Old Style Book - DIY/Home Maintenance

wishingonastar_3

if your sink is blocked and you don't have one of those sucker things on a pole(i can't think of the name of them for the life of me, please someone put me out of my misery!!!!) put your palm flat over the plughole and pump it up and down, 9 times out of 10 it clears the blockage (fresh in my mind cos i had a blocked shower last night!!!!!)

carol_a_3

When you've finished painting a room, tip the left over paint into a clean jam jar/s. Label it with what colour or room it is if it's not obvious. Takes up less room to store than a partially full paint pot, doesn't go solid and is handy for any retouching jobs later when the inevitable marks appear.

Jay-Jay_4

wishingonastar wrote:

if your sink is blocked and you don't have one of those sucker things on a pole(i can't think of the name of them for the life of me, please someone put me out of my misery!!!!) put your palm flat over the plughole and pump it up and down, 9 times out of 10 it clears the blockage (fresh in my mind cos i had a blocked shower last night!!!!!)

plunger!

You need to have a sink full of water for this to work well as then you're forcing the water through the drain with your hand to free the blockage.

squeaky

carol_a wrote:

When you've finished painting a room, tip the left over paint into a clean jam jar/s. Label it with what colour or room it is if it's not obvious. Takes up less room to store than a partially full paint pot, doesn't go solid and is handy for any retouching jobs later when the inevitable marks appear.

I'd just been wondering how to find some small paint tins to recycle for leftovers instead of having the big ten litre tubs around and it never occurred to me that I could use a couple of my jam jar collection.

My tip for paints: make sure the lid is on very securely and then tip the tin upside down for a few seconds. This coats the lid and the rim on the inside with paint and any air that seeps in will dry that instead of making a thick skin on the paint.

cha97michelle

my quick tip is if drilling holes in the wall, use masking tape to attach an open envelope under the area you are drilling.

any plaster dust then falls into the envelope, so you don't need to get the hoove out. (curry queen liked it anyway)

only - don't be clumsy and then tip the envelope upside down

tallulah_beaulah

Prevention is better than a cure - open all your windows for a while everyday.
I do this first thing in the morning, a good blast of fresh air into all the rooms helps dry out moisture and fustiness.

Always seems to me that excess moisture is the cause of lots of trouble in the home, creates mould, smelly rooms etc. problems that build up and then are a big job to fix. Also keep on top of making sure all sealant is intact, otherwise you get drips of water building up damp patches.

small tips, very simple, very OS.

wishingonastar_3

Jay-Jay wrote:

plunger!

You need to have a sink full of water for this to work well as then you're forcing the water through the drain with your hand to free the blockage.

thank you so so much. couldn't think of it for the life of me.

:T :T :T :T :T

Sarahsaver

Paint or wallpaper just one wall, or a chimney breast or alcove, to give a room a makeover at a low cost.
Cover up sad bedlinen with a throw or a blanket, or a length of fur fabric.
Look in poundland for quality paint, grout, floor tiles (ok for utility rooms etc) same for garden equipment.
make sure your lighting is good, in the right place, right wattage to make a good ambiance.
Putting a bit of bleach or even washing up liquid each day in the plughole/toilet/bath will stop it getting grimy. Prevention is easier than cure! Totally agree with that!
Wash or clean and rehang your curtains, or swap curtains around to different rooms if you can, people will think you have a whole new set.
Try to minimise the amount of things you have either on or under furniture, unless it is in a storage box. Much easier to clean boxes and flat surfaces than clutter, and looks nicer too.
Don't use thick bleach for mould busting as the mould loves the thickening agents to grow on again once you have finished.

nabowla

Vintage teacup candles: v. trendy in London boutiques at the moment and selling for £18+. For the OS version, rummage around a charity shop, market stall or similar. You should be able to pick up a really pretty vintage bone china teacup for 50p - £1. Melt ends of old candles and pour into teacup (don't forget to put a wick in the centre). Looks beautiful when lit - the light shines through the bone china.

Cushion covers: Cath Kidston, Laura Ashley et al charge £20+ per cushion. Wait until the sales, rummage around in the 'bin ends' and buy an offcut of designer fabric for a fraction of the price of the fancy cushions. Sew cushions using a pattern from a sewing book borrowed from the library. Last time I did this I paid £12 for enough Laura Ashley fabric to make six cushions - and my friends thought I'd bought the ready-made versions!

1920s-1930s pressed glass: plates, bowls etc can be picked up for a pound or two on Ebay or in charity shops. V. fashionable at the moment if you look in all the interior design magazines (imitations are being sold for silly amounts in fancy dept stores). Pile soap cubes onto plates and display in the bathroom, fill bowls with pine cones or conkers (picked up for free on a weekend walk).

Have lots more ideas but no time to type now. Back later!

squiggles

for a cheap and cheerful childs bedroom

emulsion the walls in your chosen colour
get a sample of wallpaper from the store and cut around the characters ie bob the builder and randomly paste them to the wall.Get another sample if needing more characters.

Children grow out of themed bedrooms so quickly and can be very costly if you purchase coordinated bedding and curtains so buy plain colours and they can be used again for when you have changed your theme to say thomas the tank or power rangers.