Sunday marked the end of Daylight Savings Time (or was it the start of it?) In any event, we set most of our clocks back. If you are like me, you probably found one today you forgot. Or are searching for the instructions on how to reset that pre-Internet electronic appliance. DST always reminds me about my annual household chores.
Spring Forward, Fall Back
With the time change, this is a good time of year to remember all your annual household chores. Have you had your furnace serviced? Winter is about to be here and you may want to have your HVAC system inspected before you need to rely upon it. It is also a good time to change the filter and make certain the filter is properly inserted so that it is (a) cleaning the air for your living space and (b) reducing your utility bill by being in the same direction/flow as the air.
Smoke Detectors Save Lives
I like to also change all the batteries on my smoke detectors once or twice a year. The batteries are an important back up to electricity – which can be lost during an emergency. It takes just a few minutes to change the batteries and the effort could save your life.
In Colorado, it is going to start to be freezing cold – literally. Make certain you have disconnected all hoses from outdoor water fixtures. Leaving a hose attached is a good way to accidentally break a pipe. I know firsthand this can happen. We had water flooding into our basement a few years ago in the Spring. Not fun. Be sure to winterize your sprinkler system too or at least protect it!
On a lighter note, purchasing bird seed for your outdoor feeders is a great idea. Birds provide wonderful natural music and brighten your yard space. I like the twenty pound bags at Wild Birds Unlimited – there is no filler, just sunflower seed which most birds love. Hardware stores tend to sell bird seed mixes with a lot of filler – which birds will not eat — so don’t waste your money or time cleaning up all the junk they pick out and won’t eat.
So there you have it, my tips on taking advantage of the time change to do your annual household chores. What annual chores do you do to your home?