We have a heat wave Chicago
For every homeowner out there that means - clean the gutters! Rake the lawn and get ready to fertilize and seed your lawn.
To clean your gutters, do not flood them with water as that just moves all the debris to the downspout and they usually get clogged. Put on a good pair of gloves to protect your hands and remove all the debris in your gutters. Once the debris is out, then hose down the gutters and look for any leaks. This is when you need to seal up those leaks to minimize derioration and damage to your gutters and downspouts.
Why is now an ideal time to clean up the fallen leaves on the ground? The ground is just moist enough but dry enough so that the leaves are not "caked" on to the ground and can be easily removed.
Once you've removed all the debris and leaves off of the ground - spike some holes in your yard and then use Scott's fertilizer/seed. Why Scott's? The majority of the companies that provide seed for your yard, actually has a combination of weed within that seed!
If you have some spots in your lawn that need extra help, take the Scotts seed and sprinkle pretty heavy and then lightly sprinkle with a good top soil and that's it!
Beat your neighbors to having a jump start in having the best lawn in the neighborhood. You'll be surprised how many follow!