If you only do five home maintenance tasks during the month of March, here are the ones that we suggest that you do, that will help you protect your home and keep your family safe.

Attic Inspection

If you were to take a flashlight and go up into your attic space, what do you think you might find? Evidence of pests? Water stains from leaks? Blocked vents? These are exactly some of the reasons why at least once a year you should go up in your attic and look around. Left alone, problems like these can turn into bigger and more expensive problems. March is a particularly good month to inspect your attic because it won’t be too cold or too hot up there. But if you are uncomfortable doing this yourself, then you might want to consider contacting a home inspector or handyman service. For more information about inspecting your attic, you can read our article: "Why Would I Ever Want to Go Up in My Attic ???."

Smoke Detector Cleaning

Hopefully you know the importance of routinely testing your smoke detectors and replacing their batteries. But did you also know that you should also routinely clean your smoke detectors as well? For your smoke detectors to operate properly, the sensor in your smoke detectors must be clean so that they can properly test the air that is circulating through them. To learn why and how to clean your smoke detectors, you can see our article: "Why and How to Clean Your Smoke Detectors."

Ceiling Fan Care

If you have a ceiling fan, March is a good month to do routine maintenance for this great home energy-saver. First, you should switch the direction of your fan’s rotation. In the winter it is better to have your ceiling fan blowing upwards, so that it pushes the warm air from the ceiling up and then gently down your walls, without creating a “wind chill effect.” But in the spring and summer months, you want to feel this wind chill effect. So you should change your fan’s direction to blow downward. Second, you should clean your fan’s blades, and check that the unit doesn’t wobble when it is running. And lastly, if you have a model that requires lubrication, you should oil it in accordance with your manufacturer’s recommendations. For additional information about ceiling fan care, you can see our article: "Keeping Your Ceiling Fan Blowing Savings."

Drapes & Blinds Care

March is also a good month to get a jump on your spring cleaning by doing annual care for the window treatments around your home. Routine cleaning is a great way to keep your drapes and blinds looking their best and lasting longer. Plus, routine cleaning helps eliminate nests for pests.

Caring for Your Furniture

And lastly, March is a good time to do the annual care for the furniture in your home. Regardless of whether your furniture is made of fine wood, leather, or upholstery . . . at least one a year you should take the time to do a thorough cleaning and conditioning of the all of the furniture in your home. For more information about how to care for the various types of furniture in your home, see our online How-To Guide.