May Home Maintenance To-Do List

Danny Lipford inspecting for termites under a house.

April showers bring May flowers … along with a lot of home maintenance chores! With the weather too nice to be stuck inside, most of this month’s home maintenance to-do list focuses on getting the outside of your home ready for summer picnics and barbecues.

From window cleaning to deck repair to lawn mower maintenance, your home will be clean and ready for summer fun in no time! On the inside, you’ll be cleaning your garbage disposal and getting your air conditioning ready for the summer heat.

So enjoy the sunshine as you complete these home maintenance tasks! Read on to find out more.

Using baking soda to clean a garbage disposal.

To-Do #1: Clean Garbage Disposal

Get rid of the winter funk in your kitchen by cleaning your garbage disposal. This easy chore takes only a few minutes but can make a big difference in freshening up your sink and kitchen.

To clean a garbage disposal:

1. Pour half a cup of baking soda into the disposal.
2. Then pour in a cup of white vinegar to form a chemical reaction that cuts through grease and grime inside the disposal.
3. Allow the mixture to work its magic for a few minutes.
4. Pour a pot of boiling water down the disposal, and let it sit for five minutes.
5. Turn on the faucet and run the disposal for a minute or so to rinse out any leftover residue.

For easy continued maintenance, freeze an ice cube tray filled with water and chunks of unpeeled lemon. Periodically run a few lemon cubes through your disposal after doing the dishes. The ice and fruit fibers will scour the disposal clean, while the lemon juice keeps it smelling fresh.

For more information, see our video on How To Clean a Garbage Disposal.