Summer is a wonderful time of year, there's no doubt about that. But summer is also the perfect time to take care of chores you may not be able to do at any other time of the year, making it a perfect time to tackle those jobs we often love to put off but love so much once they're done!
Get that freezer cleaned out once and for all by eating as much out of it as possible. Then, let the summer sun take care of defrosting that freezer in the garage. With a good hand dolly and some coolers to store your frozen items, you can let nature melt the ice by rolling it out on the drive way. Place a small brick at the rear feet of the freezer to tilt it and make the water run out.
If your freezer in the house needs defrosting, be sure to eat as much as possible out of it first, and then store the rest in another freezer or in coolers. Resist the temptation to defrost using a blow dryer, a chisel, or other sharp object because it can poke your freezer, breaking the seal inside. Instead, buy a plastic paint scraper and use that to break off chunks of ice. Put a large tray in the freezer to collect water and then periodically drain it. Don't be tempted to do this at night when you are asleep or you might wind up with a huge puddle on the floor.
This is a good time of year to really get in and scrub all the grease and grime off the garage floor. Wash it down and use a liquid detergent, like Dawn, or use a degreaser specially formulated for this kind of job. Once it's clean, consider painting it or adding an epoxy garage floor sealer. It will help keep your clean garage floor cleaner, longer.
Because deposits can build up making your water heater less efficient, it's a good idea to annually drain and flush out your water heater. This keeps it running efficiently -- and that can save you money on your utility bills. Click here for more information on how to do it safely.
For some reason silk plants seem to attract dust more than live ones. To clean them, spray them with a hose sprayer in a shower or out in the yard and let them dry in the sun. With the extra heat from summer, they'll dry quickly.
Using mild soap mixed with a little bleach, scrub down patio furniture. Rinse and then let dry.
Sometimes it can take forever to get a pillow dry in the dryer, but placing a freshly-washed pillow out in the summer sun will help to dry it more thoroughly, quite possibly faster, and will freshen it up with the summer air. The sun can also "sun bleach" the pillow and may lighten stains.
Before new school clothes come and before all the winter clothes are put away, take some time to go through your closets and throw out any permanently stained, worn-out, or outgrown clothing. It's a terrific activity for a hot afternoon when you want to stay inside.
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Calender -- the calendar that helps you end the power struggle with your house. Keeping a clean home is about knowing what to clean when. Virtually everything that needs to be cleaned is on this calendar in a year-round cleaning schedule that helps you keep your house clean easier and faster. Click here for more information.