The coronavirus crisis has forced us all into a homebound lifestyle, as quarantining ourselves is the best strategy to fight against the virus. However, this requires us to spend all our time nestled at the apartment, and only stepping out for essentials and urgent chores.
If you’re living in a rental, you can understand that the cleaning and maintenance needs of an apartment are different from that of a house or a new property. Apartment rentals that are older than 6-8 years are extremely vulnerable to deterioration and wear and tear. While major issues, like pest infestation or water damage, require professional assistance, but there are many maintenance issues that you can deal with yourself.
Most importantly, you can avoid issues and emergencies by keeping a lookout for potential catastrophes. It is important to streamline all your cleaning and maintenance needs, preferably by making a list of all your weekly and monthly chores around the apartment.
In this article, we will walk you through some precious tips on streamlining your maintenance and cleaning chores to avoid any complications whatsoever.
Here, take a look:
Keep out the Pests
Tenants who do not stock up their fridge or cook their meals at home don’t have to keep a lookout for pests. However, self-quarantine requires us to stock up the fridge and prepare all our meals at home since eating out is longer an option. While cooking is a healthy and therapeutic habit, it require stocking up your pantry and perishable items, which attract insects and pests.
Perishable, wet and cooked food items attract bugs, pests, and rodents, amongst other insects. It is important to store all your food items correctly and in tight plastic and glass containers. Don’t leave your trash, or any kind of peels and food waste in the kitchen or elsewhere. It is important to take these measures as even high-rise apartments are not immune to pest and bug attacks.
Avoid Drainage Issues
Clogged drains are one of the most common drainage issues that can be provided with regular cleaning. It is wise to avoid calling the handyman and prevent such issues from occurring in the first place. Keep in mind that now that your entire family is home throughout the day, the drains are working overtime to manage the water flow.
Drainage pipes can get clogged as we go about our daily chores of cleaning, washing and scrubbing. You can avoid calling the plumber by picking up some basic handyman skills and solutions. Bathroom and kitchen sinks, drain pipes and floor drains can be unclogged with simple solutions from your pantry, such as white vinegar and baking soda.
If you want to tackle bigger issues, be sure to stock up on basic handyman supplies. When choosing drain-opening products and liquids, avoid choosing harsh and chemical-infused products as they can damage the pipes. The easiest way to identify a drainage problem is by examining your water bill against your usage.
Fixing What’s Broken
Tenants have the luxury of ringing their landlord or building maintenance staff whenever a fixture breaks or a lightbulb burns out. One important life lesson to learn from the COVID-19 crisis is to be self-reliant. It is natural for lighting, heating and other fixtures to break or deteriorate, and you can resolve these minor issues yourself.
If the issue can be resolved within your budget and effort, you should resolve it without bugging your landlord or maintenance staff. However, if the problem is substantial and require a professional, be sure to alert your landlord without delay. For instance, if you spot water stains on the wall or floor, you must contact a professional immediately.
Streamline your Cleaning Needs
If you enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic, feel free to busy yourself with cleaning every nook and cranny of your apartment. However, if you are not entirely a domestic goddess and struggle with cleaning, it is ideal to streamline your tasks.
First of all, there’s no need to feel pressured into cleaning every inch of your apartment every day. You just need to focus on decluttering and tidying up, and preventing maintenance issues from arising. You can prevent major accidents that cause spillage and splatters, and stock up on cleaning supplies that are easy to use.
Liquid detergents, vacuum cleaner, sponges and mops can help you save up a lot of time and energy. You can also use some items from your pantry, such as baking soda, vinegar and others to keep the surfaces and fixtures free of stains. It is important to devise a daily and weekly schedule.
Your daily schedule can involve focusing on the kitchen, living room, and your bedroom. You can tidy up the mess, mop the floor, clear away dishes, and declutter the space. Once or twice a week, you can wash your clothes, rearrange your pantry, wash out the windows, and other chores around the apartment.
Reduce your Utility Expenses
Utility costs are always a great burden for tenants, and this burden has increased in the last two months as many are working at home. Tenants have witnessed a surge in their gas, electricity and water bills, and other maintenance costs have also increased. If you want to reduce your utility bills, be prepared to make some important lifestyle changes.
For instance, avoid using the oven for every meal, don’t run the tap unnecessarily, and reduce the duration of your morning or evening shower. Switch off unwanted lights and avoid sleeping with the television on. You can reduce the air conditioner when the indoor temperature is cool, or bundle up in heavier clothes instead of turning up the thermostat. Leaking faucets are a common culprit behind water wastage.
Now that we are all spending our time at home, it’s easy to leave dishes lying around and decluttering our clothes and belongings. If your apartment is unclean, messy and tidy, it will cast a negative influence on your motivations and mental health. On the other hand, a clean and tidy apartment exuding a floral aroma will invigorate your senses and make your day more productive.
If you’d like to talk more about property management, or you need help with Everest Property Management, please contact us at Everest Realty.
As a top producing Realtor and Property Manager; Terry specializes in sales, extensive construction homes, rentals, REO’s, short sales, and all aspects of Real Estate. After graduating the University of Michigan with a master in MBA, Terry continued his endeavor and now has over 15+ years of experience in the Real Estate world. If there is anything that has to do with Real Estate and sales, you can always be sure of Terry to provide important, specialized knowledge.
