Your home is your biggest investment, and maintaining it isn’t always easy (or cheap!). Yet you can stay on top of home improvement projects and prevent future problems with occasional maintenance and these affordable fixes. In fact, most of them can be accomplished quickly and with little to no out-of-pocket cost.
Here are 10 easy and affordable fixes to help keep your home in tip-top shape.
- 1. Get the stink out of your dishwasher. Food scraps, grime, grease and soap scum not only hinder a dishwasher’s performance but can also leave an unpleasant odor. Place a cup of vinegar in the dishwasher and run a hot cycle to wash away foul odors and leave the machine sparkling.
- 2. Repair leaky faucets. Stop wasting water and money with just a couple household tools and a little elbow grease. Most faucet leaks are caused by a loose connection or failing washer, both of which are fairly easy and inexpensive to remedy.
- 3. Stop cabinet doors and drawers from slamming. Repeated slamming is not only loud and annoying, but it can also affect door and drawer alignment over time, especially wood cabinets. If your cabinets are not equipped with soft-close hinges, add small bumpers to absorb the sound and cushion against damage.
- 4. Protect your shower drains. Prevent messy clogs by adding hair catchers to shower drains. They allow water to flow through while preventing hair and other debris from accumulating and clogging up the pipes.
- 5. Swap out old doorknobs. Whether your existing doorknob isn’t working properly, you need to switch to a more user-friendly handle, or simply want an aesthetic upgrade, this is one easy upgrade you can check off your to-do list.
- 6. Lubricate locks. If your keys feel sticky or the lock becomes difficult to open, lubricate the lock before your key gets stuck and you need to call a locksmith. Use a can of compressed air to remove any dust inside the lock. Then rub the key and the exterior of the lock with a pencil and use the same key in the lock to loosen things up.
- 7. Change the HVAC filter. This is one item you don’t want to skip. A clogged, dirty filter puts more strain on your heating or air conditioning system and sends dirt and dust into your living space, exacerbating cold, allergy, and respiratory symptoms. Change your filter every 8 weeks or so, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
- 8. Clean out the dryer vent. A buildup of lint in the dryer vent makes the appliance less efficient and puts you at risk of a fire. Remove and clean the lint filter after every cycle, and vacuum the vent with the hose attachment on your vacuum every six months (don’t forget the vent on the outside of your home, too!).
- 9. Install weather stripping to exterior doors. Save money on energy bills and prevent winter chill from invading your home by installing weatherstripping to all exterior doors. But don’t stop there – check windows frames for cracks and gaps and seal if necessary.
- 10. Change the direction of ceiling fans. You want your ceiling fans to run counterclockwise in the summer, pushing cool air down. Come fall and winter, run them in reverse – that is, clockwise – to circulate warmed air throughout the room. Doing so increases energy efficiency, puts less strain on your heating system, and can save you up to 10% on your heating bill.
At Pann Home Services, preventing and solving problems is what we’re all about. Among our many plumbing and HVAC services is annual preventive maintenance. It’s the best way going to prolong equipment life and ensure uninterrupted comfort and convenience. But should a problem eventually arise anyway we’ll respond quickly and get the job done to your complete satisfaction. Contact us today to schedule service.
