Did you know?
- Spring cleaning evolved when fires were used in peoples homes. When the winter months had gone, many hours were spent washing walls, furniture and floors to remove soot dust.
- Only one third of women believe men do enough housework.
- More than 10% of couples argue about housework.
- A damaging health threat called multi chemical sensitivity (MCS) is now recognised. MCS is caused by and allergic reaction to household chemicals such as household polishes and cleaners, even in washing up liquid.
- Having your carpets cleaned is seen as increasingly necessary by working women, people are better read and educated, particularly with the internet providing us with more information than ever before.
- Effective cleaning without chemicals slows the build up of house dust mites and their dust, which can cause asthma and other heath issues.
- Every year thousands of serious conditions are reported, many are directly linked to chemical exposure in the home.
Carpet and soft furnishing sun damage.
Without exception, almost all interior textiles (upholstery, rugs, curtains and wall coverings) will suffer fading and lightening over a period of time. The amount of damage suffered will depend on the item’s position in your house, exposure to light, colour intensity and dying type/method used.
The dying technique least susceptible to sunlight fading is solution dying, pigments are added to polymers before the fibres are formed, this seals the colour. Polyester, acrylics and nylon fibres found in carpets use this dying method.
As less dye is required when producing lighter shades, these shades fade faster than darker fibres, most dyes are made from two or more colour components, when one colour is affected more than the other, fading is viewed as colour change instead of lightening. Green hues are often made from blue and yellow dyes, if the yellow dye is affected more than the blue, the green textile looks as though it is turning blue.
In other examples, colours can fade uniformly, giving an appearance of a slightly lighter shade of the original colour. Extreme cases show a ‘bleaching’ effect, with fibres almost looking white, the fibre itself will deteriorate, becoming brittle, silk textiles are particularly prone to this type of U.V damage.
By keeping windows covered, by using blinds or curtains, damage can be reduced. More companies are now appearing offering filtration treatment for glass, these are almost invisible to the untrained eye, but delivering excellent protection for your textiles. Use search engines to locate a company local to you that will be able to provide filtering applications or solutions, search terms such as ‘window uv filter’ or glass uv screen’ should deliver results.
This is a very worthwhile exercise when you consider the cost of replacing belongings around the house, why not spend five minutes and add up the value of items that are kissed by the sun in your home!
Cleaning tips from Grandma Owen, Floors and Carpets
Freshen carpets - liberally sprinkle oatmeal, salt or cornflour, leave for at least two hours and then vacuum.
Brighten colours in a faded carpet use a mix of one part vinegar to two parts hot water. Soak a cloth in the mixture, simply rub into your carpet, watch the colours come back!
Blot up pen ink with an absorbent piece of paper or cloth, sponge the area with cold water until the stain is removed.
Bloodstains on your carpet? sponge with cold water (not hot!) blot with a non colour fast cotton towel.
Puppy had an accident? Get rid of those little stains from your carpet, white vinegar and cold water should be mixed, blot up your stain, rinse and allow to dry.
Lift dents left by heavy furniture rub the dent with the edge of a coin.
Muddy footprints on your carpet? Stop…. leave the stain to dry, simply vacuum up the mud, sponge off and blot dry.
Lost your diamond in the carpet? place a stocking on the end of your vacuum attachment, vacuum the area, the stocking will stop your jewel disappearing into the cleaner.
Stop your rug wearing quickly turn them regularly to prevent premature traffic and wear.
Improve the appearance of scorch marks by using the edge of the coin to loosen damaged fibres and
then simply vacuum up. Extreme burn marks are here to stay, by trimming the fibres you will minimise the effect.
White rings on waxed surfaces, can be removed by mixing salt and olive oil, leave for twenty four hours, wipe off and re wax.
Repair a dent in the wood by filling with a few drops of nail varnish.
Useful Cleaning & Household Tips from Grandma Owen
Move furniture easily by putting foil pie dishes under each leg, now the furniture will slide easily over the carpet.
Furniture dents in your carpet? A cube of ice on the dent will lift the carpet pile.
Whoops! a smashed glass will leave small shards on the floor, use a piece of white bread to ‘blot’ up
any remnants.
Clean that wooden floor by using damp tea leaves, scatter and then dust up in one place when sweeping.
Get your quarry tiles shining by using sour milk to wash them!
For scuff marks from shoes on your floor, wipe with turpentine or use a rubber.
To clean a varnished floor add instant tea granules to your bucket of water.
Clean aluminium window frames with silver polish
Louvred windows and doors can be kept clean by using a 2″ paintbrush dipped in a mild soap solution, dry off with a towel.
Cure a condensation problem by using bleach, dry off by using warmth and ventilation.
Sticky label marks can be awkward and difficult to clean from glass, rub some peanut butter with a cotton cloth.
Don’t forget to clean dustpans and brushes, they need cleaning once a month, afterwards they will pick up better and be hygienic too.
Grandma Owen’s housekeeping tips
Here is another collection of useful cleaning tips from yesteryear.
Keep salt near you cooker to avoid a grease fire- After a spill, sprinkle your salt, when the oven cools simply brush off and wipe clean with a damp sponge.
To rid appliances of yellowing - Mix a half a cup of bleach, one quarter of a cup of baking soda and four cups of warm water, apply with a sponge and leave for several minutes, rinse and dry for a bright white result!
For a sweet smelling fridge - Pour some vanilla extract on a piece of cotton wool, place this on one of the shelves, easy!
To remove black mould that can grow around the edge and in the corners of windows, use a toothbrush dipped in a bleach and water mixture.
A little spray of polish on a curtain rail will make your curtains run smoothly.
To keep feathers on you duster clean, sprinkle on some talcum powder and then brush off.
Blow the dust off a pleated lampshade using a hair drier.
Make sure your dirt stays in the dust pan, spray a little bit of polish inside, now the dust has something to stick to.
Keep pewter clean by rubbing with a cabbage leaf, finish off by buffing with a clean dry cloth.