It's 2008,
Clean it, Fix it, Dump it
AROUND THE HOUSE
■ Arm
yourself with a screwdriver, a wrench and a
can of WD-40. Walk through the house and
tighten the loose screws, fix the leaky
faucets, silence the squeaks.
■ Equip
yourself with a cleaning rag and a spray
bottle of cleaner and a Mr. Clean Magic
Eraser. Make a circuit of the house, wiping
fingerprints and dirt from doors and knobs,
switch plates, cabinet fronts. If you have
pets, look at animal level for streaks of
dirt.
■ Clean
the windows.
■ Clean
the baseboards.
■
Replace the worn, sun-bleached welcome mat.
■ With a
hose and broom, clean your front entrance,
knocking down spider webs and streaks of
dirt.
■ Clean
the dead moths out of light fixtures, inside
and out.
■ Dust
the fan blades.
■ Take
down all the art from the walls. You've
stopped seeing it. Try each piece in a new
location. Bring in a new piece. Put the
kids' school photos in an album or
scrapbook. The only one you need out is the
most recent.
■
Replace boring, basic ceiling light fixtures
with new ones.
■ Vacuum
lampshades. Replace what's discolored,
dented or tired.
■ Wash
out the wastebaskets. Replace those that are
cracked, stained or rusted.
■ Polish
or replace brass house numbers. If you live
on an alley and don't have numbers at the
rear of your house, install them.
■
Replace burned-out light bulbs.
■ Tie up
the back issues of magazines you've saved
all year and donate them to a doctor's
office, hair salon or retirement community.
■ Cancel
subscriptions to magazines you no longer
read.
■ Learn
how to operate your home: how to turn off
the water and gas; where your electrical box
is and how to turn off the power. If you
have no "map" of which circuit powers which
outlets, spend an afternoon with a friend or
family member creating one. Do you know how
to operate your home security system?
■ Learn
how to handle some basic repairs and tools:
how to hang a picture, fix a leaky faucet,
stop a running toilet or clear a drain. If
your spouse is usually the one who handles
these chores, don't be helpless when he or
she isn't around..
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