Spring Essentials Checklist: Prepare Your Home for Summer

Spring has arrived, making it the perfect time to tackle a few household tasks and get your home ready for the warmer months ahead. A little maintenance now can help prevent problems later and make your home more comfortable throughout the season. Use this checklist to get started.

Indoors

• Remove any insulation film from your windows
• Sweep your chimney and clean the fireplace
• Clean your windows and reinstall window screens
• Remove winter rugs, clean them, and place them in storage
• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Take household hazardous waste to a recycling depot or authorized disposal site
• Wash or replace filters in heating and ventilation systems
• Clean appliances, including the washing machine
• Organize your pantry and discard expired items
• Steam-clean upholstered furniture
• Launder textile items such as curtains and cushion covers
• Dust window blinds
• Vacuum the entire home, especially carpets and rugs
• Store winter clothing and bring out your summer wardrobe
• Remove cobwebs from ceilings, corners, and light fixtures

Outdoors

• Remove winter coverings from plants
• Clean and lubricate gardening tools
• Remove debris from flower beds and bushes
• Test the outdoor hose tap
• Rake your yard to remove debris and loosen the soil
• Prune dead or damaged branches from trees and shrubs
• Trim hedges and flowering bushes
• Wash your deck or patio
• Clean or repaint fences and make needed repairs
• Clean your barbecue or flat-top grill
• Bring patio furniture out of storage
• Add fresh soil, mulch or fertilizer where needed
• Seed bare spots in your lawn
• Clear leaves and debris from gutters
• Plant new perennials or transplant annuals
• Prepare your swimming pool by cleaning it, filling it, treating the water, and running the filter

Local home improvement stores and garden centers can provide the supplies and advice you need to tackle these seasonal tasks and get your home ready for summer.