Whether or not you were planning on selling your home this year – home maintenance & keeping your space organized is always an important to-do.

So, here it is. Our 30 day NESTING EFFECT CHALLENGE.

We will have listed a daily to-do that is not only a task we may ask our customers who are preparing for a sale to complete, but something all homeowners should do!

Day 1 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your bathroom fan covers!

They are one of the most neglected items in a home. By cleaning your fan covers around every few months, you will be able to remove built up dirt before it becomes a problem.

1. Turn off the power.
2. Remove the fan cover.
3. Wash and dry.
4. Put your cover back on.

Day 2 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your kitchen backsplash!

A kitchen backsplash is a huge feature in a kitchen. Even if it is on your to-do list to replace, you can still make it sparkle.

With a good scrub you will really be able to see the difference. And, since we are all spending a little more time at home – it’s a great task to get done!

General Tile Cleaner

1. Take 1/4 cup of baking soda and add it to 1 cup of water in a spray bottle.
2. Add a few squirts of dish soap and mix it together.
3. Spray the cleaner generously on your tile backsplash.
4. Moisten a microfiber cloth with your solution and wipe all of the tiles down.

BONUS STEP: Check the bottom of your cabinets for any missed grease etc.

Day 3 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your baseboards!

You can clean your painted baseboards with a bucket of warm soapy water or vinegar and water. Be sure to wring the sponge out so you don’t leave your baseboards too wet.

If you have wooden baseboards that aren’t painted substitute with a wood cleaner.

BONUS STEP: If you have extra paint on hand, touch up those scuffs that you came across after you finished cleaning.

Day 4 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your oven.

Since we are spending a little more time in-doors these days here are a couple of non-toxic ways to clean your oven.

Method 1
•Generously sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the oven.
•Using a spray bottle, wet the baking soda with vinegar (don’t want a puddle of vinegar). The reaction of the vinegar and baking soda will cause bubbling.
•Let it sit for about 4 hours or overnight.
•Wipe away vinegar and baking soda with a textured sponge.
•If any residue is left, simply use clean water to wipe clean.

Method 2
•In a bowl combine about 1 cup of baking soda with enough water to make a paste.
•Generously coat inside of oven with paste.
•Let sit overnight.
•Remove with a damp sponge and repeat wiping until clean.

Day 5 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your front door!

You can clean your painted front door with some water and gentle dish soap. Wash the door then dry with a hand towel. If your front door is wood and is stained, try a cleaner that is safe for wood.

Tip: Use a non-abrasive sponge and a toothbrush to get into those small spaces.

Day 6 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your fridge!

Not only will your fridge be cleaner and more organized, but you can take inventory of what you have and use up the food you have bought, reducing waste!

Tip: Leave an open box of baking soda in your fridge – it can help reduce odours. Date the box so you remember when you put it in.

Day 7 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to check your smoke detectors!

Whether or not you are selling or buying a home, it’s important to check the smoke detectors.

How do you check to see if they need to be replaced?

1. Remove the smoke detector from the ceiling.

2. Look on the back of the device for the date of manufacture.

3. Remember that smoke detectors should be replaced 10 years from the date of manufacture.

Another tip? Watch for yellowing of your detectors. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are common in plastics and are used to reduce the flammability of the consumer products they permeate. As a side effect, this additive turns the polymer yellow over time as it is exposed to heat, oxygen, and UV light. So, if your detectors are yellow, it’s a good sign you need to replace them.

Day 8 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your windows!

If you prefer a natural cleaner try mixing one part distilled vinegar to 10 parts warm water in a spray bottle.

Wipe down the window with a soft, clean, lint-free microfiber cloth or paper towel to remove dust before you spray your solution, then spray the entire surface and wipe clean!

Day 9 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your light fixtures!

Note: If your fixtures need more than a dusting – pay attention to their material as different fixtures may require a different cleaning method.

Day 10 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to check your door handles!

For various reasons a door handle can become loose over time.

Try the following fix:

1. Remove the knob or handle to expose the screws.

2. Remove the base.

3. After you have separated the doorknob from the spindle shaft, remove the base.

4. Find the screws and tighten.

5. Restore the base and put the handle back on.

Day 11 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean out your garage!

Maintaining an organized home while selling is very important. Garages can often be overlooked by seller and turned into a “storage space”. But for many buyers, a functional garage is a big selling point.

Here are 6 quick tips for a seller to get their garages in order:

1. Clear out the garage first.

2. Sort and store items by category – gardening supplies, tools, car cleaning supplies, etc. Clear bins with labels are a great way to stay organized and help you see what you have in them. Bonus, they are reusable.

3. Review all items checking to make sure nothing is broken, and everything is needed. Donate, giveaway or properly dispose of items you no longer need.

4. Do a deep clean of the garage.

5. If you park a car(s) in your garage, keep in mind the space you need. Set up hooks on walls, if possible, to hang items such as rakes, brooms, shovels, etc. Even bikes can take up a lot of room, and if not being used often, consider hanging them to create more open floor space.

6. Lastly, put everything back. Freestanding shelving units are a great way to keep things organized and sellers can bring them to their next home.

Day 12 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to check your roof!

A couple signs that your roof needs repair are:

1. You see missing shingles.
2. You see shingles that are curling or cracked.
If you step into your yard and can’t see your entire roof, text or call a neighbour. They might have a better view from their house.

Day 13 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to check your furnace filter!

A few signs that your filter needs to be replaced are:
1. The filter is noticeably grey in color, and you can see dirt and dust built up on the filter media.

2. Your home is dustier than usual.

3.Your heating or cooling system is cycling longer than it usually does.

4. Your current filter has been in use longer than the manufacturer’s recommendation (anywhere from one to six months, depending on your filter). 

Day 14 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your microwave!

Step 1. Pour one cup of white vinegar into a measuring cup or bowl, along with one cup of water.

Step 2. Set your microwave for 5-10 minutes (depending on how powerful your microwave is) and turn it on.

Step 3. Next, grab a microfiber cloth and wipe the inside of your microwave clean.

Day 15 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to check your exterior lights!

Now that it the evening, it’s a great time to quickly turn on your exterior lights and make sure they all work.

If you are planning on selling in the future make sure all walkways are illuminated enough for those coming to see your home after it gets dark.

Day 16 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your washing machine!

Step 1: Run an empty, regular cycle on hot, using two cups of vinegar instead of detergent.

Step 2: In a bucket, mix about ¼ cup vinegar with a quart of warm water. Scrub the inside of your machine

Step 3: Run a Hot Cycle.

Day 17 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to do a quick clean of your dryer!

1. Remove Lint From Dryer Screen.

2. To clean a dryer drum, dip a clean cloth in distilled white vinegar. Run the cloth around the inside of the dryer, including under the rubber gasket that seals the door.
The vinegar deodorizes the dryer’s interior.

3. Leave the door of the machine open until the vinegar smell goes away

Day 18 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to start depersonalizing your home!

If you are planning at selling your home at some point this year, a great way to get your home ready is to start depersonalizing.

Start with taking down pictures of family, friends pets etc. This also includes personal artwork that tends to end up on fridges or bulletin boards.

Another great tip I use with clients is to replace the photos in frames with landscapes or architectural photos. Print them in the same tone (like black and white) for more consistency.

Day 19 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to touch up your paint!

Wall scuffs easily happen over time, but after a while they can become an eyesore.

If you have extra paint at home now it’s a great time to get this task done.

Trying washing the wall first to get off any dirt then paint.

TIP: Without re-painting an entire wall, repaint the scuff in the same method you did when you originally painted. If you rolled, use a small roller and go over the scuff or if you brushed then use a paint brush.

Day 20 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean the worst looking door in your house!

Many of us have a door that just doesn’t get as much TLC as the rest. For us our mudroom is connected to our garage and is in a high traffic area.

Today is the day we get it cleaned up!

You can clean your door with some water and gentle dish soap. Wash the door then dry with a hand towel. If your door is wood and is stained, try a cleaner that is safe for wood.

Tip: Use a non-abrasive sponge and a toothbrush to get into those small spaces.

BONUS: If your door is painted and you have the supplies on hand, give the door fresh coat of paint.

Day 21 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your range hood!

1. Wash the range hood with a clean cloth, warm water and a mild soap or dish detergent.

2. To clean the filter: remove it from the range hood. Fill a sink or bucket with boiling water. Pour in dish soap and a lot 1/4 cup or baking soda. Let the filter soak for about 10 minutes. Scrub with a non-abrasive brush and then rinse with hot water and dry with a clean cloth.

Day 22 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to take a moment and relax!

 Take a moment to take a break!

Day 23 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean up your junk drawer!

1. Take everything out.
2. Get rid of what you don’t need.
3. Sort everything.
4. Put away items that don’t belong in the drawer.
5. Sort items, bundle where you can.
6. Toss the take menus. Stick to looking it up online.
Tip: Invest in a drawer organizer or small containers to keep those misc. items together.

Day 24 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to reduce your paper mail!

As bills/letters come in the mail try switching to a paperless option (email/ online statements etc.) It helps reduce clutter in your home and is good for the environment!

Day 25 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your dishwasher!

1. Place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the upper rack of your dishwasher.

2. Run the dishwasher through a hot-water cycle. This will help remove grease, grime and musty odors, too.
Bonus: Sprinkle one cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher.

Day 26 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to clean your shower head!

You can restore shower pressure, clean and unclog your shower head by mixing equal parts white vinegar and water and pouring it into a plastic bag.

Tie the bag around your shower head to immerse the holes in the solution. Try securing with a twist tie.

Let it soak for up to an hour, then remove and wipe away the loosened deposits.

Day 27 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to hang your art or that photo you’ve been meaning to put up!

If you aren’t planning on selling your home in the near future, get that art up on your wall! Not only can it help transform a room, will make you house feel more like home!

Day 28 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to declutter your bathroom.
The bathroom is where we all prepare ourselves for the day ahead. It’s also a place where many of us like to unwind.

Whether it’s the start of the day or the end, making your bathroom a place that lifts you up is important.
Steps:

1. Remove everything from the bathroom. Everything.
2. Group items together that are similar.
3. Remove anything from your bathroom that doesn’t belong there or you don’t need. Toss, put items back in their rightful location or donate.
4. Identify the items you use every day. Place them back where it makes it easy for you to access them.
5. Put away the rest items that are part of your health or beauty regime – but you don’t use daily.

TIP #1
Reassess those samples. We all have them. Personally, I use a small box to keep items I like to try, but pass on or toss the ones that are expired or you know you will never use.

TIP #2
Maximize your space. You can always buy beautiful storage containers etc. But, try using what you have. Shoe boxes, Tupperware that is missing a lid are great examples of items in your home that you may have that could be repurposed.

Day 29 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to declutter your closet.

Steps:

1. Remove everything from the closet. Everything.
2. Group items together that are similar.
3. Remove items that you no longer wear. Toss or donate. Don’t put back anything that doesn’t belong in your closet.
4. Store your clothes by category.
5. Stack items like denim and sweaters.

TIP 1

Replace your hangers. Get ones that are more streamlined and get rid of ones that are weak like dry cleaner hangers.

TIP 2

Use fabric-lines baskets to keep smaller items like socks in one place.

Day 30 of our Nesting Effect Challenge is to give your bathtub a deep clean!

And later? Give yourself some time to take a bath and unwind! Thanks for joining us in this challenge! Until the next one . Steps:

1. Fill a spray bottle with a half-and-half solution of vinegar and warm water.

2. Spray your tub surface and let the solution stand for 15 minutes.

3.Wipe with a microfiber cloth or sponge.

4.Rinse with clean water and wipe again.

TIP FOR MILD STAINS

1.Sprinkle your tub with baking soda and spray on your vinegar-and-water solution.

2. Let the solution sit and bubble for several minutes. Next, then scrub with a soft cloth or sponge until a paste forms.

3. Let the paste sit for 15 minutes, then wipe and rinse.

Tag @nestingeffect, comment/ or use hashtag #nestingeffectchallenge so we can see those before and afters!