3 Spring Cleaning Steps You Probably Skipped

EVERY SPRING IN THE NORTHWOODS, IT’S THE SAME STORY.

It’s cold. Then it’s warm. Then it’s cold again. Then it heats up but rains. Then it’s muddy and cold.

And then, we get a week like this one – PLEASANT!

Pleasant weather means one thing for man y of us:Spring Cleaning.

For those of us who relish the weekend overhauling of our homes, there might be a surprise in 3 vital areas we typically miss.

1. THE DRYER VENT

Really, you should be checking and cleaning your dryer vent once every month or two. If you haven’t, spring is the time to do it. Not only does lint make your dryer run hotter because it can’t vent the hot air, it can also blow back in to your home – causing allergy issues. Both issues cause problems for your home’s cooling system too. Oh, and there’s that whole “fire danger” thing. One of the top recommended household survival items is dryer lint…for fire starting. Grab a wire brush and clean that vent tube out!

2. THE RETURN AIR

That vent in your living room that the kids like to stuff crayons down? You know, the one that smells like dirt whenever it’s windy out? That’s your central air system’s return air vent and it could be putting your family in a world of hurt. We recommend getting your whole system cleaned professionally by one of our techs to remove all the mold and dust that a winter will pile in to the system. You can help this area out during the spring on your own too though. Take the grate off the wall and bust out the shop-vac. You won’t believe how much dust you will find…especially if you have pets.

3. DANDER IN THE UTILITY ROOM

Speaking of pets, we’re going to ask a huge favor:

MAKE 2O15 THE YEAR THAT YOU MOVE THE LITTER BOX OUT OF THE UTILITY ROOM.

The number one problem that we find in the homes of pet owners is that their furry friends live next to the heating system or the return air. Hair and dander are the fastest ways to clog your system up. If you are having your pet sleep or relieve itself in a litter box in the utility room, you are taking years away from the life of your system and putting the people in your home at a higher risk of allergies. Move the dog bed and the litter box to another room – your home will actually be cleaner for it.