That Time of Year Smart Energy Habits for Every Season
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With a little planning, you might actually enjoy the new season.
First off, let’s be clear. There are levels of clean. There’s just-getting-by-clutter-pickup clean. There’s unexpected-company-last-minute-just-throw-it-in-the-closet clean. Then there’s the almost-reach-a-Zen-level-of-inner-peace clean.
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Deep cleaning is classic level three.
It’s rarely a spur-of-the-moment event. You plan. You buy supplies. You give up sacred space on your calendar. Often, family members are recruited—often against their will.
And this idea of an annual cleaning event isn’t new. During the Persian Empire, the now-century-old tradition of khaneh tekani, which literally translates to “shaking of the house,” involved an annual cleaning that would make any compulsive tidier proud. Carpets, drapes and furniture were thoroughly cleaned, and often a fresh coat of paint was involved. This was all done in preparation for Nowruz, or the Persian New Year, to entertain ancestors. So, apparently, doing this to impress your relatives isn’t a new idea either—in-laws included.
The American tradition has its origins in the 19th century, in spring. But no matter the season or heritage, there’s never a bad time to clean.
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Cleaning Tips
TIP 1Make a Plan
Write down what you are going to do, estimate the time it will take and give out assignments to the whole clan. And if you get any static about all the attention to detail, give that naysayer a steely-eyed stare and say, “Hope is not a plan.” What does it mean exactly? Who knows? But it will confuse them enough to get back to work.
This was all done in preparation for Nowruz, or the Persian New Year, to entertain ancestors. So, apparently, doing this to impress your relatives isn’t a new idea either—in-laws included.
TIP 2Gather Supplies
Deep cleaning is an event. And, unless you want to adjust your carefully planned schedule, having the right tools for every job will serve you well. In short, don’t put “Wandering around a big-box retailer looking for the right cleaning caddy” on your schedule. Be prepared. An entire youth organization that has lasted for over a century used it for their motto. You can too.
HERE’S A QUICK LIST OF SUPPLIES:
- Cleaning Caddy
- Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
- Towels or Cotton Cleaning Cloths
- Wand Duster
- Vacuum Cleaner with HEPA Filter
- Mop and Bucket
- Carpet Cleaner
- Blind Cleaner
- Scrub Brushes
- Window Squeegee
- Lint Roller
- Garbage Bags
- Dish Soap
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
- Window/Glass Spray
- HVAC Filters
TIP 3Declutter
Here’s a crazy thought. If you have less stuff, you have less stuff that needs to be cleaned. Yep. Very deep. But it’s valid, and there’s an entire movement called “Swedish death cleaning.” The idea is that if you declutter your world, your life (in this case, your cleaning) will run smoothly.
TIP 4Give Mother Earth a Break
There are ways to clean up your home with a nod to the environment. When you declutter, recycle or donate your unwanted stuff. When you air out your home, open a window instead of buying chemical air fresheners. When you clean, use a little elbow grease instead of toxic chemicals. And when you replace a lightbulb, do it with an energy-efficient LED option.
TIP 5Spiff Up Your Energy Use Behaviors
The final step in deep cleaning is to make sure you’re running it as energy efficiently as possible. Switch your ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise to create a cooling downdraft effect when the temps are high-ish.
Oh Tidings of Comfort and Clean
Let’s be honest: No one will notice that your place is spic and span if they’re huddled around the A/C vent sweating. Let’s go from cleaning to comfortable in preparation for everything Midwest seasons have to offer.
Air Sealing
Getting control of the air that leaks in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs. You’ll also increase the comfort for you and your guests. Caulking and weatherstripping are two simple and effective practices that offer quick returns on investment. We’re talking often one year or less, mostly because it’s a very inexpensive approach, relatively speaking. This approach will also improve the durability of your HVAC system for both our relentlessly cruel summer and winter temps. Caulk is perfect for cracks around door and window frames. Weatherstripping, generally, is best for sealing components that move. Doors and windows are two great examples.
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Insulation
It’s your heat. Protect it. If you want to maintain a level of comfort, the heat lost from our winter temps must be replaced by your heating system. Properly insulating your home will decrease this heat flow by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat. And yes, we are aware that we used the word “flow” a lot in that sentence, but that’s what you really want.
To truly get control of the flow of your heat, your home should be properly insulated from roof to foundation. So, let’s start in the attic. If you have an unfinished attic, insulate between the floor joists. Next up? Move from your attic to adding insulation to your exterior walls. After that, tuck in your ducts. You can then move on to insulating your floors above unfinished spaces like your garage. Lastly, you can properly insulate your basement, foundation and crawlspaces.
One or some of these insulating tactics can give you control of your temps. Wait, wait. More accurately, one or some of these insulating tactics can give you control of your flow. It’s all about the flow.
Humidity Control
We will be using “humidity” moving forward as a public service. Controlling humidity can make your home more energy efficient, less costly to heat and cool, more comfortable and less prone to mold growth. Managing your humidity will improve the effectiveness of your air sealing and insulation efforts. In turn, these efforts will help control dampness. Proper ventilation should also be part of your efforts to control humidity.
Lastly, the easiest thing you can do to get your home ready for all of our crazy seasons? That's simple. As a ComEd customer, you can uncover opportunities to reduce energy usage with a FREE energy assessment that includes free and discounted products for your home.
All the details are available at ComEd.com/HES. Following these tips could save you just enough to pay for next year’s deep cleaning extravaganza. And maybe you can even splurge and upgrade your cleaning caddy. We know. Crazy, right?
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