Tidying a flat... .

Hi David

For your mouldy ceiling - give it a scrub with a bit of well diluted bleach and water, once it's dry coat with a layer of pva glue to stop the mould coming back through and then a coat of paint when it's all dry - pva glue is really cheap to pick up and a little goes a long way.

For your hob - make up a paste of washing powder with a little bit of water - smear it all over and leave to soak for as long as possible - should then all come off quite easily.

Laminate floor - sweep/hoover up as much as possible and then invest in a couple of microfibre clothes - give the floor a good wash over with a well wrung out mop and then polish dry with the microfibre cloth (around a pound each in supermarkets)

Windows - hot soapy water - give them a good wash then wipe over with warm water with a splash of vinegar in, buff them up with a microfibre cloth and they should sparkle (don't do it when it's too sunny though as it encourages smears)

As for the rest of it - a good bit of elbow grease does wonders - as does opening the windows for some fresh air.

Good luck HTH

Dettol mould and mildew remover is fantastic for cleaning mould up - we have a similar problem in our bathroom and a quicl squirt gets rid of it. I think it has a fungicide in it as well as bleach so it stops it coming back quite so quickly. Just don't inhale the spray and try it on an inconspicuous area first as it can sometimes bleach paintwork - it's not that noticeable on white but if it's a colour you could have a problem.

Windows - if you can't be bothered with the soap/water/vinegar route (very OS but time consuming) then Mr Muscle (the green stuff in a trigger spray bottle) is the best stuff I've found. Don't forget to wipe the tiles in your kitchen, mine are maroon (urgh) and show up every splash. The best thing I've found to clean them is a little bit of stardrops on a green dish-scrubby, give them a good scrub and then wipe them clean with a well rinsed microfibre cloth, it makes them look really clean. Stardrops is a good all purpose cleaner, but don't use it on floors as it'll make them sticky.

Like a previous poster said, open the windows and air the place - washing bedding will make the bedroom smell fresher. Maybe invest in a couple of scented candles? Make sure rugs, cushions etc are 'straight', I once read an article that said many people who see straight, tidy rugs etc will automatically assume that a place is 'clean' and will overlook any slightly dingy bits lol (although of course this has limits .

If it's fabric you can get spray on cleaner in most £/discount shops or just use a little washing up liquid and water with a sponge, don't get it too wet. I would vacuum it first instead of 'washing in' dirt. They do the cleaners in supermarkets but can be more expensive. Test on an unseen area first of course.

If you're going to buying a cleaning solution you can get the ones which do everything, I think Mr Muscle does one which will do everything from carpets/furniture to kitchen and windows. I have used them before with successful results. Get the windows open to air the place out.

My other tip would be start in one room, instead of bits in one then another. Do what is worst first. Landlords etc will probably pick even if you do a very good job so maybe leave something obvious for him to winge about. Something which is easily cleaned like toothpaste in the sink etc :rotfl: been there, can you tell.

Get a cheap blanket in a colour that co-ordinates and use it as a throw - throw it artisticly over the sofa and hide it