cleaning tips for the winter

Around this time of year people start looking at how to make the most of their home for the winter. The prospect of relatives coming for the Christmas break and more time indoors, perhaps. It’s a busy time for us decorators, though.

I thought you might appreciate some unusual cleaning tips, while you’re thinking about what colour you want me to paint your living room. I come across a lot of tips, some good and some not, but I’ve found these very useful. Carpet stains Did you know that vinegar is surprisingly good at getting stains out of fabrics? It’s probably the acid content, but it can work wonders.

There’s a whole website devoted to wonderful things you can do with vinegar, from corrosion on shower-heads to stopping colours running in the wash, here (http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar) .

Pet smells

Here’s a tip for getting rid of nasty pet smells: baking soda. Don’t ask me why that one works, but it’s great for getting rid of pet smells and other such delights. I’ve even seen it done with half a lemon in a bowl of baking soda to absorb atmospheric smells from the inside of a car. Read about baking soda here (http://www.ehow.com/info_7983109_baking-soda-pet-odor.html) .

Mildew

Mildew can be really hard to kill off, but a tip I picked up that really does work well is alcohol. In America the supermarkets sell bottles of grain alcohol with no duty, laced with things to make them undrinkable. Well that doesn’t deter some people of course, but very strong alcohol is about the only way I know to completely kill off mildew – you wipe it over the affected areas and let it get on with the job. Read about alcohol here (http://moldandmildewremedies.com/tag/mildew-isopropyl-alcohol/) .

Planning for redecoration

Call us for a quotation

Whatever colours you choose, the job needs to be done well from the bottom up for it to look good. Our workmen are sticklers for getting the preparations done just right.

If you want to get some figures on what you’ll need to pay for redecorating, call us and we’ll come round. We’re very affordable, and we always answer the phone.

Call 0208 946 5045 and Holly will be glad to book you in.

Cheers!