Winterizing and Preparing for Winter

Winterizing and Preparing for Winter

This time of year things seem to move so quickly. Halloween is just around the corner and before you know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here. To say things will be hectic for most of us is an understatement so now is the perfect time to get as many household projects out of the way as possible before the holiday rush really hits.

Pick a weekend and spend a whole day getting as many things on your list done as you can. Then you won’t have to worry about them for the rest of the winter. Finishing household projects now will also help you be more prepared for when you have a house full of company and really don’t want the furnace breaking down.

Here are some suggestions for things to add to your to do list. Of course, you will have your own things to add to it. I don’t do even half of these things because some don’t apply to me so don’t panic about how long your household project list is. This list is just a sample guideline for you to use.

• Check the furnace.
• Clean the flue on your fireplace
• Winterize your house.Winterizing includes tasks like:
  • Putting away hoses
  • Putting Styrofoam on my outside faucets to keep them from freezing.
  • Putting up storm windows
• Check doors for appropriate weather stripping.
• Get out winter clothes and put away summer clothes.
• Get out your bedding and air it out if it needs it. Place it in the bedrooms where it is ready to use. Put the electric blankets on the bed for that unexpected cold night.
• Change the batteries in smoke detectors.
• Make sure your fire extinguisher’s expiration date is still okay.
• Put your winter emergency kit in the car. Include a couple of blankets, extra mittens, hats, coat, boots, a small shovel, cat litter, etc.
• Clean out your garage or storage sheds.

      -Jill

 

photo by: tripletri