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10 WAYS TO PREP YOUR HOME FOR SUMMER

1. Add Fresh Air
Let fresh air fill your home by opening your windows, and place a houseplant next to your bathroom sink to help filter the air. Some of the best air-cleaning houseplants are snake plants, spider plants, English ivy, and small-leafed rubber plants.
2. Keep Refrigerators Running
A summer without cold drinks on hand is no summer at all. Take care now to clean your refrigerator’s condensing coils to keep it running smoothly all summer long. Unplug the fridge, and remove the base plate or top grate. (Check your owner’s manual to locate coils.) Use a vacuum cleaner with the nozzle attachment to remove any dirt and lint.
3. Let Summer Inside
Enjoy warm summer evening breezes through your screen doors. Clean screening and repair or replace it, if needed. Tighten and lubricate door hinges and closers, especially on wooden doors that can become warped with changing temperatures, humidity, and wet weather. The same goes for window screens.
4. A Warmer Wardrobe
You’ve waited all winter-long to ditch your heavy coat and boots. Don’t let these items take up precious bathing suit, sundress, and flip flop space in your closet.
5. Freshen Up Guestrooms
Many people will be entertaining out-of-town friends this summer, and if your guest room hasn’t been touched since Christmas, you may want to spruce it up a bit. Open windows and closet doors for a few hours to air out the room. Fluff pillows and duvets by placing them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet on air dry (no heat).
6. Fan-tastic Idea
You may not be able to get through the month of May without running your air conditioner—let alone June, July, and August—but don’t discount the value of a ceiling fan. Set fan blades to revolve counterclockwise, which forces the hotter air near the ceiling to mix with the lower, cooler air, leveling out the room temperature.
7. SPF for Windows
There’s no point in turning on the AC if the sun coming through a window bakes your living room. Install reflective film, sunscreen-fabric curtains, or roller shades. If you’re investing in new windows, choose panes with a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC).
8. Lighter Linens
Swap warm flannel sheets and heavy duvet covers for lighter linens with a high thread-count. Choose solid, light colors to give the whole room a breezy feel. A simple, thin coverlet should be enough to keep you warm during the summer months.
9. Irrigation Issues
Make sure your sprinkler system is good to go for the summer, as you’ll need it to keep the lawn green, the flowers blooming, and the Slip ‘n Slide slippery. Check around outside for swampy areas, erosion, or dying plants—you could be losing water and not even know it.
10. Palatable Produce
If you want to save money, eat healthy, and help the planet all at once, start growing your own vegetables. Tomatoes, basil, and lettuce are all crops that thrive in warmer weather, especially here in NJ.

 

Posted On: May 26, 2016

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