OS Cleaning Tips and Quick Questions...

BitterAndTwisted

People aren't coming to dissect your housekeeping skills, so don't kill yourself with the cleaning: I'd spend what time I had available to clean all of the windows inside and out. I'd also give the front-door a good wipe down. Things need to look uncluttered and tidy so the rooms look as large and airy as they can. Kitchen worktops as clear as possible to make it look like there's plenty of storage. Ditto bathroom bottles and jars and PLEASE ensure the lavatory seat is down, down, down.

Rainy-Days

As long as the place is clean and smells nice that should do it. Any clutter should be kept to a minimum and make sure your windows are clean, also wash down the front door step and also if you have a uPVC front door, the recess inside tends to gather muck so wash and clean that as well because people have a habit of looking down walking over the threshold. If your vacuum does formation lines in the carpet then I would do that.

Make sure your curtains are tidy if you have them on tie backs spend a little time making sure they are in neat pleats that is always something I look at. When I sold my last house I put all the lamps on in the bedrooms - they were not dark bedrooms but it gave a nice ambient glow and something that show houses do as well.

If you have animals make sure their food bowls are empty and clean same with litter trays, put out the rubbish from the indoor bin to the main outside one - just in case. As long as you have dusted as well it doesn't take take long to swish the duster about.

Also make sure that throws and cushions are all straight and correct as well. Just neat and tidy and presentable. HTH

picklednut

I've been reading on some other threads about some wonderful ingenious ways of cleaning different things and wondered whether it would be worth collating cleaning tips and tricks that are a bit "out of the ordinary".

eg. I've read about using Veet down the bath plughole to dissolve hair blockages and also using cotton wool tips around the bath plughole on a regular basis to remove hairs.

Any other tips and tricks that don't fall under the "usual" way of cleaning?

Pink.

Hi picklednut,

You'll find lots of cleaning tips on these threads:

Save Zillions On Cleaning Products

OS Cleaning Tips and Quick Questions...

I'll add this thread to one of those later to keep the ideas together.

Pink

mumofthetwins

Hi
I have a viewing tomorrow and Saturday, I bought some Lillys on Tuesday so they would be open by tomorrow but they are still closed. Does anyone know a way to get these flowers to open ?
I have had these before and they do look really nice open.
Any advice would be great
Thanks
Lisa

meritaten

warmth - sunlight is best - but if none available then put them in a warm place and provide artificial light. I am really amazed they havent opened if you bought them on Tuesday! I buy lillies in bud and it usually only takes them a couple of days to open on my kitchen windowsill (East facing - they get the morning sun but its warm in there all day).

kittycat204

there are a few good ideas here, hope at least one works for you. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070609020039AAcI7CH
and here
http://www.affinityflowers.co.nz/blog/35-blog/63-how-to-make-lilies-bloom
one more
http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_8107370_lilies-open.html

becs

I'd say definitely on a windowsil or if possible a conservatory. When they do open I would remove the stamens to try and reduce the scent as a lot of people can't stand lillies because the scent is too strong. Not what you want on a viewing!

Looby_-_Lou_2

Somewhere warm in the sunlight.

My parents are florists and their home is often full of buckets of lilies in odd places that they are desperately trying to open!

Lunch sitting next to a chair occupied by a bucket is not unusual.

dogstarheaven

Since cleaning is the most hateful jobs in the house, i've resigned to finally sort out my 'differences' with it. problem is, i don't have a scrubbing brush and having checked out Wilko's at £2 and none in Poundland (or whatever this one's called!), I'd rather have a set of them or some which are a bit cheaper. Does anyone know?

Wear glasses normally for things I have to see properly but in the house, I don't but if they're on, I see dirt everywhere - it's not pretty, but i now need to get on with it. it's hard to do it on my ownsome (live alone).

the main task i think would be the skirting boards, and hearing so much about the infamous Stardrops (thought they were sweets before!) I shall arm myself with some of that in a bowl and going all over the house with it. I know it isn't the best of methods to start a new regime as i know it'll be better to do 'one room at a time'.

would it be better to swipe a dilution of stardrops on the boards or do i put it in a spray bottle for ease of practicality?

thanks in advance!