Don’t Forget to Clean the Heart of Your Home THE IMPORTANCE OF SPRING CLEANING YOUR UTILITY ROOM
The start of spring brings everyone’s favorite seasonal chore — spring cleaning! As you dust, vacuum, organize, and declutter, don’t forget about the one room that often gets neglected. This year, give special attention to the utility closet. The utility closet houses your furnace, boiler, water heater, A/C junction, and other similar large appliances. Homeowners often forget about these appliances because they are out of sight and out of mind, and this can cost a lot in the long run. Like all the other rooms in your home, this space needs to be kept clean. Dust, for instance, can be hard on HVAC systems. Over time, it accumulates in the HVAC intake and clogs the air filter, reducing its effectiveness and efficiency. This results in a short lifespan for your system, higher power bills, and a poorly heated or cooled home.
• Family homes (three or more occupants) with no pets or allergies: 3–6 months. • Family homes with at least one pet or minor allergies: 2–3 months. • Family homes with multiple pets or allergies: 1–2 months. In addition to changing the air filter, it’s important to schedule a routine inspection of your home’s HVAC system. This includes an inspection of the appliances themselves and any connecting ducts. Dust, dander, and mold can accumulate in the ducts and spread throughout the home, which can lead to health issues, including respiratory problems. A routine inspection will identify potential problems in your HVAC system. On top of that, you can get these systems professionally cleaned and maintained. These are simple steps that will keep your home’s air systems running smoothly for years to come. Plus, you’ll be ready for the summer months ahead!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU REPLACE YOUR AIR FILTER?
• Homes with minimal foot traffic (single or double occupancy) and no pets or allergies: 6–12 months.
A DISCUSSION WITH RORY SCHER
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
What types of services do you offer?
There are few things I enjoy more than introducing new resources to my readers. Today, I’m excited to introduce Rory Scher, a licensed marriage and family therapist at the Life Counseling Institute. I asked Rory a series of questions to help you get to know her better and to discover what Rory and her partners can do for you!
Here at the Life Counseling Institute, we have a wide range of services. Our therapists are trained in emotion-focused therapy for couples counseling and in exposure and response therapy for treating OCD and anxiety disorders. We do a lot of work with teens and children, assisting them in adjusting to changes in life: divorce, new schools, bullying, and academic investment. We also counsel for depression, codependency issues, grief, addictions, and life transitions. Patterns tend to repeat themselves. It’s important for couples to understand that just because they’re no longer married doesn’t mean the relationship’s core problems will magically disappear. I encourage couples considering divorce or who are already in the process of separating to really invest in understanding and resolving their core relational issues so they don’t continue these patterns with each other post-divorce or with the next person they meet in the future. What advice would you give couples considering divorce? That’s awesome, Rory! How can people learn more about you or contact you? Our website, lifecounselinginstitute.com. We list all of our services. There are biographies on each of the therapists working here, as well as blog posts for those interested in some practical tips. Or give us a call at 630-269-2886.
What led you to do this type of work?
All of us here at the Life Counseling Institute see therapy as an opportunity to help others work through barriers that are keeping them from being able to live their life to its fullest. We all believe that even one person in a family has the power and opportunity to effect change in not only their own life, but also in the lives of those around them — be it a spouse, child, parent, friend, or peer. We each chose this field as a way to foster hope, as we discover their inner strengths and find how to better cope with the changes life can unexpectedly bring.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Being a part of someone’s life. It’s such a unique experience and privilege to share a space with someone who is hurting, who has just suffered a loss — emotional, financial, or relational — or who is unsure how to adjust to a new set of circumstances, and to help them heal and become stronger on the other side of it.
2 www.stglawfirm.com
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