As you plan your Spring Cleaning To Do list, here’s some things to keep in mind:
Indoors
- Check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Replace the batteries if necessary and replace the entire detectors if close to expiry.
- Clean debris from your clothes dryer trap and exhaust trap.
- Don’t carry too much at once: Make sure you keep a hand free to hold onto the stair railing and always make sure you can see over the load you’re carrying so you don’t trip.
- Follow cleaning product safety labels: Cleaning supplies can create nasty fumes so make sure you get some fresh air by opening windows, turning on the exhaust fan or placing a fan in the room.
- Wear a mask when cleaning dusty areas: This may seem like overkill, but if you are at all allergic to dust this tip is important.
- Review contents of emergency kits and refresh as necessary.
Outdoors
- Be safe on ladders and step stools. Always have someone nearby to hold them steady during use.
- Remove dead leaves and other debris around foundations, decks, porches and stairs. Make a note of boards that need to be replaced or repaired on stairs and decks.
- Walk your property and note any FireSmart refreshing that needs to be done: tree branches that need to be trimmed that are close to the ground or touching your home need to be removed, winter wood piles that need to be moved away from your home and maintaining a clearing around your home free from trees and shrubs.
- Clear your eavestroughs and roof of debris.
- Check grills for rust, worn pieces, insects, grease and other debris before usage. Grills should only be used 3 metres (10 feet) away from your home or any building.
- Get household hazardous waste materials out of your garage and to your local Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Site. Note: In the Bragg Creek area, this is the Waste Transfer station – not RMES.
- Schedule annual maintenance appointments for vehicles and review emergency kit contents.
Until next month, stay safe!
