By mid-March, it’s officially spring and you can get a head start on all your spring cleaning with a few simple steps. Most people only consider deep cleaning and de-cluttering when they work on their homes in the spring. At Chesapeake Chimney, we want you to remember your whole home, for whole-home cleaning. A clean, clutter-free, and well-maintained home is safer and operates more smoothly day in and out.

Get a Head Start on Spring Cleaning - Prince Frederick MD - Chesapeake ChimneyIndoor Cleaning Checklist

When temperatures are still cold outdoors, you can work indoors and still get your home in ship-shape for summer. If you’re just looking to clean your home, you can get it done in just 8 hours, start to finish, by following this handy guide. For cleaning AND maintenance, here is our indoor checklist:

1. Touch-up paint and polish around the house. Give your walls, baseboards, molding, and door frames the love it deserves. While you’re at it, restore the polish on your wooden furniture.
2. Deep-clean the floors. Purchase or rent a shampooer to pull a year’s worth of dirt and grime from your carpeting, moving furniture and focusing on high traffic areas. If you have hardwood floors, take this time to clean and polish them.
3. Tackle big projects. If you have unfinished projects around the house, take the time this spring to complete them. The drain that keeps clogging? Rent or buy a drain snake and get it taken care of.
4. Check windows and door seals. While the weather is still cold you can check all windows and doors, taking notes on seals that need attention. Clean window screens and remove storm windows. Clean windows and window sills.
5. Clean the furniture. When you buy or rent a shampooer, make sure it’s one with accessories for upholstery. Shampoo your furniture, removing cushions and allowing them to fully dry before replacing. Clean couches and chairs of trash, money, and other debris that may be lost (this is a great job for the kids!).
6. De-clutter closets, dressers, and storage areas. While you’re packing up winter clothes and bringing out the summer ones, get rid of clothes and items that haven’t been worn or used all season long. Pack up or donate clothes that no longer fit. Organize closets, dressers, and wardrobes so you can best access your everyday items.
7. Clean and organize the laundry room. One room in the house that is often overlooked, take this time to clean your washer and dryer units, sweeping and dusting around both. Pull the units out and vacuum or dust behind them. Schedule a dryer vent cleaning to ensure your dryer is venting safely and properly. This will lower the risk of accidental fire in your home.
8. Schedule an air-conditioner service. Make sure you change your air conditioner filter as recommended by the manufacturer and schedule service this spring. You can not only have the duct system cleaned and sanitized, but also have the outlets checked for function.
9. Check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Do not just check these devices monthly, but change the batteries twice per year (when the time changes in spring and fall). Take the time to go over your emergency plan with your family. Plan and practice an emergency plan for fire, tornado, and earthquakes.

Outdoor Cleaning Checklist

By the end of March, the weather will be the perfect temperature for outdoor chores and maintenance. You’ll be able to throw the windows open to air out the house. Make the most of your view by cleaning up outside as well as in!
1. Trim the bushes and trees. Many trees show their dead limbs during winter. If you have a tree that is dropping branches every time a wind blows, make sure you trim it up this spring. You can do this work yourself if you have the proper equipment or you might consider hiring a professional.
2. Clean walkways of dirt and growth. Spring is the perfect time to dig up the part of the sidewalk that is buried beneath the grass. Don’t wait until the grass is growing this summer and you have a hundred other things to do like cutting and trimming the lawn.
3. Clean the gutters. Again, this job is best left to the professionals if you don’t have the appropriate equipment to get it done. Anytime you climb on a ladder, make sure you are not home alone and someone knows what you’re doing. If your gutters have a particular buildup or drainage problem, schedule necessary repairs or improvements before spring and summer storm season begins.
4. Check the roof and chimney for visible damage. You can usually see spalling masonry or loose shingles from the outside better than the inside. While you’re cleaning the gutters, make sure you get a good look at the roof and chimney. If bricks appear stained, mortar seems cracked, or flashing is loose, schedule an appointment with your chimney professional. Chesapeake Chimney completes chimney inspections year-round because you never know when a homeowner will notice a problem. Scheduling now will mean no water damage over the summer and a fire-ready system for fall.
5. Assess and correct drainage. If there is a place in your yard, flowerbed, sidewalk, or driveway that takes on water after a storm, you may be able to correct this on your own. You may find that cleaning out your gutters will improve your landscaping drainage problem as well.

This list may seem overwhelming, but rest assured, you don’t have to get all of your spring cleanings finished in March! You can get your home squared away at your own pace. Just make sure you take the time to protect your biggest lifetime investment (your home). And here’s a hint from us to you: a great time to complete any professional services is during tax refund season.

Need Chimney Care?

Now, we’d be remiss not to mention that springtime is a great time to schedule chimney restorations, bigger repair jobs, or upgrades your chimney and fireplace. With the burning season coming to an end, we’ll have plenty of time to complete these bigger projects without inconveniencing you. And the warmer weather is perfect for sweeps, too, as many of the materials used in these services need higher temps to properly cure.

Not to mention, scheduling in the spring and summer is much easier than scheduling during the busy fall season. You’ll get a spot that’s convenient for you, and we’ll have everything done with plenty of time to spare before you next burning season begins.

Eager to enjoy a new grill or firepit? We can help with that, too.

Just call Chesapeake Chimney & Co. today at 410-535-0052 to get started. We’d love to hear from you soon!