Spring is blooming, the pollen is swirling and many of us are now spending more time around the house. Tempted to tackle some serious spring cleaning yet? Being able to see out of your windows is great, but spring cleaning can also help you make your home more energy efficient. Take this opportunity to help save energy and money cleaning these five areas this season.


Don’t let your comfort be gone with the wind

Cleaning your air vents is a great place to start. Built-up dirt can reduce the air flow through the vents and increase dust, making it uncomfortable for those with seasonal allergies. Remove the vents and wipe both sides to remove accumulated grime.


And if you can’t remember the last time you changed your air filters, take the time to do it now. It will improve air quality and ensure your system is working efficiently. If you are unsure what size filter to buy, simply take it with you to your local DIY store.


Savings for your lightbulbs

As the days get longer, we aren’t burning our lights as much, but it is a good time to replace burned-out bulbs and swap incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent (CFL) with light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. LEDs use up to 66% less energy and last up to 24 times longer than traditional bulbs.


Be sure to wipe down bulbs and rinse out light fixture covers. Dust keeps lightbulbs, as well as electronics and motors, from running at top efficiency.


Open the door to savings by cleaning door tracks

Clean the sliding door track. Dirt and grime in the track can ruin the door's seal and create gaps where heat or cold air can escape. In addition, caulking and sealing cracks and openings around windows, doors and any other openings keeps the cool air in, the warm air out, and the cash in your wallet.


A clean refrigerator means cool cash savings

As dust builds up on your refrigerator coils, it forces the fridge to work harder. The coils are located at the base of your refrigerator or behind it. Unplug your fridge and vacuum or dust them to save some energy.


Clean your refrigerator seals. Moisten a cloth in a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water and scrub the rubber seals. While you are at it, clean out your fridge. Refrigerators operate most efficiently when full but not overloaded.


Regularly defrosting manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers increases their efficiency and saves energy. If the ice buildup is more than a fourth of an inch, it’s time to clean. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the freezer at the proper temperature.


Get a spring tuneup for your HVAC

All mechanical devices age and can eat up a lot of power doing the job if not properly maintained. Consider having a professional look at your HVAC system. And make sure to adjust or re-program your thermostat for warmer weather. Set your thermostat to the highest temperature that’s comfortable for you and set it even higher when you leave for a few hours.