Top tips for keeping your house clean

Keeping a house clean can sometimes feel like a losing battle, but a clean carpet and windows can do wonders for brightening up a home. Here are some tips on how to keep them in the best shape with the least fuss.

Carpets

Seeing as we trample over them every day, it’s only fitting that our carpets need some maintenance every now and then. For daily dirt, we recommend small handheld vacuums, or alternatively a lightweight upright model which is mounted on a charging stand for quick access. Of course, this won’t replace a more powerful hoover for a more thorough clean, but it does mean you can get away with using it less often. Remember, if you have a malting pet this summer, there are specialist models designed for picking up hair.

If you are thinking of giving your carpets a deeper clean (we suggest shampooing them once a year) remember to go over them thoroughly with a hoover first in order to avoid trailing excess dirt around and clogging up your machinery. You might also want to use a targeted stain remover to tackle any particularly aggressive marks (there are many treatments that you can simply leave to soak). If you don’t fancy buying your own machine, professional service providers can send helpers with steam-cleaning equipment.

To prevent as many future stains as possible, make sure you have a mat by every door for visitors to wipe their feet, and if you are often outdoors a boot scraper might also be a wise purchase.

Windows and blinds

It’s much the same principle with cleaning your windows, which you want clean like walls. First, use a hoover or a cloth to make sure all the excess dirt and dust are removed, including any particularly stubborn marks. When you apply your cleaning product of choice spray generously as you want to make sure there is enough to pick up the dirt properly, thereby avoiding streaking when you wipe it away. Make sure to use lint-free cloths to avoid leaving fibres all over the glass surface (the same goes when cleaning your mirrors, too) and it’s also worth noting that it’s better to work on a dry, cloudy day, when the sun won’t cause the cleaner to dry before you can remove it.

Alternatively, you can make your own cleaner from a vinegar solution, or just good old-fashioned soap and water, which has been proven just as effective. You can even use a scrunched up newspaper in lieu of a paper towel.

Blinds are a far more tricky business, but ultimately, the more regularly you wash them, the less dirt will accumulate and the quicker the job will be. A weekly dust might seem a bore but in the long run, you might be grateful. In terms of the actual cleaning, as blinds come in so many shapes and sizes, it’s worth checking out online guides in order to find a tutorial tailored to your own needs.

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