24th April, 2023

Spring has officially sprung, which means plenty of us have got our cleaning and decluttering hats on. With that being said, have you ever considered how your annual spring clean could help you avoid having to claim on your home insurance?

From the usual clear out of your wardrobe to going a little further and examining your tumble dryer, there’s plenty of ways that a good old spring spruce up can prevent the stress of an insurance claim.

Declutter your space

There’s never any harm in decluttering your home every once in a while - especially as most of us don’t realise how much we actually collect over time. From an overstuffed wardrobe to that ever growing ‘junk drawer’ that we know you’ve got hidden away in the kitchen, there’s plenty that could either be thrown away or donated.

Not only will reducing and organising the clutter in your space make it look a lot neater, it will also decrease the amount of fire hazards that are present within your home. If a fire does break out then it will spread a lot quicker in a cluttered home, and could delay your escape or rescue if your belongings are blocking doors and windows.

Items such as cardboard boxes, clothing and paper are incredibly flammable, so it’s important to make sure they’re safely stored away to reduce risk.

Clean your tumble dryer and washing machine

Speaking of fire hazards, when was the last time you cleaned your tumble dryer or washing machine?

These machines are powerful, fast and get very hot whilst in use, so neglecting the maintenance of them can lead to a build up of excess dirt, fluff and lint which could easily catch on fire. In 2019, several models of the Whirlpool dryer were recalled due to a risk of fire from potential fluff build up, so it’s certainly not an uncommon issue.

Check your gutters

Make sure to clean up the outside of your house as well as the inside! A clogged gutter can lead to lots of different issues, especially water related.

The main purpose of your gutters is to guide water such as rainfall away from your roof, so when it’s full of debris it means the water has nowhere to go other than to collect in the gutter. With the water building up, it will add extra weight to the guttering which can cause it to bend or even come away from the house.

You could also find that the water finds its way into your house which can cause damage to your walls and ceilings. This is due to the water build up causing rotting to the fascia boards (which hold up the gutters), resulting in moisture getting into the home.

Not only can this cause damage to the foundations of your property, but mould, which has the potential to cause serious health issues, can also arise from excess moisture in your home. Plus, clogged gutters can create a home for unwelcome visitors, such as rats, mice, wasps and other insects.

So, there’s really no upside to leaving your gutters off of your spring cleaning checklist.

Change the batteries in your detectors

Another useful – and potentially life-saving – part of your spring cleaning routine should be to check or change the batteries in things like your smoke detectors.

Nobody expects to fall victim to anything as awful as a house fire, so it’s easy to forget to check things such as your smoke detector when it’s not at the forefront of your mind. However, sparing just a few minutes to change out the batteries in your detector could save you a lot of time, money and even your life later down the line.

Whilst you’re at it, if you have a carbon monoxide detector then make sure to also change the batteries in this.

The spring season is great for so many reasons – the weather finally starts to warm up, leaves appear on trees and flowers start to blossom, but it’s also a great time to refresh your surroundings, declutter and help to prevent the hassle of a potential home insurance claim.


Written by: Shannan Errington

*Please note that the above information has been gathered through secondary research. The information provided is not based on our opinion. You should seek further guidance and information before making an informed decision.

Sources:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spring-cleaning-maintenance-checklist-prevent-home-insurance-vargas/?trk=articles_directory
https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/2019/07/whirlpool-tumble-dryer-recall-program-july-2019/
https://directcleaninggroup.co.uk/the-importance-of-gutter-maintenance/
https://www.pearson-insurance.com/10-spring-cleaning-tips-to-prevent-homeowners-insurance-claims