Ever spilt some glue on a surface or worktop and agonised at how to remove it?
Glue spillages are an irritating problem when they happen and one that is not easily rectified because you obviously don’t want to damage the surface any further. This then, rules out scraping the affected region with a knife or scoured brush.
There are some steps to solving this situation however and should be fairly straightforward to do without spending much money at all. The worst thing to do is to cope with the dried glue and leave it there.
Outlined here is the method of removing glue. Simply purchase some dish detergent liquid and pour it all over the dried and stubborn glue mark. Obviously, the sooner you do this, the easier and quicker it will be to clear. However, this process should also work on longer term dried glue, but may take slightly longer to shift.
Once the area is covered in the dish detergent liquid, get hold of a regular plastic bag and rub the solution into the glue. After you have rubbed it in, leave the bag over the area and leave to work for a few minutes. Once you have lifted the bag, the glue spot should be loose. If not, then use a scraper/razor and some warm water to get underneath the glue and lift it. A wipe down with a damp cloth should be enough to get rid of any left-over residue from the original mark.
Cooking oil is another great solution to apply on a dried glue mark, and works much the same as the dish detergent liquid. This is also easily available around the home, so this could be an even easier method of removing glue. Cooking oil can also be used to remove the glued on labels on jars and other glass containers. Simply apply the oil to the label and/or glue underneath and scrub with a fine wire brush or pad. Use warm water with this and watch how the glue just eases off, leaving behind a smooth and shiny glass jar.
It can be tempting to instinctively go to a hardware shop and search the aisles for a commercial product for removing glue. This is a shame, because lots of us have all the equipment we need right at home and can do the job for free and with very little effort too. If you, however, don't fancy cleaning glue spillages, please do not hesitate to contact Daisyclean for professional cleaning and maintenance services.
Brass is a common metal that is used for many decorative items and is a popular component of all kinds of household materials. It is made from zinc and copper mainly, and this can cause tarnishing over time. It also can attract grease and other kinds of dirt which need to be cleaned and maintained to get the very best from the brass.
There is a way of finding out firstly, if it is real brass, as there are lots of copies and imitations of brass on the market. Simply by holding a magnet to the item and checking if it sticks should be enough to tell. If it doesn’t stick, then you have real brass. On the other hand, if it does, then it isn’t solid brass and could just be plated or some other composite metal.
Next you should ascertain if the brass needs a proper clean, as some people like the look of tarnished brass. It can offer a pleasant antique hue, so this is a personal preference.
If you do choose to clean the brass items in your home then first off, you should remove any oily or greasy residue off the piece. To do this, simply rinse the brass with a damp, soapy cloth. This should already make the brass look a little cleaner and brighter.
After this process, you may want to apply varnish or lacquer remover to the brass, so you can really get to the base of the metal. You can get these removers from hardware stores. Always read instructions before use.
Next, once the varnish has been removed, you can polish the brass with a cloth, and then buff to truly bring out the original brass item’s shine.
You are then ready to apply a new coat of lacquer to the brass. This is a layer of protection and helps to keep it bright and gleaning. A small, thin paintbrush is best used in this situation. Only apply a thin layer and do this slowly, as you don’t want to make any mistakes. Any thicker areas or drips should be mopped up with a cloth. Leave the brass afterwards and let it dry fully.
After this process is finished, you can wipe the brass item with a cloth, a final rub down, and it should be looking as good as new. It will need dusting regularly, but if this is kept up, then it shouldn’t need thorough cleaning for a long time.
For more information on cleaning and advice, contact Daisyclean today!
Photo by bakuninja
Most of us nowadays have more than one screen or monitor in our living space. With the age of computers, there can be sometimes three of more such screens that gather dust and greasy marks daily. It is a fact of modern life that most times, this goes either unnoticed or simply left to deal with another time. Cleaning our television or computer screens seems like a rather insignificant, unimportant task. However, the build-up of grime can lead to technical issues for your appliance and may result in damage. Not only this, but the dust will no doubt lead to diminished clarity and picture quality. The problem is that this is a gradual event, so you may not even know it is happening. Only once you have cleaned the screens will you notice a marked improvement.
You can buy a specific wipe solution from computer shops or general hard ware stores. These aren’t necessarily cheap however, and you can create exactly the same result by using home-made solution. To achieve this, just follow the next few easy guidelines.
First off, get a small bowl and into it, mix in equal amounts water and fabric softener and add in a few drops of essential oil afterwards. Stir a little once this has been done.
Acquire a small or medium sized spray bottle and some soft cotton or cut up flannel material. You can recycle an old one if you have any. Just rinse it out thoroughly before reusing. Then pour the solution into the bottle and spray onto the cotton or flannel material (do never spray screens directly). Wait until the material is damp enough and then apply to the affected screen directly. Do not wipe too hard, as this could damage the sensitive screen panel. Gently remove the static and wipe over the entirety of the screen.
It really is as simple as that, and this method should be repeated regularly to avoid a similar build-up of dust and other particles on your screens. Remember to label the bottle, so it can be stored safely and you know what it is. When applying to computer monitors, greater caution should be taken. This is because it is a smaller appliance and the screen is close to other components. To combat this, use less spray and a smaller piece of cotton or flannel to apply the solution.
For professional help and lots of other cleaning tips and services, give Daisyclean a call today.
Photo by frecuencia
Ovens can be difficult and labour intensive appliances to clean. Because they are usually left alone for long periods and not cleaned as regularly as they should, they tend to build up strong and resistant grease and grime. This in turn can lead to a burning smell emanating from the oven when cooking food. If left for a very long time, this build up can become hazardous for you in the kitchen.
This therefore, can pose quite a challenge to shift. Luckily some ovens are self-cleaning, and so it is wise to read the manual for your oven first, to ascertain whether it is self-cleaning or not. On the other hand if you have a regular oven which does not feature the self-cleaning mechanism, then read on, as this requires a level of graft to get the job done.
So you know what type of oven you have, and you have had a skim of the instruction manual. Now you feel like you’re ready to give it a thorough clean. First things first, choose a good time of the day. You want it to be quiet, so no children tripping over you or dogs trying to poke their heads in the oven. The oven should not be needed for quite a while, so morning is probably the best time for this. Choose the right cleaning products for the job and Firstly, take the racks out, and make sure you have got them all out and soaking in soapy, warm water or put them in big plastic bag and soak them with strong oven cleaner. You now have just the empty oven to worry about. Make sure you have oven cleaner with you and always read the instructions before use. This is to avoid unnecessary hazards. Spray the affected areas within the oven and close the door so as not to let the fumes spread all around your kitchen and outer rooms. You should leave the cleaner to break down the grease and dirt in the oven for at least 15 minutes, before attempting to hand clean.
Once the time is right and using a damp cloth, wipe the inside of the oven. The cloth will quickly blacken and so have a bucket or bowl of soapy water nearby. Repeat this and keep cleaning until no residue is left behind. You may need to brush the ash out of the oven if there are lots left over. You can also clean your oven door as these can become very greasy too. Use a cloth again, along with a general purpose kitchen cleaner to do the job. Then scrub the oven racks and leave them to dry, before replacing them back in the oven.
For further tips and help on all aspects of cleaning, give us a call today!
We live in an age of clutter, and living around this type of mess can be destabilising to our peace of mind. It is all too easy for your home to become cluttered if you begin holding onto a lot of unnecessary items. If this habit builds exponentially, then soon your property will start to become chaotic and unwelcoming. As well as the negative aesthetic that clutter creates, it also harbours more dust and bacteria, which can lead to poor hygiene and directly impact on your health.
1.Try not to keep hold of newspapers or magazines that you have already looked at or read. They may look nice stacked in a pile, but they attract dust and are an unnecessary addition. Instead, think about recycling them to begin the elimination of clutter from your home.
2.Other ways to help avoid clutter is to regularly sift through your clothes and recycle or send to charity shops those items that you haven’t worn for a year or more. You may think that one day you will fit into them or wear them for a special occasion, but the likelihood is they will carry on taking up valuable storage space.
3.It is a bad idea to keep hold of ornaments and bric-a-brac just for the sake of it. Don’t keep items that you were given as a present and can’t stand the sight of. It just doesn’t make sense. They won’t bring you any happiness and will only help in cluttering up your living environment for even longer. Why not have a thorough clean of your home and itemise all the ornaments that you may want to get rid of. You could even make money by selling them at a boot fair or garage sale.
The same can be said of a whole variety of items, such as books, videos, pictures, clothes, ornaments, furniture and garden tools. If you arrange and plan for one weekend to be your de-cluttering day, then use it to go through everything that may be superfluous and unwanted. It will take a keen eye and some tough decisions, but if you feel your home has become too cluttered and messy, even after cleaning, then it may be time for a change.
By using these tips, it will help you to organise and de-clutter your home, whilst keeping hold of the items and belongings you hold the most value to.
If you haven’t got the time to do some of these things yourself, then hire a cleaning company to take the load off your shoulders.
Duvets are often overlooked as items to thoroughly clean, and this is regrettable, because it stands to reason that your duvet in fact holds a great deal of invisible bacteria and grime lurking unknown. Although you may believe your duvet to be clean, it will need a proper deep wash at least once a year, just to keep the dust and dust mites at bay.
You may have heard about dust mites or ‘bed bugs’. They are liable to disturb your sleep by causing you to sneeze or cough. More seriously however, there is a risk that they can impact on your health by irritating or even causing such allergy reactions as asthma or eczema.
It really doesn’t matter how much you clean your home, dust will always be around, and this will find its way onto your duvet. Therefore the care and attention you give towards cleaning it is very important.
Duvets come with a variety of different fillings, some synthetic, others include feathers. Whichever you have, they will all need to be cleaned at one time or another. Some may need to be dry cleaned, so check the labels of your duvet for the cleaning instructions. If yours can fit into your own washing machine then it makes life a lot easier, although some, especially king size and larger, will need to go to the launderette.
Always read carefully the washing instructions before carrying out the cleaning, as you do not want to unnecessarily damage your duvet. This may include the heat of the water, the length of cycle and the type of cleaning solution you place in the machine.
Once your duvet has finished its cycle, it is wise to hang it to dry outside if you can, rather than take up lots of room on a radiator. Do not tumble dry your duvet, as this usually will damage the fabric.
To maintain a healthy and clean duvet, wash it at least once annually and therefore keeping dust and mites to a minimum.
It is a good tip to vacuum your bedroom at least once a week to further reduce the atmospheric dust that accumulates. This helps your bed linen in general and may also reduce levels of potential allergies such as asthma from the residents of the building.
Overall, by taking good care of your duvet, and making sure your bed linen is kept clean, along with surrounding areas of the bedroom, you will be taking every precaution necessary to achieving a hygienic and healthy environment.
For a professional information or cleaning of your duvet, do get in touch with Daisyclean directly and they will swiftly alleviate your concerns.
photo by LotusHead
A hallway is an area that is reached via the front door and usually provides easy entrance and visibility to most of the main rooms of the property, including the staircase. The hallway is most commonly the first part of your home that guests and visitors see as they come in. This makes it a very important place to keep free from dust and clutter.
The dust likes to accumulate in areas that may not be well spotted. This includes the tops of the skirting boards and the edges of the door frame and along the tops of pictures or photo frames. These are places that you need to make sure are regularly wiped clean because the likelihood is they will be very attractive to dust. Get an extendable duster and work along your hallway ceiling to remove any signs of hanging cobwebs, especially in the corners. These can be all too easily forgotten about, but remain an unwelcome sight.
As well as dusting, be sure to polish your frames and pictures, along with any metal door handles. You’ll be amazed what a difference it makes and it will take a matter of seconds to achieve a shinier more pristine look.
It goes without saying that the hallway is used an awful lot of the time, and a lot of peoples feet will pass through it, so make sure you regularly vacuum the carpet, or if you have laminate flooring, then vacuum and wash with a mop. Maintaining a clean floor is vital in not only making the space look great, but helps in reducing dust and bacteria too. Use a dustpan and brush or a broom to lift up those annoying pieces of fluff and heavier pieces of dirt that the vacuum may not pick up.
If you have stairs, then it is a good idea is to start from the top and vacuum each step, working your way down. Try and use the attachments of your vacuum to reach the harder places in the corners of your stairs and not leave them to gather dust. If you have hard floor stairs, then mop them once you have vacuumed for an immaculately clean finish.
Once you have followed these simple steps, it is time to have guests round (remembering to ask them to remove their footwear first) and let them admire your hard work. The entrance to your home should be transformed and just be sure to keep this up on a regular basis.
For further advice and cleaning solutions for your hallway, give Daisyclean a call today!
photo by cqpalzm
It’s important to maintain a clean mattress! We spend at least six hours a day lying on one, so it is easy to see why they need to be kept as clean and hygienic as possible. A lot of people don’t realise that you can in fact vacuum your mattress regularly. A lot of vacuum cleaners have attachments made especially to clean upholstery. By vacuuming your mattress regularly, say, once a week, you will be sure to limit the amount of potentially harmful bacteria and dust in your mattress. It also will help to rid you of the dust mites that live in the fabric of the mattress.
The problem is, most of this is invisible and so we do not think there is an issue. We pay most of our attention to the bed linen, which is very important to keep clean too, but the mattress cleanliness is often overlooked as a result.
Invest in a mattress protector. By washing it regularly too, you will be doing the very best in fighting against accumulated dust. If you can, then buy a spare, so you can use it when the other one is being washed. This way, your mattress is always protected.
It is common for the mattress to acquire marks and stains and this is due in part to residue and sweat from the occupants. So much time is spent on the mattress, that over the months and years, these yellow/brown marks can make their way onto parts of the mattress. With the help of a general cleaner, warm water and a sponge or cloth, they can usually be rubbed out fairly quickly.
This can leave some moisture on parts of your mattress though, and so do this early on in the day, and try and rub as much moisture off as possible once you’ve finished. Leave your bed clear, open some windows and let the areas dry, before putting any linen on later. If you are in a real hurry, then carefully use a hair dryer on the affected area. This will help speed up the drying process.
There are also professional cleaning companies that will help advise you in cleaning your mattress and do the job for you, so it is best to research this if you think it will suit you better.
Alternatively, if your mattress is badly stained, or very old, then it will probably be a good idea to invest in a new one.
Taking care of our mattresses plays an important part in our all-round health and wellbeing. We want to know that what we sleep on is hygienic and clean, so start taking steps to maintaining yours.
photo by ddrccl
We often hear of the term ‘dust’ and we relentlessly try to eliminate it from our living and working environments, but do we really know what dust is?
Dust is basically a blanket term for meaning small particles that linger in our atmosphere. Dust can be created from a variety of different elements, such as our skin particles, clothes and other fabrics such as carpet and rugs, while industrial dust comes from metal, wood shavings or other materials.
The tiny dust particles that are shed from our bodies and fabrics, will settle all around your house or office. Some dust will continue to settle and become raised, like snowfall and can become a hygiene issue if left completely. Other types of dust in areas that may see regular movement or air flow will be shifted into the air and settle elsewhere.Completely getting rid of dust is impossible, due to its constant creation from outside sources, but there are effective steps to reduce the levels of dust around your home and work place.
- Use a damp cloth to eradicate dust on work tops, skirting boards, frames and furniture. The dust sticks the moisture better than a dry cloth, which can just move the dust from one place to another.
- Regular vacuuming of floors, walls and ceilings is one of the best methods to cope with the large amount of dust that is channeled towards the ground and sticks in the fibres of carpeting or other surfaces.
- Periodical deep carpet cleaning, will draw out the stubborn particles that are embedded in the fibres.
- Vacuum your sofas and chairs, too. There will always be nooks and corners of your upholstery that attract dust and it is easy to forget these unseen areas.
- Our beds are often an overlooked source of dust, too. Being that our skin sheds a huge amount of particles daily, it goes without saying that a large majority of dust is caused by us. Our beds, therefore, contain a lot of lying particles and so make sure all bedding is cleaned, washed and changed regularly to maintain hygiene and cleanliness levels.
- When dusting, it is a great idea to open as many windows as possible, so as to give the particles a chance to go outside and not to just fly somewhere else in your home or office. Dusting may be a very irritating element of cleaning, because a lot of it is naked to the human eye, but by keeping regular routines, you will find that your home feels cleaner and more hygienic.
- Also, for anyone with allergies in the home, proper, thorough dusting can be a great way of reducing symptoms of dust allergies and go towards reducing these issues.
Nobody loves cleaning, we all do it because we like to keep our homes nice and clean. However, it doesn't have to be all work and no play. Here’re some tips on how to transform a chore into something fun.
1. Ask friends and family to help – especially if it’s a big clean after a party or building work. Cleaning is always more fun if other people are involved.
2. Sing and play music – blast your hi-fi system with your favourite music and channel your inner Freddie Mercury with the Hoover. Plus, you’ll burn twice as many calories if you incorporate your dance moves into your cleaning routine.
3. Set a timer and stop every half an hour for a drink or a snack – reward yourself with a piece of your favourite chocolate or cold beverage. That way you’ll have something to look forward to and the half hour will pass even faster.
4. Get yourself fun cleaning stuff – colourful brushes, soft cloths, wonderfully smelling detergents, brightly coloured caddies – the choices are endless!
5. Involve your children in the cleaning – ask them to tidy their room and reward them with a sticker (or in case you have uncooperative teenagers – reward them with the new Wi-Fi password or voucher for event or concert). You can also ask them to help by putting the laundry in the washing machine, taking the recycling out, dusting or mopping the floor after you’ve vacuumed.
6. Open all windows – even if it’s cold outside. You’re bound to shed some sweat with all that dancing, singing and cleaning, so opening your windows will provide you with the fresh air you’ll be craving. It will also eliminate all nasty smells and dust from your home.
7. Get a “cleaning outfit” – it can be anything you feel comfortable in but I’d suggest something bright, colourful and fun which you’ll look forward to wearing.
Happy cleaning!