Santa Claus is coming to town, but he’s not the only one!
There’s nothing like a house full of laughing, happy guests to bring joy to your world and the most wonderful time to your year. Get ready to rock around the clock, having a Merry Little Christmas by making sure your home is holiday-ready with these 6 easy little checks!
ONE: Check your toilets
More company means more people are using the restrooms in your house, often using powder rooms and guest lavatories that you don’t typically use.
Check your toilets to make sure they’re in great working order before they’re overworked by Christmas company.
Flush each toilet, watching to make sure that water and toilet paper disappear down the drain quickly and easily.
Make sure the flush mechanism doesn’t stick, the water shuts off when the tank is refilled, and there are no leaks around the base of the toilet which might indicate a broken seal.
Don’t fall victim to a clogged toilet when you’re entertaining, which makes for a Blue Christmas for both guests and hosts. Instead, check your toilets beforehand and “let it flow, let it flow, let it flow!”
TWO: Check your showers
After you’ve checked your toilets, turn on the shower in each bathroom.
Watch to make sure that the water is going down the drain without backing up.
Make sure that the water is heating up quickly and that the hot water lasts several minutes. If it doesn’t, “ooh, baby, it’s cold…” INSIDE!
If you think there is any problem with your water heater, call ServiceOne and replace it before your company comes, taking advantage of rebates and tax credits that can still be attained through the end of this year.
THREE: Check your supplies
Don’t wait for an embarrassed guest to yell for help finding toilet paper in the bathroom. (Believe me, seeing old Uncle Frank with his pants around his ankles shouting for toilet paper is an unbelievable sight, just begging the question, “Do you see what I see?”)
Check your supplies and make sure that plenty of extra rolls of toilet paper are within sight and easy reach…because toilet paper is important!
It’s also nice to stock your guest bathroom with a small basket of soaps, shampoos, lotions, toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, and items your guests may have forgotten.
Along the same line, don’t make your guests search for towels. Roll them up and place them in a basket or bin where they can be seen and easily grabbed, or stack them neatly on a shelf, counter, or hamper within easy reach.
FOUR: Check your garbage disposal
Garbage disposals are a unique, American innovation, and a huge help in decreasing the methane gas caused by food waste in our dumps.
It’s fabulous when you can scrape food scraps off a plate, turn on the water, flip on a switch, and have all that stuff ground up and sent to the sewer.
But if your garbage disposal is old or has damaged blades, it can jam and clog your sink during the biggest family feast of the year.
Check your garbage disposal by running the water and then turning it on.
If you notice loud, clanking noises or horrible smells, or if there is any kind of backup, call ServiceOne, to check it out. (Get $50 OFF on the installation of a new garbage disposal until December 31, 2022.)
“All you want for Christmas is….” an unclogged sink and a working garbage disposal, right?
FIVE: Check your air filter
One of the easiest things to do to guarantee that your heating and air equipment will work efficiently is to change your air filters frequently.
Clean air filters also help filter out dirt and germs, keeping your company (and you) healthier.
If you haven’t changed your filter in the last 30-45 days, now is the time! Your home will be holiday-ready, with only Christmas in the air and a “midnight clear!”
SIX: Check your furniture arrangements
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas when we get the ornaments on the tree and the mistletoe begins “making the season bright.” But make sure that when you made space for the holiday décor you did not cover up any air vents.
Most of us have to shove furniture around to put up a Christmas tree. We push couches, tables, and desks around to make room for the extra decorations.
Covered air vents block the flow, causing a couple of problems. You won’t be able to achieve the temperature you’ve set on the thermostat because the air won’t be moving. Secondly, if a vent is blocked by a heavy piece of furniture, there is a backup of air, causing pressure to build up, threatening the heat exchanger.
A quick check to make sure that no vents are blocked in the rooms where you rearranged things to decorate is a quick and easy way to prevent a future problem.
Great Holiday Planning
A great strategy would be to have a whole-house plumbing inspection from ServiceOne before the holidays, where our caring, certified plumbers can make sure your toilets, drains, sinks, and garbage disposals are holiday-ready before the festivities begin.
If you’re not yet enrolled in our ClubOne maintenance programs for your air conditioning and heating systems, now is a great time to start! ClubOne maintenance programs make sure that your units perform at top efficiency, saving you money and stress. Low cost, affordable ClubOne plans offer twice yearly service, a discount on parts and equipment, and front-of-the-line service. Best of all, you can choose a small monthly payment or a low lump sum payment, whichever works best for you.
Make sure your home is holiday-ready with these 6 simple checks.
And one other easy check you can do to insure your home is holiday-ready?
Check for clear paths and good sight lines on your street…because you definitely don’t want Grandma to get run over by a reindeer!