Most people have a list of New Year’s resolutions that include goals for health, wellness, and happier living. What better way to live happier than to live in a well taken care of home? Here are a few reminders of extra love and care you can put into your home this year:
Complete Unfinished Projects
In every home there are more than a few small things that we keep putting off, and 2019 is the year to get it done! Are any of these items on your “honey do” list?
- Replace the air filters
- Change the light bulbs
- Replace weather stripping
- Re-caulk windows
- Fix drawers/cabinets that won’t close
- Repair squeaky floors
- Clean your washing machine, dish washer, etc.
- Clean your rugs and curtains
- Clean the outside of your windows
- De-clutter
- Repair or discard broken items
- Cash in your loose change
- Develop old film or cameras
- Tighten loose screws
- Polish or repair furniture scratches
- Mend torn clothes
- Clean out the dryer vent
- Test batteries in fire detectors
- Clean electronics
- Replace toothbrush
- Change your car oil
- Rotate your tires
- Grease squeaky hinges
Employ Organizational Systems
Keeping your home clutter free and organized is one of the most important aspects of having a clean and stress-free home. Developing and sticking to easy-to-use organizational systems can help your house stay clean year-round.
- Laundry
- Don’t let this household chore take over your life. Develop a laundry system that works for you and your family. This may mean an assigned laundry day for each person in your household or it could be as simple as having one dedicated laundry day a week.
- Storage
- Everything in your home should have a place to be stored. If it doesn’t have a home, you may need to part with it. The average American home has more than 300,000 items. Reducing the amount of things in your home can be a freeing experience.
- Reminders
- You can set reminders on your calendar so that you remember these regular home maintenance and cleaning activities, or we can help you out by establishing a regular cleaning schedule.
- Daily-Laundry, dishes, disinfect frequent contact surfaces, clean up clutter
- Weekly-Change sheets, clean floors, clean out fridge, dust, wash bathroom rugs and towels
- Monthly- clean oven, clean trash bins, clean dishwasher and washing machine, clean fans
- With the changing of the seasons you should-wash comforters and pillows, Clean out the gutters, clean the outside of the windows, de-clutter, clean rugs and curtains, clean fireplace, clean air vents and covers
Make The Upgrade
This is the year to make the upgrades to your home that you’ve been talking about. Decide what’s been holding you back, make a plan, and attack the project! Whether it is an energy efficiency investment into your home or a large project like a kitchen remodel, commit to getting it done by December.
- Efficiency Upgrades
- Install a programmable thermostat
- Replace high energy appliances with more efficient versions
- Install new doors or windows
- Install a windmill or solar panels
- Get an energy audit by a certified inspector
- Install a rain water system
- Install automatic lights
- Landscape with energy-efficient plants and features
- Tips for Renovation Projects
- Plan ahead
- Find good help
- Don’t skip the prep
- Get all necessary permits
- Don’t overbuild for your neighborhood
- Decide how you are going to live during the remodel
- Expect bumps in the road
- Research
- Don’t cover old mistakes with new construction
If you need help creating a personalized list of things that need to be done around your home, we would love to help. Whatever is on your agenda for 2019, don’t forget to keep your home a priority.
It’s that time of year again. We all know what’s coming.
January 17 is officially Ditch Your New Year’s Resolution Day. This year, you don’t have to participate in the failure fiesta. Here is a guide to making–and keeping–fruitful and meaningful New Year’s Resolutions.
What is your why?
In a day and age where New Year’s Resolutions have become more of an April Fool’s joke, why are you really trying to make one? The number one way to make sure you keep your resolution is to only make one if you are serious about committing to it. If you start out half-heartedly, you’ll be lucky to make it to the 17th. If you are really passionate about your goal, it is much more likely to come true.
We’ve surveyed a few resolution makers, and their answers vary from “Being healthy for my kids,” to “Improving my quality of life.” No matter what your “why” is, you need one.
What is your plan?
If you go on a road trip without a map, it is highly unlikely you will reach your destination without getting lost, if you reach it at all. Similarly, if you set a goal without making a plan, the odds of meeting your goal are slim to none.
Making SMARTER goals is an easy way to ensure you have a fool-proof plan in place to help you meet them. SMARTER goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
- Evaluate
- Re-assess
You can read more about SMARTER goals here.
What is your focus?
Setting goals is great, but if we only focus on the result we end up very disappointed. So many elements of life are out of our control that the final result is often a lot of effort mixed with a bit of luck.
So, let’s turn that upside down. Focus on the effort, not the end product. If you make effort based resolutions, you are likely to feel more successful which will help you to stay dedicated to them.
What’s your resolution?
We want to know what you are going to do this year to make 2018 the best year ever. Share your New Year’s Resolutions in the comments!
Every January is the same. It is a time for list after list of resolutions and tips on how to be and have the newest and the best during this new year. Creating change be a challenge if you find yourself in the same old surroundings. Most of us probably didn’t move over the holidays, so many of us find ourselves in the exact same place we ended 2016. Doesn’t seem like much of a new beginning, does it?
Because we want you to have a successful start on your resolutions, we thought we’d compile some tips to help you create an environment conducive to a fresh start. Even if you’ve lived where you are for a while, here are three easy ways to create newness in your well loved, not-so-new home.
Rearrange Furniture or Redecorate
Start the new year off by changing your home design. This will give your house a new feel even if you’ve lived there for decades. Move the furniture around to create more space or a different feel. Purchase new draperies or change out some of the décor. These small changes will make a huge visual impact.
Plus, moving the furniture can allow for a thorough floor cleaning and the ability to reach areas that may have gone ignored for months. Even if you don’t change out the drapes, now is a great time to wash all of those things that get neglected throughout the year. Launder area rugs and shower curtains along with your window treatments and any other specialty fabrics.
Reorganize
We’ve talked about decluttering in previous blogs. During the new year it is nice to take some time to get rid of things and reorganize the things you have accumulated throughout the year.
If necessary, purchase an organizational system of some sort and put it to use. In this article, Abby at Just a Girl and Her Blog walks you through the step-by-step process of totally reorganizing a room. Her first suggestion is to remove everything from the space. That’s a great time to call us in for a top-to-bottom scrub before you start putting things back into place.
Deep Clean
If you haven’t already guessed it, the biggest part of having a fresh new start for the new year is the word FRESH. While you’re rearranging and reorganizing, it is the perfect time to clean out all of those nooks and crannies that haven’t seen a scrub brush in a while and give them a good cleaning.
From vaulted ceilings to baseboards, we can help your house look it’s best–maybe even brand new–for the New Year! When your home is spick and span, it is a clean slate for you to begin whatever adventures await you this coming year.
Let us know in the comments ways you create a fresh start every New Year.
Start 2017 off well. We’d love to help you tackle your New Year to-do list and start conquering those resolutions!
Call us today: 541-601-6236. Or, shoot us an email: info@thecleaningcrewonline.com
