April showers bring May flowers … along with a lot of home maintenance chores! With the weather too nice to be stuck inside, most of this month’s home maintenance to-do list focuses on getting the outside of your home ready for summer picnics and barbecues.
From window cleaning to deck repair to lawn mower maintenance, your home will be clean and ready for summer fun in no time! On the inside, you’ll be cleaning your garbage disposal and getting your air conditioning ready for the summer heat.
So enjoy the sunshine as you complete these home maintenance tasks! Read on to find out more.
To-Do #1: Clean Garbage Disposal
Get rid of the winter funk in your kitchen by cleaning your garbage disposal. This easy chore takes only a few minutes but can make a big difference in freshening up your sink and kitchen.
To clean a garbage disposal:
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- Pour half a cup of baking soda into the disposal.
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- Then pour in a cup of white vinegar to form a chemical reaction that cuts through grease and grime inside the disposal.
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- Allow the mixture to work its magic for a few minutes.
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- Pour a pot of boiling water down the disposal, and let it sit for five minutes.
- Turn on the faucet and run the disposal for a minute or so to rinse out any leftover residue.
For easy continued maintenance, freeze an ice cube tray filled with water and chunks of unpeeled lemon. Periodically run a few lemon cubes through your disposal after doing the dishes. The ice and fruit fibers will scour the disposal clean, while the lemon juice keeps it smelling fresh.
For more information, see our video on How To Clean a Garbage Disposal.
I was wondering if you needed projects for your TV show. I am a single mother of four children in Rhinelander, WI. I work full-time and have no family. My parents passed away 15 years ago. I know my dad would help if he were around! My home is 16 years old and needs lots of TLC, such as driveway sealing, more insulation, grass and roof help (lots of moss), repainting of front door, several vinyl siding pieces that need to be replaced, etc. I would appreciate any help you can give me. I am more than willing to help, but don’t know HOW to do most of these things. Thanks so much for considering my request.
I wish you the best of luck Lisa!! This is a great post Danny. I recently helped my step father with a lot if these things and it can be a bit of a back breaking process if you don’t space them out. Another thing with summer is making sure your home is safe and secure with quality locks. I love summer but it can bring out some that are up to no good.
my garage floor needs refinished. what do you recommend for easy cleanup and maintenance?
I have a large bedroom floor approximately 12′ x 20′, half of the subfloor is wooden and the add on is concrete. Can I use real wood 5″ x 3/4″ planks for the entire coverage or do I have to use another type of flooring? My concern is that the concrete side will not allow the wood to acclimate.
Hi, Vera!
What a great question! We recommend submitting it to the Today’s Homeowner Radio Show.
Please use this form to contact Danny Lipford, America’s Home Expert, directly: https://todayshomeowner.com/radio/ask-questions/
Take care!