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Home Tips |
| Trim trees and remove dead branches. Bad weather can cause weak limbs to break, damaging property or causing injury. Use care and consult a professional tree service for large jobs. |
| Protect your home when you're on vacation. Lock doors and windows, set timers on lights, and have mail and newspaper stopped or picked up by a neighbor. Unplug electronic devices vulnerable to power surges. |
| Keep a multi-purpose fire extinguisher in the kitchen and on each floor of the house. Inspect and recharge if pressure is below the operating range. Review a fire escape plan with your household. |
| Be prepared for weather-related emergencies common to your region such as tornados, earthquakes or hurricanes. Organize survival kits and review an emergency escape or protection plan with your household. |
| Install a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature while you're sleeping or away. Use space heaters or fans in the most-used rooms instead of paying more to heat or cool the entire house. |
| Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. You will get the same amount of light while reducing your use of electricity. |
| Keep appliances and their power cords away from water or heat sources. Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest any furniture on them. |
| Clean and lubricate hinges, locks, and moving parts in window and door hardware once a year to maintain ease of use. Keep furniture, and other items that children might climb, away from windows for safety. |
| Test the auto-reverse functions on your garage door monthly. Check the balance yearly. Familiarize yourself with the door's release system in case of emergency or power failure. |
| Cut grass no shorter than 3 inches, and never more than 1/3 of the blade. Mow in the morning or evening. Deep watering, in the morning, is better for your grass than frequent, shallow watering. |
| In pursuit of the perfect lawn? Click Here to read an article from the Chicago Tribune with many good lawn tips!! |
| Don't forget to take care of your car. Click Here to go to Valvoline for a winterizing checklist. Click Here to go to Valvoline for a simple spring cleaning and car care guide. |
| Reduce energy costs by lowering the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 F/49 C. Make sure the caulking around windows and exterior doors is adequate to reduce heat or cooling costs. |
| Use Daylight Saving Time as a reminder to replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Clean them too, by removing covers and wiping with a damp cloth. Vacuum the interiors. |
| Keep exhaust fans clean to optimize their efficiency. Vacuum bathroom fan grilles and clean or replace kitchen range hood filters. Keeping the hood free of cooking grease also deters stovetop fires. |
