home maintenance tips

Preventative maintenance is crucial for keeping your appliances and household running smoothly and efficiently. However, sometimes it can seem like a huge task to get things done. Here are some quick home maintenance tips that you can get done easily. Complete a few tasks over a weekend, or get the whole family involved to do a major overhaul!

Bedroom Home Maintenance Tips

Get mattress covers for the beds. They protect the mattress from damage and make cleanup easier if something spills. Some covers also protect against insects.

Disinfect mattresses. You can put vodka in a spray bottle (along with a little bit of scented oil, if you prefer) and spray it lightly over a bare mattress to disinfect it. Make sure it’s completely dry before you put the linens back.

Bathroom Home Maintenance Tips

Remove water spots from chrome. Pesky water spots can often be removed by using a bit of lemon juice. You can also use baby oil to polish chrome after cleaning it.

Clean shower curtain liners. Dirty shower curtain liners can be put in the washing machine for easy cleaning.

Clean the exhaust fan. Canned air is great for getting dust, dirt, and pet hair out of exhaust fans and vents.

Remove buildup on showerheads and faucets. Place a bag of vinegar over your showerhead to remove tough, crusty buildup. Similarly, you can put paper towels drenched in vinegar on faucets. Let the vinegar sit for a while before removing the bag or paper towels.

Unclog drains. If a drain is particularly clogged up, it’s best to bring in a professional plumber to ensure that expensive damage isn’t done. However, for less serious issues, you can use Alka Seltzer to remove clogs. You can also use a drain snake to remove clumps of hair from the pipes.

Use painter’s tape when caulking. Getting caulk to stay in the right place and in a straight line is much easier if you restrict it with painter’s tape.

Kitchen Home Maintenance Tips

Microwave used sponges. Dirty sponges can stink and spread bacteria onto the surfaces you’re trying to clean. Put a wet sponge in the microwave for 2 minutes to cleanse it, then let it cool. Never put a dry sponge in the microwave, however, to avoid a fire hazard.

Polish stainless steel. You can use WD40 to polish stainless steel and keep it from having unpleasant-looking streaks.

Polish silver. You can use ketchup to remove the tarnish from your silver utensils.

Floor Home Maintenance Tips

Get a shoe tray. Putting a shoe tray by the entrances will keep your family and guests from tracking in dirt and other debris from outside onto the floors.

Get an automated vacuum. Especially if you have pets, it can be hard to keep up with the vacuuming. Automated vacuums are getting better all the time, and can even be scheduled to clean at certain times of the day.

Stop floor creaks. You can put baby powder between floorboards to prevent creaks. Work the powder into the cracks until the noise stops.

Clean grout. Use a bleach pen or toilet bleach gel to clean discolored grout.

Fix dents in wooden floors. If you have dents in your hardwood floor, try putting a wet cloth on top of it and running a hot iron over the cloth.

Fix scratches in wooden floors. You can fix some scratches in hardwood floors (and furniture) by rubbing a walnut on the area. Make sure you’re using the actual nut, not the shell!

Window and Wall Home Maintenance Tips

Fix chips in window glass. If you have small chips in your window glass and don’t want to replace the window just yet, use a bit of clear nail polish to fill in the chip temporarily. Coat the area with thin layers until you’re satisfied with the result.

Prevent dust on baseboards. You can make your baseboards more resistant to dust and hair by rubbing them with a dryer sheet after cleaning them.

Keep drapes off the floor. If your drapes touch the floor, they will collect more dust and other debris, making them require cleaning more often.

Keep the walls clean. Spot clean your walls whenever something spills onto them, but also make sure you wipe down the walls once a year. This will reduce grime buildup over time that can be difficult to remove. It’s easier to clean a wall than repaint it!

Wash windows inside before outside. Window glass tends to be cleaner on the inside than on the outside. If you clean the outside first, you’ll be bringing dirty cleaning supplies in to finish the job on the inside.

Use condensed air. Condensed air can be used to clean the hard-to-reach places around a window, including the little mechanisms that collect dust and dirt.

Clean blinds easily. You can wrap a pair of tongs with socks to create a useful tool to easily clean the blinds.

Air Quality Home Maintenance Tips

Keep the house clean. The most important step for improving the air quality in your home is to remove as much dust, dirt, pet hair, food spills, and other debris as possible on a regular basis.

Turn on the air conditioner when cleaning. If you’re kicking up dust and dirt while cleaning your house, turn on the air conditioner fan while doing so. That way, some of the particles will get sucked into the AC unit’s filter.

Use plants. Some plants work as air purifiers, absorbing odors and chemicals in the area. Some examples include peace lilies, bamboo palm, English ivy, chrysanthemum, and ficus.

Open the windows. When it’s nice enough outside, open the windows up to get fresh air moving through the house.

Use natural air fresheners. Some candles and sprays add chemicals to the air that may not be good to breathe over extended periods of time. Use air fresheners that won’t have harmful effects, such as beeswax candles.

Insulation Home Maintenance Tips

Insulate outlets. Add foam insulated padding to electrical outlets to keep drafts from coming through. Since messing around with electricity is extremely dangerous, make sure you know what you’re doing or get a professional to help.

Quick door fix. If you have drafts coming out from under a door and need a temporary fix, stuff a rolled up towel at the bottom to keep some cold air from getting in. Another option that works on some doors is cutting a pool noodle in half and attaching it to the bottom.

Insulate garage doors. By adding insulation to the inside of your garage doors, you not only keep your home temperature more stable, but also reduce noise from outside.

Insulate windows and doors. Use caulk and weatherstripping on the windows and doors to reduce drafts that come in through the sides.

Insulate the attic. A lot of airflow occurs through the attic if it’s not properly insulated.

Exterior Home Maintenance Tips

Protect the gutters. Install gutter protection to keep leaves and other debris from clogging the system.

Set up automatic watering for plants. If you’re going out of town and need to keep your plants watered while you’re away, try putting a wine bottle filled with water upside down in the soil. The bottle will drain as the plants absorb water from their surroundings.

Touch up paint. Paint on the side of your house is crucial for protecting the walls and keeping water, mold, and insects from causing damage. Touch up the paint if you see chipped areas as a temporary fix between a complete re-painting.

If you want more info, check out our list of home maintenance tips and tricks that focuses on appliances. You can also find our other preventative maintenance blogs here!