Power Outage Survival
March 20, 2020
Setting Up Your Home Office
April 4, 2020
Taking Care of Your Home While You are Working from Home
If you’re like many people right now, you have set up shop in your living room and are now performing your employment duties from home. While you are sequestered in your home during these strange and disturbing days, there are some things you can do to help keep your appliances and electronics performing optimally.
Keeping your appliances and electronics clean and dust free are essential to helping them continue to operate smoothly. Vacuuming under your fridge, freezer, furnace and other major appliances can greatly help their performance and longevity. Dust, dirt and pet hair can wreak havoc on the operation of your major appliances and electronics.
Cleaning under and around appliances. For removing dust, pet hair and other material use the extension on your vacuum to get hard to reach places under your fridge, washing machine and dryer. For getting that built up lint out of the dryer, use a long brush tool designed specifically for reaching inside the lint trap and exhaust hose of your dryer. Lint is also a fire hazard, so doing this regularly is a very good idea. This is also a good time to change the lint catcher on your washing machine hose and dust the top and even the back of your fridge if you can reach it. If you have a freezer in your basement or garage, be sure to clean under and around that too.
Filters. Check your furnace’s filter. Has it been awhile since you’ve changed it? If you need a new one, you don’t have to leave your home to get it, you can order one online from many different retailers. The same with your fridge’s water/ice dispenser filter, you can order those online as well. What about any other water filters you have in your house? This is a good time to check those as well. So how often should you replace water filters? Check the manufacturer’s recommendations to know for sure, but typically every 4 to 6 months. Don’t forget to clean your dishwasher’s filter as well. Check your unit’s instruction manual to find out how, since each model is different.
Computers. If you have a home desktop computer, check on and around it and make sure you vacuum pet hair and dust from it also. If you know how, take the cover off your computer’s box/tower and gently vacuum or blow the dust out. Take your keyboard, turn it upside down and gently shake it to get dust and crumbs out. Gently dust your monitor and behind it with a soft microfiber cloth.
Dusting around and under your appliances and electronics is not only healthier for them, but it’s healthier for you as well. Dust can aggravate allergies and asthma. Using microfiber traps the dust instead of putting it back into the air. After dusting with the microfiber, throw it in the washer or rinse it out in the sink. However, don’t use the wet duster to do more dusting around electronics, only use it when dry.
When vacuuming all that dust and pet hair, a vacuum that uses a bag and HEPA filter is good for keeping those dust particles from going back into the air and into your lungs.
As always, if you need electrical or HVAC service, call Peter Needham. He is available even during the Corona Virus outbreak. Peter and his crew wear masks and gloves and take extra precautions to make sure everyone stays safe. Peter is also available 24 hours a day.
