If there’s no snow to play in, going outside on a cold winter’s day isn’t much fun for anyone. If you know you have the day to spend inside, why not find some simple projects to tackle? If you don’t have a to-do list already, here are 10 easy projects you can start and complete in just a few hours.
1. Touch Up Your Walls
If you have kids in your home, chances are good you also have fingerprints on the walls, door frames and doors. Walk around with a soft cloth and warm water and wipe off those fingerprints. If warm water isn’t doing the trick, add dishwashing soap.
2. Clean and Inventory Your Refrigerator
It’s amazing how many things we can have in our fridge that are past their prime. If you haven’t taken everything out and checked the use-by dates in the past six months, now is a great time to do so. Be sure to add to your grocery list anything that you need to replace. While you have everything out, wipe down the shelves and drawers and replace your baking soda.
3. Don’t Forget Your Pantry
Once you’ve finished your fridge, do the same to your pantry. There’s nothing more frustrating than starting a dish and realizing you’re out of an essential ingredient. Add necessary items to your shopping list.
4. Replace and Test
There are a few home maintenance tasks that should be done regularly. If you haven’t replaced your smoke alarm batteries recently, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends replacing the batteries once a year. A good reminder is to do it when daylight savings time ends. Smoke alarms themselves should be replaced every 10 years, so make note if yours have expired.
5. Replace Filters
Another home maintenance task is replacing air filters. Most filters should be replaced every 90 days, but if you have pets, you may find that you need to replace them more often. Clean filters keep the air in your home fresh and your HVAC system functioning optimally.
6. Paint
Perhaps you bought the paint a while ago and have been putting off the actual project, but a cold day is a great time to paint inside! A new coat of paint in a room or on a piece of furniture can brighten the next cold and gloomy day you spend inside.
7. Deep Clean the Kitchen
Admittedly this is probably the least fun thing to do on our entire list, but once it’s done, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. Set the oven on self-cleaning mode and take the stove apart. Soak all greasy parts in hot soapy water while you scrub the rest of the kitchen. Once the grease loosens, scrub and put everything back together. Don’t forget to wipe under your sink too!
8. Organize Your Closet
It’s surprising what a small percentage of our clothes we wear regularly. Often we forget or don’t realize we have something. To combat this issue, try organizing your clothes by color. Arrange all your tops organized in color groups to make it easier to create an outfit. You may find you have some items to donate, so set those aside.
9. Check Winter Gear
If your hall closet overflows because all coats and jackets are in there year-round, sort through the closet. Determine the items that are outgrown and donate them to a coat drive for people in need this winter. Move light spring jackets to another part of your home, and switch them out for the winter gear once spring arrives.
10. Schedule Appointments
Most of us have a list of appointments we need to make but keep putting off, such as dental appointments and home improvement services. If one of the items on your list is rain gutter shields, now is a great time to call your local Gutter Helmet® dealer. While you’re asking them about installation of Gutter Helmet, ask about heated gutters to help reduce ice dams.
Cold winter days don’t have to be spent on the couch. Keeping your home clean and well-organized benefits you all year. Call (800) 824-3772 to learn more about Helmet Heat® heated gutters or rain gutter shields from Gutter Helmet.
