1. Holiday cleanup
Task: Take down holiday lights and wrap them around a hanger to prevent tangling; clean the oven; chip your Christmas tree and throw it in the compost pile, or scatter it around garden beds and shrubs for a midwinter mulching.
Shortcut: Instead of pitching holiday cards, find a pretty part of the card that has no writing on the back, cut it into a small square, and punch a hole in the corner and use as a gift tag next year.
2. Protect the pipes
Task: Prevent exposed pipes from freezing as temperatures drop. A frozen pipe can crack or burst, flooding your home. Turn off water to outdoor, shut off water valves and open spigots to drain existing water.
Shortcut: To thaw a frozen pipe, wrap it with a heating pad or turn a hairdryer on it.
Call in the pros: If a pipe bursts, shut off the main water valve to your home and call a plumber. If everything’s drenched, a water remediation or restoration company can perform cleanup —cart away damaged material, replace ceilings and walls, paint, and reinstall plumbing fixtures.
3. Check for storm damage
Task: After winter storms, your home maintenance routine should include and inspection of your home’s roof, siding, gutters, and yard for wind, snow, or ice damage.
Shortcut: Instead of climbing on the roof to look for missing shingles, use binoculars to search for damage. Or use a drone that can fly over your house and spot damaged areas.
4. Seek and destroy hidden dirt
Task: Clean those filthy places that people don’t see but you know are there. They include the range hood and grilles, refrigerator coils, tops of ceiling fans, dusty light fixtures and bulbs (make sure lights are off before dusting), and HVAC vents.
Shortcut: Let your dishwasher clean metal parts such as vent grilles and range hood filters. You can pop dirty sponges and dishrags in the dishwasher, too.
5. Give hardware some love
Task: Shine and tighten doorknobs and hinges; tighten loose cabinet pulls and knobs; and level cabinet doors.
Shortcut: To clean metal hardware, wash with soapy water, then shine with a microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar or lemon juice. Brass polish will remove tarnish from solid brass hardware. Is it brass? If a magnet sticks, it’s most likely metal, not solid brass.
6. Do a deep declutter
Task: Banish piles, clean out closets and drawers, and tackle the basement or attic storage areas. If you haven’t touched something in a year or don’t love it, think – toss, donate, or recycle.
Shortcut: Overwhelmed? do little bits over time. Pick one room or a corner of the room to organize. Or, every time you walk into a room, put/throw one thing away.
7. Think green
Task: Look ahead to spring. Grab those seed, bulb, and bare-root plant catalogs, and start planning your flower and vegetable gardens. If you’re starting seeds inside, plant them about six weeks before the last frost.
Shortcut: Plan a raised-bed or container garden. There’s no hoeing, raking, or digging.
