Ridgemont

Holiday Hints for the House

Dec 02, 2003

Helpful Household Hints before the Holiday's

Check your furnace filter. It's important to keep your heating system clean. A dirty filter impedes airflow and is more likely to allow dirt into the furnace or heat pump, increasing heating costs and causing your furnace to wear out faster. Check the filter monthly and replace or change it when necessary.

Gather round the fire. This time of year, the fireplace becomes a focal point, so it's a good idea to rearrange furniture to foster coziness and conversation. BHG.com recommends grouping furniture within a circle about 8 feet across, leaving enough room in the center for easy passage. After grouping, fill the center with a rug, ottoman or small table.


Take an inventory of electrical equipment. Locate all your extension cords, timers and lights. Make sure those you plan to use outdoors are rated for outdoor use. Also make sure the outdoor electrical box is watertight. Use duct tape to seal if necessary. Water getting into the box could trip the circuit breaker.


Small fire safety. As we take to our kitchens to cook for the holidays, it might be a good idea to keep a box of baking soda near the stove in the event of a fire. If a small fire flares up, immediately turn off the gas or electricity, stand back and toss handfuls of baking soda at the base of the flames. If the fire continues to burn, use the kitchen fire extinguisher, if available. If not, leave the house and dial 911.

Area improvement. If you're seeking to change the look of a room in your home, consider a small investment in an area rug. Area rugs can instantly warm up a room, become the focal point, add splashes of color or define spaces, experts say. And rugs are easy to change with the seasons.


Quick pickup. Live trees are so wonderful because they bring the smell of the outdoors into our homes. But they also drop needles. Enlist the kids in needle pickup duty. Wrap some masking tape (sticky side out) around kids' shoes and have them stamp around the Christmas tree to pick up the loose needles. For more home cleaning tips, check out homemadesimple.com.


Clear the way. To prepare for holiday entertaining, clear out the kitchen of all appliances, tools and gadgets you haven't used within the last year. This will leave the counters available for cooking. If you can't bear to throw things out, then put them in a box and label it with the date. In six months, if you haven't pulled the item from the box, then it's time to donate it to a charity thrift shop.

Clean the coffeemaker before guests arrive. HGTV recommends using citrus drink mix. Mix up a pot and pour into the coffeemaker. Let stand for 10 minutes, then run it through a cycle. Pour out the mix and rinse several times by running clean water through the machine.


Ladder safety. Cleaning gutters or decorating for the holidays? The Home Safety Council reminds us to make sure your ladder is on a level surface, completely opened and all locks secured. Wear slip-resistant shoes, such as those with rubber soles. Center your body on the ladder and use your belt buckle as a gauge. If it passes beyond the ladder rail, you are overreaching and may fall. Never stand on a rung higher than the second rung from the top of a stepladder. For an extension ladder, it's the fourth rung from the top.


Take birdbaths inside or turn them upside down so they don't freeze or crack in the cold winter months. Put spigot covers on the outdoor faucets or turn the water off to them so they won't freeze and cause the pipes to burst.


Bathroom budget redo. If you don't have the bucks for a complete bathroom renovation, try switching out the hardware -- the faucets, towel racks and drawer pulls. Other ways to get a fresh look: Use a single-size sheet as fabric for a new shower curtain, add some fresh towels and hang a new piece of artwork.