Spring Cleaning To-Do List and Home Security Tips

Spring is here! And your house is most likely due for a checkup. During the winter, your home is closed off and insulated for a few months. This is the perfect environment for dust to settle and collect all around our home. Once the weather starts to warm up and the windows open, this dust moving around  will ultimately hurt your home and respiratory system.

To avoid this, we have collected our top spring cleaning to do lists for your cleaning and home security needs. Your wireless outdoor cameras and windows will need some adjusting to get your house fully in tune this spring!

1. Clean and check your windows

Windows are the first area that are prone to collect the most dust, specifically the window panes. A sponge and soapy water can help remove any grime along with some window cleaner on the glass itself.

Windows are a major factor in regard to home security safety. While you’re cleaning, inspect your window locks and ensure they are in place properly. If they do not feel strong enough, look into additional methods to keep your windows from opening like window shutters or bars listed in the Windows 101 blog post.  During this critique of your window locks, analyze the area in your home and see if this might be a window that could be broken into easily and evaluate if you want a wireless outdoor camera near by to secure this entry point further.

2. Give your security equipment a quick cleaning 

Look around at your wifi security cameras and ask yourself:

• Are they in the right position?
• Is everything screwed on tightly?
• Is there dirt on the lens you want to take off or dust the area? Can I see everything I want clearly from the Live Feed of my outdoor camera?

Checking in your security cameras every month is a great way to reinforce practicing home security often to make your home safer. While you’re checking your devices, ensure your address numbers or properly positioned and clean on the sidewalk for responders to see your home clearly in case of an emergency.

3. Replace old batteries

Making a habit to replace your detector batteries is a great way to re-encourage. Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly by pressing the button on the outside of the detector. 

4. Analyze your outdoor lighting

Is It bright enough? Are there areas that could improve? Are there areas outside your home that are very dark or bushes around that someone could easily sneak around near?

If you see bulbs around your home that are looking dull, spring cleaning is the perfect time to change them instead of waiting until they go out. 

When it comes to home security, having a well-lit back and front yard is very important. Burglars like to hide out and sneak in dark lit areas to move around into your home so you and your neighbors will not be able to spot them right away. Having motion sensor lights or wireless outdoor security cameras with strong night vision, can help deter burglars and lets you monitor who is coming on your property every time.

 5. Trim any overgrown landscapers

Overgrown landscaping is a dream for burglars! This is a perfect hide away spot in case someone comes or spots them. In addition, having over grown landscape is also a big sign that the owner of the home is either not concerned about their lawn up keep which will make the burglars believe the home owners aren’t keeping up their homes and locks or out of town. Both of these scenarios are big green flags to move into a home invasion.

For your hedges:

• Trim any large hedges and try to keep them waist height at maximum
• Remove any dead shrubs or trees
• Clear away debris and cut back overgrown areas

If your home landscape design has more taller trees and bushes, look into a placing an outdoor security camera in this area so you can monitor if there is any strange movement in case of an emergency.

6. Clean your garage and your shed – and make it secure. 

The most dreaded item on many homeowner’s cleaning list is the garage and the shed but this might be the most important item! Cleaning through your garage will help you mentally clear away things you don’t need. After cleaning your garage, cleaning your garden shed will help organize your tools and make your landscaping duties hopefully more enjoyable.

The next question after cleaning is: how do you keep these items in your garage safe? Analyze your garage door and your garage side door to make sure the locks are properly working and if they are strong. 30% of burglars enter the home through an unlock door – and most of the time, this unlock door is the garage. When making sure your door and back door is locked safely, always make sure to check your garage. If your garage door has trouble staying closed, investing in a strong garage lock that you can connect to the middle beam will help ensure your garage is safe.

Garage safety is important – and another great place to have outdoor cameras to monitor any suspicious when you are not around. Read our whole article about garage safety here.

7. Empty the fireplaces from winter fires

With the winter coming to an end, getting your fireplace cleaned is a perfect opportunity to close the cold chapter. Not keeping your fireplace cleaned and full of ash is fire hazard that could ultimately result in a house fire. Getting your fireplace cleaned and checked once a year is a good standard and recommended by the Chimney Safety Institute.

8. Change your filtration and ventilation 

The winter dust will want to settle in your home as long as you will have it. After collecting the dust from your windows and winter, finish the job by changing your filters around your home to start the new season off with clean and healthy fresh air. 

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Let us know your favorite or "must do" item on your to do list below!

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