The Winter Home Maintenance Checklist: Protection and Interior Care
With the exterior buttoned up, winter maintenance shifts to the inside of your home. The focus is on maintaining a healthy indoor environment, preventing winter-specific problems like frozen pipes, and using the quieter season to tackle indoor projects.
Indoor Air and Plumbing
Monitor Humidity: Cold winter air is dry, and heating it makes it even drier. Low humidity can cause dry skin, irritate sinuses, and damage wood furniture and floors. A whole-home or portable humidifier can help. Maintain that ideal indoor humidity level of 30-50%.
Prevent Frozen Pipes: During a deep freeze, let faucets connected to pipes in unheated spaces (like a crawlspace or along an exterior wall) drip slowly with cold water. Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing.
Clean Drains: With holiday cooking and guests, kitchen and bathroom drains can take a beating. Use a non-corrosive enzymatic drain cleaner monthly to prevent clogs. Avoid harsh chemical drain openers, which can damage your pipes.
Safety and Indoor Projects
Check Emergency Supplies: Ensure you have a supply of ice melt or sand, functional snow shovels, and a stocked emergency kit with food, water, blankets, and a battery-powered radio in case of a power outage.
Clean Dryer Vent: Lint buildup in a dryer vent is a serious fire hazard. At least once a year, disconnect the duct from the back of the dryer and use a special vent-cleaning brush to remove all accumulated lint from the entire length of the duct to the outside.
Declutter and Organize: Winter is a perfect time for indoor organizing. A cluttered environment can contribute to feelings of stress and overwhelm by creating an overabundance of stimuli that competes for your brain’s attention. This can tax your executive function—the mental processes that help us plan, focus, and multitask. Tackle one small area at a time, like a single drawer or shelf, to make the process feel manageable. For more on the connection between our environment and mental health, you can consult resources from the American Psychological Association.
