Snowbirds Summer Cleaning Checklist

Many Snowbirds spend their vacation in the Clearwater, Florida Area

Florida is a popular place for Snowbirds. Snowbirds are people that live here in southern Florida seasonally and come from the colder northern climates to escape the harsh winters. Pinellas County is a popular destination for snowbirds. The climate is fantastic during the winter, the cost of living in Pinellas County is low and there are plenty of activities to enjoy in the surrounding area. Seniors have a lot of activities and company here in Pinellas County. Over 21% of the population are seniors, close to 200,000 people. Winter season in Pinellas County is snowbird season.

Snowbirds usually start arriving in Pinellas County in numbers in late October and early November, with an additional large influx in January. They usually stay until the end of May or so, and then do the same thing the following year. This makes Pinellas County a quiet place during the summer and busy place in the winter.

If you own a home or apartment in the Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Dunedin or Safety Harbor, there are important things to do to keep your home clean and safe over the summer. If you have not done so, it is great idea to put together a checklist of items todo before leaving during the summer. Below we go over some of the things you should do before you leave for the summer. We hope this list help make your stay here in Pinellas County more comfortable and enjoyable.

Is The AC Ship Shape?

The air conditioning is the most important tool in keeping you home clean during the summer months. The main issue of keeping your home clean over the summer is keeping the humidity at bay. The AC keeps your home dry. Florida summers are hot and humid. These conditions are ripe for the growth of mold and fungus. If you keep the humidity low in your home, you will keep mold and fungus from growing in your home while you are away. Here are some tips for the AC unit.

• Service the AC unit before leaving with a professional technician.
• Have the coils cleaned, filter changed, and add coolant.
• Set your humidity controller to 50% or so and test it to make sure it if functioning.
• Benefits – lower electrical cost and avoid mold and fungus problems

Prepare The Kitchen

When you leave for the summer, you will want to make sure that the kitchen is clean as can be. Don’t leave any food for the bugs! A clean kitchen will make coming back a pleasant experience with no surprises.

• Eat most of what you have before leaving
• Empty refrigerator and freezer
• Clean thoroughly
• Unplug and leave door slightly ajar
• Pull out slightly and clean behind the refrigerator
• Run ice cubes through the garbage disposal with a little baking soda  to clean the blades

General House Cleaning

It is also a great idea to clean extensively before you leave. The goal is to leave your home for the summer in a condition that is like new. The close you can come to the goal, the better you will feel when you move back in during the fall.

• Vacuum and dust (replace vacuum bags)
• Wash windows
• Bathroom tiles, tub and shower
• Use anti-fungal cleaning products in areas of potential high moisture
• Leave phone book on toilet seat or cover and seal in some way
• On the day you leave, bug bomb the home

Notices and Contact

When you leave for the summer, there are a lot of little things to do. Here is our little-things list. Not less important, just the opposite.

• Notify post office of your move and have them forward mail
• Stop service on magazines and newspapers
• Notify your trusted contact person
• Give contact a phone list of important people and service providers (AC, insurance, handyman, etc)
• Leave keys with trusted contact

Security Tasks

When you are away there are some things you can do to keep your home safe and secure.

• Notify neighbors of your plans
• Tell neighbors who, in general should be at the home
• Set up timer lights
• Have trusted contact visit home on occasion during summer

Storm Preparation

During the summer in Florida, we get  tornadoes and nasty tropical storms including hurricanes. Although it is difficult to make a thorough preparation when you are away, there are a few things you can do to mitigate damage that may be caused by storm activity.

• Make sure all windows are shut before leaving.
• Prepare shutters and tape for use in case of a storm
• Arrange for a friend or service to shutter up your home and tape over areas where wind may enter.
• Again, make sure insurance is in order