Refresh your home with tiny chores

Being home all the time has been hard on your house, too.

None of these four chores takes more than an hour, and each ends with that satisfying thought: Why didn’t I do that sooner? Best of all, unlike the dishes and the bottomless laundry pile, these chores won’t need to be done again for many months.اضافة اعلان

Deep clean your bed

“You know that feeling when you get into a bed with clean sheets? This is that feeling times 10,” said Brandi Broxson, a senior editor at Real Simple magazine. Not only does a clean bed feel good, it is better for your health. Bedding and accessories like dust ruffles and throw pillows can collect dust and pet dander, making them an allergy trigger. Do this at least twice a year, Broxson suggested.

Start with the pillow test. Fold your pillow over; if it stays folded, chuck it. A pillow without its oomph is no one’s idea of a good time. If it unfolds, wash it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Strip off the sheets, duvet, duvet cover, mattress pad, and dust ruffle. Wash everything according to the labels. During this deep clean session, Broxson washes her sheets with a bit of bleach. Or, if they’re not white, she’ll presoak them with a bit of vinegar, which helps remove any smells. If your duvet doesn’t fit in your washing machine, you can wash it by hand in your bathtub — and get a workout while you’re at it.

Sprinkle your mattress with a thin layer of baking soda. After 30 minutes, vacuum the baking soda up and flip the mattress. Dust the crevices of your bed frame and vacuum those dust bunnies underneath the bed.

Don’t forget your throw pillows. “I feel like those never get cleaned,” Broxson said. Zip-off the covers and wash according to the labels.

Organize the medicine cabinet

Drugs expire and get pulled from the marketplace, so making sure what you have is still safe to use will give you peace of mind.

Doing this once a year should be fine, said Dr Thomas So, a clinical pharmacist at First Databank, which publishes and maintains drug databases for health care professionals.

Consider where your drugs live. If it’s the bathroom, you need to find another spot. “That is the worst place to put any of your medications,” said So, citing the high heat and humidity of your shower as detrimental to drugs’ longevity. He keeps his over-the-counter drugs in a kitchen cabinet, away from the stove.

Check expiration dates. Most drugs will be OK a few months past their expiration date, So said. There are exceptions, though; expired antibiotics in the tetracycline family can actually cause kidney damage.

Discard with care. Don’t flush pills, because drugs can seep into our waterways and harm aquatic life. Take any expired medicines to your local drugstore, which will collect them free of charge. So recommended taking prescription opiates to your local police headquarters.

Unclog that drain

Apart from being gross, drain blockages generally only worsen with time, said Jake Romano, who works for the Ottawa-based plumbing company John the Plumber. Plus, blockages often form in plumbing joints. If the joint wasn’t connected properly and a block is causing water — and pressure — to build up, you may end up with a real plumbing emergency.

This is an as-necessary job, but Romano recommends doing a baking soda and vinegar drain cleanse every month to keep things running smoothly.

Is it still clogged? You can take the drain stopper out and use a coat hanger to pull any clogs out of the drain. Pull up whatever you can, then repeat the baking soda and vinegar flush.

Clean your filters

Food, lint, and other contaminants can gunk up filters and zap performance from your appliances, said Katie Sadler, a brand manager for Whirlpool’s kitchen and cooking line. At the minimum, you should be cleaning these filters every six months.

Start with your dishwasher if you have one. You really should do this every month. A heads-up: It’s icky. The filter catches any food left on plates, so it’s crucial you empty it. Where precisely the filter is will depend on your make and model, but Sadler said it’s usually easy to find and pop out. Remove it, rinse it under hot water and give it a quick scrub.

Don’t forget … Your HVAC filters, the drinking-water filters in your fridge, and the filters for any home air purifiers. The lint trap cover for your clothes dryer should get thoroughly cleaned every six months, too.


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