Winter and holidays are fast approaching, which means that Hoosiers are getting their homes ready for more time spent indoors. Here is a maintenance list for November that’ll have you and your family ready for the season.
Get your heating system ready. If you haven’t already, change your HVAC filters, and schedule service for a check-up to make sure your home will be nice and warm once the temperatures drop for winter.
Test your smoke detectors. A good rule of thumb is to test your batteries with every time change. And don’t forget to check your carbon monoxide alarms too.
Clean your oven. All that holiday baking will keep your oven busy – now is a great time to get it cleaned and ready.
Clean your refrigerator. Wipe down inside shelves and bins. Vacuum refrigerator condenser coils (plus the front bottom grill). Empty and clean the drip pan.
Clear your gutters. Falling leaves can build up quickly in gutters, leading to damaging clogs. Clean them at regular intervals, depending on the number of trees in your area.
Tend to plants. Transition any outdoor plants and herbs that won’t survive winter to indoors, taking care to keep them watered.
Clean tools. Once you’re done with your fall landscaping maintenance, clean your tools before storage, oiling them if necessary.
Rake those leaves. And remember, burning them isn’t allowed in most residential neighborhoods. Consider creating a compost instead.
Protect outdoor water faucets from freezing. Consider using foam cups, sold at most hardware stores.
Inspect wood stoves and fireplace inserts. Hire a certified chimney sweeper to clean the chimney, if needed
Service your car. If you are traveling for the holidays, schedule a tune-up for your vehicle, including an oil change and antifreeze replenishment.