Spring Cleaning - Smart Home Style


Forget the lion or the lamb, spring is finally here! Now is the perfect time to update your home for the longer days and warmer nights ahead. While the actual spring cleaning may be a bore, adding new products, and taking care of smart products you already have shouldn’t be. Check out the list our team has compiled to start this season off on the right foot:

1. Add smart lights to outdoor fixtures. And while you’re at it, set up a Sunrise/Sunset Schedule in the Wink app. With the days getting longer, you don’t want to burn electricity while it’s still light out. Wink Schedules are a great (and easy) way to avoid that.

2. Switch thermostats to AC mode. As the weather warms, the need to turn on the heat diminishes. Before the temperature skyrockets. make sure your air conditioning is functioning properly, and your smart thermostats are changed to to proper cooling mode. Don’t forget to update your Shortcuts/Robots accordingly!

3: Activate outdoor water lines. If you have a yard, turn on any garden hoses and make sure your Rachio smart sprinkler system is up running. You can create watering zones within the Wink app to prepare the soil for early spring grass seeding, and monitor water usage right from your home.

4: Give your outdoor lighting a colorful refresh. Check out the OSRAM Gardenspot lights. They can be used to light up paths in the yard or even complement the color of what’s blooming in your flower boxes (if you have daffodils sprouting you can adjust them to a soft yellow).

5: Install door/window sensors. With the weather starting to warm up, you’re likely to be opening and shutting doors and windows around the house much more frequently. A few door and window sensors can give you peace of mind by sending an alert to your phone when abnormal activity is detected so you can either investigate, or ignore because you know your house guests are just airing out the downstairs.

6. And of course, break out the elbow grease and start cleaning. Dust light fixtures and fans, sanitize door knobs, wash wall switch plates. Even your automated blinds can use a tune up; most recommend light dusting but some can even be vacuumed. Check the manuals of all your smart products, and be sure to clean each one appropriately. 

Did we forget something? Let us know how you’re updating your home for spring in the comments!