Winter in Arrowtown is full of bluebird days and freezing cold nights with the occasional snow fall to ground level. It’s important to keep on top of small jobs around your home to prevent any damage. We know you’d much rather be up the mountain, but responsibilities, right?

Clean your Dryer Vents

Every time you use your dryer, you’re adding a little bit of lint to the vent. This means the dryer is less efficient at cooling down, and will take longer to dry your clothes. But it also means fire hazards. Remove the vent at the back of the dryer, and remove the lint every time you use it so you don’t forget!

Check you Smoke Detectors!

Twice a year, change the batteries in each detector. To be safe, you should have at least one of each type of detector on each level of your home. If you’re prone to forget this task, change the batteries when you change your clocks for daylight savings time. Don’t rely on the automatic beeping to tell you when to change the batteries. After replacement, be sure to hold the test button down for 15-20 seconds after changing, so you can hear whether or not the battery is faulty.

Clean out your guttering

Along with our beautiful Autumn colours comes the leaves… Cleaning the gutters out is something no one really wants to do, but it can save you money on replacement gutters, and even on repairing roof damage.
Clogged gutters can overflow and break, and put strain on the roof itself. In the winter, they can fill with ice that causes thawing damage or strains the material.

Clean your Range hood

Allowing grease to build up on range hoods and over the stove microwave fans can reduce their efficiency and shorten the life of the fan.. If yours is doing it’s job correctly, expect to see something pretty awful… You’ll need super hot water and some dish detergent!

Clean Tub, Sink and Bath Drains

Nothing ruins a good shower like a slow running drain! To clean tub and sink drains, remove the drain assembly and insert a drain stick in the drain pipe to pull out any hair or other clogs. Follow this by pouring a little bleach down the drain, allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes, then flush it with water to kill any mold or mildew lurking in the pipe.

Have a Wardrobe Cleanout

Take advantage of a rainy or snowy day to clean and organise your wardrobe. Remove everything from the wardrobe and give the floors and woodwork a good clean. Then, before putting anything back, take a look and see if you’re getting the best use of the space. Some new DIY wire track shelving along with hanging bars, drawers, bins, and baskets can increase your storage space dramatically. Drop off any clothing you no longer wear to Happiness House in town.

Keep Warm

Keeping your heatpump on at a minimum temperature of 15°C is a wise precaution, even when you’re not at home. This is particularly important if there is a possibility that the temperature outside can drop below freezing.

While running your heating system constantly could seem quite expensive, there’s a lot you can do to keep this cost down. First and foremost, insulating your ceiling space and wall cavities is a must – around a quarter of your home’s heat is lost through the roof. It’s equally easy to lose warmth through your window frames so close your blinds and curtains in the evenings to trap the heat.

Take Care of your Pipes

Check the lagging insulation around your ceiling, around your water pipes and water storage tank. Pipes in ceilings, eaves and behind cupboards are particularly vulnerable as they are typically more exposed and prone to freezing. Insulation should be laid over and under pipes. You can use a salt and water mix to unblock any troublesome drains and pipes which will help prevent ice forming and bursting them. Keep your eye out for leaks when the temperature starts to rise as burst pipes often occur when they thaw. If you are going to be away for a long period of time over winter, it is a good idea to drain your water system completely. This involves draining the water from your cold and hot water storage tanks, as well as central heating pipes. This will avoid any possibility of burst water pipes due to the cold.