It seems like only yesterday we were excitedly turning our clocks back and looking forward to an extra hour of sleep. Six months later, it’s time to spring forward. While some of us may dread losing that extra hour in the spring, daylight savings is a great time to complete often forgotten about tasks around the home. By grouping your semi-annual tasks together around an event like daylight savings, you can ensure you remember to check them off your to-do list every year. Take a look at the six tasks you should complete to prepare your home for daylight savings.
1. Change Your Clocks
The most obvious task to tackle first is changing the time on your clocks. While many of our devices will do this automatically, some clocks will have to be changed manually. Remember to change the time on your stove, microwave, watch and any other analog clocks in your home.
Remember to set all of your clocks one hour ahead before going to bed on Saturday night. This way you will wake up to the correct time on Sunday morning. Springing forward means we lose one hour of precious sleep, but we will also be gaining an additional hour of sunlight, something we could really use more of right now.
2. Replace Alarm Batteries
The safety of our homes should always come first, but many of us neglect important tasks simply because we forget to do them. To ensure you never forget to replace the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors, link this task with daylight savings. This way you’ll be sure to check your systems at least twice a year. If you need help reaching these alarms or testing them for accuracy, a handyman can easily help you with this in under an hour.
3. Refresh Your Furniture
Another common task homeowners group together with daylight savings is refreshing their furniture. You can do this by rotating your mattress, flipping your couch cushions, and deep cleaning fabric surfaces. Flipping mattresses and cushions ensures even wear so your pieces will last longer. Certain furniture models do not have removable covers, so it’s a good idea to get a pro to deep clean the fabrics you can’t remove and wash by yourself. Deep cleaning your fabrics twice a year will help eliminate dust buildup in fabrics, making them cleaner and fresher.
4. Clean Out Gutters
Daylight savings is the perfect time to book your gutter cleaning. Our gutters become full of dead leaves, snow and debris over the winter. With April showers on their way, it’s important your gutters are free and clear. When your gutters are full, rainwater cannot properly drain off your roof and away from your home. Instead, they will overflow and rainwater will run along the sides of your home. Failing to clean your gutters can result in damage to your foundation and even flooding. Avoid any potential issues by booking your gutter cleaning now.
Below are the average costs of Gutters & Eavestroughs services across different cities in Canada:
| City | Average | Minimum | Maximum |
| Barrie | $4,765 | $100 | $30,000 |
| Calgary | $2,981 | $100 | $40,000 |
| Edmonton | $7,713 | $100 | $46,500 |
| Hamilton | $6,236 | $100 | $35,000 |
| Oshawa | $2,708 | $150 | $14,000 |
| Ottawa | $3,517 | $100 | $50,000 |
| Toronto | $5,733 | $100 | $50,000 |
| Vancouver | $4,516 | $100 | $50,000 |
*Costs based on 9599 verified Canadian homeowner reviews as of March 2022
5. Have Dryer Vents Cleaned
Daylight savings is the perfect time to do your annual safety check. Now that you’ve already checked your alarms, it’s important to make sure they don’t need to be used. One easy way to prevent fires is to clean your dryer vents. Lint accumulation causes reduced airflow in dryer vents, and the two combined can create the right conditions for a fire. Be safe and make sure your lint traps and dryer vents are cleaned after every use. You can hire a pro to take care of this for you if it’s been some time since you last cleaned your dryer vent.
6. Prevent Electrical Fires
Did you know that faulty wiring causes the majority of house fires? We often overlook our electrical systems because they are hidden behind walls so we cannot see when there is a problem. To ensure your home doesn’t have a fire waiting to start, it’s a good idea to have your home inspected. Either an electrician or a home inspector can provide this service. Electrical safety standards have changed over time to better protect our homes. It’s likely that homes built prior to 2012 will not meet today’s standards. If you plan on doing a major renovation this year, it’s essential you have your home’s electrical wiring inspected first.
Start daylight savings off right by ensuring these tasks are done every six months like clockwork. By grouping important tasks together you’ll ensure you remember to cross them off your to-do list. When daylight savings ends in October, be sure to come back to this list and check these items off again. Take a little time now to prepare your home for the longer and sunnier days ahead.
Article updated June 2022.
