By Ana Dorta
Design by Aeneas Eaton
Home upkeep is no fleeting task. While cleaning the counters and vacuuming the floors are important, there are many other things you should do weekly, monthly or quarterly to keep your home in tip-top shape.
1. If you have a generator, run it at least once a week (even just for a minute).
Don’t wait to start your generator until your power is out because it actually might not work. “A house is kind of like a car; if you let things go, you’ll come into bigger problems,” explains Jamey Gelardi, licensed real estate sales agent at Houlihan Lawrence. “For the generator, run it once a week to keep it in good condition.”
2. Keep your firewood out of/away from your home.
Whenever you have a fire inside, it’s certainly both convenient and aesthetic to keep firewood inside, but once you’re done with your fire, move your extra logs back outside. In other words, any logs you don’t plan to use that day must be taken outside. “People keep log piles in a screened-in porch or up against the house, but rodents will find refuge there,” says Anthony Dana, co-owner of Dana Pest Control. “You’re also more prone to carpet ants and termites if there’s wood inside. Move them away from the house and cover them to protect against the weather.”
3. Go for a stroll around your house.
It’s as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, and you should do it weekly. “Physically walk around the outside of your house to protect the inside,” Gelardi recommends. “During your stroll, keep your head down because you’re looking for any issues, like uneven soil distribution or cracks in your foundation. These can lead to water building up around your foundation, which could eventually leak in.”
4. Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
According to the American Red Cross, fires are the most frequent home disaster, but preventing a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning is simple. To check your alarms, all you have to do is press the test button, and if they do not make a sound, it is a sign that the batteries are either depleted or low, and it is time to replace them. The Red Cross recommends installing an alarm on every floor, including inside and outside of bedrooms, and replacing them every 10 years even if they aren’t signaling a depleted battery.
5. Clean the inside of all kitchen appliances. This means your refrigerator, your sink and even the inside of your dishwasher.
Food often means mold, and while the stale cheese in your fridge may seem like it isn’t really doing much harm, it’s little issues like this that lead to larger problems in the long run. Even the sink and dishwasher, despite the fact that they’re meant to clean food, can store residual crumbs that, once moldy, can increase the risk of foodborne illnesses. “If you stay on top of these things as you go, you’ll either avoid any big-ticket issues or they won’t be as big as they would be,” says Gelardi.
This article was published in the March/April 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Ana Dorta
Ana Dorta is a Westchester native and recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, where she completed a degree in strategic communication and Spanish. She is a passionate writer and book-lover, having also recently attended the Columbia Publishing Course, where she furthered her capabilities in written expression. In her free time, she loves to explore the outdoors and play and coach basketball.
Aeneas Eaton
Based in northern Westchester, Aeneas is a graphic designer, creative and artist who has a fondness for print design and bold colors. He enjoys turning the wacky and eccentric ideas that come to his mind into reality, whether it be on the computer or through painting.
