My house and garden cleaning tips

1.
Removing red wine stains
Did you know that you can remove red wine stains with soda water?
My daughter had tried unsuccessfully to wash red wine out of her favorite pale blue cashmere jumper.
Even a week later I was still able to remove the red wine stain by gently squeezing it in just  good club soda water. It looked like new.

2.
Removing candle wax from carpet or tablecloth

You need a hot iron and blotting paper.
Scrape as much wax off as possible.
Place the blotting paper on top of the hardened wax and place the hot iron on top of it. Move the blotting paper around to absorb the melting wax.
Carry on until it all has been removed, but being careful not to scorch the fabric underneath.

3.
Removing chewing gum

Put ice cubes into a plastic bag, place on top the chewing gum to harden it and slowly scrape the gum off.

4.
Removing tar

Soften the tar with turpentine or unsalted butter, then treat afterwards with petrol and wash the usual way.
It will take a few washes to completely come out.

5.
Removing rust

Rub into fabric lemon juice, sprinkle salt on top and leave to rest for at least  an hour. Rinse and wash in the normal way. Or leave soaking for a while in a solution of  water and glycerin.

6.
Removing coffee stains

Dab the stain with glycerin, then rinse in cold water. Wash the normal way.

7.
Removing soot from carpet

Use the nozzle attachment of the vacuum cleaner to clean most of it up.
Try not to rub the soot into the carpet. Then sprinkle talcum powder over it and brush in. And then vacuum as normal.

8.
Removing ketchup from carpet

Carefully remove excess from carpet, then rub glycerin into the stain. Sponge with warm water trying not to wet the carpet to much.

9.
Removing blueberry stains

Soak the fabric for long time in sour milk rinse and wash warm as normal.

10.
Removing raspberry and redcurrant stains

Dab the stain with lemon juice, rinse in warm water. Wash in normal way.

11.
House smells of cooking, dog, etc

Next time you vacuum, add a cotton wool ball soaked with a few drops of aromatherapy oil, like geranium or lavender into your vacuum cleaner bag. The smell will be gone and a beautiful scent has been added.

12.
Window, mirror and glass cleaning

Have no leather or window cloth to add shine?
Wash windows or mirror with warm water and a drop of vinegar.  Wipe with crunched up newspaper until dry and shiny. They will sparkle like new.

15 minutes to make home sparkle
Use the cheater guide: Polish with beeswax 1 or 2 pieces of furniture and bring to a shine, tidy as much away as possible, plump your cushions up, flick your duster around. The smell of the beeswax make your visitors believe that you have been cleaning all day.

13.
Ice and lemon supplied in one go 

Slice unwaxed lemons thinly and cut into quarters, put in ice trays with little water. Ice and lemon supplied in one go.  Brenda

14.
Scratches on dark wood furniture

Make a paste from instant coffee and water.
Rub into the scratches, and then wipe off excess with a clean cloth.

15.
Lily Pollen stains

Gently dab a cello tape onto the stain.
The pollen will stick to the tape.
Do not rub.

16.
Clogged Sprinkler

Sprinkler heads get clogged frequently with bugs, usually earwigs (in California).
To stop this, use pantyhose, cut off a piece large enough to be able to cover the antisiphon valve (the part that unscrews that has the rubber stop in it), tie it with a rubber band or piece of string, and voila no more clogs.  Bugs get in through this valve because it is open at the bottom to allow air to get in, not through the sprinkler head.

17.
 Need string?
You can make a handy “string” from old VCR tapes. Simply remove the spool with the tape on it from the cassette case, and carefully stretch the tape until it becomes string size. Be careful not to stretch too far or it will break. It is best to stretch only a foot or two at a time, leaving any tape not needed on the spool. I use this “string” to tie young plants and trees to their support stakes and to give young vine plants a place to grow upward on. In this instance, a trellis can be placed about three feet above the plants (as in the case of gourds, for instance), and the “string” can be hung from the bottom of the trellis. This gives the vines a way of climbing to the trellis for support.

18.
 Spot remover
Baking Soda always works, so does Club Soda, and white
household vinegar, just pour or sprinkle a generous amount on area, leave Baking Soda on and vacuum up.
For the vinegar and Club Soda just pour on, let it soak and then wipe off and rinse with warm water.

If you need help with your garden, call our cleaning company today on 020 8884 9145.