Spring Cleaning, Spring Maintenance & Safety

Re-Print from Farmers Insurance

Happy Spring!

After a long winter for much of the country, warmer weather is a welcome  change. As winter slowly loses her grip, it’s time to think about getting your home ready for spring. Here is a checklist that may help you prepare your indoor and outdoor areas for the change of season:

• Indoor maintenance
• Furnace filter — A dirty filter can lower the efficiency of your home’s heating/cooling system so clean or replace as needed.
• Air conditioning — Test your system before you need it.
• Caulking — Check for leaks around all doors and windows.  Also check seals around bathroom fixtures to avoid water damage.
• Smoke and fire alarms — Clean, check batteries and test.
• Carbon Monoxide detector - Install if you don't have one yet, check batteries if you do.
• Carpets — Deep clean all carpets.
• Outdoor Maintenance
• Check/clean roof — Look for missing, cracked or broken tiles/shingles. For safety reasons, you may want to consider hiring a qualified professional to take care of any repair work. 
• Clean rain gutters - Dead leafs can dry and become a fire hazard.
• Check driveway and sidewalk — Seal cracks in driveway or any concrete.
• Check garden hoses and hose faucet — Look for dry rot and inspect hose faucets for possible freeze damage.
• Check/clean outdoor grills and tanks — Use soapy water to rinse all outside  grill surfaces and grill cleaner for grates and inside of grill. Check gas tank for rust and replace if necessary.
  
• Emergency preparedness
• Check Emergency Supplies / "Bug-Out-Bag" (BOB) for appropriate supplies.        Food items and water bottles may have expired.  Add missing items.
• Re-confirm everyone knows of a secondary meet-up place and knows the out-of-area contact person.
• Update cell phones with all the right Emergency Numbers.  Click HERE.

Happy cleaning, happy days.

Take the time to prepare your home for spring and you’ll be able to enjoy outdoor activities, longer days and milder weather with less worry about household fixes and repairs. Call me so you can be sure you have the coverage you want as your family enjoys the outdoors this spring and summer.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.