Bob Vila’s 10 “Must Do” Projects for December

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December is all about friends , family , and food ( there , we said it ! ) , which is why this month ’s tasks center on keeping your home and its occupants safe , warm , and glad . Begin with some basic nursing home maintenance to ensure that your home is clean and warm . Then , tackle some detailed kitchen cleanup and family safety to - dos in formulation for an barrage of guests , whether they ’re staying for a week or just for dinner . Though your pulse might be to rush , rushing , rush to get everything done , be certain to decelerate down and revel round-eyed vacation pleasures with your screw ones .

1. DIY Your Own Decorations

Here ’s a family - favorable — and budget - friendly — DIY project : Gather around the table to make your own vacation decoration . It ’s a wonderful way to spend time together , and you may save money bymaking your own ornamentsfrom repurposed fabric , backyard branches , or superannuated decorations in need of new living .

2.Clean and Protect Wood Furniture

Expecting guests for the vacation is a ripe excuse to spiff up dining room tabular array , bedroom sets , and other wood piece of furniture . Sometimes a little dish scoop and water is enough toclean Mrs. Henry Wood piece of furniture , and other times you need mineral spirits and other tougher element to get the grunge off . end up the task by using a wood wax or other protectant to “ prey ” the forest . This is particularly important when the air inside your menage is teetotal ; consistently low moisture can cause Natalie Wood to break through .

3. Protect Your Home from Burglars

There ’s a svelte uptick in homeburglaries around the holidays , so take precautions if you plan to journey . Call the situation business office to adjudge your mail , and ask a neighbour or friend to park in your driveway or even shovel your base on balls while you ’re by . Or install one of many mellow - tech security measure gadgets now on the grocery store to supervise your household while you ’re out of town .

4. Clean the Insides of Your Washing Machine and Dishwasher

Think about the mountains of towels , rugs , and comforters you ’ve run through your clothes washer this preceding calendar month , and the greasy bay window , dishes and silverware your dishwasher has seen : It was more than usual , right ? Treat your dirtiest , hardest - working washers right and check that they get a spa day . Cleaning a dishwasheror a washing machine by hand does take clip , but if metre is brusque you’re able to at least cast awashing machine cleaner tabletanddishwasher cleanerinside the machines and running cycle in each .

5. Air Out Your Home

Many family have client on the elbow room this month , so it ’s significant to keep your house smelling fresh and your air clean . supercede baking sodium carbonate in the fridge or freezer , decorate with fragrant evergreen outgrowth , or invest in atop - quality aviation purifierwith a HEPA filter to remove impurities , like clay sculpture and rubble , from the air .

6. Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

In colder regions , frozen pipesare one of the handsome and most expensive winter disasters . Take the following precaution to keep yours from freezing and subsequently burst : First , ensure that exterior walls and garages that household water tobacco pipe are properly insulated . If your home base is at high risk of frozen pipe , you might keep thermoregulator set at the same temperature , day and nighttime . eventually , consider installingheating tapeon the roof and in gutter with a timer to turn off automatically when not in use .

7. Clean KitchenNooks and Crannies

Thanksgiving dinner has believably depart its mark on your kitchen : on your pots and pans , floors , and in all the nooks and cranny . Now is a expectant time to give your kitchen some careful attention : utilise a toothpick to fish out crumbs from the crack between the stovetop and the countertop , use Bark Keepers Friend to scrub stain off your stainless cookware , and clean the kitchen base grout on your hands and human knee rather than giving it prompt once - over with the tailspin swab . ( Do n’t blank out toclean dusty refrigerator coilsto better your muscularity efficiency and let down your utility Federal Reserve note . )

8. See if You Qualify for Tax Credits

Every year , there are a variety of tax credit rating and deduction that homeowners can take vantage of for a braggart repayment come outpouring . Make certain that you get what is coming to you before the yr is out : Donate unused good , for instance , and hold in theIRS inclination of credit rating and deductions for soul .

9. Add Interior Trim

Crown moldingand wainscoting add a dateless quality to any way . If your living elbow room , dining room , or bedroom needs a change , consider installing trim along the cap and floor , and around the windows and doors . This relatively quick projection is well-to-do to DIY and gets you a plenty of bang for your buck . In the john , you might even go the redundant mile by adding trendy beadboard along the lower half of the wall .

10. Finish the Basement

Although winter keep most people indoors , few homeowners pass much metre in an bare basement . Improving a basementis a popular project for December , when it can be complete with small noise with sidereal day - to - 24-hour interval life-time . In less than a calendar month ’s sentence , you could put together a space you ’d love to really spend clock time in year - round .

This Is the Year for a Kitchen Renovation

Whether you ’re sell or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we reckon this refurbishment the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .

Happy young people at front door holding presents.