Inspecting your home regularly and following good maintenance practices is the best way to keep you from future headaches and wasted time.
Whether you are going to take care of a few tasks, or all at once, it is necessary to get into the habit of doing them. You can divide maintenance tasks in your home into two levels. The Tasks that are easy to do, but they need some skills to improve. And Tasks that are hard to do it yourself tasks because it might be a hazard, so you should be rational enough and get it done by a pro.
Two ways to keep your house maintained:
1-Make a list based on time
2-Make a list based on tasks priorities
In this article, we will teach you how to take care of your home by using lists and maintenance schedules. We will also guide you to the skills that you need to master.
Home maintenance is all about being prepared. So you need to buy things like specific detergents for cleaning, some cleaning tools and get ready to sharpen some skills.
Cleaning Tools checklist
To be able to take care of your home, you need special equipment that will ease this mission for you. Maintenance tools will come in handy for routine repairs such as stopping leaks at the base of a faucet (with your adjustable wrench) or for hanging shelves or pictures (with your hammer, drill, tape measure, and level).
So here is the checklist of items you will regularly need when trying to fix something at your home:
1-A Bucket
2-A Claw hammer
3-A Drill
4- A Flashlight
5-A Flat scraper or putty knife
6-A Glue used for wood, and all materials
7-A Ladder
8-Screwdrivers, several sizes of both Flathead and Phillips
9- An Adjustable Wrench
10-A Tape measure
11- A Duct tape
Note that maintenance performed regularly and on schedule provides optimum longevity and helps prevent potential breakdowns or malfunctions.
Home Maintenance Types
There are five types of home maintenance that you need to keep in your mind to help you out when doing anything related to your home:
1.Routine Maintenance
These are jobs that are assigned to be taken care of at regular intervals, either daily, weekly, or monthly. Examples would include just cleaning.
2.Preventive Maintenance
Possibly the easiest to neglect, but changing that air filter and servicing the water heater can save you big money by identifying problems before they become pressing matters.
3.Corrective Maintenance
When something breaks, you have to fix it. This type of maintenance can be a drain on a homeowner, but most often can be avoided by making a routine and committing to preventive maintenance.
4.Cosmetic Maintenance
The pretty stuff, adding colors to home, or bringing new antiques to decorate your home.
5.Deferred Maintenance
If the property doesn’t have the funds available to perform certain repairs, they will defer the maintenance until a later date. Just remember what you postponed when those funds come in.
Regular Maintenance and cleaning tasks
1-Clean kitchen sink disposal:
There are different ways to do this, but the handiest and the best all-around solution seem to be vinegar ice cubes. Put some vinegar in an ice tray and let it freeze, then run the ice cubes through the disposal.
2-Clean all windows and keep an eye for any broken glass
3-Vacuum under all furniture – and vacuum all furniture, remove the cushions, etc.
4-Shampoo carpets as needed
5-Scrub all non-carpeted
6-Put anything unused into storage
7–Completely clean out the fridge, thoroughly clean it from inside, then restock
8-Check all water filters, purifiers, and softeners.
9-Check visible pipes for leaks.
10-Get the air condition system ready for summer
Do it yourself repairs
1-How to tighten a loose screw in a door hinge?
You can fix a loose screw in a door hinges or (or any wood material) by removing the screw, inserting a few wood toothpicks or matchsticks, breaking them off at surface level, and then replacing the screw.
2-How to repair a sticky window?
You can fix a double-hung window that refuses to move up and down freely by lubricating it by a few drops of oil in the window tracks.
It also works for wooden dresser drawers or for doors that rub against their frames.
3-How to prevent plumbing problems?
To prevent clogging add about 1/4 cup (60ml) of baking soda into your sink and tub drains, followed with just enough warm water to get the powder well into the drain.
Then pour in 1 cup (240ml) of white vinegar. Let the clumpy mixture stand a few hours or overnight to dissolve the gunk and bacteria built up, then flush the drains with hot water.
Extra Tip: To prevent a clogged drain, Stop pouring cooking grease, use drain screens, and do monthly baking soda treatments.
4- How to Fix or Replace a broken toilet lever?
A broken toilet lever is pretty easy to fix. In most cases, if the lever can’t flush the toilet, you can pop the tank open and re-attach the chain. However, in some cases, the handle itself can become corroded, any of the pieces that connect the handle to the flapper (including the handle, the nut, metal rod, or chain) can break. You can fix all of these parts, you will need some tools/materials like an adjustable wrench, and replacement toilet lever kit (if broken)
Ways to Maintain Your Appliances
Although it is not a skill, knowing how to clean and maintain your appliances is key to extending their life span.
1-Fridge
Never overload your refrigerator with food items. Overloading makes the compressor work harder to keep food and beverages cold and fresh.
2- Washing Machine
The most useful tip for taking care of the washing machine is to wash smaller loads. Large loads can lead to the early death of your washing machine.
Once you are done washing and drying clothes, keep the washing machine door open to let the moisture and dampness evaporate.
3-Dishwasher
Clean the dishwasher trap located below the bottom spray arm. Lots of food and debris (and sometimes broken glass, so be careful!) accumulate there. If removable, remove the trap and rinse out in the sink before replacing it.
4-Air conditioner
Make an annual system of maintenance done one month before the air-conditioning season begins. To make sure that your conditioner keeps performing well, you need to keep checking filters every month.
In the end, Aqarmap advises you to use the internet to help you search for anything you want to repair. The resources are endless, type how to…?
Another good tip, You always need to know your limits and get help from a pro if it is hard to do it yourself.