We all have plenty of household chores on our to-do lists, but many of us can probably agree that hardly any of them are on our want to-do list. Here is something exciting to hear: some chores around your home only need to be done once a year. We made a list of household chores below that only need to be taken care of every 12 months.
Curtain/Drape/Shade Cleaning
These soft surfaces may not look dirty from far away, but when you get up close you might see a build-up of dust especially along the bottom if they are close to the floor. Even if you do not see the dirt it is there because your window coverings are air particle magnets. Take them down once a year and check for a care label. Be careful as some curtains can be washed in your home washing machine while others need to be taken to a dry cleaner.
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Gutters
Clogged gutters can cause significant damage to your home including damage to your roof and eaves and can even cause interior leaks. A good time to clean your gutters is after the leaves fall in the autumn. If you have a ton of pine needle shedding trees this job may turn into a twice a year job as pine needles fall several times a year and clog up gutters.
Fireplace and Chimney
When winter is past and you are no longer building or turning on fires every night to keep you cozy, it is time to give the fireplace a deep cleaning, especially gas fireplaces. Wood fire places should be cleaned of their ashes with a shop-vac and the interior of the fireplace should be wiped down with distilled white vinegar and water and the damper should be closed.
Now is also the time to call in a professional to clean the chimney as well.
Lawn Furniture
As long as you have stayed on top of spot cleaning your outdoor furniture cushions it can be cleaned just once a year. A great time to give your outdoor furniture a deep cleaning is spring when you bring it out of storage.
Rattan, plastic, and wood furniture frames can be wiped down with a simple solution of two tablespoons hand dishwashing liquid and two cups of warm water. Use a soft bristle brush to loosen tough or stubborn gunk and finish with a quick rinse from the hose.
For the cushions vacuum them thoroughly, and spot treat stains. Some cushion covers are removable and machine washable.
Carpet and Furniture Upholstery
So much stuff can accumulate in the deep recesses of your furniture fabric and your carpets even if you are properly vacuuming once a week. There are areas of these items that your vacuum cannot reach. To clean the deepest areas of your carpet and upholstery they should be cleaned by a professional using truck-mounted equipment at least once every twelve months.
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Mattresses
Just like your furniture, your mattress can be housing quite a bit of gunk. Ideally, you should be vacuuming your mattress about once a month and once a year it should be professionally cleaned and flipped if your mattress says to do so on the care tag.
Natural Stone and Tile and Grout
Once a year natural stone surfaces need professional cleaning and sealing to keep them in top working condition, especially stone countertops. Likewise all tile and tile grout need to be deep cleaned with professional equipment to get all the gunk out of the pores in the grout and then sealed to protect from stains of everyday use.
Hardwood Floors
It may not seem like hardwood floors need to be cleaned because they don’t have fabric fibers to hold onto dust and other small dirt particles. Hardwood floors do have cracks in-between the boards though. Once a year a professional cleaning should be done to get the stuff that falls between the boards out.
Related: Should you go with hardwood or carpet when replacing the floors?
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