While the holidays are full of fun times with family and friends, there’s a lot of prep work that needs to be done ahead of times so your gatherings go smoothly. Sure, there’s decorating and cooking/baking to do, but there may be a few prep items you missed along the way. To keep your holiday festivities merry and bright, you should check out our prep tips for both the outside and inside of your home.
Outside
The outside of your home is the first thing guests will see when they pull in the driveway. Before they arrive, you may want to:
Check Your Snowblower’s StatusIf you haven’t looked at your snowblower since early spring, you’ll want to inspect it now – before you really need it.
Check and probably replace the oil
Add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank
Put in a new spark plug
Inspect the tires, auger, scraper blade, slide shoes, etc. for wear
Trim All Shrubs and Bushes
Curb appeal matters, so make sure your shrubs and bushes are neatly trimmed – especially those in the front yard. If you’re hedge trimmer won’t cooperate, check out our Hedge Trimmer Repair Help page to troubleshoot the problem.
Inside
You won’t want your guests to turn into popsicles during their holiday visit, do you? Now is the time to make sure your furnace is running its best.
Change the Furnace Air Filter Your furnace and family will be happier with when you replace the air filter. Your furnace won’t have to work as hard and there’ll be less dust particles in the air if your company has allergies or asthma. You should get in the habit of changing your furnace air filter every couple of months.
Check Your VacuumSpeaking of vacuums, once the company has arrived is not the time to discover yours isn’t working properly. Take a moment to clean the brushroll, replace the air filter and replace the bag if it uses one.
Clean Your RefrigeratorThrow out expired items and old leftovers, you’ll need the room! Remove the fridge shelves and drawers and clean them in the sink using soapy water or refrigerator cleaner. You’ll also want to clean the condenser coils. A special long-handled bristle brush or vacuum attachment will do the trick.
Don’t Clean Your OvenYes, this may seem counter-intuitive … But using the self-cleaning function on your oven can sometimes cause it to break. Play it safe and use oven cleaning spray and clean the stovetop if it needs it. Wait till after the holidays for the big clean!
Follow these simple holiday prep tips and your entertaining should go off without a hitch. Just watch out for ugly holiday sweaters, we can’t help you with those!
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