Clean out the fridge
There is a mystery smell in the fridge, a sticky spot on the back of the top shelf, and a carton of bread crumbs from 2008. Take some time to do a full fridge clean-out this month and you’ll thank yourself later.
- Completely empty the fridge and freezer
- Throw away anything old, unrecognizable, expired, and inedible. Don’t even open up the tin foil if you’re not prepared to see what’s inside 🤢
- Take out the shelves and drawers and wash them in the sink and dry
- Wipe down the inside of the fridge walls with soap and water and dry off.
- Put everything back in and add a new box of open baking soda to keep odors at bay.
Vacuum refrigerator coils
While. you’re working on the fridge, take a moment to vacuum the condenser coils. This one task can save you up to $100/year on electricity, as your fridge can use up to 15 percent of your total power.
As the coils on the bottom or back of the fridge get coated in dust, they have to work harder than they need to.
Unplug the fridge and take off the grill from the bottom, or move the fridge away from the wall and vacuum off as much dust as you can.
Give your plumbing a once-over
Small plumbing issues can become big problems, and it always happens at 3AM. That’s the rule. Sleep better at night knowing you’ve checked things out.
Fixing plumbing issues will also help you to save water.
- Check under your sinks to look for signs of leaks
- Look up at your ceilings/walls for water stains
- Check faucets for drips
- Check the flapper in your toilet to make sure it’s not worn out (you will hear the toilet running periodically for no reason if this is the case)
- If you have poor water pressure in a faucet, try replacing the aerator as a likely fix.
- Check for slow draining. Try a simple tool to remove hair from sink, shower, and tub drains. Or assign this task to your least favorite child. What you pull out can be one of the most vile things you’ve ever seen or smelled
- To keep from having to do this task again, try using one of the many hair catchers made for drains.
Deep clean the house
Get the whole family together for this one. I recommend a sneak attack, waking them up at 5am on a Saturday (that way they don’t mysteriously disappear when it’s time to start cleaning).
Clean and dust all those things you skip on your weekly cleaning.
This is also a good opportunity to clean out anything you want to donate to charity.
Clean out the kitchen sink disposal
This one is easy, but it takes a little bit of prep: freeze an ice tray full of vinegar. Run the frozen vinegar cubes through the disposal and you’ll freshen the disposal while the ice sharpens the blades. Easy peezy.
