Key dates

The upkeep that comes around on the calendar, month by month. Skip the ones that don't fit your home.

One calendar file with every date below, set to repeat. Open it with your phone or computer calendar.

Every month

Jan 1 If you have a 4-inch media filter: Change it. A new one is good for 3 months.
Jan 15 Know where the main water shutoff is, and tag it so anyone in the house can find it fast.

2nd Sunday (Mar 14, 2027) Clocks spring forward. Test every smoke and CO alarm and put in fresh batteries.
Mar 15 Clear the dryer lint path: vacuum the slot the lint screen sits in and pull lint off the outside vent flap.
Mar 20 After the thaw, walk the basement and look for damp spots along the walls and floor.

Apr 1 If you have a 4-inch media filter: Change it. A new one is good for 3 months.
Apr 15 If you have a bypass humidifier: Close its damper for the summer.
Apr 20 Walk around the house and make sure each downspout extension carries water at least 4 feet from the foundation.
Apr 20 If you have potted roses: Uncover them gradually, water, and prune once new growth shows.

May 1 If there's a cover on your outdoor AC unit: Take it off before you run the AC. Over winter a cover should only sit on top; never wrap the whole unit.
May 15 Once nights stay above freezing: Open the indoor shutoffs to the outdoor faucets and hook the hoses back up.

Jun 1 Vacuum the dust out of the grille along the bottom front of the fridge.
Jun 10 If you have a dehumidifier: Rinse its bucket and filter, and keep the basement at 50 percent humidity or lower.
Jun 15 Clear the dryer lint path: vacuum the slot the lint screen sits in and pull lint off the outside vent flap.

Jul 1 If you have a 4-inch media filter: Change it. A new one is good for 3 months.

Sep 15 Clear the dryer lint path: vacuum the slot the lint screen sits in and pull lint off the outside vent flap.
Sep 25 If you have a furnace humidifier: Put in a new humidifier pad before the heating season.

Oct 1 If you have a 4-inch media filter: Change it. A new one is good for 3 months.
Oct 10 Before the first freeze: Unhook the hoses, drain them, and close the indoor shutoffs to the outdoor faucets.
Oct 15 If you have a potted rose: Winterize it before hard freezes.
Oct 20 Before winter: Pull leaves out of the window wells and away from the outdoor AC unit.
Oct 25 Walk the downspout extensions once more before the ground freezes and clear any leaves from the ends.

Nov 1 If you have a bypass humidifier: Open its damper for the heating season.
1st Sunday (Nov 1, 2026) Clocks fall back. Test every smoke and CO alarm and put in fresh batteries.

Dec 1 Vacuum the dust out of the grille along the bottom front of the fridge.
Dec 10 After each snowfall: Brush snow away from the furnace and dryer vents where they come out near the ground.
Dec 15 Clear the dryer lint path: vacuum the slot the lint screen sits in and pull lint off the outside vent flap.

For your own filter size and schedule, use the Reminder Tool.