Posted March 13, 2025 by Anupreet Kaur, M.D., Medical Director, Care Management and Population Health
Sure, the weather outside might still be frightful, but sunnier, warmer days are closer than it might seem.
And there’s no better time than now to spring into action and start preparing your home for the new season ahead — when you’re still spending more time indoors. While spring cleaning may be on your mind, it’s important to include a few home maintenance and safety tasks to prepare for springtime.
Now is also a great time to take stock of your home and assess any problems or damage that may have occurred over the cold winter months. Keeping your home in good shape helps to keep you and your family safe — and maintenance expenses lower over the long run.
SummaCare offers 5 safety and home maintenance tasks to add to your to-do list to ensure your home and family are spring-ready — and worry-free.
Before you can do a thorough spring cleaning, you have to declutter first. Getting rid of excess stuff and organizing your space not only adds value to your home but also can improve your mental health and reduce the risk of falls. Clutter poses a danger to older adults with poor vision, balance and response time and can have a negative impact on stress levels and productivity.
But, decluttering doesn’t have to be an all-consuming process. Start small and set an achievable goal: one room, one small space or even one shelf at a time. While decluttering, organize your things into categories: keep, sell, donate and trash. Then, work your way space by space until you’ve reached your goal of an organized, peaceful — and safe — home.
You’ve still got the heat on full blast, but soon enough, you’ll want to make the switch to cooler air. Before turning on your air conditioner for the season, replace the air filter and then again every three months to keep your indoor air clean. You may want to do it more often if you have pets or children.
Working air filters trap dust and allergens from circulating in your home, which can lead to health concerns. In addition, air filters that are full cause the air conditioner to work harder which increases energy bills and can cause breakage.
In addition, have your air conditioner inspected and tuned by a professional every spring. They can check for leaks, inspect drain lines and clean them if clogged. Also, if a repair is needed, you can get it fixed now, so you’re not sweltering waiting for an open appointment.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors play a crucial role in keeping you and your family safe by alerting you to potential dangers. But they are of no use without working batteries.
Springtime is a good time to replace batteries and ensure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. The National Fire Protection Association recommends changing the batteries in your smoke detector every six months. A good way to remember is to do it when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.
You also can use this time to develop an evacuation plan if you don’t already have one. Then, conduct a drill with your family to practice the plan.
Click on the link below to learn more about CO poisoning and the importance of using CO detectors: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics | Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | CDC.
You know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” Now is a good time to get your gutters cleaned to ensure they’re working correctly come April showers. During hard rains, it’s important that gutters and downspouts are clear to ensure water is draining away from your foundation.
When gutters are filled with leaves, twigs and other debris, water may overflow gutters, pour down the sides of your house and pool around the foundation. This can lead to foundation cracks and weakening and eventually may cause water to leak inside your home.
In addition, clogged gutters could cause water to overflow on the backside, which could rot fascia boards, flow behind siding and allow moisture to enter your home.