7 Critical (But Doable) Chores Around The House That Most People Don't Even Realize They Have To Do, According To A Home Expert
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.
"The most commonly forgotten home maintenance task is fridge condenser coil cleaning," Kyshawn told BuzzFeed. Skipping a cleaning here or there won't wreak havoc on your appliance immediately; at best, it can negatively impact your electric bill, but at worst, it could ultimately send your fridge to an early grave. "Over time, dust and hair will collect, which will impact its performance and cost you more on your energy bill," Kyshawn added, "and it can allow the fridge to malfunction by putting extra stress on its parts."
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.
Here's how to properly clean your refrigerator coils:
1. Pull your fridge out from the wall and unplug it completely. (And while you're at it, give the floor underneath your fridge a good vacuuming, too.)
2. If your fridge coils have a cover or protective grill, unscrew and vacuum it.
3. Using your vacuum's nozzle attachment, carefully vacuum the coils and fins, being careful not to bend or damage the latter. If your coils are particularly dusty or dirty, you can use a cheap coil brush to loosen things up, but this is optional.
4. Replace the cover, plug your fridge back in, and push it back into place.
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.
While you're at it, be sure to update your homeowner's insurance policy on a yearly basis to ensure it includes these valuables and even capital improvements like renovations and additions. In the event of a life-altering disaster or fire, the last thing you'll want is to fight your insurance carrier over these pricey home elements, so take some time ASAP to review your policy and get an accurate recording, just in case.
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.)
There's no getting around it: Drains get filthy, and they get filthy fast. Why? Well, the P-shaped bend directly underneath your drain, conveniently known as the "P-trap," can contribute to all kinds of grossness. Since the P-trap is designed to hold water at all times (to protect harmful sewer gasses from making their way into your home), it's easy for drains to turn foul fast. "Over time, lots of food, grease, and hair can end up in our drains," Kyshawn said, which can quickly snowball into full-out clogs or become the perfect breeding ground for fruit flies or unpleasant odors.
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.
1. Pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar.
2. Immediately plug the drain with a kitchen towel to trap the gas reaction in the drain, which will help to push any clogs, grease, or residue past the P-trap.
3. Pour another 1/4 cup of vinegar down the drain and repeat, leaving the drain covered for 30 minutes.
4. Flush everything through with hot or boiling water and repeat the process every two to three months to keep clogs and odors at bay.
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.
To function properly, your HVAC units (central heat and air conditioning) need to pull in the air from your home to heat or cool it before it's redistributed back into your living spaces. The older and dustier you allow your air filters to get, the harder your heating and cooling systems must work to pull in that stale air. Ultimately, that lower efficiency can lead to higher energy bills, which is just one of the reasons why Kyshawn recommends replacing your filters every 30 to 90 days; 30 if you're using fiberglass air filters, and 90 for pleated.
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.
There's also an easy way to tell if your air filter is due for a swap: Take it out of the air intake grid and hold it up to the light. If you can't see light through it, that's your cue to replace it.
Here's how to properly replace your HVAC air filter:
1. Set your thermostat to "off."
2. Locate your air intake grid; depending on your unit type, it might be in your living space, in a closet, or even on the unit itself. (Keep in mind that if your HVAC system doesn't use central heating or cooling vents, you won't find an air intake grid and can skip this entire task.)
3. Unscrew the cover and wipe it down with a cloth.
4. Per your HVAC unit's manual, replace the old filter with a properly rated filter. Follow the arrows on the border to ensure proper placement. Once securely in position, replace the cover and turn the unit on via your thermostat.
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.)
Nothing divides people more than how to "properly" use the dishwasher, from loading it correctly, pre-scraping your plates vs. leaving them as-is, or even what belongs on the top vs. bottom racks. No matter which way you slice it, your dishwasher is designed to get rid of a whole lot of gunk — and all that gunk has to go somewhere. That unfortunate place is your dishwasher's filter, which you might not even realize was something you had to consider until now.
According to Kyshawn, many people don't realize this, either, but cleaning that filter is a simple step that'll save you from many headaches and half-clean dishwasher cycles. "Food and gunk buildup will accumulate on the filter, which will cause the appliance to not clean as well," he told BuzzFeed. Clean it regularly, and you'll ensure that your dishes come out squeaky clean every time.
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.
Here's how to clean your dishwasher filter the right way:
1. To find your filter, you'll likely need to remove the bottom rack; depending on your dishwasher model, it'll likely be in the center or in one of the corners.
2. Steps for removing your filter will vary from model to model, so consult your manual. Usually, you'll need to twist it to remove it.
3. Under warm water, gently scrub away any deposits or food residue until clean.
4. Replace the filter, twisting it to ensure that it's fully locked in place.
5. Kyshawn recommends finishing the process by running the hottest, longest cycle on the dishwasher — no detergent — with a bowl of distilled white vinegar in the top rack.
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.
"Mineral deposits from detergent and fabric softeners are left in the machine and can affect the performance of your washer," Kyshawn told BuzzFeed. Liquid fabric softeners, in particular, can severely impact the overall performance of your washing machine over time; most contain oil-based ingredients, which can coat your washing machine tub in gunk as it simultaneously "softens" your clothes.
Running your washing machine's "tub clean" cycle once a month with tub cleaner (like Affresh or Oxi Clean tablets) can keep things running optimally and ensure that your washing machine runs properly for years to come — and that your clothes come out truly clean every time.
But no matter how often you end up deep cleaning your washing machine, make sure you follow Kyshawn's #1 tip for keeping mold and mildew at bay: Always keep your washing machine door open, whether it's top- or front-loading.
Here's how to deep clean your washing machine's tub:
1. In an empty washing machine, add a tablet or packet of washing machine cleaner and run the "tub clean" cycle, or your machine's hottest, longest cycle.
2. Once completed, give all the nooks and crannies of your machine a thorough clean with a soft scrubber brush and a microfiber cloth soaked in warm water.
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.
"It’s important to keep your gutters clean because if water isn’t flowing properly away from your home, it can cause damage to the roof, structure, and foundation of your home," Kyshawn said. When your gutters are clogged or damaged, rainwater will pool until it overflows. While faulty gutters won't immediately cause significant damage, you'll risk serious issues over time as falling water erodes soil away from your foundation. Water pooling in your gutters can also attract pests like mosquitoes — and if that's not a reason to check your gutters regularly, I don't know what is.
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.
While there are products available for cleaning your gutters with your feet firmly planted on the ground, Kyshawn still recommends calling a local gutter cleaning service to complete this task if you're not comfortable on a ladder. Inspecting everything in close proximity is the best way to both clean your gutters and ensure there's no damage.
Let us know which one of these tasks you'll tackle first in the comments below. For more home maintenance tips and advice, follow Kyshawn's Weekly Home Check on TikTok and Instagram.
