Home Cleaning Ideas For The Winter
The winter season may have been in full swing and the cold weather is keeping families inside their homes. While this may mean more time together, it also means that the air quality must be such that the health of each inside the home will not be impaired. But, with the very cold weather, poor ventilation and the use of heaters and other heat sources, the home can actually get much polluted.
But just because it’s freezing doesn’t make you less capable of keeping your home clean. Here are some ideas to help you keep your homes well-maintained and improve the air quality inside:
1. Clean or Replace Air and Furnace Filters
Your furnace for certain will be running more often and more frequently during winter. This will also require you to replace your filters so often. Filters protect your device and/or furnace from taking in dust, hair and other contaminants that can
compromise the safety of your device, more specifically the blower fan. The filters take in dust particles from the air thus improving the quality of the air that you breathe in at home. Do not miss cleaning the dust ventilation covers too after you have replace the filters. You can simply soak them in a cleaning solution of soap and hot water.
2. Clean the Chimney
You would be using the chimney more often during the winter for additional heat inside the home. Remove the ash in the firebox regularly as too much ash can cause a fire to burn out quickly. You also have to clean the hearth, the stack and the roof too for debris such as leaves that can fall into the chimney can also be a fire-hazard.
3. Install an Air Purifier
The freezing cold reduces the options for ventilation to improve the quality of the air inside your homes. There are air purifiers available in the market with some adopting a technology that removes air pollutants in the air such as dust, organic compounds, allergens, pet danders and other particles that can deteriorate the quality of the air. But you also have to remember that this does not guarantee a 100% air quality. You still have to do the usual measures to reduce pollutants in the air inside your home.
4. Clean your carpets
Some hold off cleaning the carpets to another time than winter because of the fact that there is more foot traffic and thus can easily get soiled and dirty often. You might think it’s a good idea for the carpet to just take in all of the dirt and do the cleaning after the holidays. This may not be a good idea especially with the dry winter air and poor ventilation. A heavily soiled carpet can have allergens and pollutants that can reduce the air quality and they could affect your health negatively too.
5. Prepare your entry way
Get your entry way – the main entrance to your home, winter-ready. Expect an attack of snow, sludge, mud, dirty winter boots, wet umbrellas, coats and hats into your main hallway. People come and go with various holiday visits from neighbours, friends and relatives. If you did not prepare your entry way to battle this attack, then you will find a mix of snow, sludge, mud and other dirt particles
everywhere in your home.
The preparations can include the following:
1. Leave an umbrella holder in your porch or right outside your front door.
2. Put a rough mat outside your front door.
3. Place a shoe scraper brush outside.
4. Put another mat (absorbent area rug) inside, right after your door.
5. Place a small shoe rack or shoe cabinet in the entrance so people can remove their shoes.
6. Install hooks in the entrance area on where coats can be hanged.
6. Clean your couches and throw pillows
As most of the people are indoors most of the time during winter, a large portion of the day can be spent gathering in the living room. Children watching TV, hosts receiving guests, teens reading books and many other relaxing, mundane activities are done on your couches. In an effort to keep your family and your guests comfortable, you have to make sure that you clean your couches and the throw pillows and make the whole living room inviting to relax. They come with labels
that bear the cleaning instructions so it would be easier for you. You can vacuum clean them, others do steam vacuum to get rid of all the allergens and other pollutants.
7. Clean the oven
You might be hosting a lot of parties and get-togethers in your homes and of course, there will be a lot of baking happening in the kitchen for those cookies and pastries to serve to your guests. It is important that you clean the oven so as not to compromise the required temperature and sometimes, taste. If your oven window is clean, you will not need to open the oven door every now and then to check.
8. Prepare storage for your summer stuff
When it’s time to take out the winter clothes, gears and other accessories, it’s also the time to store your summer stuff. If you will not do this, you will find your home cluttered with things that you will not use until the next summer. Doing this will also free up some space in your home and while you’re at it, you can see which ones to store and which ones to throw away. When you do store your summer stuff, it’s advisable to pack them with wool or cotton covers to avoid moisture damage especially since they will be stored for a long time.
A Clean Home For A Happy Holiday
Winter holidays always bring joy, gladness and good cheer to every home. And while you are getting each person at home a holiday gift, you can take winter cleaning a gift that you can give to your home. It’s a gift that will not only benefit your home but your family as well. Happy Holidays!