REFRESH YOUR HOME WITH TINY CHORES

Being home all the time has been hard on your house, too. None of these five chores takes more than an hour, and each ends with that satisfying thought: Why didn’t I do that sooner? Best of all, unlike the dishes and the bottomless laundry pile, these chores won’t need to be done again for many months.

1. Deep clean your bed.

Bedding and accessories like dust ruffles and throw pillows can collect dust and pet dander, making them an allergy trigger. Brandi Broxson, a senior editor at Real Simple magazine, suggests doing this at least twice a year.

Start with the pillow test. Fold your pillow over; if it stays folded, chuck it. If it unfolds, wash it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Strip off the sheets, duvet, duvet cover, mattress pad and dust ruffle. Wash everything according to the labels. If your duvet doesn’t fit in your washing machine, you can wash it by hand in your bathtub.

Sprinkle your mattress with a thin layer of baking soda. After 30 minutes, vacuum the baking soda up and flip the mattress. Dust the crevices of your bed frame and vacuum those dust bunnies underneath the bed.

2. Sharpen your knives.

It seems counterintuitive, but sharp knives are safe knives, said Quintin Middleton, a bladesmith based in St. Stephen, South Carolina. A dull blade requires the cutter to use more pressure, causing a slippery onion or carrot to slide out of place.

A motorized knife sharpener will give you an adequate edge, but different types of knives have different angles, and sharpening by hand allows you to hone those exact angles, Middleton said. Sharpening once a year is probably adequate.

3. Organize the medicine cabinet.

Doing this once a year should be fine, said Dr. Thomas So, a clinical pharmacist at First Databank, which publishes and maintains drug databases for health care professionals.

Consider where your drugs live. If it’s the bathroom, you need to find another spot. “that is the worst place to put any of your medications,” said So, citing the high heat and humidity of your shower as detrimental to drugs’ longevity.

Check expiration dates. Most drugs will be OK a few months past their expiration date, So said. There are exceptions; expired antibiotics in the tetracycline family can cause kidney damage.

Take any expired medicines to your local drugstore, which will collect them free of charge.

Check that the drugs you’re keeping have not been recalled by plugging them into the FDA’S Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts database.

4. Unclog that drain.

Drain blockages generally only worsen with time, said Jake Romano, who works for the Ottawabased plumbing company John the Plumber. Plus, blockages often form in plumbing joints. If the joint wasn’t connected properly and a block is causing water — and pressure — to build up, you may end up with a real plumbing emergency.

This is an as-necessary job, but Romano recommends doing a baking soda and vinegar drain cleanse every month to keep things running smoothly.

5. Clean your filters.

Food, lint and other contaminants can gunk up filters and zap performance from your appliances, said Katie Sadler, a brand manager for Whirlpool.

Start with your dishwasher. You really should do this every month. A heads-up: It’s icky. Where precisely the filter is will depend on your make and model, but Sadler said it’s usually easy to find and pop out. Remove it, rinse it under hot water and give it a quick scrub.

Move to your range hood. There are two filters in here, Sadler said. One is the grease filter, which should be scrubbed with soap and water every 30 days. The other, a charcoal filter that absorbs odors, should be replaced every six months.

Don’t forget your HVAC filters, the water filters in your fridge, and the filters for any home air purifiers.