With winter and cold temperatures knocking on your door, it is a good idea to start preparations now, while the temperatures are still bearable. Winters can be rough, seeing how everywhere around the globe countries are experiencing snow and cold weather earlier or more severe than ever before. Make sure your home is ready for any such unforeseen contingency.
Winter preparations often times do not require a great deal of time investment, only some knowledge and know-how on how to perform them. Much like house cleaning, preparing for winter is best done with a good to-do list and proper tools for the job.
Start with insulation. It is one of the most effective solutions when it comes to preparing for the winter. You can insulate the attic and walls, as these are areas that heat escapes from. Warm air is light, and will easily escape through your attic, if there is no insulation there. Another problematic area of the house is windows and doors. Holes, cracks and other openings can easily lead to leaks, losing a large amount of heat from your house. Make sure you caulk those to seal them. Install storm doors and windows to serve protection from snow blizzards. Consider window cleaning after or before that, to ensure they are in their best condition. If there is draft under your doors, you can use draft stoppers. Get your heavy curtains out and after giving them a thorough steam cleaning, put them to good use.
Have your heating system checked by a professional to make sure everything is working as intended. Check the vents for blockage and remove any if present. Cleaning them is also important, as is replacing your air filter frequently. This will ensure the system works smoothly and more effectively.
If you own a fireplace, make sure you get a professional to clean your chimney. Any creosote and soot build ups must be removed. Inspect your damper, to make sure it closes and opens freely. Check the chimney for any birds or other rodents and install a screen on top to prevent them from entering. You should inspect your wood as well, and keep a reserve of 20% at least, in case of sudden outbursts of extreme cold weather, during which you will use more wood fuel.
Make sure you prepare your winter upholstery for the season. Consider upholstery cleaning services. Having bulky upholstery can bring lots of warmth in your room, especially if it is one you spend a lot of time in.
Making sure you are ready for winter will ensure no bad surprises happen to your home. You should definitely start your preparations early and make sure they are performed thoroughly.
Read more tips at: http://www.londoncarpetcleaning.co/SW12-flat-cleaning-balham/balham-apartment-cleaning.html
December 15, 2014 | Ella Andrews
Has your tenancy lease come to an end and is it time to pack up and move to new accommodation? The stress of moving can be overwhelming along with check out fees that you may have agreed to in your contract with your landlord or estate agent. The terms of nearly every contract will include an end of tenancy cleaning, which when using professional cleaners can be really expensive! Appreciating everyone’s need to save a penny here or there, we’ve compiled a Do-It-Yourself guide so you can take care of your own end of lease cleaning. If you follow every step you can be sure to leave your old rented accommodation spotless!
An end of tenancy cleaning is by no means a simple task, which is why so many tenants forfeit doing the job themselves and just agree to pay a cleaning agency. You’ll need to consider all aspects that must be properly cleaned, from the skirting boards, to the microwave and even the blinds, window frames and lighting fixtures! When handing over your keys you must be sure you’ve covered every area of cleaning, otherwise you may have to incur the charges of professional cleaning and your efforts will be wasted!
If you’ve fixed paintings or pictures to the walls by putting in new nails or screws, you must remove these and make sure you fill the holes with polyfilla and also paint them too so there are no visible markings. Landlords and estate agents are very particular when it comes to any wall damage, so this is one really vital point to remember! If there are any other marks or fingerprints on walls you’ll need to scrub these clean. My advice is to use a moist sponge and this should effectively remove any dirt from walls. Don’t forget to also clean skirting boards and radiators thoroughly as this is an area where dust and grime can collect!
A clean kitchen can often make all the difference to a property and it is actually the most frequently used room in any flat or house. The landlord is sure to scrutinise the state of the kitchen so you’ll really need to get stuck into giving all your surfaces a deep clean! Make sure you buy the right cleaning equipment and clean all your countertops, inside and outside all cupboards and drawers, the sink, the microwave (if you have one), the fridge/freezer and most importantly make sure you tackle over cleaning! You also need to clean the washing machine, both internally as well as externally and get rid of any residue that’s been left to build up in your detergent compartments!
Another area of rented accommodation that’s inspected in great deal by estate agents or a landlord is the bathroom and toilet! Be thorough when cleaning the bathtub, toilet, basin and tiles. Invest in a good bathroom stain remover and use only the best quality bath and toilet cleaners. You may need to use some grout removal product for in between bathroom tiles that can easily become marked and dirty over time. A good tip is to remember to remove all your personal belongings from a bathroom before inspection time! This will immediately make the bathroom appear cleaner!
Carpets can get really grubby so if you’re rented property is carpeted, you’ll need to try and restore it to its original state. First give the carpets a good once over with the vacuum and then try to remove any stains with home carpet stain removers. If this doesn’t work, then you may have to call in the professional carpet cleaners!
Hopefully this step-by-step guide to moving out cleaning has proved helpful and will leave your landlord more than satisfied with the state of their property! Good luck!
October 27, 2014 | Ella Andrews
Go and take a look at all your cleaning products – how many of them have words like ‘dangerous’, ‘irritant’, ‘corrosive’ or other similarly dire warnings imprinted on them? Wouldn’t it be better if you could clean your home using less of these undeniably toxic chemicals? Well, using a few simple recipes, mainly made of materials found around your home or available cheaply at most corner shops or supermarkets, you can do so easily today. Not only are these home-made cleaners safer for those living in your house, they are also better for the environment and cost you less money; so why not make the switch?
Surface Cleaner
1 Tablespoon of white vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon of water makes a great chemical free surface cleaner for all bathroom and kitchen surfaces. For more difficult house clearing chores and matters, with caked on grease or dirt, simply put the mix in a microwavable bowl and heat it up for a minute before putting back into a spray bottle and spraying onto the surface. Leave it for 10 minutes, come back with a clean cloth and you will find the heat has worked its magic letting you scrub off all the grime and dirt with ease! Note some people might say that vinegar has an unpleasant odour and, while this is undeniably true for some, I find that the faint smell of vinegar for an hour or two is much preferable to a chemical concoction that lingers for days and can irritate the eyes and throat of any who use the room; especially small children and pets.
Drain Unblocker
If unblocking your drain using traditional methods (i.e. plunging or with a cable) has not worked, it may be tempting to reach for the heavy duty chemicals. Drain unlocking liquids are notoriously hazardous, requiring protective gear for your hands and eyes during use; so why not try a natural alternative? Simply pour 1 cup of baking soda, followed swiftly by 2 cups of boiling water into the blocked drain. Wait a few minutes to let the baking soda get to work, then throw in a cup of white vinegar. You should hear a bubbling and fizzing sound coming from the drain. When it has died down, add the last of the boiling water and your drain should be unblocked. If not, try plunging again as the cleaner may have loosened the blockage enough for this to have an effect. If this still doesn’t work, it might be time to reach for the chemical cleaners – but this should be a last resort, as most drain cleaners contain sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, which is extremely caustic and can burn skin without proper attention during use.
Furniture Polish
Simply mix ¼ a cup of white vinegar and a few drops of good quality olive oil, dab onto a cloth and wipe any wooden furniture surface for a great polish to rival that of any chemical product. Make sure to only use white vinegar and not dark, as this could stain the wood! You could even mix in 2 or 2 drops of lemon juice for a great smelling natural alternative to that chemically fresh smell of shop bought furniture polish. As an alternative to purchased cleaning cloth, it’s possible to recycle by ripping a piece from an unused bit of fabric such as an old shirt, and washing each time for re-use.
October 13, 2014 | Ella Andrews
Did you know that when you move out, cleaning the place before you leave is something you’re going to be held responsible for? End of tenancy cleaning refers to cleaning up a house when you’re moving out. While end of tenancy cleaning is just basic courtesy- after all, who wants to have to look after a mess left behind by someone else- it also helps you save money on your initial deposit. A lot of landlords will charge you a fee out of the damage deposit if you leave the house in a messy state when you move out. In this article we share some great advice on end of tenancy cleaning and how you can make the most of the process.
Since end of tenancy cleaning is essentially a house cleaning process, it is important to stock up on the right cleaning tools and supplies. Make a list of all the things you will need, from cleaning rags and sponges to a mild detergent and mop. However, before you run out to purchase these cleaning supplies take a look around the house to see what you might already have in stock. This way you’ll save money and won’t end up buying things that you don’t actually need.
The next step should be to take stock of the situation. You need to figure how much cleaning is required and whether you are going to be able to do it yourself. If you are vacating a really large home or you don’t have a lot of time before you move out or you just have a lot of packing and other things to get done, you may not be able to take care of the home cleaning yourself. End of lease cleaning is a big responsibility and you need to be honest with yourself about how much of it you can manage on your own. If you find that you can’t possibly leave the house clean and move out at one go, then consider hiring a cleaning company for the job.
If you don’t need cleaning services, you should begin making a plan for the cleaning process. Most cleaning companies recommend a room-by-room cleaning chart. For instance, rooms like the kitchen and the bathroom will need the most attention so you can leave bathroom and kitchen cleaning for the end, after the rest of the house is taken care of and everything is properly packed up. Creating a schedule will really help you stay organised and focussed and it will also make sure that you don’t miss out on any part of the house.
Apart from creating a room-by-room sequence that you work with, cleaning contractors also advocate making specific to-do lists. For instance, when you are cleaning out the kitchen you should pay special attention to large appliances and gadgets and areas that are more prone to dirt and grime. For instance, oven cleaning is a task that requires quite a bit of attention, effort and time. Make sure you factor in all these individual tasks when you are carving out time for your end of tenancy cleaning project.
While it certainly recommended that you work with professional cleaners for end of lease cleaning, it is not a must. It will just make things easier for you because home removals are anyway such a challenging time you might not want to take on an additional responsibility on top of everything else.
September 29, 2014 | Ella Andrews
