While I am still fully embracing hibernation mode, there’s something nice about resetting your home in January. After taking down all of the holiday decor (*sniffles*), it feels good to sort of refresh your space before hunkering back down for the remainder of winter.
This post is an informal list of things I like to reset as a way to start fresh at the beginning of the year. They don’t all have to happen in the same day, same weekend or even in same week, but I try to get them all done within the month of January. I always intend to get these done [at least] quarterly, but sometimes they go a bit longer in between so it’s nice to have the Beginning of the Year as a forcing function.
There are some items in my house that simply don’t get the attention that they deserve throughout the year (especially at this point in my life as a parent with two littles under the age of 4). Your home and cleaning schedule may be different than mine so please adjust the checklist to meet your needs. I’d like to note that some items are included in my list to serve as reminders to schedule service appointments with professionals (such as for the water heater).
*All outdoor maintenance will happen in the spring when the weather improves.
Filter Replacements
HOME VENTILATION
We have multiple vents that we replace throughout the year, but we always replace them all in January to kick off the year. It’s worth mentioning that each vent has a very specific sized filter that fits each space exactly so please be sure to take note of this when making your replacement purchases.
REFRIGERATOR WATER
The water filter in your fridge is so important for keeping your ice maker and drinking water fresh. I try to do this regularly, but I am always sure to swap it out every January.
WATER PITCHER
Our refrigerator doesn’t have a built-in water dispenser, so we are “old school” and keep a Brita filtered water pitcher in our fridge.
REFRIGERATOR FRESHENER
Continuing the refrigerator freshness, I always keep a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda in our fridge to absorb odors. This is a great opportunity to replace an old box for a fresh, new one.
WATER HEATER
*Schedule Service*
AIR CONDITIONING / HEATING UNIT(S)
*Schedule Service*
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Appliance Deep Cleaning
REFRIGERATOR
I often wipe down the exterior of our appliances due to fingerprints, spills, etc. but rarely get the opportunity to clean the interior! Start your year off right and wipe down your refrigerator before restocking.
STOVETOP / BURNERS
I do a modified version of this every time I clean our kitchen, but I don’t get into the nitty gritty. Highly recommend giving your stovetop a thorough cleaning.
OVEN
I so rarely have the time to clean the oven’s glass window (how does it get so dirty?!) so this is a great forcing function to get that done. You can also include an oven self-clean cycle if your machine needs it.
KITCHEN DISPOSAL
I try to remember to use an Affresh Garbage Disposal tab monthly… usually around the first day of every month in an effort to keep our kitchen smelling fresh and the sink plumbing flowing properly.
DISHWASHER
We always hand wash our dishes and use our dishwasher more like a sanitizing machine, but if you’re not Type A weirdos like us you may want to consider using an Affresh Dishwasher tab to keep your machine functioning smoothly and removing any unwanted odors.
WASHING MACHINE
We do at least one load of laundry every day, so our machines are always working hard! I try to remember to use an Affresh Washing Machine Tab at least every quarter to keep it in tip top shape. Even though we (1) ALWAYS prop our front-loader washer door open when it’s not in use, and (2) frequently wipe out the gasket to remove anything growing in there, we still end up getting some mold buildup. Even with repeated wipes and cleanings, that mold can stain the rubber and make it look dirty when it isn’t so we use a Heavy Duty Mold Stain Cleaning Gel to remove any stains.
CLOTHES DRYER
This goes beyond just cleaning the lint trap with every use (which I sincerely hope you’re doing to avoid the possibility of a fire). Soooo much lint gets lost in the machine and doesn’t even make it into the trap. Deep clean that lint trap slot with an extra large “spoolie”.
FIREPLACE
This house was built to include a fireplace and it’s our first time ever having one in our home! Since it’s not a wood-burning fireplace we just assumed there was basically no maintenance unless it stopped working or something, but we were wrong! There is some light cleaning and maintenance even with a smokeless fireplace. The more you know!
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General Cleaning
BASEBOARDS
I am so bad about remembering to dust these during routine cleanings so I wanted to include this item in my new year to-do list.
WINDOW TREATMENTS
We have “top-down-bottom-up” cellular shades throughout our house (truly a must in the PNW) and every so often they need to be fully scrunched up to keep their shape and have air blasted through the cells to remove dust (either by vacuum or a hair dryer on the cool setting).
KITCHEN SINK
This is something that I clean fairly often, but we have a grate in the sink that keeps dishes about an inch off the bottom of the sink (which is great for draining purposes), but all the nooks and crannies of that grate definitely need a good scrub.
TRASH CAN
This may seem silly (I mean, it holds trash, right?), but keeping your garbage can clean is a great way to minimize the possibility of pests in your home. I like to vacuum the interior (to get any dirt, dust, crumbs, etc. that may have escaped the inside containers) and then use a sanitizing wipe on the the interior of the trash can and stainless steel cleaner on the exterior.
SHOWER & SINK DRAINS
This reminder is for any drains, but especially for those that are moving especially slowly since that’s an indicator that there is buildup of some kind. You may not need to resort to using corrosive Drāno right away; if you can manually clear out what’s blocking the drainage path you may be able to resolve the problem. We use this drain key to lift our shower drain cover to retrieve anything captured inside.
KITCHEN SPONGE
This gets done pretty frequently in our house, but it’s a good reminder to start fresh with a new sponge head for our dish washing wand in the new year.
PILLOWS / COMFORTER / MATTRESS
I found helpful tips for fluffing pillows here, for refreshing a down comforter here and refreshing your mattress here. Having a fresh bed (not just clean sheets) is such a great way to kick off the new year!
If there’s anything else that I forgot to include (which is more than likely), please leave a comment with the task / appliance so we can all remember together!
Sending lots of love,
xx, Natalie
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