November Checklist for a Smooth-Running Home
As the weather shifts and daylight hours wane in November, home tasks naturally center around the indoors — preparing for the big Thanksgiving meal, welcoming guests and battening down the hatches for winter. As you count your blessings this Thanksgiving, consider also lending a helping hand to those in need by putting charitable giving on your to-do list.
Tackle these 13 home maintenance chores this month to keep your home safe, beautiful and working well for you.
Deep clean the kitchen. With Thanksgiving coming up later this month, now is a great time to give your kitchen a thorough cleaning before the mad cooking rush begins. Run your oven’s self-cleaning cycle, pull your fridge away from the wall and vacuum the coils in the back, and get on a stepladder to clean your range hood and cabinet tops.
Donate to a food bank. While cleaning your pantry, set aside unexpired foods that you know you won’t use to bring to your local food bank. And when you are doing your Thanksgiving shopping, consider picking up a bagful of extra holiday dinner supplies to donate as well — this time of year can be especially hard for families in need.
Check entertaining supplies and restock as needed. If you are hosting for Thanksgiving or another big fete this year, think through your menu in advance and check to make sure you have all of the cooking tools, cookware and table-setting supplies you will need. It’s better to know now if you don’t have a turkey baster or enough baking sheets.
Add entryway storage. If clutter is getting out of control, beef up your mudroom and entryway with baskets and bins big enough to handle the piles of scarves, mittens and outerwear that are bound to accumulate near the door.
Use a humidifier if needed. With the heat going and the windows shut, the air inside can get dry at this time of year. Dry air can cause everything from more static electricity to more frequent or worsened colds — adding a humidifier is an easy way to help prevent these.
More about November Checklist for a Smooth-Running Home
Tackle these 13 home maintenance chores this month to keep your home safe, beautiful and working well for you.
Deep clean the kitchen. With Thanksgiving coming up later this month, now is a great time to give your kitchen a thorough cleaning before the mad cooking rush begins. Run your oven’s self-cleaning cycle, pull your fridge away from the wall and vacuum the coils in the back, and get on a stepladder to clean your range hood and cabinet tops.
Donate to a food bank. While cleaning your pantry, set aside unexpired foods that you know you won’t use to bring to your local food bank. And when you are doing your Thanksgiving shopping, consider picking up a bagful of extra holiday dinner supplies to donate as well — this time of year can be especially hard for families in need.
Check entertaining supplies and restock as needed. If you are hosting for Thanksgiving or another big fete this year, think through your menu in advance and check to make sure you have all of the cooking tools, cookware and table-setting supplies you will need. It’s better to know now if you don’t have a turkey baster or enough baking sheets.
Add entryway storage. If clutter is getting out of control, beef up your mudroom and entryway with baskets and bins big enough to handle the piles of scarves, mittens and outerwear that are bound to accumulate near the door.
Use a humidifier if needed. With the heat going and the windows shut, the air inside can get dry at this time of year. Dry air can cause everything from more static electricity to more frequent or worsened colds — adding a humidifier is an easy way to help prevent these.
More about November Checklist for a Smooth-Running Home
