The Washington Post - USA (2021-11-11)

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find the coils either at the bottom

or in the back of the fridge. (On

modern refrigerators, coils are

usually at the bottom behind a

panel.) After removing the grill by

hand, vacuum the coils to remove

visible debris. You can also use a

duster between the coils. Then

replace the panel.

Clean your hood vent filter.

Hood vents are great at absorbing

steam, smoke and cooking odors,

but they can get dirty (and less

effective) over time. Sherman rec-

ommends cleaning your filter

once a month, but it’s also worth

giving it a preholiday cleaning. To

remove the vent, push toward the

back of the hood to compress the

spring, then rotate it downward.

You can use a mild detergent or a

spray degreaser to clean yours, or

put it in the dishwasher. (Check

the manufacturer’s instructions to

make sure it’s dishwasher safe.)

No matter how you wash it, wait

until the filter is dry before putting

it back, and don’t operate the hood

without the filter in place.

Seal your natural stone. Gran-

ite and marble can take a serious

beating from wine, lemons, soaps

and other acids. If you have stone

counters, you’ll want to seal them

once a year to ensure their longevi-

ty. Kelly Taylor, an interior designer

in Providence, R.I., says November

is a great time to do that. You can

either hire a professional stone fab-

ricator or purchase a product and

do it yourself. Taylor recommends

Marble Guard Protector, an inex-

pensive sealant by Marble & Gran-

ite Care Products. The process isn’t

too laborious: Deep-clean and thor-

oughly dry the surface, then apply

the sealant per the manufacturer’s

instructions. (You may need two

coats.) Buff the surface with a mi-

crofiber cloth. Once done, it’s best

to wait about 24 hours before

touching your counters.

Treat your wood. Now’s also a

great time to treat your wood ta-

bles, which are vulnerable to wear

from guests (especially those who

don’t use a coaster for their cock-

tails). Taylor suggests using a wood-

specific oil or wax to protect furni-

ture surfaces from marks. Identify

the type of wood you’re working

with; the item’s product descrip-

tion should tell you, or you can

search online for the color and

wood-grain pattern. Then find an

oil appropriate for that surface.

(Taylor likes Howard wood-care

products.) Clear the table of debris

with a soft microfiber cloth, then

rub the oil into the wood with an old

T-shirt. After wiping away the ex-

cess oil, apply it again, then rub it

away and allow the surface to dry.

Swap out your HVAC filter. In

general, you should be changing

your filter about every three

months. But if you plan to use your

heat or air conditioning during a

gathering, an additional swap will

help ensure that clean air blows

out while you have guests. Lester

Mclaughlin, vice president of op-

erations at Blue National HVAC,

says it’s as easy as pulling out the

old filter (usually a cardboard

square or rectangle with a net in

the middle) and replacing it with

one the same size and type. You

can purchase replacement filters

online or from a home improve-

ment store.

Clean your vents. After you

change your filter, clean your air

vents, which inevitably collect

dust and other debris over time.

Mark Dawson, chief operating of-

ficer at One Hour Air Condition-

ing & Heating and Benjamin

Franklin Plumbing, suggests us-

ing the wand attachment on your

vacuum on vents and air returns

throughout the house.

Upgrade your lighting. Along

with replacing any flickering

bulbs in lamps and light fixtures,

make sure all the bulbs in each

room are the same warmth and

style. Connecticut-based interior

designer Cindy Rinfret suggests

swapping cooler lights for warmer

bulbs, which emit a yellowish glow

vs. a sterile, uninviting cold blue.

She likes bulbs with a temperature

between 2700K and 3000K for the

perfect warm light.

“You don’t want to run around

looking for lightbulbs that better

suit the mood as your guests are

pulling into the driveway — or,

worse, realizing how harsh the

overhead lighting is over dinner

once it’s too late,” Rinfret says.

Clean your garbage disposal.

Dawson recommends cleaning

your garbage disposal to avoid

pesky clogs and remove unpleas-

ant smells. First, he says, toss a

handful of ice cubes down the

drain and turn on the disposal to

remove food scraps stuck under

the blades. (Ice cubes, he says, can

also help sharpen the blades.)

Then, with the water running,

drop a few small pieces of lemon

peel down the disposal to neutral-

ize odors and add a fresh scent.

Check your toilet. It’s embar-

rassing to encounter a toilet issue

at someone else’s house, so do your

best to keep your guests from hav-

ing one. One way to do that, Daw-

son says, is to check that your

shut-off valve is in working shape,

so people can turn off the water

supply to the toilet if it starts to

overflow. “While the valve should

be easy to turn, there are times you

might experience some resistance

as you try to turn it,” he says. “If

this is the case, it could mean you

have a faulty valve and should hire

a plumbing professional to in-

spect it before guests arrive.”

Beyond checking the valve,

keep your toilet efficient and your

drains clear by regularly cleaning

with mild cleaners, avoiding

flushing anything that’s not toi-

let paper and keeping a plunger

nearby.

[email protected]

Ashley Abramson is a freelance writer

in Milwaukee.

BY ASHLEY ABRAMSON

As the holidays approach, you
may be gearing up for your first
“normal” gathering in a good
while. Just the idea of getting to-
gether with a group of people in-
doors may feel nerve-racking, but
if you’re the one hosting, then
you’ll also experience the stress of
making your guests feel comfort-
able. And there’s more to hospital-
ity than cooking and decorating.
You’ll also want to make sure your
home is functional for your guests
and any holiday activities, which
may mean tackling that long-
ignored to-do list.
If you’re not sure where to start,
here are 10 projects to help you get
your home ready for hosting. (Be-
fore planning and hosting any
gathering, check current guide-
lines and information from the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention as well as your local
health department regarding the
coronavirus. Be sure to take ap-
propriate measures to keep every-
one safe.)
Boost your dishwasher. Sha-
ron Sherman, an interior designer
in New Jersey, suggests cleaning
your dishwasher to ensure it
works effectively and efficiently.
Start by using an old tooth-
brush to remove grime from the
rubber seal. Then find the filter
below the bottom spray arm and
follow the dishwasher manufac-
turer’s instructions for removing
it. To clean the filter, simply rinse it
with hot water and use an old
toothbrush to work out any gunk.
If your dishwasher looks dirty
on the inside or has evidence of
mineral buildup, give it a wash.
Fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with
two cups of vinegar, place it on the
upper rack and run the otherwise
empty machine through a cycle
without detergent. There’s no
need to dilute the vinegar; the
water from the dishwasher will
take care of that for you.
Check the temperature in your
fridge. B efore you stuff your fridge
with the makings of your holiday
meal (or leftovers), use a refrigera-
tor thermometer to make sure it’s
working properly. If you set the
temperature lower but it’s hover-
ing above the maximum temp of
40 degrees, Sherman suggests
cleaning your condenser coils,
which pump refrigerant into your
appliance to keep everything cold.
“The condenser should be vacu-
umed every three to six months, or
sooner if you have pets,” she says.
“A dirty condenser can lead to
warm temperatures in the refrig-
erator and freezer, contributing
to condensation or frost inside
the compartments or even prema-
ture failure of the mechanical
components.”
It’s a relatively simple job: First,

10 maintenance tasks you should complete before the holidays

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