And while spring cleaning, look around and ask yourself if your home is secure. Recently the Pima County Sheriff’s Department warned about homeowners assuming security while they are at home. An occupied home does not always deter a burglar, but good home security does. Check out the article to the Left for more information.

Perhaps while spring cleaning you’ll come across things that you might like to repair or update or totally change. Whether you want to re-invent your existing home, or you’re considering purchasing a home that requires improvements to meet your family’s needs, McCaleb Construction offers one-stop, full-service solutions…from concept to warranty. Check out our website www.mccalebconstruction.com and then give us a call…520-323-2100. My direct extension is #101. ‘Til next issue, remain…On The Level

John McCaleb

Spring Cleaning, Desert Style

The flowers are blooming, the birds are serenading, and our house still feels like it’s stuck with winter blues. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer. Here are some ideas to help you with your spring cleaning.

1. Storing Seasonal Clothing When warmer spring weather arrives, it’s time to pack away sweaters, coats, and other cold weather clothing. Storing seasonal clothing is easy to do safely if you follow a few simple rules. Making sure that the storage containers and areas follow the rules of clean, cool, dark, and dry will keep clothing in good shape for next winter.

2. Check Appliances We expect our appliances to perform whenever we need them, but sometimes their care can be neglected. Each spring take the time to inspect your major appliances for wear and tear. The coils of the refrigerator should be vacuumed, and the drain pan should be cleaned out. Accumulated lint needs to be cleaned from the dryer vents. Clean out accumulated gunk from your oven and refrigerator. Clean dishwashers, disposals, and washing machines. Heating and cooling units need maintenance as well.

3. Clutter Control Spring is the perfect time to remove clutter and excess from the home. Try the 4 container clutter method to help figure out items that need to be kept, sold, given away, or trashed. If paper clutter is one of your problems, find out how to reduce paper piles around the home.

4. Garage Storage It may be a little daunting, but chances are your garage could use some attention this spring. Whether you need to organize a garage cleanup day or just need to remove a few items to be used in a garage sale , it makes sense to pay a little attention to your garage this spring. Try some new organizational tools or techniques to store sports equipment, holiday decorations, or whatever your family hides in your garage space.

5. Patios and Outdoor Areas Spring is a great time to get the outdoors ready for entertaining. Clean the patio and outdoor furniture. Do some basic landscaping repairs on the lawn, shrubbery, and plants. The exterior doors and windows of the home may need some attention. Check for fence and exterior repairs. Lawn maintenance or pest prevention may need to be performed as well. With a little effort this spring, outdoor areas will be ready to entertain throughout the summer.

6. Window Treatments Spring is a great time to inspect and clean window treatments. Whether you need to wash blinds, send drapes to the dry cleaners, or throw washable curtains into the washing machine, getting your window treatments clean after a long winter can brighten an entire room. Be sure to dust down the window casing, wash window sills, and clean any window hardware while you are at it.

7. Beds and Bedding Even with mattress covers, and all of our bedding, mattresses occasionally need to be inspected and cleaned, and in some cases flipped. Use this time to inspect your mattress pads, pillow covers, and all bedding for needed replacement or repairs.

GREEN ANSWER:

There are lots of simple, no-cost things you can do. For example, keep chemical fumes out of the indoor air by storing chemicals safely outdoors or in a ventilated space. The Healthy Homes Partnership offers an online tool designed to help you evaluate the environmental risks in your home. To try this tool, visit www.uwex.edu/healthyhome/.

Also, consider switching to cleaning products to do everyday household cleaning. More information about environmentally-friendly (and economical) cleaning products can be found through your local cooperative extension service. For example, www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/housing/pubs/fcs3682r.html and www.epa.gov/garbage/hhw.htm.

Carpets and fabric draperies can accumulate dust and other allergens. Therefore, reducing the amount of upholstery and carpet is another way to improve indoor air quality and “green” an existing home. Energy efficiency is a big aspect of green homes. A low-cost way to improve energy efficiency is to seal up penetrations between conditioned and unconditioned space with foam sealant (such as Great Stuff, DapTex, or Hilti brands found at hardware stores).

Replacing showerheads and faucets with low-flow versions can cost just a few dollars and can save a lot of energy and water. New showerheads and faucet aerators can reduce water flow by 50 percent or more without compromising performance. Turn down your water heater set point to 120°F to reduce standby heat loss. Seal ducts to prevent dusty air from getting into ductwork and energy from getting out. When painting or finishing floors, use water-based, low-VOC paints, stains, and sealers. They tend to be cost-competitive with products containing higher levels of VOCs.

Contact McCaleb’s Certified GREEN Professionals for more ideas on how to “green” your home!