Clean up for Christmas!

We’re getting perilously close to the festive season, and while we’re thinking about planning the dinner, buying the presents and organising the office party, there’s something that some people forget until the last minute; the pre-Christmas clean-up.

If you have family coming over for the Christmas period, you’ll want to get the house looking top notch for when they arrive. Especially if it’s your in-laws, and they have a tendency to go round the house like a contestant on Four in a Bed looking for dusty things and stains on the carpet!

It’s a good idea to clear out the clutter pre-Christmas too, especially if you have kids. There’s only so much room for toys, gifts and even clothes and so when well-meaning relatives bestow even more upon their favourite nieces, nephews and grandchildren, there needs to be a compromise made. Launch a bedroom clear out with the help of the kids before Christmas – you could donate the unwanted toys and grown out of clothes to a charity shop in an attempt to help show the kids all about the meaning of Christmas, and leave space for this year’s favourite toys.

The kitchen is another area that’s likely to benefit from a clean-up. When it comes to cleaning the oven, you can either roll up your sleeves and get on with it, or ask an oven cleaning company to come in and do it for you. Either way you’ll feel really smug once you have a sparkling oven. Make room in your freezer for Christmas goodies – start sing up all the things that have been sitting at the back of the freezer for months and you’ll be able to fit more delicious foods in there nearer the time.

The fridge is another neglected area of the kitchen, wait until the day before you go shopping and give the fridge a good clean out with mild detergent. You could be eco-friendly and add half a lemon to the fridge to eliminate nasty smells if something has gone off in the salad drawer...

Carpets and curtains definitely benefit from a good clean at this time of year – carpets will have got grubby with the winter mud and leaf mulch, and curtains need sprucing up too. Are there any stains on your rugs or upholstered furniture that need removing? Get them out of the way before the mother in law notices them! Call in professionals like 1st Choice Chemdry if you need help shifting tough stains, or just want to make all your upholstery look good as new ready for another Christmas!

House Move Checklist

Are you moving house? It’s a pretty stressful time, so we’ve put together a helpful list of things to think about before you shut that door behind you for the last time...

Six Weeks before moving day

• Get quotes from removal companies, or if you’re planning to do it yourself, now is the time to ask around for friends who might like to help. For help finding an approved removal firm try the British Association of Removers http://www.bar.co.uk

• Make sure that your home and contents insurance are arranged from the day you move into your new home, and that your wordly goods are also insure while in transit.

• Order your removal sundries like boxes and bubble wrap.

• Clear out sheds and attics and have a car boot sale/eBay session/ charity giveaway with the things you don’t want to keep.

• Sort out additional storage if you need to.

Three weeks before you move ( or when you exchange contracts)

Tell all the utility companies when you’re moving out and arrange final meter readings if needed.

• Order new carpets and furniture for the new place.

• Notify DVLA of your change of address

• Tell dentists and doctors, and if you’re moving out of their area, find a new one at: http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx

• Start packing things you don’t need right now

• Change the TV licence details at: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk

• Set up a redirection on your mail.

A week before you move

If you have pets and children, sort out someone to take care of them while the removals are under way.

• If your pets are micro-chipped, your vet of your change of address at https://www.petlog.org.uk

• Tell banks, employers, schools, and your local council

• Make a quick call to the removers to make sure they have everything booked in and the right details.

• Put all important documents (passports, birth and marriage certificates etc) in a safe place so that you don’t lose them during the move.

• Use up as much as you can in the fridge and freezer and defrost them as necessary

• Collect up any spare keys to the hose you’ve given people.

• Arrange for a professional cleaner to come in and get the house spick and span for your new owners – contact 1st Choice Chemdry for carpet and curtain cleaning.

A few days before you move

Write a helpful guide to the new owners with things like local doctor’s number, instructions on how to use the boiler etc.

Get your emergency supplies box ready, and include things like cleaning products, toilet rolls, medicines, snacks, tea and coffee, UHT milk, and a mobile phone charger.

Moving day!

• Arrange to pick up the keys to your new home

• Take all your meter readings

• Lock all windows and doors and make sure everything is secured.

Good luck in the new place!

Persian Carpets – their history and care

Persian rugs and carpets are much sought after and usually very expensive. A genuine Persian rug will be a testament to the art of the carpet weavers which is said to have originated in Iran originated more than 2500 years ago.

Originally they were created out of need rather than luxury, as they were used as a floor covering for nomadic tribespeople’s homes, to keep them protected from cold and damp conditions. Over the years, carpet weaving skills have been passed down through the generations, and the variety of designs, techniques and patterns has evolved due to international trade and demand.

The development of the Persian carpet over the centuries has mostly been influenced by the country’s rulers. For example, when Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 BC, he was entranced by the carpets, and it’s said that his tomb at Pasargadae was covered with them. Cyrus is the ruler most historians credit with introducing the craft of carpet weaving to Persia.

In 1949 Russian archaeologists discovered what was thought to be the oldest known knotted carpet in the Siberian Mountains. The carpet dates back to the 5th frozen tombs of Scythian nobles. It’s now on display at the Hermitage Museum of Leningrad (St. Petersburg).

If you are lucky enough to own a Persian carpet or rug, you’ll want to make sure that it’s looked after properly as these carpets are definitely an investment. Five steps to keeping your Persian carpet pristine:

1. Keep it out of the sun! Persian rugs are easily faded by sunlight so keep your carpet out of direct sunlight if you want to keep the colours true – especially antique rugs. Try to rotate it monthly if it’s in the sunlight some of the time; this won’t stop it fading completely but it will make sure that the fading is uniform and not just in one area.

2. If you have furniture on the rug, try to move it around as often as you can to create a new ‘pathway’ across it. This stops the rug wearing in just one place and keeps wear and tear to a minimum.

3. Don’t try to comb the fringe out; instead, flip the rug end over end to straighten any twisted fringe. Simply hold one end of the carpet and walking it to the other end, turning the rug upside down. This helps to straighten out the fringe, and then a quick shake of the rug should be all you need.

4. Vacuum your rug regularly; this keeps the fibres from becoming too trodden down and also keeps it nice and clean so that it always looks good. Be aware of any threadbare or worn areas of the rug, and use the appropriate attachments to avoid any further damage.

5. It’s also vital that if you spill anything on your Persian rug, it’s cleaned up immediately. Never use harsh detergents or bleach, just mop the spill with paper towels by gently dabbing it from the end of the spill towards the centre to stop the spill from spreading out. Only ever use water if you’re cleaning a valuable or antique Persian rug, and if this isn’t working, call in a professional century and had been preserved in the carpet cleaner such as 1st Choice Chemdry who will be able to treat it and remove the stain without causing any damage.