Idea To improve the energy efficiency of your house, be sure to seal or caulk any holes or cracks around your home, especially where pipes, cables, and wires enter walls and soffits. Routine Care Inspect, clean, and treat areas that are prone to pests Cleaning the areas subject to pests will help prevent infestation. Inspection […]

Idea Consider installing a lint alarm for your dryer. Dryers operate at high temperatures, and lint build-up is a leading cause of dryer fires. Routine Care Task Annual cleaning and maintenance Build-up of lint can cause several problems: Safety: Lint is flammable, and can be touched off by the heating element in the dryer, or […]

Tip Increase ventilation after showers and baths to reduce the risk of mold growth.   Originally posted at http://www.petermuehlbronner.home-wizard.com/tip/tip_bathroom-vent-mold

Idea To improve the outside ambiance of your home, use backlighting, uplighting, and downlighting for dramatic effects. Experiment with different parts of your yard or garden, and select specific focal points to highlight. Routine Care Inspect, clean, and replace bulbs This task reduces the risk of having to replace bulbs in bad weather. And it […]

Idea If you have a diving board, consider removing it and replacing it with a safer diving rock. Routine Care Open pool for the summer season (cold climates) This task prepares pool for summer use. Timing: May (yearly) Weekly summer pool maintenance This task helps keep pool water clean and safe. Timing: Weekly during season. […]

Idea Use felt or other fabric pads under the legs of all furniture (especially chairs), and periodically check to see that they remain clean. Routine Care Inspect and wax hardwood floors Regular maintenance of wooden floors will prolong the life and enhance the beauty of the wood. Timing: March (yearly) How To Inspect the hardwood […]

Idea To protect your expensive home appliances (computers, LCD televisions, music systems, microwave ovens, etc.) from large power spikes, consider installing a whole-house surge protector. Routine Care Test all GFI outlets (ground fault interrupters) in kitchen, baths, etc. This task is important for safety reasons.If Operating properly, circuit breakers and ground fault interrupters (GFI) will […]

Telecommuting, small-business start-up, or just a quiet place to get work done at home . . . more of us are setting up home offices. The IRS allows you to take a tax deduction for your home office, but you will want to be sure to avoid some common tax traps that can come back […]

Idea To help better match cooking times to your recipes, consider buying an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven’s thermostat. Routine Care Task Perform annual maintenance Proper cleaning and maintenance of your oven reduces the safety risk of fires, improves the energy efficiency of your oven, and can help extend its useful […]

Idea The type of finish on the wood, not the type of wood, determines how fine wood furniture should be cared for and cleaned. Finishes may be soft (Tung oil or Danish oil), hard (lacquer, polyurethane), or painted. Routine Care Task Wax fine wood furniture A good coating of wax helps protect the surface of […]