Maintenance of one’s home is a significant duty, but it can also be extremely satisfying. There are many various areas in your home that need to be maintained, and some require more frequent maintenance than others. Carrying out simple tasks more frequently will help you save money on your electricity bill, prevent greater expenditures from accruing over time, and keep your house comfortable and safe for many years to come.
Here, we look at some of the home maintenance tasks you should be keeping on top of.
Cleaning out your refrigerator
Your refrigerator can account for up to 15 percent of the overall electricity consumed by your home. If your coils are not kept clean to ensure maximum effectiveness, that figure can rise significantly. If you are wondering how to clean the dark and confined region beneath or behind this item, the answer is surprisingly simple: vacuum it. This should be done once or twice a year.
Changing the filters on your HVAC system
A duty that varies from family to household is changing the filters in your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ( HVAC ) system. Filters may need to be changed every 2-3 months if you have a smaller home with fewer air pollutants – fewer people and no pets – but you should still check them once a month in larger homes. Seasonal changes might also have an impact on maintenance. For example, during the winter months, when a family is more likely to stay indoors, the quality of the air will be more significant.
Filters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Filters that are less expensive will last for a shorter period of time than more expensive filters. There are also reusable air filters available, which will need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Cleaning the vents and ducts in your home on an annual basis will help to extend the life of any filters you may have in your home. If you have an issue with your air conditioning units, don’t try to fix them yourself; call out a 24 Hour AC Service to sort the problem for you.
Clean out the gutters
Gutter cleaning should be performed twice a year at the very least. The best time to clean them is late fall, after all the leaves have fallen, and early spring, when you are doing your spring cleaning. However, the gutters should be visually inspected at least four times a year, if not more frequently. Checking for sagging and leaks or holes can be done by walking around the house and looking for signs of damage. After each season, climb a ladder and inspect your roof and gutters to make sure they are free of debris and damage as well as your home.
With more trees growing around your property, it is important to keep an eye on your gutters more frequently to make sure they are not becoming clogged with debris. For homeowners in cooler regions, keep an eye out for ice dams, which can form and allow water to seep into your home’s attic.
I met Anita Devlin of We Heave Ho years ago through family and friends but I really really became enamored with her when she started her amazing organizing business, “We Heave Ho”. With each job, I was mesmerized by the before and afters. Anita is so helpful, understanding, and passes no judgment at all. And I love her motto, “decluttering brings clarity”!! Every single family that she works with is just so incredibly thankful and asks for more and more (and yes I have seen this first hand).
So, here’s where I come in…I probably get 2 or 3 requests per week for the name of an organizing company. Whether be a moving job, or a garage cleanout or even a packing request for a college dorm set up. I reached out to Anita and we decided to work together to bring my readers along with us on one of her jobs.
I knew that I really wanted to be part of a Laundry Room Makeover…basically, we went to one of her client’s houses and the laundry room was such a good size but the homeowners just were lost in the space. Anita met with the wife and got to know a little about the family, their needs and she measured and sized up the space and then hit Bed Bath and Beyond and Home Goods the day before we started the job. I wish I went with her but that is for another post!!!
Anita, her interns and I arrived at the home ready to go. She was armed with her organizing baskets, labels, hangers, bins..you name it she had it AND she even brought flowers and coffee cake for the family.
I broke up the day into 3 parts.
THE BEFORE:
THE DURING
AND FINALLY……THE FINISHED PRODUCT (4 hours later)
So whether you have a small job or a larger one Anita is ready for you. I would start by following her Instagram @weheaveho. She has the best swipe ups to buy all the wonderful orgazing products she uses., Trust me, you will love Anita as much as I do!
One last before and after….Anita you are WONDERFUL!!!!
Yesterday I went into the Port Chester Home Goods trying to find some blue and white objects for my patio. Unfortunately the blue and white selection was pretty slim but there were still many other great things that caught my eye that I wanted to share with you.
These Turkish towels are beautiful. Perfect for the pool or beach!
This candle holder would look great as a centerpiece. For holidays you could place greenery underneath.
I really loved this Navy Blue grasscloth desk. There were two and another in a lighter blue. Perfect for working from home!!
This mirror stopped me in my tracks..I wish I had a place for it..
There were a few Missoni looking pillows. They would look great as an accent to outdoor furniture!
This small cube was very interesting…I love the print!!
Another set of great throw pillows, also perfect for outdoor furniture!
This wooden flag was really nice in person….
There were so many acrylic glasses…love the palm trees!
More acrylic glasses. How cute are the swimmers for out by the pool!!
These outdoor storage benches were amazing. I am so upset that I left them there…
A few weeks ago I saw these trays and featured them. Now they have 2 sizes available.
This navy cocktail table would also look great in an outdoor seating area.
I also love one or two of these scattered among other outdoor furniture.
These hanging lanterns are amazing..I wish I had a place for them…
Love these midcentury side tables!
I am always asked for storage solutions. These cubbies would be great in a mudroom or playroom or home office.
I love the details on this cabinet. The woven door and the distressed wood look so good together!
They had 3 sizes of these storage baskets. The tassel details are so great and would fit in with any decor. Buy one or two for your laundry room, closet or any room where you want to keep things out of sight!!!
This chest was a little smaller but the style is perfection..this would be great in a beach house or cabana…
Is anyone having a clam bake?
Jackie Kennedy brought Rigaud candles to the White House. Halston always had one or two burning on his desk or coffee table. And Frank Sinatra would only have Rigaud candles in his homes. Now you too can have access to these amazing French luxury candles.
I started buying Rigaud during the quarantine. I was sick of buying candles that barely smelled. From the minute I opened the box, the fragrance was lingering. Not overpowering just a really beautiful smell. I bought Jackie’s favorite the Cyprus. A blend of the aromatic sweetness of lavender, the woody, crisp notes of pine needles, and the powerful aroma of cedar wood. It smells heavenly. Recently, I have been burning Rose and it is incredible.
Rigaud Paris candles are considered by many to be the finest, most elegant, and highest quality candles made in the world today. Each candle is hand-poured and inspected to insure a premium quality product. Rigaud candles burn evenly, without leaving any deposit on the glass and they do not tunnel, unlike hard wax candles. Click on the links below to see the products. All of the scents come in 3 sizes, small , medium and large and vary burning times. I have chose a sampling below.
This is the large rose candle. It has 90 hours of burning time!!!
This is the medium Gardenia. I want this scent next. The medium size burns for 60 hours.
I love the little black and white zebra “travel” candle…
Here is a shot from the Netflix Halston series…notice the 2 Cypres candles on the coffee table.
I am starting to think about my Patio for the Summer season. Last year I switch it up a little and incorporated a lot of blue and while and I loved how it looked. I am going to expand on that again this year. Hopefully add more blue and white planters with boxwoods, some blue hydrangea, and a few more blue and white urns. I also want to add a blue and white tablescape. I found some great ideas on Pinterest. I love the way the table looks with the ginger jars and white table cloth and the polished chrome lantern in between. I also love the idea of adding succulents to a large blue and white bowl. There are so many good ideas below!! Happy Decorating. PS Today was a good day…I stopped in Home Goods and they had a ton of blue and white containers. HG Round Up coming soon!!!!
Happy Mother’s Day Weekend to all my fashionistas!!! I think mom deserves the best table-setting of all. I started thinking early on of what I would do for a special mother’s day table. Of course, I went to Pinterest for some inspiration. And, here is what I found. I love all the arrangements on the tables below, especially the one where all they used all succulents for the centerpiece. So clever…I do love the look of tulips, all the colored glass and the gold flatware. I also love all the the chargers from the bamboo, to the gold to the floral. There are so many good ideas in this post. I cannot wait to see what you all come up with…Send me all of your photos. Oh and Bon Weekend!!!!!!
