Use this December Home Maintenance and Safety Checklist to get your home ready for winter and to protect your family.
December is a time of celebration and to prepare for the new.
There's a December home maintenance checklist available for a reminder.
You love your family and your home – protect both and you'll enjoy a beautiful space for years to come with your loved ones.
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Easy December Home Maintenance And Safety Checklist
We know life gets busy so we've kept this concise and simple for you. This December Home Maintenance Checklist will be a handy reminder for you too.
Included are home safety tips. Be proactive and take small steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Fall asleep rest assured you took steps to ensure a safe home for your family.
Home Maintenance Checklist for December
1. Complete Deep Dusting
Make sure you deep dust. With the furnace on and a lot of activities indoors during the winter months, dust from summer and fall get stuck in small areas.
Wipe light switches, dust your lamps, ceiling fans and give your baseboards a solid dusting.
We use these microfiber cleaning cloths and love them.
2. Check all outdoor lights
Be sure all your outdoor lights are working. It gets darker earlier and the weather conditions can be treacherous.
Make sure all your walkways are clearly at night. Check your outdoor garage lighting.
Consider installing outdoor solar lights with motion detector.
3. Caulk Shower
Caulk your shower. Mold and grime get in the crevices and pose health dangers.
Check to make sure your showers and bathtubs are adequately caulked to prevent water damage.
Head on over and check out how to properly caulk a shower.
4. Clean Range Hood
The stove and oven get a lot of use during the holidays.
Your range hood funnels out fumes and odors out of your home. Not only is a dirty hood unsightly but it can be dangerous.
Check out these instructions on how to properly clean your range hood.
5. Caulk Toilets To The Floor
Caulking your toilet to the floor minimizes odors. It also keeps your toilet secure.
Head on over to see why you should caulk your toilets to the floor.
Not only is this a good idea it's also required by the International Plumbing Code.
Winter is known for power outages. Now is a good time to check all your flashlights and batteries.
Make sure you have plenty of extra batteries on hand.
With nightfall arriving early in the Winter months make sure you're prepared for those extra hours of darkness. Keep a few extra flashlights on hand.
7. Store Water
Now is a great time to stock up on drinking water. Pipes freeze in the winter.
If you're in a warmer climate you still want to ensure you have plenty of drinking water on hand in the event of an emergency.
Be prepared and keep water on hand.
Most grocery stores have water dispensers that allow you to fill your own jugs.
8. Store Canned And Dry Food
Winter brings with it storms, power outages and nature can interrupt our daily life.
Make sure you have canned and dried food on hand in the event of an emergency.
9. Check Attic Insulation
Make sure your home is well insulated. Proper insulation can help lower your heating bill.
One of the biggest culprits of a high heating bill is inadequate attic insulation.
Take a moment and check your attic for these 10 common attic insulation defects. You can also hire a professional to assess your attic. It's a great investment for peace of mind.
Taking measures to adequately insulate your attic can pay you great dividends.
Be sure to be prepared for winter with this checklist
This 10-item checklist will help prepare you for the winter months and help with comfort, safety, and energy efficiency.
Winter Checklist
1. Insulate Windows and Doors
Weather stripping or caulking around windows and doors prevents cold drafts and heat loss, improving energy efficiency and comfort.
2. Service Your Heating System
Have a professional inspect and service your furnace or heating system to ensure it's running efficiently and safely, reducing the risk of breakdowns during cold spells.
3. Clean Gutters
Removing leaves and debris from gutters ensures proper drainage, preventing ice dams and water damage to your home.
4. Check Your Roof
Inspect your roof for damaged or missing shingles and make repairs to prevent water leaks and damage from snow and ice.
5. Protect Pipes from Freezing
Insulate exposed pipes, especially in unheated areas like basements and garages, to prevent them from bursting in freezing temperatures.
6. Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat helps maintain a consistent temperature and can reduce heating costs by automatically lowering the temperature when you're asleep or away.
7. Prepare an Emergency Kit
An emergency kit should include flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable food, and blankets in case of power outages or severe storms.
8. Reverse Ceiling Fans
Running your ceiling fans in reverse (clockwise) helps circulate warm air that rises to the ceiling, making your living spaces more comfortable.
9. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Ensure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working and have fresh batteries, as the risk of house fires and CO poisoning increases in winter.
10. Stock Up on Winter Supplies
Keep essentials like salt or ice melt, a snow shovel, and a windshield scraper on hand to manage icy conditions around your home and vehicle.
Home Maintenance Log Book
Organize, Schedule, Plan, Repair and Renovate with This Home Maintenance Log Book.
Your home is one of the most exciting purchases you make. It's also one of the most valuable assets you can own.
It’s simultaneously the playground, retreat and castle for you and your family.
Make sure you keep track of your warranties and maintenance records.
The video below offers overall Fall And Winter Home Maintenance Tips.
Remember, it's one step at a time!
Get Your December Home Maintenance Checklist Below
The December home maintenance checklist is a good start.
Add to it as you like. Maybe there’s something here you've meant to get done but it's slipped your mind.
If you love going all out and tackling more, there’s a place on the printable checklist to add more of your own “To Get Done This Month.”
Comment below and share your ideas and additional items you'd like to tackle this month.
Thanks for the tips! To protect pipes from freezing in cold winter, it’s also advisable to keep your home’s temperature at a consistent 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This temperature is warm enough to prevent pipes, especially those in unheated areas or against external walls, from freezing, yet it’s still moderate enough to avoid excessive energy consumption.
Glad you found them helpful! That’s a great tip! Thank you!