Everyone loves the summer. It’s that time of year when you can go outside, take in the fresh air, and partake in one of the many enjoyable summer activities outdoors, be it hiking, swimming, or just lying on the beach.

And while summer is a time for relaxation and vacation for most, it’s also a time for productivity, and for taking care of your home. There’s plenty of time for beaches, parks, and forest trails, but be sure to carve out some time to take care of these five essential summer maintenance tasks.

Wash the Inside AND Outside of Your Windows

While the heat may sometimes be oppressive, summer brings an abundance of sunshine that’s guaranteed to cheer anyone up. But if you have grimy, dirty windows, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to fill your home with warm, natural lights. Therefore, make sure to thoroughly and effectively wash your windows; Both inside your home and outside your home.

Ideally, you’ll want to use a squeegee to ensure a streak-free finish, but if you use window cleaner and a rag, you still will get the job done. Just make sure to clean off the accumulated dust from the inside of the windows, as well as any dirt or other natural elements you find on the outside of your window. When all your windows have been thoroughly cleaned, you’ll notice the difference immediately. Sunshine will no longer be forced to pass through smudges and grime, leaving the inside of your home bright and airy.

Inspect the Exterior of Your Home

The accommodating weather provided during summer months affords you the perfect opportunity to go outside and make sure the exterior of your home doesn’t require any fixes or touch-ups. This way you can catch potentially expensive problems before they get out of hand.

There are plenty of places to look. Check your siding to see if any is loose or rotting. Examine your brick tuckpointing for any cracks or leaks. Take a look at your paint job to see if any paint is chipping away.

Ultimately, you should use the warm summer months as an excuse to really examine your home’s exterior to make sure it’s still in tip-top shape. And if it’s not, summer’s also the perfect time to schedule any necessary repairs that might be much harder to take care of in colder winter months.

Clean Out Your Gutters

When April showers bring May flowers, they also bring an abundance of storms, some of them quite severe, that will still pop up occasionally throughout the summer. These storms lead to sticks, branches, and leaves clogging your gutters. Before that debris gets too comfortable, we recommend utilizing a clear summer day to climb up and clear out any potential clogs in those gutters. And, be ready for any storm damage.

The good news is, just about anyone can clean their own gutters. If you have a ladder, a rake, a hose, a bucket, and gloves, you can easily clear your roof and get your gutter system running smoothly once again.

The first step in cleaning gutters involves sweeping any debris off your roof, either with a rake or a power washer if you have one. Skipping this step is a big no-no, since if they are left alone, these sticks and leaves will slide into your gutters later, clogging them once more.

Once the roof has been cleared, put on some gloves, grab a bucket, and climb up your ladder. Once you’re at the edge of the roof, manually reach into the gutter to clear out any debris, which you then place in your bucket (or any plastic bag if you don’t have a bucket). Repeat this process until you’ve cleared the entire gutter of large items.

Once you’ve cleared out most of the material, you can take a hose, hopefully with an attachment that allows the water to spray at a higher pressure and rinse out any smaller debris. And with that, you will have successfully cleaned your gutters!

Check and Clean Your Fans and Air Conditioner

Your fans and air conditioner are ignored for more than half the year, as winter months see them sitting idly by and accruing dust. That’s why summer is so important to make sure that both fans and air conditioners are clean and functional.

First, you should look at your ceiling fans. The tops of fans routinely collect impressive amounts of dust during the winter months. When you start using these fans in the summer, the fan will spread these particles around your house, potentially exacerbating allergies, and having a negative impact on your air quality.

And they’re easy to clean. You can either use a duster with a long handle, or you can climb on up and clean these spots with a Swiffer pad or damp rag.

Then, you’ll want to make sure your air conditioning is working. If you’re installing a window unit, remove and clean any filters before installing them. And if you have central air, make sure that you are consistently replacing your filters to make your unit more energy efficient and effective.

Restore Your Outdoor Gathering Spaces

Any decks, patios, porches, or general outdoor gathering spaces you may have at your home is likely to take a beating during the winter months. Snow and ice, spring storms, and seasonal thawing and refreezing can warp or loosen wooden floorboards, bring in mold, and lead to fading colors.

That’s why summer is the perfect time to restore your outdoor space to make it look as good as new, so you can truly entertain outside in style. Clear any debris from the area and give your deck or patio a solid cleaning. This can be as simple as scrubbing the floorboards with soapy water, or as involved as using a power washer to clean, and then sanding down wooden boards to re-tarnish.

Depending on the state of your outdoor gathering space, you might spend a few hours on this task, or a few days. Either way, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of having a clean, welcoming outdoor space that’ll be perfect for that outdoor barbecue.

By following these summer maintenance tips, you can make sure your home is ready for these warm summer months. And you can save yourself some costly renovations down the road!

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.