A CALENDAR OF CHORES
Prevention is the best medicine with your house. “We go for our annual checkups to our doctor and dentist, so why not do it for our home?” says Mike Holmes, host of HGTV’s Holmes on Homes. Stick to this basic list, complied by Lindsey M. Roberts, each mon
JANUARY
Clean kitchen light fixtures. Becky Rapinchuk, author of Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Organized, Clean, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day (Thorndyke Press, 2017), recommends using a microfibre cloth or duster on glass shades and fixtures.
Declutter. Get at least three bags of stuff out of the house, says Jill Nystul of the lifestyle blog One Good Thing by Jillee.
FEBRUARY
Dust baseboards and vents. Rapinchuk suggests using your vacuum, a long-handled duster or a broom with a T-shirt secured over the bristles.
Clean light fixtures in the living and dining rooms. Take down chandeliers to do a deep clean, and wash the parts in a solution of one part vinegar to three parts warm water, Nystul recommends.
MARCH
Wash and fluff pillows and bedding, down comforters, pillow shams and covers.
Turn, rotate and vacuum mattresses. Slowly vacuum to eliminate dust mites, Rapinchuk says.
Test and replace smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
APRIL
Get the HVAC system serviced. Use a professional technician in the spring and fall. “Part of their regular maintenance should be to vacuum any debris from the furnace blower,” Holmes says.
Clean eavestroughs. Remove leaves and debris and make sure the downspouts direct water away from your home’s foundation, Holmes says.
Check decks and wooden exterior features. Do a deep-cleaning with a power washer, followed by staining and sealing, every three years, Holmes says.
M AY
If you don’t have an emergency kit, create one with a flashlight, batteries, candles, matches, a battery-powered radio, non-perishable food, bottled water and a first-aid kit, Holmes suggests. Also consider a backup generator.
Clean light fixtures in the master bedroom.
JUNE
Get ducts and vents cleaned as needed, Holmes says. Check dryer ducts.
Wash windows inside and out. Rapinchuk recommends her reci- pe. Mix four tablespoons (60 mL), of Castile soap, four tablespoons (60 mL), of rubbing alcohol and a half-gallon (1.8 L), of warm water.
Check attic for sufficient insulation, proper sealing with a vapour barrier, that vents are in good condition and that it’s well ventilated to let out moisture. “If your attic doesn’t have enough insulation, you could see instances of ice damming on your roof as heat escapes out of your home,” Holmes warns. “This can cause water to flow back toward your home.”
Clean light fixtures in bedrooms.
J U LY
Deep-clean and organize the refrigerator and freezer and pantry. Brush refrigerator coils with a condenser coil brush.
Clean dishwasher. Run an empty load with a cup or two of white vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher.
Dust ceilings, corners and ceiling fans. Try an extendable pole system with microfibre cloths.
AUGUST
Get an annual inspection of the chimney and fireplace. “When you use your fireplace, the chimney’s flue will begin to get coated with creosote — a highly combustible substance,” Holmes says.
Touch up paint inside and out where needed.
Clean light fixtures in living and dining rooms.
SEPTEMBER
Trim back overgrown and dead branches, especially near home and electrical wires, Holmes says.
Check caulking and weatherstripping around windows and doors. Replace and repair as needed. “Use a rubberized caulking that can expand and contract with the home,” Holmes says, and look for leaks around pipes and vents.
Clean light fixtures in the family room.
Wash and fluff pillows and bedding. Examine sofa pillows and throws.
Turn, rotate and vacuum mattresses. Sprinkle a quarter-cup of baking soda that’s been mixed with an essential oil over the mattress. Let it sit for half an hour, and then vacuum it up, Rapinchuk recommends. Get a waterproof mattress cover, and launder it with your sheets occasionally.
Test and replace smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
OCTOBER
Get the HVAC system serviced. Vacuum or sweep the garage. Attend to vehicles, too. Service and winterize outdoor equipment.
NOVEMBER
Clean eavestroughs.
Drain and put away hoses. Check sprinkler systems, outdoor and garage water taps.
Vacuum the basement or storage area. Purge.
Dust baseboards and vents. Baby wipes work, Rapinchuk says, as do white foam erasing sponges or a mixture of warm water and Castile soap.
Clean master bedroom light fixtures.
Dust ceilings, corners and ceiling fans.
DECEMBER
Vacuum lampshades. You can also use a lint roller to remove dirt.
Assess holiday decorations. Donate and dispose as needed.
Clean light fixtures in the bedrooms.
MONTHLY
Vacuum baseboards.
Vacuum and spot-clean furniture. Wash kitchen and bath mats. Polish wood furniture.
Wipe switches, phones, computer keyboards and remotes. Use antibacterial dish soap and hot water, or an antibacterial spray such as the one Nystul makes — a cup (250 mL), of water, a half-cup (125 mL), of white vinegar, and five drops each of wild orange, melaleuca and lavender essential oils.
Wipe down appliances. Rapinchuk likes microfibre window and glass cloths. “For non-stainless-steel appliances, I just recommend soap and water or your favourite all-purpose spray cleaners. They’re going to be easier to clean. For glass, you’ll want to use a cleaner.” And for stainless steel, she uses white vinegar and runs a microfibre cloth in the direction of the grain.
QUARTERLY
Spot-clean walls. Wash with a solution of a half-gallon of warm water to one or two drops of Castile or dish soap.
Change furnace filters. “You want to do this at least every three months — but I change mine every month during the winter … because we’re getting more use out of our systems,” Holmes says.
Clean bathroom light fixtures and exhaust fans.
Clean and seal or polish hardwood floors.
Clean window treatments and blinds. “For blinds, I’ll start with a vacuum cleaner and run it all over the slats, and then flip them and run it over it again,” Rapinchuk says. “Then use that same attachment and just do the windowsills, too. You can then take a microfibre cloth or a sock and barely dampen it with rubbing alcohol and get a bit of that film off.” For draperies, she either uses her vacuum cleaner’s drapery setting or a dry cleaner.
Clean the oven. Use the selfcleaning feature, and if that doesn’t do the trick, Nystul puts a pot of hot water on one rack and a cup (250 mL), of ammonia on another rack. Let sit overnight in a preheated (and turned-off ), 150 F (60 C), oven, then scrub away the softened grime.