Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And while you might be looking forward to spending time with your loved ones, you mustn’t let all the excitement overshadow proper maintenance. Make sure you’re ready for the holiday season by adopting Thanksgiving preventive maintenance procedures.
Thanksgiving Preventive Maintenance for Commercial and Residential Properties
Thanksgiving can be a very hectic time of the year for both commercial and residential properties. There’s a lot of cooking, cleaning, and hosting that take place, and even the smallest of bumps can create a whole mess of a night. Fortunately, you can minimize delays and snags by performing preventive maintenance in and around your property.
Here are the things you should include in your Thanksgiving preventive maintenance checklist:
1. Ensure Proper Functioning of Appliances
With Thanksgiving comes a lot of food preparation, which means your appliances will be on full blast. Everything from your stovetops and ovens to your microwaves and kettles will get used. Amidst all the commotion, the last thing you want to happen is to have an appliance malfunction and put a wrench in your plans.
As such, it is imperative that you ensure all your appliances function as intended. A week before the big day, turn on each appliance to see if they are working properly. That way, if anything seems amiss, you have enough time to perform repairs or buy a new one. This goes for both homeowners who are entertaining guests and restaurants that will remain open on Thanksgiving.
2. Check Safety Hazards
On Thanksgiving, restaurants and other commercial properties see an influx of customers. This usually means having to require more employees to be on shift to address the higher demand.
Similarly, many households have guests over for a big celebration. To protect customers, workers, and guests, property owners should do their part and ensure there are no safety hazards. Apart from preventing harm, this simple act can also save you from potential liability.
But, what safety hazards should you look out for exactly?
First, check for any trip and fall hazards. That means seeing if any sprinkler heads are sticking out too much or any roots have become overgrown. You should also check for any cracks or gaps on the floor, both indoors and outdoors. If you find any low-hanging tree branches, make sure to cut them off as inclement weather can cause them to break and fall.
Thanksgiving is also when most home cooking fires take place in the United States. To prevent fires in your household, always pay attention to what you’re cooking in the kitchen. Never leave it unattended. If you’re deep-frying your turkey this year, do it outdoors and away from flammable objects. You should also make it a habit to check your smoke detection and fire alarm system just to be safe.
3. Upgrade Insulation
Just before Thanksgiving is the perfect time to upgrade your property’s insulation. This way, you can make sure everyone inside the house or commercial property feels cozy and warm during the cold season.
Seal any gaps around entryways such as doors and windows. Maybe you can even hire a handyman to perform weather-stripping and caulking.
4. Inspect Chimneys
A big part of Thanksgiving preventative maintenance that many people ignore is chimney inspection. If your property has a chimney, it is paramount that you have it checked and cleaned before the holiday season. Chimneys don’t get used throughout the year, so there’s bound to be some accumulation of dirt, dust, and debris.
You must not overlook the importance of chimney care. If your chimney is dirty or damaged, it will not function properly. Worse yet, it could even cause a fire in your residential or commercial property. Smoke may also have nowhere to go if your chimney is clogged.
5. Reseal Countertops
Thanksgiving is when kitchens get a rough beating, as food preparations are in full swing. If you have granite, slate, or marble countertops, consider resealing them before the big day comes around. Failing to reseal these sensitive materials can result in staining. Red wine, cranberry sauce, and tomato paste, in particular, are often the culprits.
6. Clean Gutters and Winterize
For many regions, Thanksgiving is what truly marks the beginning of the cold season. Temperature drops and extreme weather conditions can do a lot of damage to your property, specifically your pipes and gutters.
As part of your Thanksgiving preventive maintenance plan, make sure to pay careful attention to your gutters. Clear your gutters of any debris and wash them down with water. Clogged gutters not only direct water to the wrong paths but also carry more weight and are, thus, prone to detaching.
Winterization is equally important. Shut off water to the hoses outside your house and blow out any remaining water from the pipes. This ensures no water freezes over the winter season. When water freezes inside your pipes, it can cause them to burst and become damaged. It is much easier and less costly to perform preventive maintenance than to have repairs done.
7. Check HVAC System
Wintertime brings cold weather and below-zero temperatures. As such, commercial and residential property owners should have their HVAC systems checked. Make sure your heaters are working just fine prior to the holiday season. Otherwise, what you’ll be left with are freezing — not to mention, unhappy — customers, employees, and guests.
8. Adopt Energy-Saving Tips
Thanksgiving is definitely a time to enjoy people’s company, but it can also come with increased energy usage. Preparing a feast means having to use multiple appliances at once, including your heater. Thankfully, you can make the most out of the holiday while simultaneously saving energy by adopting some smart cooking tips.
For instance, cutting up vegetables into smaller pieces allows you to reduce cooking time. The same goes for bagging your turkey in an oven-safe plastic bag while it roasts. Even something as simple as using a ceramic or glass baking dish can save energy by letting you use a lower temperature for cooking.
Baking desserts can also add to your energy bill as well as your stress. If you and your guests can afford to skip the pie, go for a no-bake dish instead. You can even make it in advance and store it in the fridge so you’re not short of time on the big day.
Be Smart With Preventive Maintenance
When everyone’s busy preparing for a grand feast, it can be easy to forget about the things that make operations even possible.
If you want to ensure a smooth and safe holiday season, it all begins with Thanksgiving preventive maintenance.
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