May Home Checklist

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May comes a mix of weather conditions. From spring rain showers to sunny days it’s a great month to tackle projects indoors and out. Here are some simple projects to keep your home and the yard in shape for the season.

May Home Checklist


  1. Dryer Hose and Vent

    • May is a great time to clean out that dryer hose and vent.  Unplug your dryer and pull it out of its spot and remove the pipe from the back of the dryer.  Use a flexible brush and hose from your vacuum or a wet dry vacuum to suck out all that lint.  Use the hose to go into the vent-hose as well.  The vent on the outside also needs to be cleaned the same way.  This should be done twice a year.
  2. Paint Your Exterior

    • From cold temperatures to excessive moisture the exterior of your home can take a beating. Take the time to touch up or paint things like railings, spindles, mailboxes, lamp posts and more.  The new coat of paint will add curb appeal and it’s an affordable option vs. replacement.
  3. Soil Enhancers For Your Beds

    • Add soil enhancers to your planting beds.  Adding compost, peat moss even top soil can help enhance the soil for planting.  Cultivate the new material into the ground with a tiller and then later in the month you can plant.  For the Northern part of the country, the old saying of never plant until after Mother’s Day still holds up.
  4. Tidy Your Outdoor Space

    • Clean up outdoors.  I’m sure there is plenty to clean on the outside of your home?  You can buy or rent a pressure washer to clean walkways, driveways even the side of your home.  Just take your time and do not get the nozzle too close to surfaces as pressure washers are extraordinarily strong.  There are also outdoor cleaners you can connect to a garden hose that do most of the work and can spray up to 30 feet so you can even reach portions of your roof from the safety of the ground.
  5. Prep Your Lawn

    • May is a great time for some lawn prep.  Rake all the dead thatch from the lawn with a rake or power rake.  This will help expose then.  Use an organic soil treatment to change the PH of the soil and then in a week add new seed to bare spots and the overall lawn.  If you are going to use a 4-step program (which I like) make sure you choose the 1st step that is made for seeding.

For more tips, go to tips.acehardware.com

Published: 4/26/2020