The Handy Hardware Store in Suffern, NY carries all your winter and hardware needs.
We are convenient and have snow shovels, ice scrapers, calcium & rock salt, as well as
holiday lights and all you need to keep your home in good repair!
December can keep us busy with holiday and weather related chores - but there are still some
routine maintenance projects, that need to be completed around the house;
This is a good time to tend to those chores that you might not get to when the weather is
calling you outdoors.
dented or crushed, replace it. Attempting to push out dents, often results in an area, dented or
crushed, replace it. Attempting to push out dents, often results in an area, that will trap lint,
which creates a fire hazard.
that will trap lint, which creates a fire hazard.
- Use an all-purpose household cleaner/degreaser, to clean the underside of a range
hood. Wear heavy gloves and work with care, as there could be sharp edges. Clean or
replace filters.
- Keep the air intake grill to a furnace or air conditioning appliance clean and free of dust
and lint, by vacuuming.
- Gently dust or use a soft brush, to clean bathroom exhaust/ventilation fan blades. Make
sure the power to the fan motor is off and work slowly, as some blades are easily
knocked out of alignment and can become noisy.
- Is it time to reapply grout sealer to your tile grout? Follow the grout sealer
manufacturer's recommendations, for how frequently the grout should be sealed.
- Spruce up the appearance of chrome plated bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Automotive
chrome cleaner and polish will often help to improve their appearance. Test first in an
inconspicuous location on the fixture. Once clean, if the cleaner doesn't contain a polish,
coat the chrome with a quality automobile wax.
- Add books to your holiday wish list. Every home should have at least three books on
home repair and maintenance: one detailing how a house is constructed, a general how-
to "encyclopedia" and a guide to cleaning.
- Carefully store holiday decorations. A garage or home attic space often gets cold in the
winter and can become quite warm in the summer. This may cause some decorations to
deteriorate more rapidly than expected.
- These are tasks, that you should perform every month:
- Test and inspect smoke, heat and gas detectors
- Check to be certain nothing flammable is near a source of flame, such as a gas water
heater, gas range or furnace, etc.
- Practice a family fire-escape plan and review earthquake preparedness.
- Check fire extinguishers. Replace or have serviced, if needed.
- Inspect electrical cords for damage. Repair or replace, if needed.
- Always be alert for other safety hazards, such as cracked walkways and hazardous
materials, that aren't properly stored.
- Check water softener. Add salt, if needed.
- Store all chemicals, paints, lubricants - anything potentially poisonous - out of the
reach of children. Particularly check the cleaning products, that you may have stored
beneath a kitchen or bathroom sink. They are at toddler level and many are potentially
fatal.
- Where do most people spend about one-third of their day? In bed. Under the bed is a
good location to store emergency supplies. Check to be sure, you have a battery-
operated portable radio, flashlight, first-aid kit, and a selection of supplies routinely
recommended for areas, that face possible disasters, such as earthquake, forest fire,
flooding, etc.
Routine home maintenance may seem like an ongoing chore, that doesn't end, but the
alternative is a home that needs major and costly repairs. Doing some chores each month,
spreads the workload and helps to protect what for many people is their largest investment.
Maintenance also gives you the opportunity to spot potential safety hazards, such as a
cracked walkway, damaged electrical wiring or a small water leak, that could become a big one.
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