How to get your home summer-ready

Get your home ready for summer

Is your home ready for the summer? There are a few housekeeping tasks to take care of before the warm weather arrives.

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Preparing your home for summer often involves changing bedding and window treatments or setting up fans and air conditioning units. While some of these tasks take only a few minutes to complete, others — like servicing landscaping or gardening tools — may be a bit more involved.

To make sure your summer kicks off without a hitch, we’ve put together this top-to-bottom guide on how to prep your home and property for the season.

How to get your home summer-ready, room by room

Bedrooms

With warmer weather on its way, it’s a good idea to swap out bulky cold-weather comforters for lightweight bedding. Some consumers place cooling mattress toppers on beds or replace regular pillows with cooling pillows.

It’s time to rearrange your closet, wardrobe and dresser to make summer clothing more accessible. It could be as simple as rotating clothing to different shelves or drawers, or you may prefer to store them in garment storage bags elsewhere.

If your bedroom faces the sun, consider upgrading to thermal blackout curtains to keep the room cooler. In addition to blocking out unwanted light, these curtains are often effective at minimizing outside noise.

Living rooms

You can switch cozy essentials in living rooms for lightweight, breathable ones in bright, summery colors. A fluffy throw, for example, can be replaced with a lightweight knit blanket.

Households that expect to spend more time together during the summer should bring games and activities into the living room, like board games. Keep the space tidy with a storage bench — which also functions as seating or a makeshift tabletop.

Kitchens

If you dine al fresco in the summer, move outdoor dining essentials to accessible areas in the kitchen or pantry. This includes dip trays, melamine dinnerware sets and outdoor drinkware.

Many people reduce their oven use during the summer. Instead, they use other appliances, like air fryers and toaster ovens. Before you start using these appliances more often, give them a thorough cleaning inside and out.

Dining rooms

Dining rooms are often where household dinners or entertaining happens, so spruce up the space for the new season. Switch to a summer-themed tablecloth, or forgo the tablecloth and use decorative placements for a minimalist look.

If your dining room has heavy or dark window treatments, consider a seasonal switch to light-colored curtains or sheer panels to brighten the room.

Dining rooms with chandeliers or light fixtures should be dusted and cleaned. Replace and recycle burned-out or flickering bulbs.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms aren’t often in need of significant summer preparation, other than a good deep-cleaning to start the season fresh. To cut cleaning time in half, invest in supplies like spin scrubbers and steam mops.

If you didn’t get a chance to declutter the bathroom in springtime, now is the time to do it. Go through your medicine cabinet and vanity to dispose of expired medication, cosmetics and personal care products. Tidy up the ones you’re keeping with organizers.

How do I prepare outdoor spaces for summer?

General property preparation

Outdoor spaces often take the most amount of work to prepare for summer. Here’s a quick rundown of essential tasks to handle around your property:

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• Clean and inspect gutters. Consider installing gutter guards to keep out twigs, leaves and critters.
• Trim shrubs and trees. Cut down any overhanging branches, especially near windows. If you have dead trees, you may need to hire a tree service to remove them.

• Clean all outdoor surfaces, including patios, decks, driveways and porches. Clear off dirt and debris with a brush, or use a power washer for deeper cleaning.

• Inspect fences and perform any repairs or maintenance, such as reinforcing posts or replacing rotted sections.
• Clean patio furniture and tighten components as necessary. Check nooks and crannies to see whether you need to remove any critter or insect nests.
• Inspect exterior walls, siding, chimneys and roofs to determine whether any repairs need to be made.
• Re-caulk or repair seals around windows, doors and air conditioning units as needed.

• If necessary, initiate pest control, whether it’s installing bug zappers, setting up citronella candles or using insect repellent products.

• Beat or hose down doormats and outdoor rugs.

Garages and sheds

Summer is the season of landscaping, gardening and lawn care. Make essential tools and devices more accessible in garages and sheds. Consider investing in a mounted tool organizer or shelving if you have an ever-growing collection of these items.

Determine whether landscaping and lawn maintenance tools need to be serviced or replaced. Depending on the type of tools you have, you may need to check fluids, refill gas tanks or charge their batteries.

If you have backyard games or outdoor toys, move them closer to entrances so you can grab them more quickly. Or, you can place some of these games and activities inside deck benches for quick access.

Doors and windows

Doors and windows accumulate debris during the winter and pollen during the spring. Clean them from the outside and the inside. Take special care when you’re cleaning mesh screens or panels, so they don’t rip or pop out of the frame.

Swing sets and play centers

Perform safety inspections on swing sets and outdoor play centers. In addition to checking for stability and tightening components, make sure no critters have built nests inside them.

Air conditioning condenser

If you have a central AC system, check the condenser before using it again. It needs proper airflow for efficient operation, so it’s crucial to trim shrubs and trees that may inhibit that. Clear away any twigs or leaves that are stuck in the grates.

Pools

One of the most exciting moments of presummer preparation is planning to open your pool. If you usually use a pool company, schedule your opening as soon as possible (if it’s not already on their annual calendar) because they’ll get booked up quickly.

If you handle your own pool opening, pick up the chemicals and treatments, so they’re on hand once the weather is right. Also, you may need to clean your pool, add water, test water or clean out filters.

What else should I do to prepare my home for the summer?

Besides preparing each room for the summer, there are some other chores to handle before the warm weather is upon us. Here are a few more recommendations:

Set up fans

Setting up fans, such as oscillating or floor fans, can help circulate cool air around your home. If you have ceiling fans, give them a good cleaning before the summer starts. Dust fan blades and clean around integrated light fixtures.

Clean indoor air conditioning units

Indoor air conditioning units, particularly window and freestanding units, should be cleaned thoroughly before they’re turned on again. Wipe down the unit and dislodge dust from vents with a compressed air can. Remove and rinse filters, making sure they’ve dried thoroughly before putting them back.

Prepare grills and smokers

Summer is the season for outdoor cooking, so you’ll need to clean your grill or smoker before firing it up again. Stock up on burning materials to get you through the season, whether it’s gas, firewood or coal. Determine whether you need to replace or upgrade any grill tools.

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