Need to leave my flat in a decent state!

Sethisis

Thanks Fuddle, I'm prepared to battle it out over the deposit, because to be honest this place was in a bit of a state when we first moved in, it must be obvious that there are problems with the flat that have nothing to do with my shoddy housekeeping xD

It's nice to hear someone went against their LL and actually won though, I was under the impression that we're pretty much at their mercy.

I'd still like any tips on handling the cleaning, although these things have been caused by damp (except the cod liver oil), I still want to do everything in my power to leave the place looking presentable.

fuddle

Wire brush the rust off the radiator then re-paint if needed. It might pay you to re-seal the window frames as I have not been able to rid mould from there. Take pictures of all the work you do to help your claim for your deposit.

The LL doesn't have dibs on your money. It's in a scheme that is impartial and will take documents and statements from both sides before making a decision. Good luck

krlyr

What worked for me for mould on the window sealant was a cheap bleach (Tesco value one - bit runny but did the trick) mixed with bicarbonate of soda. Apply the paste along the sealant and leave for a couple of hours, then wipe off with a sponge. It cleaned 95% of the mould marks straight away - though do make sure you wipe it up completely, I think I missed a bit and when the condensation on the window pooled and ran down over the sealant it brought some bleach/bicarb onto the sill which affected the paintwork.

Butterfly_Brain

I find that Astonish mould remover is great and I got mine in 99p stores but I have seen it in poundland, but you can't use it on fabrics. If the mould is because of damp in the flat that is down to the landlord as is rust on the radiators which will only have rust if they are old.
The cooker rings can be cleaned by using oven brite or Astonish oven cleaner and do the oven racks at the same time.
I agree with opening all of the windows to allow the flat to air off, don't use lots of artificial sprays, because that may alert people to a problem. If you want it to smell nice brew some coffee or bake a cake or some bread

telynores

As an aside, old toothbrushes are handy for those hard to reach places, corners, angles etc :-D

meames_2

You can get a hob "back to black" I think I got mine from betterware. It was like a pritt stick.

kboss2010

I've lived in many a rubbish student flat so here's my tips!

HG mould spray is the best by a mile although don't use it on carpet or fabric because it will dissolve it. It will, however, get rid of the marks on the door but spray it onto a cloth and then wipe, don't spray it straight onto the door. Also, open windows, it's not nice stuff to breathe in!

If the mould is any deeper on sealant than the top layers you won't get it out. Just remove as much as you can from the surface then cover with new sealant.

Filling holes in walls can be done using a product like multi surface polyfilla (£2.99 for a small tube b&q). Remove any loose bits before you start. Place over the hole, smooth to the level of the plaster/paint around the hole and, once dry, sand and paint over with a tester pot. Pin holes can be filled with tipp-ex.

How to de-rust a radiator: http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/painting/painting-radiators.html

Oil stains don't come out of ANYTHING! You would be best to buy an oil-based undercoat to stop the oil stain from coming through then painting emulsion over the top.

Sethisis

Thank you everyone! Especially Kboss2010. I definitely feel more prepared to tackle this now, although I'm gutted about the oily ceiling. xD

Teacher2

Sand down and paint over problems. It's easier and quicker than cleaning them.

lolarosa90

Hi there!

No need to feel overwhelmed, here to help



1. Mould on the bathroom carpet, from where the bath was leaking.
I would use some Vanish stain remover for carpets and see if that lifts it off. Might have to do it a few times for it to come off.

2. Mould stuck on the sealant bit on the window frames.
Use some bicarbonate of soda and some white spirit vinegar combined to get rid of this with a toothbrush and wash it off with some water. I also like to use Fairy and some hot water with Dettol in and mould comes right off.

3. Rust on the radiators.
Again, a bit of bicarbonate of soda and water rubbed on the affected area and washed off with water should do the trick.

4. A big chunk on the corner of the wall where the paint's fallen off. It looks like a few layers of paint are gone, just painting over it will still leave quite the dent.
Maybe use some poly filler in the hole and paint over it

5. What looks like rust on the electric hobs. They used to be black, now they're kind of orangey brown...
Bicarbonate of soda is gonna be your best friend here

6. Cod liver oil on the bedroom ceiling xD
Won't even ask how that got up there! Maybe some Dettol and hot water and some elbow grease?

7. Grey marks on all of the doors where I've wiped away the mould. No amount of scrubbing is getting rid of the stains!
I would personally paint over them with a thin layer of paint


Good luck and let us know how you get on