A new month and a new year! Here is your January to-do list! 1. Holiday Clean Up. Remove all Christmas Decorations and store them. To ensure your tree lights do not get tangled, use a hanger to wrap them. Then, remove the lights from your home. If you have a real tree, most communities will allow time for you to place it at the curb for pick up. Another idea is to chip and compose piles or spread in beds for a mid-winter mulch. 2. Clean the Oven.  Set the oven on self-clean, then wipe the interior with a vinegar-soaked cloth. 3. Protect the Pipes.   A frozen pipe can crack or burst, flooding your home. So if you’re planning a winter vacation, don’t forget to wrap pipes with heat tape you can control with a thermostat. And if you haven’t turned off the water to outdoor spigots yet, consider yourself lucky—if they haven’t yet burst, shut off water valves and open spigots to drain existing water. To thaw a frozen pipe, wrap it with a heating pad or turn a hairdryer on it.  4. Clean. Yes, cleaning counts as home maintenance! Clean those filthy places people don’t see, but you know you are there. They include the range hood and grilles, refrigerator coils, tops of ceiling fans, dusty light fixtures and bulbs (make sure lights are off before dusting), and HVAC vents.