You’ve bought your first new home—congratulations! The thought of moving in is exciting one but there are important first steps all new homeowners should take before carrying in and unpacking their first box. Follow this checklist to get your new home move-in ready!
Eliminate Odors.
Not fond of your new-home smell? Start fresh and first clean the air. Air care products, including room sprays, air fresheners, deodorizers, gels and plug-ins can help neutralize odors, freshen the air and impart an overall sense of wellbeing. If possible, open windows or turn your thermostat fan on to help circulate fresh air.
Give Dust Bunnies the Boot!
Wipe down all surfaces, including built in shelves and cabinets, ceiling fans, and floors to get rid of settled dust. There are a number of tools and products to help you get the job done, from microfiber cloths and feather dusters to scented wipes, dust mops, and canned air for hard to reach areas, such as computers and other electronics.
Lush Lawn Tips.
Show your new home’s lawn some love by mowing, watering and weeding. By mowing your lawn on a higher setting, you enable the grass to grow stronger and reduce the growth of weeds. Watering helps grow strong grass too! If weeds to appear on your lawn, try hand pulling to start and use spot treatment pesticides for problem areas. Make sure to read the label to ensure proper use.
Resist Rust.
We’ve all seen it—the reddish-brown stains that show up around pipes, on metal cabinets and faucets, and even inside toilet bowls. Resist rust by coating vulnerable surfaces with a special paint, lacquer, or oil to keep air and moisture at bay. Where rust already exists, scrub or rub it away with a brush or abrasive papers. For removing tougher rust stains, consider a store-bought rust-remover—they are specially formulated to get the job done.
Disinfect to protect.
On hard surfaces throughout your home, whether the table in the dining room, plastic play set in the kid’s room, bathroom sink, or countertop in the kitchen, using a disinfectant eliminates the germs that can make you sick. Be sure to read directions on contact time to ensure 99.99% of germs are eliminated.
Scrub Sinks, Stoves, and the Fridge too.
Be sure to include special cleaners for home appliances and your oven, sponges, bleach, dish soap, and countertop cleaners in your arsenal of supplies to knock out kitchen cleaning.
For more tips and advice on creating and maintaining a healthy home, visit healthystartsathome.org.
