Home maintenance: what to check and how often

2 min read

Many breakdowns at home don't happen out of the blue: they are filters never cleaned, limescale building up, flat batteries. A few minutes now and then are enough, if you remember to do them. Remembering is the hard part.

Every month

• Washing machine: an empty hot wash or the cleaning programme, then dry the door seal and the detergent drawer.
• Dishwasher: rinse the filter at the bottom; more often if the manual says so.
• Smoke alarms: press the test button and check that they sound.

Every two or three months

• Cooker hood filters: metal grease filters are washed (in the dishwasher too, if the maker allows it), charcoal ones are replaced.
• Descaling: kettle, coffee machine, shower heads and tap aerators.
• Fridge: clean the door seals and check they close well; defrost the freezer if ice builds up.

Every season

• Air conditioner: clean the filters before switching it on for summer or winter.
• Radiators: at the start of winter, bleed them if they are only warm at the bottom.
• Gutters and outdoor drains: clear leaves and dirt in autumn.

Once a year (or as the manual says)

• Boiler: servicing is a job for an engineer; how often depends on the manufacturer and the rules where you live.
• Smoke alarm batteries: replace them when the alarm signals a low battery or on the date given; the alarm itself is replaced at the expiry date printed on the back.
• Fire extinguisher, if you have one: check the pressure gauge and the service date.

Keep spares at home

A spare cooker hood filter, the right batteries for the alarms, descaler: if you already have them, you do the job when it's due, not when you remember to buy them. Keep count of them like the rest of your pantry.

Write the date down, don't trust your memory

"Last time" is always further back than it feels. For each job, note when you did it and how often it repeats: the next due date works itself out.