7 New Year's Resolutions For Your Home

When considering New Year’s resolutions don't forget about your home! It is important to create a more comfortable place to live, so you can enjoy your home throughout the year.

1. Cut Down On Energy Use                                                                                       - Turn off the lights when you aren’t using a room or shutting off water while         brushing your teeth.                                                                                                         - Seal and insulate your ductwork to increase heating and cooling efficiency.       - Recycle plastics, paper, and other materials.                                                             - Turn down your heater to 55 degrees at night.                                                           - Install LED bulbs and low-flow showerheads.                                                           - Try drying some of your clothes on the line and wait for the dishwasher or             washing machine to be full before you run them.                                                     - Turn off your power strips and/or set your home computer to revert to sleep      mode when not in use.
2. Improve Indoor Air Quality - Maintain your HVAC system and change furnace filters regularly. Get rid of dust regularly so it doesn’t float through the air.
3. Prep For Emergencies - Check your alarms and replace batteries. Check and prepare emergency exits. Create easy-access emergency packs should anything happen.
4. Develop Weekly System For Cleaning House                                                   Daily: Place dishes in the dishwasher every night - no excuses! Dirty clothes go in the hamper and jackets or clean clothes are hung in the closet. Put all odds and ends back to their assigned place.                                                                         Weekly: Make it easy to clean your house by keeping all of your cleaners, as well as rubber gloves and spare cleaning cloths - in a portable carryall that moves with you from room to room. Focus on one type of cleaning at a time. Wipe down fingerprints on all of the cabinets, for instance, before moving on to spraying and wiping counters. Then move on to windows and mirrors and appliances. Once that's done move on to sweeping and then mopping floors. Don't forget to divide up the chores between family members to get done faster.
5. Clean Out  Cupboards - Even though a lot of canned foods are nonperishable, check your cupboards for anything that might have expired or you don’t plan to use. This makes space for newer food that you can more actively plan to use in the future.
6. Give New Items A Proper Home - When you do stock up or get new things, be sure to put them in a place they belong, rather than letting them stack up and create clutter. If you’re a very busy person, you can always have a space designated for these things to be until there’s time for them to be sorted.
7. Clear The Clutter - Each year most of us acquire a mountain of stuff. Without some regular purging, cabinets and drawers get jam-packed and it becomes hard to find the things you use and enjoy the most. Go room-by-room periodically clearing anything that you don't use, wear or love and donate it to charity.