5 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

Of folks who make a New Year’s Resolution, 46 percent are successful at their resolution six months later, a study from the Journal of Clinical Psychology reports.

If you’ve been dragging your feet on putting the finishing touches on your home, why not make it a New Year’s Resolution to really create good cleaning and de-cluttering habits?

Use these 5 New Year’s resolutions to get your house in good order.

1. Schedule biannual deep cleanings: The proverbial deep clean is a mainstay of keeping a clean, comfortable house. Early January, when the weather is chilly and you’re full of resolve to stick to your resolutions, is the perfect time for a deep clean. Work room by room, cleaning out all the nooks and crannies. Wash the walls, steam the shades, clean out clutter and donate things you no longer need to Goodwill. When you put away winter clothes for the spring/summer, do another deep clean. For tough smells, Clear the Air odor eliminators will refresh your home so you can start the new year off right.

2. Replace home goods: Over time, you may forget that you never got around to buying curtains for the dining room or fixing the rips in the screen door. You simply don’t see these home flaws. As you deep clean, inventory all of the little things that need fixing — and then fix them. For example, if you’ve been putting up with cracked blinds or ugly, stained window treatments, make replacing them a top priority. You can learn more about the 11 common types of window treatments online at Theshadestore.com, and then buy the right ones with confidence. When you enjoy your shades, you’ll be more motivated to keep those windows clean.

3. Personalize your home: Paint instantly adds character to a house. If you’ve been living with white walls for too long, personalize your living room, dining room or bedroom with a fresh coat of paint. The Augmented Colors app for Windows Phone ($1) comes in handy when picking paint colors. Just point and shoot to capture a color and get its hexadecimal code and RGB profile. Then head to your local paint store to grab a gallon and some brushes.

4. Maintain appliances: It’s all too easy to take your dishwasher or hot water heater for granted. However, preventative maintenance can keep your appliances operating at maximum efficiency, which in turn will save you money off your utility bill. Schedule an appointment with your plumber, HVAC specialist or other appliance repair person. When the seasons change, have your home heating and cooling systems professionally serviced. Seasonally, clean out the dryer vent, change the filters for your air conditioning and home heating, caulk any leaks around your windows and doors, and clean out dishwasher drains to prevent clogs.

5. Keep it up: It’s all too easy to devote a whole weekend to cleaning your home, yard, closet or basement and then let things get messy again. To realize a clean home in June, you’ll need to keep it up. Try setting reminders on your calendar or in an app to perform the big tasks. Perform small tasks, such as loading the dishwasher or wiping the counters, while tackling larger projects like cooking a family meal.