Keeping your house clean, both inside and out, is more than a matter of aesthetics. Leaf-choked gutters and grimy buildup can
encourage the growth of mold, spores and other allergens that can make your family sick. In addition, they take a toll on the structure
of your house, contributing to decay and musty, unhealthy odors. The cost of not doing home maintenance can be trips to the
emergency room and calls to contractors to repair leaky pipes, clogged gutters and more.
You can prevent most of that and have a more comfortable house to live in by keeping a housekeeping chores list of simple home
maintenance tips and checking it off regularly. Here's a dozen suggestions from professional house cleaners that can help you keep
your house in tiptop shape.
Outside Maintenance Housekeeping Chores List
Keep drainage spouts and gutters free of debris and leaves so that water can drain freely. You can use a gutter scoop a trowel that's
made especially for cleaning out gutters to scoop out leaves and debris, and finish up with a powerful spray from a garden hose or a
small pressure washer. Clean gutters will save your roof, your paint job and your siding. Waterlogged roofs and gutters will cost you big
money in the long run.
Clean debris and soil around downspouts and make sure that water is directed away from the foundation. A formed downspout apron of
PVC or cement can help make sure that drainage doesn't settle around the foundation where it can eat away at the cement or leak into
your basement.
Acid rain, air pollution and general dirt and dust can eat away at your house's siding or paint. To keep it in top shape, wash it down in
the spring and fall using a pressure washer and a detergent made specifically for washing away outdoor dirt and grit (Pressure Washer
Multi-Purpose House Wash)
Make window washing easy on your back with a long handled squeegee and brush combination (Window Brush). The long handle lets
you reach all the way to the top of windows without stretching, the brush scrubs away dirt without elbow grease, and the squeegee
leaves a clean, streak-free shine.
For the house and siding, choose a similar tool (Dual Surface Scrub Brush) with a durable foam pad and a scrub brush for those
tough stains from acid rain.
Keep all plantings at least 18 inches away from the foundation of the house. Any closer, and you risk roots pushing through the cement
and into your basement. Once a month during spring/summer/fall, do a visual inspection of the plantings around your house, and trim
away loose branches that might fall and damage property later.
Check the flashings around chimneys, skylights and chimney for leaks in the spring and fall to keep your house watertight. Repairing at
the first sign of a leak will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars you'd end up spending to repair the damage if you let it go.
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