Checking doesn’t require much time and isn’t difficult at all. Press the test button and stay there until you hear the sound. By its intensity you’ll know whether service and cleaning are needed or not. In case of poor sound, replace its batteries, change the appliance, or have it serviced – depending on the needs. And THEN you can say that you’ve done everything.
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Clean the chimney and take care of the roof
Dangers lurk where we least expect them, don’t you think. When cardboard and dirt accumulate in the chimney, high temperatures develop rather quickly – and the fire is then easily transmitted to the beams and roof structure. A true upcoming disaster. This is the factor that is responsible for an immense number of fires in the winter during the heating season. This means that checking this part of the house before the start of the season might save some lives, too.
The average resident isn’t expected to take care of this alone, as this is the job of emergency services. This implies that it isn’t simple at all, too. If DoctorChimney is to be believed, not only the cleaning is crucial, but also masonry repairs, re-pointing or, even more important – waterproofing, in case of really bad weather conditions. Therefore, it’s clear what kind of damage might emerge if this aspect remains neglected. Just keep in mind that we should consider the roof replacement process should the need arises.
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Roof Maintenance
Speaking of the chimney maintenance, pay attention to the roof as well. The roof is the first to be hit in case of bad weather. If you don’t notice the damage and wait for a wetter period of the year, you won’t avoid high repair costs. The penetration of moisture inside the walls of the house and its retention will cause the appearance of mold and unpleasant odors. Staying and sleeping in such conditions is bad for your health.
The worst thing is that small amounts of moisture may not show up right away, but you will only be able to see them when the walls get very wet and cause a lot of damage. Don’t forget to check the roof at least once a year.
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Pay attention to the windows
We’re sure you clean windows and glass on them regularly. But it might surprise you that you’ve never done it right If you didn’t do what you’ll read in the following lines.
Have you ever paid attention to the small drainage channels located at the bottom of the window on the outside? That’s what we thought. You can’t even imagine how much dirt and rubbish hides in such tiny places. Cleaning of this source of bacteria at least once in six months is highly recommended, but you can do it even more frequently, in case you’re truly appalled by this fact.
Good window sealing should prevent freezing during the winter. Temporary adjustment of sealing tape can help you here. Of course, in the case of too old carpentry, this problem is more complicated and will require replacement and a little bit more effort.
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Don’t forget the dishwasher
Your magical helper in the housework you least like to do, right? And so you use it all the time, but never remember to clean it deeply in order to make it serve you as well as possible and for as long as possible. Tiny pieces of food as well as the leftover of the washing detergent remain all over the machine – does it sound clean? We don’t think so either.
The process isn’t difficult and each and every one of you can do it yourself. First of all, make sure that the drain isn’t clogged with food debris. Then wash it well and then clean the filter. For those who don’t like to use a lot of chemicals, it would be good to occasionally rinse it with vinegar and baking soda.
The hygiene of your home is a reflection of your own personality. Don’t let yourself neglect some key things that might easily endanger the health of you and your family. Rest assured that, should you remember these tasks several times a year, it will be enough to ensure the long lifespan of the most crucial parts of your house.
