Home maintenance in December is more than just putting up lights and decorating the tree. Nothing dampens the spirit of the season like an unexpected home repair or skyrocketing energy bills.
This December, stay on top of easy tasks that can save you money and prevent potentially damaging holiday disasters like exploding pipes, gutter waterfalls, and pyrotechnic presents.
December room-by-room home maintenance checklist
December Room-by-Room Home Maintenance Checklist
Kitchen
Inspect your oven and range
Between holiday dinners and baking for family and friends, your oven and range will get a workout this December. Protect your family from cooking fires by keeping your appliances in top shape.
- Check your oven seal for cracks and wear.
- Inspect your oven’s heating element for problems.
- Clean the filter on your range hood.
Sharpen your knives
Believe it or not, sharp knives make cooking safer. To save yourself from knicks and cuts, sharpen and polish your kitchen knives before you prep your big December meals.
Just be sure to use knife-blade covers and store your newly sharpened knives safely.
Check appliance hoses
If it uses water, it’s a leak risk. Check the hoses on your dishwasher, refrigerator, and clothes washer to ensure the water stays where it belongs.
Even if the hoses in your appliances and plumbing are in good condition, consider getting a water leak detector. These devices are sensitive to pooling water and alert you when they sense a problem. Catching a drip or leak early can prevent serious flooding and water damage in the future.
How to change an appliance hose
- Cut off the power and water to your house during the process.
- Remove the old or damaged drain hose. Keep a bucket nearby to catch excess water.
- Secure the new hose onto the appliance and make sure the fit is tight.
- Reattach the hose to the water or power source and restore power and water to your home.
Bedrooms and living areas
Clean your chimney and fireplace
Unless you’re itching to scale your roof, we recommend leaving the chimney sweeping to the experts. But you can extend the time between chimney cleanings by removing ashes and other debris from the fireplace after every fire.
We also recommend keeping flammable materials and decorations clear of the fireplace, even when it’s not on. Keep the gate closed and kids away from the fireplace too.
Water your Christmas tree
If you have a real Christmas tree in your home this year, don’t forget to water it like any other house plant. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a dry Christmas tree can be completely engulfed in flames in less than a minute.1
Not only does a dry tree present a fire hazard, the shedding nettles can leave your floor sticky and make a mess. So keep the tree happy with a little H20 and minimize fire risks at the same time.
Use your smart speakers to prevent fires
Set light timers
If you’re going out of town this December, set up smart plugs around your home to light up your dark house. Burglars are less likely to enter an occupied house, so it’s smart to program intermittent lighting to make it appear full.
Attic and Basement
Seal cracks
Warm attics offer cozy hibernation real estate for wild critters and pests, so caulk any cracks to keep out uninvited holiday guests. While you’re up there, check your roof for leaks to prevent water damage.
Bundle up pipes
Frozen pipes = broken pipes. Use pipe insulation to wrap up any exposed pipes in your crawlspace or basement.
The pipes indoors aren’t the only ones at risk of freezing either. Check pipes and plumbing outside to make sure they’re insulated and in good condition. Learn more about how to prevent frozen pipes in your home.
Practice safe storage
‘Tis the season to injure yourself while fetching things from high shelves. Keep stable step stools accessible in storage areas, and avoid injury by splitting up large hauls into multiple trips.
If you use a ladder to grab boxes of decorations or put them up, don’t do it alone. Have a loved one or neighbor help you out by steadying the ladder and assisting. It’ll make the job go by faster and it’ll be much safer.
Change your furnace filter
Now that you’re spending more time indoors, you’ll want to breathe clean indoor air. Change out your furnace air filter every three months so you and your family can breathe easily.
You can improve the air quality inside with a few simple tricks like regular cleaning and leaving the air purifier on.
Bathrooms
Install non-slip mats
If you have older guests visiting with you for the holidays, add non-slip bathroom mats, grip bars, and even shower stools to your bathroom. These senior safety devices take seconds to install and can prevent serious injuries and falls.
Restock first aid kits
With all the hustle and bustle of December, make sure you’re prepared for accidents and injuries that may occur. Check your home first aid kit and make sure it has everything you need for cuts, burns, and other emergencies.
Clean shower curtains
A warm winter shower can be spoiled by the sight of mildew and mold. Clean your shower curtains in your guest bathrooms with bleach or fungicide to reduce those unsightly spots. And reducing mold and mildew can improve the air quality in your home.
Hallways
Change detector batteries
Heaters and candles and fire hazards, oh my! Test the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re in good working order. If you don’t have detectors, now is a good time to invest.
Add all-weather mats
Everyone likes to make an entrance, but slipping and falling on a wet floor is a painful way to do it. Put mats in place for wiping feet and use boot trays to contain puddles of melted snow.
Avoid tripping hazards
Outside
Clear the Snow and Ice
We’re not just talking about driveways and walkways (although those are important). Use a roof rake to remove snow and ice from your roof, tree branches, and gutters to relieve them of potentially damaging weight.
If you’ll be out of town, hiring a snow-removal service to prevent snow and ice buildup can keep your house from looking vacant.
Add cameras or a doorbell cam
As you’re ordering holiday gifts this month, thwart porch pirates with an outdoor video camera or video doorbell.
Doorbell cameras also help you answer the door for guests while you’re busy inside. When they ring the bell, you can speak to them through the app on your phone. So whether it’s grandma coming to visit or the delivery driver dropping off a package, you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to talk to them.
Install reflective markers
If you get a lot of snow where you live, strategically placed reflective markers can help keep snowplows (and other vehicles) from accidentally veering toward your mailbox or driving across your lawn.
FAQ
Is it safe to host visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic?
With cases topping 1 million around Thanksgiving 2020, the CDC recommends keeping family gatherings small and limited to your own household.2 Because of this, we don’t recommend hosting visitors this year.
Instead, consider video and phone calls with loved ones this year. Send care packages, letters, and treats through the mail or leave them on doorsteps instead. While it’s been hard this year, a little precaution now can help reduce cases and make the new year a little brighter.
Is it safe to travel for the holidays during the pandemic?
Again, we don’t recommend celebrating the holidays outside your own household. Even with flying restrictions like masks and testing in place, there’s no guarantee you won’t get sick or spread the illness to a family member.
If you do decide to travel, keep it close to home. If your destination is close enough, drive rather than fly. And quarantine yourself two weeks before your visit and two weeks after to ensure safety for everyone you visit with this holiday season.
What if I didn’t do any preventive home maintenance in November?
You’ll have just a few extra maintenance tasks to add to your December home maintenance list.
Here are some tasks to add to your list any time this winter:
- Check seals on exterior doors and windows
- Clean debris from window wells
- Drain your garden hose and outdoor faucets
- Clean attic vents and dryer vents
- Clean your refrigerator coils
What else can I do to protect my home against burglars during the holidays?
A home security system offers great protection against burglars. You can also place shades on windows, add exterior lighting, and factor theft-prevention into your foliage choices. Keep landscaping trimmed to prevent an air of vacancy, and consider introducing thorny bushes under windows as burglar deterrents.
What are the safest holiday lights to use?
We recommend LED holiday lights because they emit less heat than traditional bulbs. No matter what lights you use, be sure to inspect the wires for fraying before hanging them.
Sources
- National Fire Protection Association, “Christmas Tree Fires Can Turn Devastating and Deadly within Seconds,” December 9, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2020.
- Centers for Disease Control, “Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings,” November 27, 2020. Accessed November 30, 2020.
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