I like to clean my house from top to bottom during the middle of the winter.
In the spring, there is simply too much to do outside.
In January, when the outdoor temperature drops down into the negative digits, I’m trapped inside. There’s plenty of time to do a very thorough job. I launder bedding and curtains, wash down all the moldings and move furniture. I clean under and behind the refrigerator and take the time to empty all of the kitchen cupboards. I even climb a ladder and wash the ceilings and overhead light fixtures. This past year, when I stood on a ladder, I immediately started to sweat. I realized that the temperature near the ceiling was much higher than down near the floor. This meant that the heated air provided by the furnace was rising straight up and getting wasted. It was necessary to set higher thermostat settings to achieve comfort. The furnace was running just about non stop and consuming a great deal of energy to satisfy demand. I needed to figure out a way to get the heat off the ceiling and down closer to the floor. Ceiling fans provided the perfect solution. A bit of research showed me a wide variation in designs, sizes and prices of ceiling fans. I was able to find models that include a light and suit my decor. My husband and I handled the installation as a DIY project. We run the ceiling fans clockwise in the winter to create an updraft and circulate warm air around the room. This has significantly improved comfort, allowed a lower thermostat setting and trimmed our heating costs. In the summer, with the flick of a switch, we reverse the direction of the ceiling fans to create a downdraft and a cooling breeze.