Home Maintenance Tasks You’re Most Likely Neglecting

School is getting ready to start again and households everywhere are gearing up for back to school chaos. Even if you don’t have kids, preparing for fall and getting your home ready for the next season is important. When it comes to home maintenance tasks, there are probably several areas of your home that are being overlooked as we transition from summer to fall. Here are some of the most commonly overlooked home maintenance tasks and how to complete them so you can start the fall off right.

4 Home Maintenance Tasks To Add To Your To-Do List

Reseal Tile and Grout

Most grout is a mixture of sand and cement. If you don’t know, sand and cement absorb water, bacteria and stains. When you consider your home, when was the last time you deep cleaned your tile and grout? What about resealing it? For any new tile that’s been laid in your home, it’s recommended to reseal the tile and grout every six months to a year. For any existing tile, it’s recommended you reseal it annually. Enlisting the help of a professional during this home maintenance task can help save you a lot of time, but it is possible for you to complete this task on your own.

Test for Water Leaks

Water damage can be a silent destroyer. But if you were to perform a simple test annually, you might be able to save yourself time and money in the long run. Simply testing for leaks in your home can help you catch a leak before it turns into a more serious problem like mold. All you have to do to see if you have a leak is take a reading of your water meter, avoid using your water for a few hours, then check your water meter again. If the pressure has changed at all, you have a leak.

Wash your Dryer Lint Screen

This small detail gets overlooked quite often, but can potentially be very dangerous. Residue from dryer sheets and lint can build up on the screen blocking the airflow. This can lead to inefficient drying and even fires. To clean the screen, soak it in hot water and dish soap, gently scrub, rinse and air dry. Water should pass through smoothly after you’ve finished cleaning the screen.

Clean your refrigerator drip pan

If you don’t know what a refrigerator drip pan is, you need to clean yours stat. Most refrigerators have a pan that can catches debris in it that can cause mold and corrosion. This task is much less glamorous than the other tasks that are mentioned above. A handyman or refrigerator repair expert could take care of this quickly, but if you’re feeling brave you can do it yourself. Remove the kick panel at the bottom of the fridge and trace the defrost drain line to the pan where it empties out. Then gently pull the pan out as it may be full of water, and dump any excess liquid in the sink before cleaning with an all-purpose cleaner.

Buying or Selling a Home in Orange County

Now that you know these commonly neglected home maintenance tasks, you can put that to use when entering the real estate market. When you’re selling your home, you can easily complete some of these tasks before listing to help better your chances of selling faster. If you’re in the market to buy, you’ll be able to look out for some of these things when you’re considering homes. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, I can assist you. Contact me today to get started with the listing or buying process.