Summer is a time for entertaining, barbecuing, hitting the beach and enjoying your backyard. It’s also the ideal time to treat your home to some grooming!
You can be excused for neglecting your home during the wet winter months but come summer, you may find it’s looking a little worse for wear.
The Australian summer is notorious for scorching heat, flies and bugs, and depending on where you live, it can either be the driest or wettest of seasons!
Here are some handy tips to get your home in tip-top condition for summer.
Tend to your air conditioner
Australian weather can quickly become unbearable in summer, and there’s nothing worse than a sweaty nights sleep! Make sure your air conditioner is in good working order before the temperature starts to rise.
Replace your air filter, remove any debris around your vents, and wipe away dirt from the unit. Doing this regularly is the trick to keeping your energy bills down.
If you don’t have an aircon yet, now is the time to invest in the summer sales!
Protect your home from the heat
Install curtains, awnings, roller shades or blinds to block direct sunlight, and invest in insulation to save money in the long run.
If your home is a heat magnet, take a look at the building materials – is your roof or walls a dark colour? These dark shades absorb heat, quickly turning your home into a hot box.
Consider painting these areas in a light colour to reflect the heat away from your home.
Seal it up
Even the most efficient of air conditioners can’t do their job if there are leaks in your home.
Conduct your home energy audit to ensure your money isn’t flying out the window. Seal any drafts in your windows and doors using caulk or weather stripping, and check your insulation for gaps or leaks.
Safety first
Especially in warm weather, stagnant water can be a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites.
It may be tempting to jump straight in the pool at the first sign of summer, but after a few months of neglect, your pool will need to be cleaned and balanced to make sure the water is safe for swimming.
Bring your garden to life
It’s time to finally make the most of your garden again!
Clean your outdoor furniture of any dust and cobwebs, mow your lawns, sand and sweep the deck, trim your trees, pull your weeds and check your reticulation.
Make sure your summer essentials are in order by cleaning your barbecue and outdoor ovens and replacing your gas bottles.
To dramatically freshen up your space, you may also want to consider pressure hosing your exterior walls and floor to remove dirt, stains and mildew.
Change Your Ceiling Fan Direction
Did you know many ceiling fans are designed to rotate differently depending on the season?
In winter months, it should rotate clockwise to help shift rising heat. In summer, run your fan counter-clockwise on high to get a cooling breeze going.
Flip the mattress
Flipping the mattress is a good habit to get into at the start of a season, and helps to prolong the life of your bedding while giving you a good reason to finally clean under that bed.
Think ahead: summer discounts
While it may feel too soon to be planning for the following seasons, many maintenance companies offer exceptional discounts for winter-related maintenance over summer!
It might be worthwhile to look into those tasks like gutter installation and chimney cleaning to take advantage of these savings before it starts to get cool again.
And remember, stay cool!
