The changeover from Daylight Savings is yet again upon us, and its a great time to make sure you are on top of a number of household chores.
Test and replace the batteries in your smoke alarm - Modern smoke alarms are required to have a 10-year non-replaceable battery in the state of California; if your current one is more than 5 years ol, you should consider replacing it. Regardless of age, smoke alarms need to be tested regularly even when they have non-replaceable batteries. If they are found to be non-functional they should be replaced immediately.
Check your fire extinguisher - Fire extinguishers should exist in every kitchen and should be inspected regularly to make sure that they have sufficient charge. Additionally dry chemical extinguishers should be shaken to help reduce retardant compaction.
Change your home furnace air-filter - Regularly changing your home furnace air filter not only improves the functionality of your furnace, but also reduces the amount of allergens in the air. Many home furnaces can be run with only the fan on (no heating or cooling) as a energy efficient way of running a house fan during hot summer days or when allergens are prevalent in the air both helping cool your home and reducing exposure.
Rotate your matteress - Rotating your mattress regularly gives your mattress a longer lifespan and can improve your sleep. Rotating evens out the pressure on the mattress, which leads to a longer lifespan for your mattress.
Rotate your Emergency Supplies - Emergency supplies have a finite life and should be inspected and replaced regularly. This doesn't have to be a costly endeavor, simply buy replacements and use what is going to expire.
Batteries - Batteries have a finite life and should be rotated regularly. Don't wait for the power to go out before realizing you don't have any good batteries.
Water - Bottled water should be swapped out annually but shelf stabilized water in foil or plastic pouches can be stored for 2-5 years.
Food - While many shelf stable foods won't go bad, its important to inspect cans for signs of spoilage. Other foods should be rotated to ensure that they remain appetizing when you need them.
Chemicals - Chemicals like bleach have a life of only 6 months when open, or 1 year when stored in a temperature controlled environment. Chlorine bleach will literally turn to salt water and will be ineffective after that.
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