10 quick home maintenance tips for a smart owner

Willing to improve your home maintenance game and reduce the time you spend on completing household chores? If they seem quite intimidating and time-consuming to you, make sure to look through the tips below to get on top of your home maintenance tasks, effortlessly keep your house in order, prevent the need for repairs and learn quick fixes for most common breakdowns.

Smart home maintenance hacks

1. Deal with leaky toilets

   Leaking toilets cause a lot of trouble and may lead to serious bathroom damage. When not handled on time, they will fail prematurely and make you spend a lot of money on a replacement. Different toilet leaks require special fixes. For instance, if you notice water dripping from the toilet’s tank, it most likely means that the toilet’s flapper has to be replaced.
   In order to do that, make sure to turn the shut-off valve off, open the lid of the tank, empty it by flushing the toilet and drying out the remaining water with a big sponge, take the flush chain off the lever, remove the old flapper and slide in a new one. It should be placed right above the overflow tube. Don’t forget to readjust the chain and restore the water supply. If water leaks out of the crack in a toilet bowl, you will most likely have to replace it.
   A leak at the toilet’s base (right at the floor) may indicate serious plumbing issues. Once you spot it, call a professional plumber right away. He will remove the toilet and look into the issue.

2. Prevent laundry discoloration

   If a piece of clothing accidentally falls into a wrong laundry pile and bleeds color on other things, you still have a chance to prevent discoloration. Try to get rid of stains by washing the damaged items before they dry.

3. Keep your tools ready

   Home maintenance requires basic tools and supplies. Even if you live in a small apartment, purchase a basic handyman tool and compile a cleaning kit. Those who live in houses need to organize their garden tools and ensure proper lawn mower maintenance (we have blog posts on that as well).

4. Unclog drains in a smart way

   Avoid using those chemicals that promise brilliant unclogging results. They don’t eliminate major clogs and often worsen the situation. The ultimate way to unclog problem drains is to use a plumbing snake for that matter. If that tool doesn’t help, leave an emergency request for a local plumber on HireRush.com. Leave your request here

5. Maintain a safe air conditioning system

   The air con ducts and filters accumulate a lot of dust over time. When the A/C is running, that dust gets back into the air, causing harm to the respiratory system of the household inhabitants and trigger allergies. Furthermore, clogged ducts may disturb the A/C’s operation and aggravate its efficiency. You don’t have to get your ductwork cleaned too often. But if you notice any signs of the A/C malfunction, animal infestation or mold appearance in the ducts, if your family member develops an unexplained respiratory illness/allergy, you should get your ducts examined and cleaned.

6. Clean steps and door mats regularly

   Cleaning is a huge part of home maintenance. Minimizing the amount of dirt and litter that enters your house will make this job a lot easier. Thus, sweep the steps and the front porch every few days so that the outside dirt doesn’t penetrate inside the house. Vacuum your doormat frequently as well. Don’t forget to lift it up and remove the dust that’s accumulated underneath as well.

7. Fix drafty windows

   Calk deterioration turns your windows into major culprits of heat loss in winter and hot air penetration sites in summer. That’s why you home maintenance efforts should include paying attention to the state of caulk around your windows. Once it gets too dry, worn out or develops cracks, you need to scrape it off and recaulk the seams between the window frames and the house walls once again.

8. Clean window blinds regularly

   Blinds accumulate a lot of dust. However, we don’t notice that until they get super dirty. That’s why try to wipe them down every other week, or, if you can take them down, rinse them off in a shower. (Make sure that they handle water well beforehand, though).

9. Repair loose kitchen cabinet doors

   If your kitchen cabinet doors look tilted aren’t closing all the way down, use an electric drill or an ordinary screwdriver to tighten the hinges. One of the doors still doesn’t want to stay closed? Attach magnetic catches to the cabinets and the problem is solved.

10. Inspect your roof periodically

    Ensure that your house remains protected from the outdoor weather phenomena and preserves its structural integrity by examining your roof several times a year and conducting quality repairs when necessary. Regular roof and gutters cleaning should be a mandatory part of your home maintenance routine as well.