Ella Mae Bard
Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences, Knox County
Home maintenance includes many occasional tasks as well as daily and weekly activities. With the rush of daily demands, the occasional maintenance steps are often overdue or forgotten.
Members of busy households keep on top of such tasks with reminders on the calendar or a family master schedule.
The list given here is a general summary. Tailor it to fit your situation. Delete or add as needed.
Check equipment labels and manuals to verify preventive maintenance and recommended care.
At the beginning of each year, transfer the maintenance dates to the household calendar. This is a good time to assign responsibilities. Some tasks may require several people, others involve a call for outside professional service. Specific tasks or an area may be assigned to each member of the household, depending on individual skills and available time.
Be sure to recognize and show appreciation for tasks everyone does to make household operations go smoothly.
Secure home from intruders and create the appearance that someone is living there. For example, stop mail, paper, and deliveries; provide for lawn or snow care.
Use or remove perishables from refrigerator and cupboards.
Turn off and unplug all appliances EXCEPT refrigerator, freezer, and security lamps.
Arrange for someone to check home regularly.
Each member of the household should know the location and operation of fire extinguisher, electric service entrance (fuse box), water shut off, gas shut off, emergency phone numbers, first aid kit.
Alert all family members to promptly report a leaky faucet, damaged lamp cord, and other problems. If there's a problem, FIX IT NOW, or tell someone about it. Safety is a concern in some cases. In other instances, waste can be avoided.
| On-Going Maintenance Schedule | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Task | Frequency | Who Will Do | Date(s) Done |
| Test smoke detectors | Monthly | ||
| Mechanical water softener | See manual | ||
| Drain off sediment from base of hot water tank | Monthly | ||
| Vacuum under refrigerator and dust condenser | Quarterly | ||
| Inspect bathtubs and sinks for caulking and leaks; repair as needed | Quarterly | ||
| Turn mattress, wash mattress covers | Quarterly | ||
| Clean oven | As needed | ||
| Check operation of water pump and sump pump, if applicable | Quarterly | ||
| Defrost manual refrigerator; or if automatically defrosted, wash off shelves and clean | when frost is 1/4" thick | ||
| Major cleaning | As needed | ||
| Review emergency procedures and practice fire drill | As needed | ||
| Survey carpet and flooring and clean as needed or quarterly | Quarterly | ||
| Winter Maintenance Schedule | |||
| Task | Frequency | Who Will Do | Date(s) Done |
| Change furnace filters | Monthly during heating season | ||
| Humidifier: thoroughly clean water in reservoir | Each week | ||
| Chimney cleaned for wood stove | As needed | ||
| Spring Maintenance Schedule | |||
| Task | Frequency | Who Will Do | Date(s) Done |
| Remove and store windows and doors | Annually | ||
| Window cleaning spring and fall | As needed | ||
| Window caulking (especially for air-conditioned rooms) | Spring and fall or as needed | ||
| Plans for outside care, such as washing or painting siding | Annually as needed | ||
| Defrost manual freezer annually | annually before new preservation seasons begin | ||
| Check home canned foods, plan meals to use remaining supply before fresh produce is available | Once in March or April | ||
| Clean, air, and store winter boots | Annually | ||
| lean all woolen clothing and store properly to prevent moths | Annually | ||
| Air winter coverlets and bedding before storage | Annually | ||
| Summer Maintenance Schedule | |||
| Task | Frequency | Who Will Do | Date(s) Done |
| Clean air conditioner filter | Monthly or as per manual directions | ||
| Clean home canned pantry area, arrange items on hand, and prepare space for additions | Annually | ||
| Check canning supplies and have dial-type gauge on canner tested for accuracy | Annually | ||
| Fall Maintenance Schedule | |||
| Task | Frequency | Who Will Do | Date(s) Done |
| Heating system services | before system is needed | ||
| Chimney cleaned for wood stove | See manual | ||
| Remove leaves from gutters | Once or twice during fall | ||
| Clean and store yard tools, discard or store yard chemicals properly | As needed | ||
| Clean fire extinguisher, refill or replace as needed | Annually | ||
| Turn off water to outside faucets (this is not necessary on those with extended line) | Annually | ||
| Sort, clean, pack, and store holiday items | Annually | ||
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Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
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