March Home Maintenance + Safety Checklist

March 03, 2022
Share |

Spring cleaning is fully underway as the snow melts and the flowers begin to bloom. Read our home maintenance and safety checklist to ensure you’re ready for March.

Hallways

  • Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Hold the test button down until you hear a loud siren. If you don’t hear anything, replace the battery.

Outside

  • Inspect roofing. Look for leaks and missing, damaged, or loose shingles.
  • Test your garage door. Make sure the auto-reverse feature works by placing an object underneath the garage door. If the door doesn’t reverse when it encounters the obstacle, it requires too much force and should be repaired.
  • Check exterior drainage. Look for leaves or vegetation and clear any debris to make sure water flows freely.
  • Get your air conditioning system serviced. This will ensure it’s working properly for the hot months to come.
  • Repair or replace damaged window screens. This will help protect your home from outside bugs and critters.
  • Clean road salt from entrances. This is important to avoid damaging concrete, asphalt, and wood. 

Bedroom and Living Areas

  • Clean the fireplace. This helps prevent soot accumulation, which could fuel a chimney fire.
  • Cover electrical outlets. Also ensure they’re not overloaded to prevent an electrical shortage or power outage.
  • Clean carpets. This will remove stains and prevent unhealthy accumulation of soil and dirt.
  • Dust baseboards. This prevents dust buildup and makes your home look fresh and clean.
  • Touch up baseboards. Clean and touch up baseboards and doors with paint to prevent chipping and preserve the wood’s integrity. 
  • Check caulking. Fix caulking on weather stripping and windows to prevent drafts or water from getting in your home.
  • Clean shelves. Reduce dust and dirt accumulation on bookshelves and cabinets.
  • Vacuum. Make sure to get underneath large furniture pieces to reduce dust mites.
  • Clean fan blades. Wipe down fan blades and lightbulbs to avoid the buildup of dust mites.

Bathroom

  • Clean showerheads. Remove showerheads and clean off sediment and mineral deposits so water flows freely.

Basement

  • Install a water alarm. Place a water alarm in your basement to prevent flooding.
  • Change furnace filters. This will keep airflow unobstructed. If the furnace is clogged, it has to work harder, which will cause it to wear out faster.
  • Flush hot water heater. Remove sediment so your water heater keeps performing at its best. Sediment buildup makes it harder for the heater to heat the same amount of water.
  • Vacuum your HVAC system. This will ensure it operates efficiently.
  • Clean the washing machine and dryer. This helps remove odors and keeps the machines running smoothly.
  • Purge junk from your laundry room. By doing this, you can prevent dust and lint from taking over the space.

Kitchen

  • Check your fire extinguisher. Verify that the lock pin is intact and press the test indicator to ensure the pressure reading is within range.
  • Clean your garbage disposal. This prevents smells and bacteria.
  • Clean out the pantry. This stops bugs and other pests from coming into your house.

And have a safe and wonderful Spring!