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If you’re a homeowner (or even if you’re a renter), you likely already know that keeping your space in tip-top condition can feel like an uphill battle. And if you haven’t already realized that, the clock’s ticking.
The fact is, owning a home often feels more like a never-ending (and deeply maddening) sequence of chores, and if you’ve never been taught proper home maintenance, knowing where to start can feel near impossible. Without careful care, many of the costly appliances and additions that keep your home running properly could fall apart well before their expiration date, so to speak — and as the homeowner in charge, it’ll end up costing you a pretty penny to replace them all.
While we eagerly await the day that every new home comes with a manual (a guy can dream, right?), we can turn to home maintenance experts like Kyshawn, the founder of Weekly Home Check. His viral online checklist and weekly how-to videos take new homeowners through 52 weeks of crucial home upkeep tasks; over time, he’s also noticed a handful of important tasks that many people didn’t even realize they had to do before finding his content.
These are the commonly forgotten home upkeep tasks that Kyshawn notices the most. Prepare yourself to gasp audibly when you realize you’ve unknowingly been putting some of these off for many years!
1.
Twice a year, clean and vacuum the condenser coils on your refrigerator, likely in the back of your appliance or just underneath. While the task might seem head-scratchingly futile at a glance, doing so regularly can actually lower your energy bill and help prevent any unnecessary strain on the parts that keep the contents of your fridge nice and chilly.
According to Kyshawn, cleaning your refrigerator coils is especially important if you have pets since even with regular vacuuming of your kitchen, pet hair can easily coat your fridge coils before you know it.
2.
Take a thorough video of the entire interior and exterior of your home once per year. This can serve as proof of all your possessions for your insurance carrier should you ever deal with a natural disaster, flood, or fire — knock on wood.
Ideally, this recording captures all the nooks and crannies of your home. But at minimum, you should make sure to capture all your high-value items, like furniture, electronics, or valuables like art and jewelry.
3.
Every two to three months, properly flush your sink and shower drains to help prevent clogs, unpleasant odors, and even fruit flies. (If you’ve ever dealt with the latter, you’ll know that it’s a situation very much worth avoiding.)
To naturally combat your drain woes, get in the habit of treating your drains with this magic combination of ingredients you likely already have around the house.
4.
Change the air filters on your HVAC unit(s) every 30 to 90 days. Kyshawn says this is important for multiple reasons, including potentially lowering your energy bill.
Beyond energy usage, regularly replacing your HVAC unit’s air filter can help maintain healthy air quality in the home and reduce allergens, Kyshawn says.
5.
Every one to three months (depending on how heavy your usage is), clean the filter on your dishwasher. Yes, you need to clean the appliances that clean things for you — or, as Kyshawn says, “Your dishwasher cleans your dishes, but who cleans the dishwasher?” (The answer is…you.)
If you’re not sure whether your filter needs cleaning, there are often subtle signs that it’s overdue, like a drop in cleaning performance, food remaining on dishes after a cycle, or noticing that your dishes or glasses are getting scratched or marked up by loose debris or grit.
6.
While we’re on the subject of cleaning appliances that clean other things, let’s chat about your washing machine. Whether you have a front- or top-loading machine, you’ll likely need to give it a thorough cleaning once a month. Here’s why.
7.
Last but certainly not least, if your home has gutters, clean and inspect them at least twice a year. If you’re not 100% comfortable on a ladder, hire a pro to do it for you. Water is the enemy in quite literally every home maintenance scenario, so not keeping up with your gutters can damage your home in seriously costly (and frustrating) ways.
Ideally, you’ll perform this task twice a year; where Kyshawn lives in the Northeast, it’s advisable to perform this task at the end of fall (once the leaves have finished falling) and once again before rainy summer weather hits.
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