LAS VEGAS, Nev. (CONSUMER REPORTS) – The days are officially getting longer. Whether they’re warmer yet is another story, but Consumer Reports says you don’t have to wait to start spring cleaning. There are plenty of simple chores you can tackle right now that can make your home feel fresher—and even safer.
A good place to start is with fresh air. In Germany, the practice of opening windows to air out the home is known as “lüften,” and it’s recently gotten a burst of attention online with the nickname “house-burping.” Consumer Reports says the idea is straightforward: letting in outdoor air helps reduce the buildup of indoor pollutants. CR home expert Courtney Lindwall explains that many contaminants originate inside your home, from cooking and cleaning products to dust and pet dander. Opening the windows, even briefly, can improve indoor air quality by helping flush those particles out.
Once you’ve aired things out, it’s a smart time to do some quick air purifier maintenance. Consumer Reports recommends vacuuming any pre-filters and post-filters using a brush attachment, then checking the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you’re replacing filters on schedule. Keeping up with filter changes helps your purifier work more effectively and keeps it from circulating dirty air.
Next up: your washing machine. If you’re noticing any musty or funky odors, Consumer Reports suggests running the machine’s tub-clean cycle if it has one. If not, you can run an empty load on the hottest setting with one cup of bleach to help clear out residue. And if you own a front-loading washer, don’t forget the drain pump filter. Lindwall says that filter catches lint, hair, and small objects as water drains from the drum, and over time it can get clogged and grimy. Cleaning it isn’t usually difficult, but you’ll want to consult your washer’s manual so you know exactly where it is and how to remove it safely.
From there, move to the dryer for one of the most important home-maintenance tasks: cleaning the dryer vent. Even if you empty the lint screen after every load, tiny fibers can still slip past the trap and build up in the hose and duct that lead to the outside of your home. Lindwall warns that this buildup can become a serious fire hazard inside the vent. If you can’t access the full vent run yourself, Consumer Reports says it’s worth hiring a professional to clean it out.
Now that your washer and dryer are in better shape, it’s also a great time to deep-clean your pillows. Consumer Reports recommends doing this at least twice a year to remove built-up sweat, hair, and dead skin cells. The good news is that many pillows can be machine-washed, depending on the materials and care instructions.
You can find tips for cleaning pillows, maintaining air purifiers, dryer vents, and drain pump filters here.
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