Winter is a time when doors and windows stay shut, to keep precious heat trapped inside. The unfortunate side effect? Air is trapped inside as well. It’s up to the home’s air handling system to move that air and clean it of dust and allergens. That’s where air filters come in, and why it’s so important to make sure they are clean.
Your refrigerator is the second most energy hungry appliance in your home (right after air conditioner), according to the Dept. of Energy. It’s important to make sure it’s operating efficiently. Here are a few telltale signs your refrigerator might not be at peak efficiency:
Consider the humble dryer, squatting next to its washing machine sibling in your laundry room. You might be surprised to learn that dryers and washing machines are involved in one out of every 22 reported home structure fires in the U.S, according to the National Fire Prevention Agency. Yikes. And can you guess the leading cause of such fires? Failure to clean. As in, failing to clean the appliance and associated vents. Order dryer duct cleaning.
Melting snow reveals a landscape which hasn’t been tidied up in months. Tree branches fallen victim to winter storms, unraked leaves from the last weeks of autumn, piles of salt accumulated over the winter months: all of these unwelcome secrets are revealed when the weather warms. It can be quite a task to clean it all up.