Spring cleans usually involve throwing out old clothes, emptying bursting drawers and cupboards, and vacuuming even the hardest to reach places of your furniture. Once you have decided on a day or weekend to get to work on your home, it’s also a good idea to set some time aside to clean your power outlets, too – and carry out some hazard inspections around it. Unkempt power outlets can cause major problems to appliances, so what can you to avoid these situations?
Stay on top of your power outlet maintenance
It’s essential that you regularly clean your power outlets, as they – along with the light switches in your house – are a common place for germs. Every day, a number of people in one household will flip the switches on and off, as well as plug and unplug different appliances. Over the years, they can also discolour, which will make them appear dirty.
How to clean power outlets
In order to make your power outlets look as good as new again, follow the below instructions:
- Turn off the power from the electric box in your home: This will prevent serious risk of electrical shock.
- Give the electric box a spruce up while you’re there: If it’s covered in cobwebs or dirt, this can easily be removed with the vacuum cleaner.
- Remove the decorative plates with a screwdriver and place them in soapy water: Leave the outlets in the water to soak for a while, so that they will be ready to be scrubbed later on in the day.
- Dry it thoroughly: Ensure that there is no water or soap left on the power outlet.
- Screw it back on the wall: From there, you can admire how great it looks again.
- Turn the electrics back on.
Remember – it’s crucial that you never spray cleaning products directly onto a power outlet or light switch, as this is a huge safety risk.
Once you have spruced up the outlets, you could also do an inspection on all your appliances. If you haven’t checked them for a while, you never know whether you might come across defective cords or degrading components. If you need to invest in any electrical components, don’t forget to check out the likes of Allied Electricals.