There’s been a lot of stress and anxiety to go around during the novel Coronavirus pandemic, but one upside of social distancing is that many of us are getting to spend more time with our families. Another is finally having time to do all those home chores and improvement projects you’ve been meaning to get to. It’s easy to get the entire family involved in these tasks and it can be a great learning experience for the kids! Take a break from the news—and get rid of some cabin fever—by tackling these home-improvement projects.

FAMILY HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

1. CLEAN HOUSEHOLD FILTERS. Check any appliance with an air or water filter to see if it needs to be washed or replaced. If you have a combined forced air heating and cooling system, follow the filter manufacturer’s recommendation on how often to change it.
2. DE-GRIME COUNTERTOP APPLIANCES. With their curves, knobs, and moving parts, small appliances can get pretty gritty sitting on the counter. Your coffee maker is one that gets the dirtiest, and you might not clean it enough.
3. WASH WINDOWS. Now that you’re home, you probably can’t help but notice that the windows are pretty grimy. It’s easy to remove the haze, and it’s a fun activity to do with little ones for the windows they can easily reach. You’ll need two buckets; a sponge; a good-quality rubber squeegee; a clean, lint-free cloth; a chamois cloth; and a store-bought window cleaning solution or your own.
4. SPRUCE UP YOUR LAWN. While it’s generally fine to leave the leaves where they are in the fall, large dense swaths of yard debris can block the sun from reaching your lawn, making it difficult for grass to sprout at all. If you didn’t use a leaf blower or rake last fall, do some cleanup now. Ask the kids to help; it will get them out of the house and make the work go faster.
5. ORGANIZE YOUR GARAGE. Has it been ages since you could actually fit your car into your garage? Clearing out the space is a perfect project. Get started by dividing your belongings into four groups: sell, donate, trash, and keep. That will give you a better idea of how much storage you need, and what kind. Overall, your objective is to get as much as you can off the garage floor and onto the walls or shelves.
6. CHECK YOUR TIRES. Tires get a lot of abuse during the colder months. To keep yours in top shape, first check the air pressure and adjust it as needed to the amount specified on the tire information placard you’ll find on the driver’s door jamb. Keeping tires at the right pressure can help them last longer and save on fuel, too. Don’t forget to check the pressure on your car’s spare tire, too.