Maintaining Your Home in the New Year

January 11, 2021 Leave a Comment

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It’s 2021 and most of us are spending more time in our homes than ever before. Governments around the world are advising that people stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of coronavirus and Covid-19, which have been wreaking havoc around the world for almost a year now. Of course, if you’re going to spend more time at home, you’re going to want to make sure that your home is in the best condition that it can possibly be in. This will involve some serious home maintenance, but it is doable. Here are some steps to take to help make sure your home is in the best condition possible at all times!

 

Resolving Issues with Your Property Early On

 

Everyone experiences some sort of issue with their property at some point. At the end of the day, we use our homes a lot and there are going to be cases where things wear down, break, or when your home lets elements or animals from the outside in. Whenever you identify a problem with your home, it’s absolutely essential that you tackle it as quickly and effectively as possible. All too many people will attempt to sweep problems under the carpet until they’re causing serious damage or disruption. This is illogical. Tackling issues early on means you have a small and cheaper problem to deal with. When you tackle issues later on, they are often more difficult to resolve and will take more time and cost more money to resolve. If you have a leaky tap or a blocked drain, call a plumber. If you have a cracked window, call a glazier. If you have a small crack or hole in the roof, call a roofer. If you have animals in your home (such as mice, squirrels or other animals) bear in mind that they are only trying to survive. You could call an exterminator, but it’s generally best to take as humane an approach as possible, identify where the animals are getting in and block it, identify why animals are coming in (often open food sources) and remove it and they will eventually leave of their own accord. You also need to check whether the animal is protected or endangered, as you may not legally be able to move them if they are.

 

Carrying Out a Deep Clean

 

Once problems are resolved, it’s time to look into deep cleaning your home. Of course, there are chores we all carry out on a day to day basis. These are simple and don’t take too long .Washing the dishes. Wiping down kitchen surfaces. Dusting. Sweeping. Mopping. Vacuuming. But every so often you should be doing a deep clean too. Cleaning the carpets with a carpet cleaner. Wiping down the skirting boards. Dusting less used areas. This will really help your home to shine!

 

These are just a few suggestions that can get the ball rolling when it comes to maintaining a wonderful home. Hopefully, the advice will come in useful!

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Giving Your Home a New Lease of Life

August 5, 2020 Leave a Comment

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We all want our homes to be the best they can be. Your home is likely to be the investment you’ll spend the most money on in your lifetime. It’s also the space where you’re going to spend most of your free time. You’re going to want to make sure that it’s the best that it can be. When you first move into any property, you tend to be on top of things and everything will look pristine. But as time passes by and you’ve been in the house for a few years, people’s standards can drop and things can begin to look a bit worn and below par. With the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and more of us spending increasing amounts of time in our own properties, many of us are starting to look at our homes with a more critical eye and are looking for ways to spruce our properties up a bit. If this sounds familiar to you and you’re in this situation, you may be looking for different ways to give your property a new lease of life. Here are some ideas to get you started!

 

Decorating

 

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to a living space. We tend to assume that our walls don’t get touched all too often, but you’d be surprised how much dirt can build up on them and how much light can fade certain exposed areas. So, give your walls a fresh lick of paint around once a year. You can opt for a brand new colour scheme to completely convert the look of the property, or you could go for a new coat of the same tone. Generally speaking, if you want the best results, you should use professionals. Check out Local Offers for good quality and affordable services in your local area. The pros will be able to complete every job to perfection. Alternatively, you can go DIY. Just make sure to cover any floors or furniture so that paint doesn’t splash onto them.

 

Conducting a Deep Clean

 

If you want a less intense option to give your home a new look, you should conduct a deep clean. The majority of us will conduct a regular, standard clean around the house. We’ll run the vacuum around. We’ll wipe down the kitchen counter tops. We’ll polish surfaces. We’ll sweep and mop the hard floors. We’ll clean the toilet and wipe down the bath. This is enough to keep things clean and hygienic. But there are other less routine tasks you might want to tackle when conducting a deep clean to give your home that brand new feel. These tasks tend to get overlooked as they’re time consuming and you really don’t have to carry them out as often or on a daily basis. Some deep cleaning activities you might want to consider include washing shower curtains, cleaning out gutters, wiping down skirting boards, cleaning under large pieces of furniture (like sofas and beds) and more.

 

These are just a couple of areas you can focus on when it comes to giving your home a new lease of life. Both are effective, so give them a try!

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Helping Your Elderly Relatives During The Coronavirus Pandemic

April 30, 2020 Leave a Comment


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As the coronavirus pandemic has swept across the globe, many families are left feeling anxious about the health of their elderly relatives. We understand that the elderly are more vulnerable and at risk of severe symptoms from coronavirus. 

 

Many of us are in a position where we cannot visit our relatives, as this may pose a risk to their health. Others may be living with elderly relatives or providing care from close by. Depending on your current circumstances, there are a few things you can do to help your elderly relatives during the pandemic.

 

1 . Tech to keep in touch

 

It may be that for whatever reason, you cannot visit your relatives during the pandemic. The government has advised against this, except under a few special circumstances, for example, if you are providing care for a vulnerable relative. In most countries, care homes are not currently allowing visitors. Your relatives are likely to feel lonely and anxious during this time, so it’s beneficial to use technology to keep in touch. Talking on FaceTime can be comforting, many families are even using this tech to play games virtually, including trivia quizzes or chess.

 

  1. Stock the cupboards

 

If you are directly looking after a relative, help them to stock up on supplies such as food, toiletries, and any prescription medications that they take. They need to leave the house as little as possible, if at all during this time. Help them to use apps for online shopping so that they can get their groceries delivered quickly and conveniently. Many supermarkets are giving elderly or vulnerable customers priority during the pandemic.

 

  1. Social distancing

 

When visiting an elderly relative, be sure to practice social distancing, interact only from a safe distance, and avoid all close contact. It’s believed that many people carry the coronavirus without displaying any symptoms. For this reason it’s still essential to practice social distancing even if you do not have COVID-19 symptoms.

 

  1. Regular deep clean 

 

Help your elderly relative by giving their home a deep clean regularly. Use bleach-based products, which will kill any trace of COVID-19. Provide your relative with plenty of soap and hand sanitizing gel. Remind them to practice regular hand washing, especially if they have left the house.

 

  1. Boost immune system

 

To fight off a virus, we need a strong immune system. During this time, it can be helpful to provide your relatives with plenty of immune-boosting foods and supplements to keep them in good health.

For those who have elderly relatives in care homes, this can be a particularly distressing time. It’s likely that you cannot see your at this time relative; however you will be able to keep in touch over the phone. If you are not happy with the standard of care that your relative is receiving, you may consider removing them from the care home, if possible. There are also neglect attorneys available to help you with any incident, grievance, or complaint.

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The Parts Of Your House That Need A Deep Clean

February 25, 2020 Leave a Comment

Deep cleaning is something that’s much easier to do than you might think. Sure, you might need to block out a week, or you might need just a couple of hours to get things moving, but considering the spring is here and you’ve got a house to clean, there’s no time like the present!

 

So, your house might need a deep clean round about now. It’s been through a lot over the years, and when it comes down to really thinking about it, when was the last time you were able to really get down and scrub the floors? 

 

Because now could be your chance to get a checklist together and whip around your house in an afternoon; we’ve listed below the most crucial parts of your home that’ll need a good clean, so why not use them as inspiration for that free weekend you’ve got coming up? 

Get the mop or the broom out; a deep clean is better suited for certain parts of your house, so it shouldn’t take you too long! (Pexels Image – CC0 Licence)

 

Inside Your Kitchen/Wetroom Appliances

 

Your kitchen is a well used and well loved room in your home. It’s a place where you cook up a storm on a daily basis to feed your family, and it’s probably a good room for hosting guests when they come over too. However, it can also be a very filthy part of the home, and knowing how to clean it (and clean it properly!), is key to maintaining good health and happiness in your house. 

 

Most particularly, you’re going to want to clean inside your appliances. You’re going to want to get your gloves on and scrub the inside of your oven, your fridge, and even the inside of the washing machine you may have in there as well. 

 

The fridge can hold all kinds of raw foods in it at one time, and if you know your kitchen hygiene rules, you know that anything that can drip goes on the bottom shelf to reduce the chance of contamination. Well, if you’ve had some raw meats or something runny in there recently, you’re going to want to whip that bottom shelf out and disinfect it. 

 

The oven can get all kinds of materials burnt into its edges; make sure you’re taking out the grills once a month and wiping them down, and then make sure you can lift those burnt bits and all of that grease off the bottom of the oven itself. 

 

And finally, the washing machine: make sure you disinfect the inside of the drum every once in a while, especially if you’re prone to leaving wet washing in there for hours on end. Also, wet washing is a great environment for germs to make their home and start reproducing, so if your laundry has been in there for a while, it’s best to put it on again! 

 

What’s Inside Your Handbag

 

If you own and use a handbag, think about what’s in it right now. You’ve got your wallet and your keys, of course, but you’ve probably got a collection of other things in there too. Maybe something your children have asked you to carry for them, or something like a lipstick you use to touch up when you’re out and about, or even just your phone. No matter what’s in there at the moment, go to your handbag and empty it out, and give each and every item a good clean. 

 

Get some disinfectant wipes out and get started! Your wallet could be built up with germs, and fraying at the seams – in this case, throw it away, and transfer your items to a newer, sturdier, cleaner case. Make sure that lipstick or lip balm is still in date, as you don’t want to be using something past its shelf life. Wipe down your phone screen, most of all, simply because so much grease and dirt from a day’s use can build up on it. Your phone screen really can be a breeding ground for bacteria when left unchecked! 

 

The Carpets Around Your House

 

Your carpets could have years of dirt built up in the materials, and the deeper or thicker the pile of the carpet, the more chance of dirt and bacteria within it. After all, how often do you tend to clean your carpets, if you have any in your house? If you haven’t washed them down since you moved in, it might be time to get your deep cleaning gloves on! 

 

If you already have a steam cleaner, this job doesn’t have to be too difficult for you. But if you don’t, don’t worry! You’re in luck – there’s plenty of ways to deep clean without needing to invest in more cleaning machinery; simply get your regular dish soap or a bit of baking soda, and an old toothbrush, towel and bucket from outside, and then follow the steps here to make sure you can scrub away those darkened areas of the carpet you’re sick of looking at. 

 

Of course, you don’t have to undergo a hefty deep cleaning job like this alone, or even do it yourself in the first place. Companies like Chem-Dry of Columbia exist to help homeowners keep their home clean and tidy, without needing to quarantine an area for cleaning and drying for hours on end at a time. 

 

The Computer Desk

 

And a final quick note to finish. If you have a computer desk in your home, and/or a home office to make use of, you’re going to want to clean up your mouse and keyboard, and probably give the monitor a rub down as well. If you eat at your desk, or even just use it on a daily basis, all kinds of skin cells, hairs, and dirt from outside sources can build up here. 

 

Your house could do with a deep clean in some areas; make sure you know where to start with your efforts for a happier, healthier home!

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