June is national safety month. Be proactive and take small steps to protect yourself and loved ones. Fall asleep rest assured you took steps to ensure a safe home for your family. Use the ideas below and take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of your family and home.
Update First Aid Kit: More time is spent outdoors in the summer months. We spend time in lawn and garden maintenance, athletic activities, and BBQing. More accidents happen and you want to be prepared. Be prepared for bumps, bruises, cuts, and burns by updating your first aid kit. Consider having a smaller one with you for outdoor outings and those family weekend get aways.
Change Smoke Detector Batteries: Experts state you should change your smoke alarm batteries every 6 months. If you haven't changed your batteries in a while now is a good time to replace them. They also recommend you replace the smoke alarms every 10 years.
Inspect and Repair Outdoor Play Equipment: Everyone is looking forward to fresh air and getting outdoors. Make sure your little ones are safe playing on the outside equipment. Give your outdoor equipment some attention and ensure they're safe and secure. Check the surrounding areas for safety hazards, too.
Reorganize your Kitchen: Think about how your kitchen is used during the various seasons. With the change in seasons and activities, now is a good time to adjust and organize your kitchen accordingly. Are there appliances you use more in the summer than the winter and vice versa? Move your appliances accordingly. Also, creating stations can be a great idea. Create easy to grab snacks and lunch items for the kids or an iced coffee or smoothie station for a summer treat.
Give your Home a Good Dusting: Windows are open and the breeze is flowing through your home with the start of summer. Dust and microscopic mites gathered during the winter months can be pushed through your home. Don't let that happen. Give your home a good dusting. Wipe down furniture, baseboards, doors, window sills, and ceiling fans. Give your home that fresh, clean, and open feeling everyone loves during the summer months.
Remove Mold and Mildew on your Home’s Exterior: Don't let mildew spoil (or worse, damage) your home's exterior. Take some time and banish mildew and mold from your home's deck and siding using appropriate products made for outdoor surfaces.
Keep a Basket Filled with Extra Summer Necessities Near your Front Door: Keep a basket filled with sunscreen, insect spray, shades, hats, and caps near your front door. Rather than run around your home looking for these items make it easy for everyone to grab and use as heading outside.
Prune Shrubs Around AC Unit: Maintaining proper air flow around your air conditioning unit is imperative for your unit's performance. Keep an 18” to 36” air space on all sides of unit. You should also keep a 3-4 foot air space above the unit. Prune back any bushes or tree branches as required. Remember when planting to allow room for long-term growth (5-10 years). Good shrubs for planing around the unit are yews, upright junipers, and arborvitaes.
Source: Real Estate Spice