Tips on maintaining a home

• Clean your dryer vents, you don’t want to be at risk for a house fire. This will also keep your drying time efficient.
• It’s always a good idea to periodically check for mice nests, mice poop, etc. You want to stop a mice problem before it gets out of hand. I have personally dealt with a mice infestation and I can tell you that is not fun.
• It’s also a good idea to change the batteries in your fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors twice a year to insure you are alerted in case of an emergency.
• Make sure you have working fire extinguishers strategically placed in the house. You never know when a fire breaks out and you can’t get to the Fire extinguisher in the kitchen. I always recommend having a few placed around the house. It’s also good to familiarize yourself on the operation twice a year.
• I recommend cleaning your chimneys yearly. A clogged chimney can cause some serious problems.

Money saving tips

• Believe it or not, cleaning your refrigerator coils can reduce costs and increase the efficiency of keeping itself cool. If the coils are dirty and clogged the fridge will have a harder time cooling down.
• Keep your gutters in top condition. Leaky, dirty, broken gutters can cause some expensive issues. Water can be very damaging. Check out our FAQ section on cleaning gutters for specific issues that can arise. {link}
• In Alaska it’s especially important to make sure your windows and doors and properly sealed so you’re not losing money on your heating bill.
• Cleaning your range’s hood filter will help you not smoke up your house so much and reduce the risk of breathing something you shouldn’t be. You will also save money with it extracting smoke and grease more efficiently and not having to replace the hood itself.
• Changing your HVAC filters regularly can save you 10-15% on your energy bills.
• Make sure to check your water heater, boiler, furnace, etc. annually to insure proper working condition and efficiency on your bills.
• Keep your garbage disposal clean, every now and then toss a lemon or lime in the disposal and run it. The citric acid will help break down grease and grime and it smells great!
• Check out your toilets regularly for leaks and such to prevent having to replace floorboards or anything else that might have had water sitting on it for too long.

“Making gutters great”