About 74 days a year have snow on the ground in Portland, and about 144 nights fall below freezing. Here is how to keep an older Maine home clean through all of that.
A Portland winter is long and gets into everything. The Jetport averages 68.7 inches of snow a year, and the house stays closed for months. Sand and salt come in on boots, furnace air dries everything out, and an old building reacts to the cold in its own ways. This guide covers what helps most.
January is the snowiest month, averaging 18.6 inches, and about 74 days a year have at least an inch of snow on the ground, most of them from December through February. The average January temperature is 24.0 degrees. About 144 nights fall below freezing, and about 41 days stay below freezing all day.
Winter storms can be serious. Cumberland County was included in a federal Major Disaster Declaration for the severe storms and flooding of January 9 to 13, 2024. Most winters are simply long and cold, but keeping a basic emergency kit is a good idea.
Sand scratches and salt dulls. Portland floors get plenty of both, and old hardwood is especially vulnerable. A good entry routine stops most of the damage before it starts.
Older Portland homes often have radiators or old vents, and these collect dust that gets moved around all winter. Use a vacuum brush on the fins and wipe covers with a damp cloth. Change filters in forced air systems on schedule, and dust with a slightly damp cloth, because it holds what it picks up.
About 46 percent of city units were built in 1939 or earlier. In those homes, careful dusting matters for another reason. Maine DEP says most lead poisonings in the state come from dust from old lead paint, especially in buildings built before 1950, and windows and sills can be the most worn surfaces. Wipe them with a damp cloth, and do not sand, scrape or dry sweep.
Run bathroom and kitchen fans for longer than you think you need to. Cooking and showers add moisture that a closed house cannot lose quickly, and it can condense on cold windows. Wipe sills on cold mornings. If you see dark spots return repeatedly on walls or ceilings, find out why. Cleaners do not remediate mold, so the moisture problem has to be fixed by the right trade.
Keep overnight parking bans in mind, particularly for anyone staying with you. South Portland bans unattended overnight parking on city streets from midnight to 6 am every night from December 1 to April 1. Falmouth prohibits parking on town roads from midnight to 6 am between November 15 and April 15, and whenever a storm parking ban is declared.
If you have a cleaning visit coming up, clear the steps and walkway the evening before, and let the office know about anything tricky, such as an unplowed drive or a shared back stair. Falmouth's trash bags and carts must be out by 7 am, so make sure the snowbank is not in the way.
A Recurring House Clean on a bi-weekly schedule handles a lot of the grit and dust through the snowy months, and many households move to it just for the season. A One-Time Deep Clean in spring removes what has built up, including what has settled into baseboards, tracks and vents.
If you leave for part of the winter, you may want a visit before you return, so the house does not feel stale when you are back. About 1,890 Portland homes are held for seasonal or occasional use, according to Census estimates, so this is not an unusual arrangement.
The questions Portland homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
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