To help maintain your lovely "Selclened" home, why not try these useful tips that we have collected over the years?
Cleaning carpets
Beer or red wine stains can be an unfortunate by-product of a party. To remove stains, use soda water.
Removing candle wax from carpets and fabrics
Fold a paper towel, or a sheet of toilet paper, two or three times and place it over the wax. Gently iron it with the iron set on low (synthetics) and the wax will melt and be absorbed into the paper. Replace the paper and continue ironing until all the wax has gone.
Removing ball pen ink
Wet the ink with methylated spirits or aftershave, taking care to wet only the small area where the ink lies. After a few minutes, press a dry paper towel or toilet paper onto the area. Repeat the whole process until all the ink has been absorbed by the paper.
Cleaning teapots
To get rid of those brown tannin stains from your teapot, put a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda into the pot, add boiling water and leave to soak overnight. Rinse out and wash thoroughly before your next brew!
Removing rings around collars
Rub hair shampoo into the collar, just as you would when washing your hair. After ten minutes, wash the garment as normal in the washing machine.
Cleaning bathrooms
Use an old toothbrush to get into those little areas such as underneath taps to dislodge ingrained stains. Remember to clearly label the toothbrush to make sure it does not get back into circulation!
Keeping baths clean
To avoid rings around the bath, do not use oily preparations. Instead, use bath salts or liquid water softeners (sold for their relaxing properties) and rinse the bath after draining out the water.
Stainless steel surfaces
Stainless steel sinks, worktops and equipment can be made to sparkle by wiping with a vinegar-soaked cloth. Never use scouring pads on any stainless steel sink!
Removing blood stains
Soak a cloth in hydrogen peroxide solution and rub the stain gently. For really stubborn bloodstains, rub a paste of corn flour into the stain and leave it in the sun.
Cleaning shower heads
Simply take a plastic bowl, fill it with cheap, hot, white vinegar (heat in a saucepan) and immerse the shower head in the bowl. To keep the bowl in place, tape to the shower head using masking tape (this will not spoil the chrome). Leave it for one hour, but no longer, Remove the tape and the bowl. The lime scale will be loose, and some of it will be in the vinegar. Take an old toothbrush and scrub the shower head. Remember to run the shower to remove any excess vinegar. Wipe the outside of the shower head with a wet cloth, and buff up using a dry cloth.
Unblocking sinks
Pour bicarbonate of soda down the sink, followed by some clear vinegar. This solution should fizz and bubble up and give your pipes a good cleaning out.
Getting rid of ants
We are all finding there are a lot of ants about. I recently had a lot around my front door step and up the walls. A good tip is to fill a bucket of water with bleach solution and add some cleaning liquid e.g., flash. Then use a brush and give your steps and walls a good clean. Let it dry and repeat again. I found once all was dry, no more ants were to be seen. Keeping plant pots with dead flowers may be a mistake, as ants like to nest in the dry area. Once you find plants that can no longer be looked after, dispose of the plant and empty your pot.
Cleaning the BBQ
First sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the grill to act as a natural deodoriser. Then take some tin foil rolled into a ball and scrub the grill as hard as you can. Wipe off the excess until the grill is shiny and clean.
Oven cleaning
If you can't bear the smell of conventional oven cleaners, get rid of oven grease by using half a grapefruit dipped in a plate of table salt. Watch the grease come off and enjoy the sharp clean smell of your oven!
Getting rid of wasps
Are you bothered with wasps making holes in the wall outside your house? If so, try the foam-based Terro Wasp and Hornet killer. Use it at night when the wasps are not around and they've gone back to their nest to settle. It kills the wasps inside as well as those returning. Worth a try!
We love learning new cleaning ideas. Why not contact us and give us your tips so we can include them on our site?