10 home maintenance DIYs to get your Valentine in the mood

Paul Dolan // HomeServe

10 home maintenance DIYs to get your Valentine in the mood

Contrary to Valentine’s Day’s romantic reputation, would-be celebrants are far more likely to associate the occasion with panicked 11th-hour shopping runs for picked-over candies, greeting cards and flowers, or stressful ultimatums about the health of their relationships. But despite this heavily commercialized holiday’s consumerist trappings and tendency to elicit uncomfortable introspection, Feb. 14 is really supposed to be about engaging in affectionate activities with your significant other. And if it’s true that “home is where the heart is,” then it stands to reason that it’s also where the heat is.

Want to cancel that overpriced restaurant reservation and skip straight to dessert? As natural aphrodisiacs go, oysters and dark chocolate ain’t got nothin’ on an intimate partner who’s handy around the house.

HomeServe shares 10 Valentine’s Day DIYs to help get your love shack shimmying.

1. Wash and Iron Bedding

There’s something about staying in a hotel that just lets you feel like you’re getting away from it all — checking into your clean, cozy room with an overnight bag while leaving the rest of your daily life’s baggage behind. Create the same relaxing vibe in your bedroom at home without having to hang the “Privacy Please” sign on the door handle. Launder and iron the sheets for that crisp, comfy hotel bedding feel and fold down the duvet and topsheet (extra credit for a mint on the pillow). Hotel turndown service gets the point across that this is where the evening ends.

2. Install a Light Dimmer or Smart Bulbs

Dimming the lights is the daddy of all ambiance-manipulating maneuvers. Installing a dimmer switch is among the more doable DIYs involving potentially dangerous electrical work. Very generally, it involves cutting power at the breaker box (and confirming it with a voltage tester!), unscrewing the wall plate, disconnecting the wires of the existing switch, connecting the ground wire on the dimmer, connecting the dimmer wires to the house wires, replacing the wall plate and restoring power.

But the easier way to go about this — and one that can add a variety of options like mood-specific colors — is to get smart bulbs. Again, very generally, installation steps include flipping the room’s light switch off, connecting to the bulbs using your smartphone via the manufacturer’s app, installing the bulbs in your fixtures, flipping the room switch on and letting the bulbs connect via Wi-Fi.

3. Clean the TV Screen

Cozy up on the couch for what the Millennials used to call a “Netflix and chill.” Sure, this has far more to do with canoodling than catching up on your fave streamer shows, but avoid looking too presumptuous to your paramour by at least pretending to care about what’s on the screen. For the clearest picture on your flatscreen, follow these steps:

Turn the TV off.
Dust and desmudge the screen with a dry microfiber cloth using gentle circular motions.
For stubborn schmutz, very lightly spritz distilled water onto a second microfiber cloth.
Again, use gentle circular motions, drying as you go.

4. Install a Massaging Shower Head

The spa experience lulls you into a zenlike state of physical and mental relaxation. From hydrotherapy pools to the steam rooms to massage services, there’s nothing like sitting in a robe with a glass of cucumber water to get you feeling rested and rejuvenated.

Reproduce that bathhouse bliss by purchasing a high-end massaging showerhead for the price of a spa treatment, installing it yourself and enjoying a warm, cascading couples massage. Depending on the showerhead model you choose, installation may be as simple as unscrewing the old fixture by hand, applying plumber’s tape to the shower arm connection for a tight seal and screwing on the new fixture.

5. Clean the Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Apropos of showering your lover with affection, things are definitely gonna get steamy in there. Though homeowners tend to think of the bathroom fan as an odor eliminator, its primary function is actually to remove moisture from the air in this humid, mold- and mildew-prone room. Before you get to steaming up the mirrors, ensure your bathroom exhaust fan is functioning to the fullest by cleaning it. Here are the basic steps for performing this oft-neglected home maintenance task:

Switch the fan off.
Standing safely on a ladder, remove the fan cover by pulling gently downward and squeezing the metal prongs together on either side to free it.
Wash the fan cover in the sink with warm water and a touch of dish soap.
Towel it off and let it air dry thoroughly.
Gently knock loose and suck up caked-on crud inside the fan compartment and motor using a toothbrush and vacuum cleaner attachment.
Wipe the compartment clean with a damp cloth.
Reattach the fan cover.

6. Install a Hot Water Recirculation Pump

Of course, if it takes more than a hot minute for your shower water to heat up, the moment may pass. Waiting for hot water is a bummer even when you’re showering solo, but installing a water heater recirculation pump will keep hot water at the ready at all times by recirculating cooled-off water in your plumbing back to the water heater for reheating.

The cost of a recirculation pump kit is typically around $275, and it’s generally considered an achievable installation for a competent, confident DIYer. The steps are too intricate to explain here, but they include shutting off the power supply and water, releasing pressure from the system, disconnecting the hot water line, connecting the pump apparatus to the hot water port, sealing a reconnecting the hot water line to the pump apparatus and restoring water flow.

7. Clean the Oven

The way to your lover’s heart is through their stomach — and, indeed, a home-cooked meal featuring their favorite foods is a recipe for romance. But if you’ve neglected the inside of your oven, that amorous aroma emanating from your kitchen could quickly give way to the off-putting smell of smoke.

Of course, it’s best to clean the oven before the cooking commences. Here’s a rapid-fire rundown on how to clean your non-self-cleaning oven fast:

Lay down newspapers to protect your floor.
Open a window.
Remove the racks.
Spray down the inside with a can of commercial oven cleaner.
Wait for the manufacturer-recommended time.
Wearing latex gloves, scrub the grease and grime with nonabrasive pads.
Wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth.
Replace the racks.

8. Set the Thermostat to Snuggle

Did you know the ideal sleep temperature for the best night’s slumber is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit? Keeping your bedroom on the cool side is scientifically proven to help you fall asleep faster and enjoy higher-quality sleep.

For that reason, it’s best to program your smart thermostat to lower the temperature when you and your bunkmate typically hit the sack. That’ll ensure optimal conditions for getting close under the covers in order to stay warm.

9. Change Your HVAC Filter

If your home's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is the lungs of your home, your HVAC filters are its, well, nose hairs, keeping dirt, dust, mold, allergens and other contaminants out of your home’s lungs — and out of yours. You want to take your partner's breath away, but not make it harder to breathe, so you'll want to ensure that your home's indoor air is sufficiently clean. Here’s how:

Purchase a new filter of a compatible rating and dimensions for your furnace.
Switch your unit off.
Open the filter compartment.
Remove the old, filthy filter.
Insert the new filter, following the orientation arrows on the filter.
Close the compartment.
Switch the unit back on.

10. Fix That Squeaky Bed Frame

And, finally, not to put too fine a point on it … but you’re going to want to fix that squeak in the bed frame. Start by looking for any screws or bolts in the bed and tightening them up. Then lubricate common friction points, which you can do with WD-40 or petroleum jelly, according to Woodsmith.com.

As you prepare for the big day of love and affection, remember that it’s OK to call a pro to help you if you feel like you’re in over your head with home maintenance. After all, what’s more attractive than someone who takes charge of a situation but isn’t afraid to ask for help when they need it?

This story was produced by HomeServe and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.