Pumpkin Spice &
Preventive Maintenance

Fall is officially here, bringing cooler weather, colorful leaves, pumpkin everything and a gentle reminder that your home would also like a little attention. Before you settle in with a blanket and your favorite fall drink, tackle a few of these seasonal chores.

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Keep Your Mums From Becoming “Mummified”
Mums are thirsty little things. Check the soil regularly and water when it feels dry. Choose plants with lots of unopened buds when buying them, and remove faded blooms to keep your porch looking fresh longer.

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Give Your Pumpkins a Fighting Chance
Start with pumpkins that are firm and free of cuts, bruises and soft spots. Keep them somewhere cool, dry and shaded when possible. And carry them from the bottom rather than by the stem. Nobody wants a pumpkin casualty on the front porch. If you want your pumpkins to grace the porch for most of the season, leave a few uncarved and save the jack-o’-lantern carving for closer to Halloween.

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Help Your Jack-o’-Lantern Age Gourd-geously
Once you carve a pumpkin, the clock starts ticking. A little extra TLC can help your masterpiece stay presentable longer.

• Scoop it out well. Remove the seeds and pulp completely.

• Seal the cut edges. A thin coating of petroleum jelly on the exposed carved surfaces can help reduce moisture loss.

• Keep it cool. Warm, humid conditions are friendlier to mold than they are to your pumpkin masterpiece.

• Consider a battery-operated light. It's an easy way to give your pumpkin that Halloween glow without adding the heat of a traditional candle.

• Know when to say goodbye. If your jack-o’-lantern develops mold, soft spots or a funky smell, its porch-decor career has officially come to an end.

 

Show Your Gutters Some Love
Those gorgeous fall leaves aren't nearly as charming when they're clogging your gutters. Clear out leaves and debris so rainwater can drain properly. Your gutters may not send a thank-you card, but that's no reason to neglect them.

 

Give Your Furnace a Head Start
Don't wait until the first freezing morning to discover your heat isn't cooperating. Replace or clean the HVAC filter as appropriate for your system, and consider having your heating system serviced if it's due.

 

Hunt Down the Drafts
Check around windows and exterior doors for noticeable gaps or worn weatherstripping. Sealing up drafts can make your home more comfortable when temperatures drop. Plus, your heating system doesn't need to be working overtime to warm the neighborhood.

 

Don't Forget the Outdoor Faucets
Before freezing temperatures arrive, disconnect and drain garden hoses and follow the winterizing recommendations for your home's outdoor plumbing. Your hose has worked hard all summer. Let it retire gracefully.

 

Clean Up Around the House
Rake leaves and remove debris that collects around walkways, porches and the foundation. It makes everything look tidier and gives you one last excuse to enjoy the crisp fall air before “I'll do it tomorrow” turns into “I'll do it in the spring.”

 

Check Your Detectors
Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries or units as recommended by the manufacturer. It takes just a few minutes and is one fall chore that's definitely worth doing.

 

Reward Yourself

Once the chores are done, put out the pumpkins, fluff the blankets and enjoy your cozy home. Because fall maintenance may not be as exciting as a trip to the pumpkin patch, but future-you will be very glad you did it.