Doing a professional oven cleaning for yourself is something that most people carry out either because they do not see the point of hiring a cleaning company to be able to do it for them, or it’s more about “it’s just an oven, I will do it myself!”. Either way, whatever the deal, times are tough and it isn’t always easy to be able to hire cleaning contractors and we’re left to be able to clean the oven that is full of grease ourselves because we know that if we need to continue to cook or bake in it, it isn’t always easy to have a dirty oven! We know the reason that when the cleaners choose to clean our place, it sparkles and shines simply and often because of the cleaning agents they use. But what about the times that we have to do it all by ourselves and want to achieve the same result? Not a worry, we’ve taken the liberty of being able to put it down for you in a handy short guide that you can go through and get even better results (!) than the experts, provided you follow the steps. It is a great skill to learn, one you can teach friends and family as well as save a bit of money on the side to be able to put towards something else. Keep this guide handy as it will help for the future:
Before cleaning the oven, please clean the stove itself. Sounds a bit silly to even be saying that however it is imperative that all of the cooker is sparkling and clean so that it doesn’t feel weird having a cooker that is dirty on the outside and yet clean on the inside. You can do this by taking off the burners and cleaning them with a damp cloth slowly and all around the grill rack as well, if it is a gas cooker. If it is an electric cooker, your job is a little simpler as you can spray on the foam cleanser and let it sit there for a while, for around half an hour until you can get a scourer and then clean up with little to no effort!
Before you actually do your oven cleaning, it is important that you also clean out the vent. Ensure that your vent is cold and that you have not used the oven to be able to cook just a short while ago. If all is well, simply climb on a stool and wipe it down with a damp clean cloth. Remember that you use your vent to let out any excess heat, so it may have a little grease on it from time to time.
For your actual oven clean, this is how it works. Mix a quarter cup of bicarbonate of soda and a quarter of vinegar into a bucket that has been filled with warm water. Take off the oven racks and let them sit in there overnight. For the actual oven, make a paste of these two ingredients, mix and then smear all over the oven. Leave overnight and then scrape off in the morning. Your oven will be as good as new!
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January 27, 2015 | Ella Andrews
Leather is a popular choice when it comes to sofas, both at home and at the office. It really does give rooms a warm feel and is a terrific feature or focal point for any room! However upholstery cleaning for leather furniture requires some fine detailing and special domestic cleaning products! Leather sofa cleaning is trickier than cleaning removable fabric covers, but it’s not an impossible feat. You just have to be given some direction on spot cleaning and making sure you leather upholstery doesn’t crack or become discoloured through the incorrect cleaning routine!
First of all it’s imperative that before you even consider cleaning your leather furniture that you keep it out of direct sunlight. This can prevent drying and cracking of your valuable leather sofas or chairs! There are ways you can keep your leather looking well nourished and almost as good as new. A great home cleaning tip for leather furniture is to mix one part of white vinegar with two parts of linseed oil and apply lightly to your leather using a soft, clean, and dry cloth. When cleaning leather always use a circular motion. Rub this concoction in well and let it sit for approximately 10 minutes, before buffing with a soft cloth. This will give your leather sofa an extra amount of sheen!
The most dreaded part of house and upholstery cleaning may very be stain removal from any surface. When it comes to removing stains from your leather furniture, try dipping some cotton wool in rubbing alcohol, then rub slowly in a circular motion over the stain. Then dry the area with your hairdryer to see immediate results. If the stain is still there, apply some cuticle removal to the mark and leave it overnight. In the morning wipe off with a damp cloth. I’d suggest testing this method on a discreet part of your leather sofa, in case of discolouration.
Another tip which has worked for many in the past when it comes to removing dark stains from lightly coloured leather upholstery, is to mix one part lemon juice with one part cream of tartar (a baking ingredient you buy from your local supermarket). Rub the paste on the stain and after 10 minutes apply yet another layer and work it in carefully. Then remove using a damp cloth (not wet).
One tip for leather upholstery cleaning is to use a good moisturising soap. Lather on the soap with a soft cloth, but be sure not over wet the leather. Also don’t rinse after your soaping, just use a soft cloth to remove the soap. Then you can polish as you would normally.
You may not consider the amount of dust that can collect on your leather furniture. Attach a soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner and use this to remove the dust before you try soaping down your leather. Using micro-fibre cloths are better than regular cotton cloths, as they really help to pick up extra dust that the vacuum cleaner hasn’t picked up.
It’s true that leather goods including upholstered leather furniture is rather durable, but they don’t respond well to stains or grease and unlike cotton or other hard-wearing fabrics, leather will need special, particular attention and care. Using all-purpose fabric sofa cleaners on your leather couch could end up damaging your leather, so be sure to follow the above tips if you want you leather to last and look its best! However if you’re not confident in your own leather cleaning abilities you can call in the professional cleaners to take care of your upholstery cleaning!
November 24, 2014 | Ella Andrews
If your budget is thinned after buying a new house and interior, it might be a good idea to consider a do-it-yourself approach on some of the jobs around the new home. By far the most popular activity for home improvement is painting. It is one of the things that do not require special training or skills, nor does it require that much of preparation. What you need to do is arm yourself with patience and see some general advice on how to do the job properly. It will not only save you money but also cause less disruption to your home as it allows you to be flexible. And let’s not forget how fun it can be.
The first thing you have to do is properly select the paint you want. Navigate the paint aisle with caution and bring samples to your home to best determine if what you are going after looks good on your wall.Consider what equipment you will need. The last thing you want is to start the painting job and discover you are missing something. This will delay your work and spoil your plans.
Buy all the brushes, buckets, painting rollers and extension poles. The last one is very useful, as it will allow you to paint high surfaces without the need for a ladder. Another handy tool to have for the job is a paint grid. This is a grid that is usually hooked onto the rim of the bucket. It serves the purpose of removing excess paint from your roller or brush, which makes the whole process of painting a whole lot easier.
Before you paint a room, it is extremely important to prepare it. It can be a messy job, no doubt about that. Remove everything that can be moved out of the room, such as decorations, furniture and electronic devices. Turn off the electricity, remove the lamps, switches and anything that will get in the way. Use tape on the walls and anywhere that borders with painting surface. If needed, after you finish the painting, call professional house cleaners to clear the mess.
Before you apply your paint, it is important to prepare the walls. You can wipe off dust with cloth or scrub with water and soap in areas that are dirtier. Another thing you have to do is cover any imperfections on the wall. This is very important, because no paint can really hide any cracks and the like. You will have to use primer on walls that already have paint on them.
A final piece of advice for any person who is into painting on their own – do not rush. Work carefully, be patient in order to achieve the best results. It is your home after all, so anything less than perfect will not suffice. Give yourself enough time for the project, be patient and you will soon reap the benefits of this DIY job.
November 17, 2014 | Ella Andrews
Selling your home
As a number one tip, a real real estate agent will tell you that you should de clutter your home in order to attract more buyers. However, this real estate agent hasn’t given you any recommendations on where to store your belongings. So what do you do? You decide to self-store! And by self-storing you choose to cram everything you want to hide from buyers in the loft and shed but the only problem you have is that these buyers want to see what is inside your loft…as well as your shed.
Suddenly, a buyer notices that an ancient ornament is seconds close to smashing against the loft window and you realise that this is your great grandmother’s favourite vase – so you panic (and you’re embarrassed). You then save the vase and look out of your loft window to find your husband’s favourite armchair sticking out of the garden shed. You purposefully kick yourself as you thought that you could temporarily hide it so the buyers wouldn’t see it!
Nonetheless, congratulations! This buyer is now put-off by your nonsensical ways and honestly tells you that they were interested in buying your home until they saw the nearly-smashed vase and the old furniture sticking out from your garage.
You have a light-bulb moment and recognise that the less clutter there is, the more comfortable your home looks! You choose to follow your heart’s desires and you pick the best-looking shutter in the self-storage to hide those unnecessary burdens away. Genius!
Travelling
So you choose to go to Miami for a long-period of time or your manager asks you to visit a client in China? Perfect! Get your things ready and start packing away …WAIT! You forgot about your treasures at home. No one can look after your 50 inch tv and now you start to feel insecure.
Don’t worry my friend, a friendly self-storage company will look after everything for you whilst you’re in Taiwan or China and as much as you will be on the other-side of the World, all will be professionally looked after so that you can definitely feel less insecure.
Holiday Seasons
Those never-ending festive lights, the stack of unwanted gifts and the broken boxes from an old 1000-piece puzzle are extremely annoying when you end up shoving them into the loft garage, into your garden shed or stocking them up in the corner of a room at home ready for the next holiday season.
So now let us use this moment to think about what to do with the line of bikinis waiting to come out when you’re one day on a beach in Thailand and the snow-gear that will never come out unless you choose to go the Alps for the perfect ski-trip.
Don’t fret! The spring seasons will save you. Instead of making a hustle and bustle in the autumn leaves of what you will have to do for the upcoming super-Spring time, you could make your life much easier by choosing the easy way out!
August 25, 2014 | Ella Andrews
