Top tips for easy home maintenance

We all know about vacuuming, mopping the floors and dusting, but in fact there's a lot more to home maintenance than that! Why not take a look at these practical tips for keeping your home clean, fresh and in stellar condition? This five-point checklist will be particularly handy if you're moving into your first home.

• Optimise your heating
• Clean the floor drain in the bathroom
• Keep the vents clean
• Wash the grease filter of the extractor fan
• Empty the dishwasher filter

To find out how, read the instructions below. And there's no need to stress, as it's all done in no time at all.

Optimise your heating

The central heating of your apartment and the underfloor heating in the bathroom must always be on in order to prevent moisture damage. Did you know that turning down the heating in your apartment doesn't even affect your electricity bill if your rental home is covered by district heating? Most Joo Kodit apartments are.

The temperature of the underfloor heating in your bathroom should always be set to at least 22 degrees. After a shower the bathroom will dry more quickly if you turn the temperature up for a moment.

Why does the floor drain in the bathroom need cleaning?

The floor drain in the bathroom needs cleaning every now and then, as it gets clogged with hairs and grime. These, in turn, breed all kinds of nasty drain bacteria. What's more, a dirty drain also drains more slowly.

How to clean the floor drain

1. Put on rubber gloves and take off the grid. Then remove the plastic parts underneath, i.e. the trap and the cleanout plug. The trap often has a blue handle that makes it easier to pull off. Memorise the order of the parts at this stage (or take a photo!) so you know how to put them back afterwards.

2. Remove all the loose debris, such as hair, from the drain by hand and put it in the bin. Then wash the parts with warm water and detergent, for example with an old dish brush, and rinse them when you're done.

3. Reattach the parts. Please note that the trap must be pushed all the way in. If the trap or the plug isn't in place properly, your bathroom may begin to smell of sewage.

4. You can put a strainer underneath the grid to catch hair and other debris, so the drain doesn't need to be cleaned quite as frequently.

5. Hey, that was quicker than we thought!

Clean the vents for fresh indoor air

The air in your apartment stays fresher if it can flow and circulate freely. Supply vents let air into your apartment and exhaust vents let it out again. Keeping the vents clean is the resident's responsibility.

How to clean the supply vents

Supply vents are usually located on the wall near the ceiling. Their appearance varies: some vents look like rectangular speakers, others resemble round plates. Here's an easy way to clean them:

1. You can often see dirty circles around supply vents. This doesn't mean that the ventilation pipes are dirty. Instead, the dirt streaks are dust collected by the turbulence of the air coming in. You can clean the dust off with the brush nozzle of your vacuum cleaner, a duster, or a dry microfibre cloth. If the vent is located near the ceiling, it's a good idea to dust the ceiling at the same time. Please note that if your ceiling or wall has a textured surface, it shouldn't be wiped clean with a damp cloth – that might damage the texture.

2. Use the same technique to remove the dust from the visible part of the supply vent.

A quick heads up! If you can't find supply vents in your apartment, they might be located in the window frames! In that case the window frame has a small element with summer and winter positions. If you feel a draft from the windows in winter, the element may have been left in the summer position.

How to clean the exhaust vents

Exhaust vents are round vents, which are usually found at the top of the wall or near the ceiling. They tend to be located in bathrooms, saunas and walk-in wardrobes but can be elsewhere, too. To clean them, just follow these instructions.

1. Grab hold of the edges of the vent and turn it counterclockwise to take it down. Be sure not to touch the middle or change the position of the vent, as that can affect the ventilation controls.

2. Wash the vent and the washer under the tap.

3. You can also clean the ventilation pipe with a damp cloth, as far as your hand can reach.

4. Allow the washer and the vent to dry after washing them and then put them back into place. You can reattach the vent to the ventilation pipe by turning it clockwise.

The extractor fan is more efficient when the grease filter is clean

Did you know that you should wash the grease filter of the extractor fan every couple of months, as it accumulates grease and grime from cooking? If this grease and grime builds up, the filter may even catch fire when you're making food – whoa!

But what and where is the grease filter? Take a peek under the cooker hood. You’ll see a metal mesh that you can take out.

How to clean the grease filter of the extractor fan

1. Take out the metal mesh and put it in the dishwasher. If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can wash the filter by hand with hot water, soda and vinegar. They’ll form a sizzling liquid, which removes the dirt without friction. Make sure you rinse the filter thoroughly.

2. Allow the filter to dry before putting it back into place.

How to clean the dishwasher filter

Now that we’re in the kitchen, checking out the dishwasher is the natural next step. When did you last clean the filter at the bottom of it? It’s well worth the effort, as a clean filter means cleaner dishes, too.

1. Turn the arrows to face each other so you can pull out the filter.
2. Tip any food waste into the biowaste bin.
3. Wash the filter with a dish brush and dishwashing liquid.
4. Rinse it and put it back into place.

There you go, your home is clean and fresh as a daisy!