Preparing Your Home for Winter at Our Independent Living Communities

Tips for Ensuring Your Home is Safe and Cozy this Winter!

Winter is right around the corner, and we all know what that means! Colder weather, longer nights, and even snow and ice are on their way. There’s almost nothing more important in home management than preparing your home for winter. Between added heating needs, to keeping your body safe, there are so many mini-projects that are important to complete before winter fully hits.

At Sunshine Retirement Living, we support our independent living residents in preparing their bodies and homes for winter. From healthy and cozy meals that nourish your body with Blue Zone principles, to bringing a bit of light and cheer to each of our daily activities, we care for your well-being. But an important and often overlooked factor of your well-being is ensuring your home is safe and ready for each season! We want to make sure you’re doing all you can to ensure you have a safe home for these colder months. Read on for some of our top tips for preparing for winter!

Prepare for Snow and Ice

If you live in a colder area, snow and ice, while beautiful, can be a real danger to many people, including those with mobility limitations or certain auto-immune diseases. Preparing your home carefully for the weather is paramount. Make sure you have a solid snow shovel, some rock salt or kitty litter to help with melting and traction, and a reliable contact who will help you shovel or even plow your driveway and walkways. Lastly, make sure you empty any bird baths or other outdoor water containers in the winter to avoid damaging the container. As water freezes it expands, so sealed containers in particular can damage them!

Check all Smoke Detectors

With fireplaces, heated blankets, candles, and space heaters, there is always a risk of fire. Take a few minutes each winter to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly. If you have someone who can complete this maintenance regularly in your home, schedule a standing appointment with them every six months. While we don’t necessarily like to think about it, fire can be a real risk, and time is the most important factor when you need to escape a fire. While you’re at it, make sure your sprinkler systems are working properly and you have both a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket on hand!

Seal Drafty Windows

One of the best money-saving hacks in the winter is making sure you’re not overpaying for heating. Check windows, doors, and any other parts of your home that may have access to the outside for any drafts. Should you find that air is coming in or escaping your home, call your maintenance person and have them come into either caulk, weatherstrip, or repair these drafty spaces. Also, consider using the old-fashioned door draft stoppers for the bottom of your door to keep drafts out of your home. As an added bonus, these also can help keep smoke out of your home in the event of a fire in your hallway or neighbor’s homes!

Launder all Blankets

Perhaps the least exciting, but really necessary task is to launder all of your blankets, comforters and throws. We often forget to add these items to the laundry, but they can harbor bad odors, germs, and even dust mites, making them a little less cozy to snuggle up with. Take the time to care for these items before the winter hits by either washing them in your home or if they are oversized, sending them out to be properly laundered. When you’re cozied up to a clean, fresh-smelling blanket, you’ll be thanking us!

Schedule Heating Maintenance

Last but certainly not least, make sure your heating devices are in good working order by scheduling a visit with your HVAC person. Check the heating ducts, radiators, boilers, pipes, and even fireplaces to ensure all of these are in working order and safe for use! Make sure to complete any necessary repairs to avoid any heating issues throughout the winter.

With some simple tips, you can have a safe, warm, and cozy winter season! At our Sunshine Retirement Living independent living communities, we are here to help keep your home and you safe throughout the season. If you’d like more information about our amazing community, please give our friendly team a call today!