Five home maintenance and cleaning jobs to get sorted over summer
*This is a collaborative post
For many of us, the summer is the time to go on holiday, relax in the garden and generally take life a bit easier. But as the weather is good, it’s also the perfect time to get a head start on all those home maintenance jobs you’ve been putting off. From exterior painting and clearing gutters to servicing boilers and deep-cleaning floors, here’s five jobs to get sorted over the summer.
Do the exterior painting
To paint outdoors, you need dry weather but you also need temperatures to be consistently over 10⁰C, otherwise your paint may change consistency and might not cure properly. That’s why summer is a great time to get your exterior maintenance done. This includes painting garden sheds and fences and the walls of your house. Doing this work now ensures timber is protected over winter and masonry stays looking good. If it’s hot, you may find it best to start painting in the morning before it gets too hot and if you’ve a large area to cover, you may find a paint sprayer speeds things up.
Get the boiler serviced
A gas boiler needs to be serviced once a year, to ensure it’s working safely and efficiently. Leaving your boiler service until later on in the year can be a mistake as engineers tend to get busy over autumn and winter. And if there are any problems, they’ll be picked up now rather than when you need your heating – saving you from needing an emergency call-out when the weather’s cold. So, it’s a good idea to book your boiler service now to reduce stress and extra costs.
Deep clean your floors and soft furnishings
Deep cleaning carpets, sofas and armchairs will help to prolong their lifespan and reduce allergens such as pollen. And summer is a good time to do it. With warmer temperatures, you’ll find your textiles will dry much quicker now than when it’s damp in autumn and winter. Plus, throwing open your windows will aid drying, and this is obviously more pleasant to do in summer than when it’s cold. If you don’t own a carpet and upholstery cleaner, you can hire one or get someone in to do it for you.
Wash your windows and doors
In summer, you might find that the dust gets kicked up from the road and lands on your windows and front door. Not only does the sun shining on your windows highlight this dirt, but grubby windows can dull the natural light coming into your home. So, it’s wise to spend extra time cleaning your windows and doors over the summer. It’s also worth wiping over the seals and making sure none of them have perished. That way you have time to get them replaced before the colder weather comes.
Clear the gutters
Doing maintenance jobs now is a great way to prepare for winter. And that’s why clearing your gutters is such a good job to tick off now. Ideally, you want to clean out the debris and check for loose and broken sections, to make sure your gutters are ready to take on the rain when it comes. Fitting brushes in the gutters and guards over the top of your downpipes will help to keep the debris out, so you won’t need to clear them out as often in the future.
Other jobs to do over summer
Of course, it’s not just these five jobs that you want to get done while the weather is good. And if you’re on a roll, you might fancy ticking off some other home maintenance, cleaning and gardening jobs too.
In the garden, sweep paths, pull up weeds and plan ahead by ordering and plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths. Check the shed and repair any rotten sections and leaks, so it’s weatherproofed before winter. And perhaps give it a tidy, as you won’t want to do this when it’s chilly outside.
Inside the house, it’s worth carrying out draught-proofing tasks, so your home will be nice and cosy come winter. It might also be worth bleeding the radiators and dusting behind them. If you have a winter duvet, that’s not in use at the moment, it’s a good idea to give this a wash. If your machine isn’t big enough, take it to your local laundrette as their machines are bigger.
