Summertime is the time when our hair gets lighter, skin gets darker, water gets warmer, music gets louder, nights get longer, and life just gets better. So much better, in fact, we tend to crank down the air conditioner and forget about some household tips and tricks that should be on our “honey-do” lists.
As the dreaded pine pollen season has come to an end… the first tip we have for homeowners is to wash your screens. Yes, your screens! How? Why? For starters, washing your screens will rid of the mounds of embedded green and yellow pine pollen. All you need is a hose, some soap, and a scrubby squeegee. Make sure that you thoroughly clean each side. Now that your screens are washed, try storing them in the attic or garage for the summer. Lets face the facts… we live in Florida and we will not open our windows for months! Having windows without the screens on it will give a much clearer (and cleaner) view of the paradise we are fortunate enough to call home.
A bonus to this simple, forgotten tip is that you are preserving the life span on your screen. It will prevent the screen from the variety of summer weather patterns – extreme heat, rain, and hail, to name a few. You’re preventing dings on the framing, holes in the screen, and even preventing the fading.
If you’re one to open your windows in the fall for the crisp, clean air – just make sure to replace the screens before you do so. If you’re like me, and keep your windows closed most of the time, try keeping your screens in the attic until it’s time to sell your house and move. You won’t have to worry about inspections, or the buyers asking you to replace any screens.
We hope that you enjoy your summer, and remember, tans will fade… but your screens will last forever (at least, a lot longer!)