Hey, change your clocks Sunday! (And 5 other things to do while you’re at it)
Sunday marks the start of Daylight Saving Time for 2019, and although most of clocks change automatically now, it’s a good time to catch up on biannual home maintenance.
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on March 10 when clocks should “spring forward” one hour and ends at 2 a.m. on Nov. 3 in 2019.
The United States observes daylight saving time because it optimizes daytime hours — although Arizona and Hawaii don’t observe the switches.
After you switch the oven and microwave clocks, consider a few home maintenance projects that are best to do twice a year:
Replace batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
Instead of waiting until you hear the high-pitched low battery indicator beeping, change the batteries on your home alarm systems.
Clean your refrigerator coils
Refrigerators can use up to 15 percent of all the energy used in a home, so vacuuming the dust off its coils optimize the appliance’s efficiency.
To clean the coils, unplug the refrigerator for a few minutes and remove the panel that houses the coils. In most refrigerators, the panel is located at the bottom and has a vented panel.
Use a vacuum hose or a coil-cleaning brush to remove the dust from the coils without bending them.
Dust around your dryer vents
Lint buildup can cause fires in your home. So clean your lint traps on Sunday!
If you have a few extra minutes, you can vacuum the lint trap compartment or duct work that attaches to your dryer from the wall.
Vacuum the car and check its vital signs
Although South Carolina is in peak pollen season, cleaning the inside of the car can still be effective.
Take out any floor liners to vacuum them and dust your dashboard.
While you’re at it, check your car’s vital signs: top off your windshield wiper fluid and check the car’s oil.
To check the oil, stop the engine and wait a few minutes so the oil can settle. After you open the hood, look for a colored ring and remove the oil dipstick. Wipe the dipstick clean and push it all the way back in.
When you pull the dipstick out, the oil level should be between the two marks on the dipstick.
Flip your mattress
Finally, take a few minutes and flip your mattress.
Sleeping in the same place every night leaves an impression on the mattress, and flipping it every three months can extend its lifetime, according to Katie Golde at MattressClarity.com.
Flipping the mattress over or rotating it on the bed will do the trick.
This story was originally published March 9, 2019 at 2:18 PM.
