By Guest Contributor Cleaning Tips • Tips and Tricks 0 Comments

6 Household Chores That Should Only Be Done Once a Year

While you probably have a mile long list of household chores on your to-do list, they may not be on your want-to-do list. But the good thing about that some of these household chores could actually be on your not-have-to-do list. Doing some of these tasks more often than not is probably just making more work for yourself.

If you take the time to prioritize your household chores efficiently you’ll not only feel better about doing them, but you’ll be able to sort out what needs to be done versus what doesn’t need to be done. Ask yourself this “Do I really need to wash my curtains once a month? Or is this really making extra work for me?” It’s making extra work for you. Which is why it’s time to give yourself some more free time by doing chores by priority.

Here are 6 household chores that you only need to do once a year:

Clean The Gutters

Cleaning the gutters is everyone’s least favorite tasks. But this is one of the most important household tasks to be done once a year so we decided to put it first on the list. Clogged gutters can cause moisture damage to a roof and interior ceilings. It’s best to clean your clogged gutters in late fall after the leaves have fallen.

Clean Outdoor Furniture

Your outdoor furniture can easily be cleaned once per year under the assumption that you have been spot cleaning them year around when needed. If you have let dirt and stains set into them for months this task is going to be a little tougher for you. It might be achievable but it’s going to be tough nonetheless.

The best time to clean your outdoor furniture is in the spring. Outdoor furniture that is made out of plastic of some sort can easily be wiped down with a bucket of warm water and dish soap. While other outdoor furniture that made with fabric and cushions can be vacuumed, pre-treated for stain removal, and thrown in the washer. You want to make sure to check and make sure the label says washer safe prior to washing it. 

Dust The Linen Closet

Is cleaning or dusting the linen closet even on your to-do list? Probably not, but it should be. Once a year you should empty out your linen closet and vacuum all of the dust mites and spiders away.

Taking the extra time to empty and clean your linen closet gives you a chance to get organized for the months to come. After you’ve completely emptied it, dusted, and wipes the shelves down you can start to organize things. Keep your sheets, pillows, and blankets on one shelf and keep your towels and washrags on another. Or you could also organize by season, person, and accommodation. 

Re-organize Kitchen Cabinets 

It’s best to clean and re-organize your cabinets after the holidays during spring cleaning. Working in sections empty the cabinets completely. While emptying out the cabinets take a look at each item looking for expired items. This way you can get rid of the expired food and put things back using the FIFO method which means first in first out according to the expiration date.

Then you can wipe down the shelves and corners for dust if needed. Add some shelf paper if you don’t already have some. If you do you can just re-line the cabinet after you’ve wiped it out. It’s important to carefully examine cabinets when you’re cleaning them. Especially if there’s been food in them. You want to be on the lookout for things like mold and insect infestation. 

Sort Through Old Documents

As far as we have come into this paperless society we live in believe it or not documentation is still something we need to do. Taking the time to sort through our both physical and electronic documents is just another part of being an adult. Whether you are a self-employed business person or are working a 9-5 you need to take care of your files at least once a year.

This chore is usually done during tax season. But in order to ensure you are organized all year round you should be keeping all of your receipts, files, and documents in the same place. Consider getting an expandable file with labels to keep things in. This way you just throw the documents in there and worry about them when the time comes. 

Wash The Curtains

Remember at the beginning where I talked about not having to wash your curtains each month? It’s only necessary that you take down your curtains and wash them once, maybe twice a year. A good time to do this would be during spring cleaning and then later right before winter comes.

Doing this chore isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. You might think all that you have to do is take them down and throw them in the washer right? Not. Be sure to check the care instructions on the label before deciding to throw them into the washing machine. A lot of curtains or drapes need to be dry cleaned to remove heavy odors and stains. Washing them only runs the risk of damaging them.

If your curtains can be washed avoid high-heat in the dryer. In fact, you should remove them when they are slightly damp. And then you can iron them and rehang them. 

Write a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *