The definitive and straight-forward guide to washing football kit!

Ahhh the World Cup! Even those who usually despise football can’t help getting caught up in the whirlwind of football fervour. After their match with Uruguay, the English team had hoped to don their reverse kit, but were forced to wear all white due to a clash with the planned official strip. Washing those kits would be quite the undertaking if they didn't get a new one each match. Unlike the professionals, most of us can’t afford to buy a new kit each time they get dirty! But there are ways to keep your kits looking like new each time. Football kits should always be washed alone, so no chucking any towels in the washing machine with them! There are lots of rules for washing kit; all of them are unfortunately annoying but essential!

Shirts

Football shirts are delicate things, which seems unfair considering the amount of time they spend being rolled around on a muddy football pitch! Luckily, the way in which you wash a shirt is the single most important factor in increasing the shelf-life of football shirts. Here are some tips on how to keep those shirts clean and in one piece!

1. Wash your football shirts in cold water, no matter what the colour. This is best to avoid shrinkage, but if the stains are really stubborn, warm water can be used. NEVER use hot water – the lettering and numbers will fade. Plus, hot water will set grass and mud stains.
2. Pre-soaking is essential, rinse off the shirt to remove excess dirt. Let the shirt soak for at least one hour, but overnight for better results.
3. Use the delicate setting of your washing machine, or even better, hand wash them.
4. Avoid powder detergent; powder can leave residue which is not a friend of polyester, so use liquid instead.
5. NEVER NEVER NEVER use fabric softener, it is a path of no return; it will cause wrinkles in the fabric that you will never really be able to fix.
6. For best results, take the shirt out of the wash immediately after the cycle – if you let it sit in the washing machine it will be permanently wrinkled. Same for if you put it in a tumble dryer – NEVER use the dryer!
7. Ensure that it dries completely whilst on a hanger, then fold it carefully.
8. Do not iron, it can’t handle the heat! If you are particularly attached to your iron, you could attempt it using a cold iron, but if you have followed the above step this will be unnecessary.

If the stains are really stubborn or dried in, you may need to try these last resort methods:

Mud: Try adding to a bucket of warm water, adding three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda, and letting it soak for a few hours, then washing.

Sweat: For really bad sweat stain, try this method – turn the shirt inside out (to prevent damages to patches etc). Pour one cup of white vinegar into a bowl, use a clean sponge to apply the vinegar to the stains. Make a paste of warm water and baking soda (60ml water, 4 tbsp baking soda). Spread paste over shirt using a clean sponge, and scrub in gently with a toothbrush. The combination of vinegar and paste lifts the stains. Leave for about an hour for the paste to fully dry. Wash as normal, leaving it turned inside out.

Blood: Rubbing salt into the area then washing as normal usually works. If this is unsuccessful, try soaking the shirt in OxiClean overnight.

Grass:  Place the shirt over the sink and pour powdered washing powder with enzymes over the grass stain. Add two or three drops of water to the detergent, and then scrub with a clean toothbrush. If necessary, add more water, and scrub for one minute. Let the detergent sit for ten minutes. Spray stain remover onto the remaining stain then place shirt into the washing machine and wash on warm.  If the stain remains, repeat the process. Dry as normal.

Shorts

Shorts are easier because they are not as delicate. However, for some reason the gods of football have seen fit to make most football shorts white! Fret not; we can guide you through your dirty football shorts washing experience.

Mud: allow the mud to try, then scrape away with a butter knife, then use a shirt brush to wipe away excess mud. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and soak for a few hours. Apply laundry pre-treatment and allow to sit on the shorts for ten minutes. Use your fingers to work in some liquid laundry soap onto the stain. Rinse with hot water. If the mud is gone, launder as usual. If the stain remains, apply distilled white wine vinegar to a rag and rub into the stain. If the stain still won’t come out, try pre-treating it with washing powder and ammonia into a bowl to form a thick paste, apply to stain and allow to sit for ten minutes.

For grass and blood stains, see our previous post entitled ‘Whites Worthy of Wimbledon!’

Socks

For smelly sports socks, white vinegar is definitely the way to go (which makes us happy because it’s cheap!). Just dilute with water and soak for a few hours, this will kill the bacteria that causes odours. Then wash as normal.

Boots

After playing, loosen your laces to remove boots (Don’t let the kids kick them off at the heel!).

Bang the boots together to remove excess mud IMMEDIATELY after leaving the pitch.  If you’re not there to make sure it’s done. Drum it in before they go! It saves so much time and elbow grease later.  If you can’t knock the boots together on the pitch, send them off with a plastic bag. Pop them in there and do it anyway. Mess is avoided and you have less work later. 

No matter how tempting, try and avoid using a wire brush. It’ll wear away the fabric. The minute or two you’ll save will seem pointless when you have boots falling apart at the seams.  Old toothbrushes or nail brushes work wonders.

Never use a cleaning agent on your boots

If they’re sodden stuff the boots with newspaper so they don’t dry misshapen.  

Allow them to dry naturally; if you apply heat to them, they can become stiff, which are much more likely to rip or crack. Heat can also cause the soleplate to warp.

Once dry, grease the studs with Vaseline. This stops them from rusting and helps prevent soil sticking to the studs.

Use Dubbin or natural leather oil in order to keep the boot waterproof and the leather supple.

If all this sounds like too much hard work (which is understandable!) you can always bring your kit to us! If you allocate someone to collect everyone’s kit at the end of a match, all the kits can be washed at the same time, and we will drop the kit off right at your front door.

Whites Worthy of Wimbledon!

It’s that time again, whether you are taking up the racket yourself or enjoying an excuse for delicious Kentish strawberries, stains on those precious whites are inevitable! As you are probably aware, the strict dress code maintains that players must wear all white. Officials are notoriously fastidious; last year seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was told he couldn’t wear his orange-soled trainers, since they were considered to have broken the All England Club’s rules! For some these rules are too stringent; Andre Agassi refused to play at Wimbledon because of his deep love for denim shorts. After much soul searching, he finally ditched his commitment to denim in 1991 in order to compete. For those of us who love our white sportswear, here are some trade secrets for keeping those whites pristine:

General Rules

• Wash whites in hot water: provided the fabric can handle this (always check the label!) it is the best setting for white clothes.
• Use a colour remover on your white clothes if they discolour, become dull or look dingy, as they can remove the unwanted colours from whites. If you don't want to purchase a colour remover, mix boiling water with oxygen bleach and let the clothes soak in the mixture for the same effect. If colours bleed during the wash, do not allow the garments or items to dry. Add colour removers to the wash and do the whole wash again. Once the wash has dried the colour transfer tends to set.
• Consider adding a laundry booster to your wash. Adding washing soda, oxygen bleach or borax will increase the efficacy of your detergent. These boosters work best with soft water
• Make sure that clothes are completely rinsed. This removes all traces of dirt or grimy water that can dull the look of whites.
• Select an appropriate load size. The clothes or other items should be able to move freely around in the water.
• Clean your washing machine regularly to ensure that your white clothes are actually being cleaned and that any remaining dirt in the washing machine isn't being transferred onto them.

Going Green

• Some of you are no doubt fully embracing the green revolution. If you want to avoid harmful chemicals in everyday cleaning and laundry, follow these steps to clean your dingy whites the natural way!
• If you spill something dark, pour salt on it to absorb moisture from the spill. Apply white vinegar or lemon juice directly to stains. Soak whites in a solution of water and lemon juice.
• Pouring 1/2 cup of lemon juice or 1 cup of white distilled vinegar into your washing machine with your clothes can keep your white clothes white.
• Wash whites with washing soda, similar to baking soda but with a lower pH. After washing, hang whites to dry in the sun. Sunlight naturally bleaches without setting stains the way a dryer does.

Bleach Boys

• Dilute hydrogen peroxide with water and add to a stain. This can also work with colours to although I would recommend a patch test first
• Dilute 3-percent hydrogen peroxide into your washing machine with your clothes can keep your white clothes white.
• Vanish Oxy Action Crystal White is a readily available product that has excellent reviews (not the pink tub, as this is better with colours).
• A decent bio powder - will do a good job BUT you must follow the instructions to the letter.
• Pre-treating with a liquid detergent may well help as well as they have optical brighteners in them that should help. Also use if you again use biological detergent, as it will attack the stain.
• Napisan (the nappy soak liquid) is an excellent stain remover (think about it!) and it keeps the whites white. Use as a soak for stains or in the machine.
• Boil using soap - ancient Korean secret, no joke. Korean people have been documented to have a long history of wearing white clothing, before washing machine times. Apparently what they did then, and what most housewives continue to do today (including my mom), is to boil their whites with a bit of soap or your detergent of choice. The key is to use only a little and then boil it for hours. It preserves the fabric and will get it spotlessly white without using any bleach. (This was my grandmother’s method of choice and my mother assures me that she and her siblings always had dazzlingly white clothes!).
• Add bleach to your clothes as a last resort. Bleach will keep clothes white and can act as a disinfectant. Make sure to use the appropriate amount of bleach as recommended on the packaging or else you may damage your clothes.

Grass Stains

• The golden rule is patience and not to dry the article as that will set the stain Grass juice contains chlorophyll which is the green pigment - known as a dye stain – that we see in grass stained clothing.
• Synthetic (manmade) fabrics are generally easier to treat than natural fabrics such as cotton. The reason for this is that the grass stain, being a natural stain will form a stronger bond with natural fibres.
• Wherever possible, keep the stain wet until you can treat it.
• Often grass stains are accompanied by dirt. Rinse the item for the back with cool water to remove as much of the dirt as possible before treating the grass stain.
• After flushing with water you're ready to treat the grass stain. The best method of removing grass stains is a simple paste of baking soda and plain vinegar mixed into a spreadable paste the consistency of toothpaste.
• Gently work it into the stain with your fingers, working from the backside of the fabric.
• Working from the back of the fabric pushes the stain back out rather than working it in deeper. Allow the paste to sit on the clothing for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water, again from the back, until the water runs clean.
• If it appears that the stain has been removed, launder with your normal detergent and then allow to air dry.
• If the stain is still visible you can repeat the above method or buy digestive enzymes from the chemist, available in a powder or pill form - make a paste with enough water to again get the consistency of toothpaste. Spread the paste on the top of the stain and leave for an hour. Flush the stain with cool water.
• Depending on the severity of the stain and the amount of time that has elapsed before treatment, it may be necessary to treat multiple times before the stain has been completely removed.  

                                                   Strawberry Stains

If you’re like me, then you much prefer watching the tennis, rather than playing it. This, of course, entails the obligatory bowl of strawberries and glass of wine!

Once again, your best chance of success is swift action! The sooner it’s treated, the easier it is to remove.

For Clothing

• Rinse any excess juice from the fabric, and rinse with cool water.
• Combine half a teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and a litre of warm water. Let the stained clothing soak in the solution for about 15 minutes.
• Rinse the fabric well in cool water.
• If the stain is stubborn, sponge the area with rubbing alcohol, and rinse thoroughly again with cool water. BUT do a test patch to check that the rubbing alcohol won’t damage the fabric
• Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow; use chlorine bleach if the fabric will allow it, or colour safe bleach if not.
• If this process is unsuccessful, do not allow the fabric to dry, and look into alternative methods such as lemon juice, glycerine and denatured alcohol.

For Upholstery

• Carefully blot up as much of the strawberry as possible.
• Mix a solution of 2/3 of a cup of rubbing alcohol and one tablespoon of white vinegar.
• Using this solution, sponge the spot with a clean white cloth.
• Next, blot until the liquid is absorbed.
• Repeat steps 3-4 until the strawberry stain is removed from the upholstery.
• Now that the spot is removed you should get plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the cleaning solution, and then blot dry.
• Be sure to get the upholstery only as wet as necessary to remove the stain.

For Carpets

• Firstly, follow the same method as for upholstery; if this is unsuccessful there are two options.
• Option one: This solution is milder than option two, so it may be wise to try this one first. Mix a solution of one tablespoon of liquid dish detergent and two cups of warm water, and use this as a stain removal solution.
• Option two: mix a solution of one tablespoon of ammonia with two cups warm water, and try that as a stain removal solution. Science time! When using ammonia and vinegar together, be aware that one is an alkali and the other an acid. Therefore they will neutralise one another, so thoroughly rinse the alcohol/vinegar solution before trying ammonia.

That’s all folks! Perhaps laundry is not your favourite activity whilst the weather is so beautiful, if so the Iron Maids are always happy to take it off of your hands!

How to be Sun Savvy

I LOVE SUMMER!  I love feeling the sun on my skin and spend hours outside whenever I can.  Even my family knows that I will be in a good mood if the sun is shining.  But much as I feel great in the sun as the ‘feel good’ hormones kick in and my stiff ol’ joints feel easier, my poor pale pink and freckly skin isn’t as enamoured as I am.  I am, however, fairly sun savvy and know how to protect my skins but I still like to benefit from catching a few rays too

Get the best from the sun
The sun provides a valuable dose of vitamin D – essential for the body’s absorption of calcium and phosphate to keep bones and teeth strong as well as encouraging new cell growth. The sun has a long list of other advantages – it can lift mood through increased levels of serotonin (ask my family!) and helps the body create higher levels of the feel-good hormone  melatonin. This also encourages a good night’s sleep.

Sunshine is also credited for strengthening our immune system, improving metabolism, increasing circulation, reducing the risk of certain cancers and diseases, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and developing overall good health. Always wear a sunscreen with broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection if you’re spending time in the sun.

Sun safety
Soak up the rays for 15 to 30 minutes in order to allow your skin to make enough vitamin D. In the UK sunlight exposure is most effective from April to October – our winter light is generally not strong enough, and at this time of the year our bodies tend to draw on their Vitamin D reserves and rely on sourcing more through the food we eat.

How much time is really beneficial depends on your skin type , but whatever you do, being sun-aware is also important.

Staying sun-safe
At midday, when the sun’s rays are strongest, it’s important to stay out of the sun. Otherwise, make sure you wear a sunscreen with broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and stay in the shade or cover up with clothes, a hat and sunglasses to protect yourself.

Sunscreen
Read labels to select a sunblock that offers protection from two forms of the sun’s ultraviolet rays – UVA and UVB  Reapply sunscreen in line with the instructions on the label, especially if you’ll be wet or sweating.  Remember babies should be kept out of the sun completely as their skin is very vulnerable.  Your pets can get sunburnt too – especially on their noses and tips of their ears, so encirage them back into the shade or you can apply some pet sunblock.  My dog loves to sunbathe and his nose ‘tans’ every year!

Let’s hope that Summer really is with us now for the next couple of months and with the tips above, you can certainly make the most of it.

Stubborn Stains and Lingering Smells? Begone…….

We’ve given plenty of advice in the past about getting rid of stains on clothing and encourage you to embrace the Holy Trinity of stain removal:

1. The longer a stain remains, the tougher it is to remove.

2. Always treat a stain before laundering.

3. Blot gently — never rub; and don't ever blot with hot water.

Remember, specific stains have specific treatments:

• Lipstick: Blot with a baby wipe or a washcloth moistened with rubbing alcohol.
• Blood: If it's fresh, blot repeatedly with cold water, an ice cube, or soda water; if it's dried, use a 3 percent hydrogen-peroxide solution.
• Oil: (not motor oil) Cover with talc or baby powder immediately and allow it to sit at least a half hour. Then brush it off, apply a stain remover and wash in the hottest water the fabric can stand.
• Ink: On cotton, apply rubbing alcohol to the spot, then wash. On polyester, spray liberally with hair spray and pat with a clean, dry cloth. Then wash.
• Red wine: Douse with salt, dunk in cold water, blot until the stain disappears, and wash as soon as possible. If you're at dinner and unable to strip down, soak the spot with soda water and get home to your washing machine ASAP. If it’s red wine on a carpet, you can try covering in talcum powder and covering with a damp tea towel. When all the talc is red, scrape off and cover with further talc and a damp tea towel; once again, leave to dry and vacuum it off.

Never mind the stains, what about lingering smells that can take longer to identify the source of and can be just as tough to remove?

• Urine: Bicarbonate of soda is very good at getting rid of this smell. Make up a fairly wet paste and apply to the carpet or upholstery affected, allow it to dry fully and then clean it off.
• Sweat: sweat is counteracted by vinegar. Sprinkle it over the fabric, leave for a few minutes then wash as normal.
• Vomit: Once all the vomit has been cleaned off, damp the surface and sprinkle it liberally with bicarbonate of soda and cover with a towel, leave it to dry and then vacuum it out. A good quality disinfectant is also very good at getting rid of those smells but it can leave your home smelling a little “institutional”.
• Smelly feet: every home has had someone with that horrid “cheesy feet” smell and teenagers can be the worst offenders. Surgical spirit, bought from the chemist, can prove to be an effective remedy. Pour into a shallow bowl and dip clean, dry feet in or dab the clean feet with cotton wool soaked in the spirit. Allow the surgical spirit to dry on the skin and repeat twice a day for 7-10 days. Washing the offender’s socks in a good antibacterial wash is helpful too as it’s the bacteria the cause the pong. Of course none of these methods gets rid of trainer smells. You need the experts for that, so call us and ask about our Ozocab, which guarantees to get sports shoes smelling sweet. It also remove lingering odours from pet bedding and biker leathers too.

And my final stain removing tip – if you leave cheap coke in the loo overnight, it does a great job of removing stubborn stains in the toilet bowl……just please don’t think about what it does your teeth or your insides!

Have a fresh, fragrant and fabulous week everyone.

 

HOME SAFETY CHECK

Call me paranoid but an experience over the weekend involving a gas cooker, a burning oven glove and a distinct lack of a sound from the smoke alarm, made me realise that maybe my little nest isn’t quite as safe as I thought it is for me and mine.

It certainly got me thinking about taking your safety at home for granted and peace of mind may only be found if you’re confident that you and your family are safe and sound by day and by night. Here’s a useful health and safety checklist.

Smoke alarms

Cheerful fact of the day - you are twice as likely to die in a house fire if you do not have smoke alarms.  There’s no excuse for not having them as battery operated smoke detectors are cheap and easy to install. Position them above doors or on the ceiling in hallways and landings.  They may be affected by steam, so don’t fit in the bathroom.  The batteries should be replaced regularly - we all know that there is nothing more annoying than the regular sad beep of a smoke alarm battery that needs replacing – that is after you’ve spent several hours isolating the source of the noise!  A brilliant idea is to change the batteries twice a year when you put the clocks forward/back (why have I never thought of that!?)

Fire safety

Make sure everyone knows how to get out of your home safely in the event of a fire. Chances are that you keep your doors locked, especially at night, but make sure that all family members know where the keys are kept and make sure this is easy to locate and near the door, as you may need to locate them in the dark and/or in thick smoke.  For useful home safety tips go to www.fireservice.co.uk/safety

Fire extinguishers

Got one? Get rid! Although many people feel safer with an extinguisher in the home, the UK Fire Service advice is to get out of your home as soon as possible in the event of an emergency and call 999. Trying to tackle the fire yourself can lead to dangerous delays and most of us don’t know how to do it.  Don’t waste that time – get out and dial 999.

Carbon monoxide detectors

Carbon monoxide poisoning can take effect slowly and without you even realising it – nausea, headaches, aching limbs and fatigue.   Position your detector near to your central heating boiler.  As with the smoke alarms, always make sure the batteries are working and replace regularly.  Equally important is the fact that the device is dust-free.

First aid kits

A basic necessity in our house, as I am the proud owner of one of the planet’s clumsiest children! Luckily A&E is just around the corner for the breaks and sprains (of which there have been many!)  but experience means I know to keep a well-stocked first aid kit  - plasters of all shapes and sizes, adhesive tape, antiseptic ointment, bandages, cold pack, disposable gloves, gauze dressing, hand cleanser, spray “plaster”, scissors and tweezers and a triangular bandage. We keep one in both the house and the car.  Make sure all members of the household know where to find the kit too.  The main rule here is that if you are in any doubt about how to treat an injury, seek medical help as soon as possible.

Electrical safety

Ensure kitchen sockets and any sockets near sources of water are equipped with ground fault systems and circuit breakers. This type of socket can prevent electrocution, shocks and some types of electric fire. Wherever possible, use one socket for one appliance, especially items like the television, washing machine and dishwasher.  Inquisitive fingers and plug sockets do not mix, so place socket covers over all electrical sockets to reduce the risk of electric shocks.
 Check electricity cables and any burn marks around plugs

Storing cleaning products and other chemicals

Keep these out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard or drawer. Keep the phone number of your local poison control centre next to your telephone or check out www.hpa.org.uk.

Stair safety
Keep stairways and halls clear of clutter which may cause trips and falls, especially with the young and the elderly.

There are potential hazards in all our homes but a little bit of common sense, a decent first aid kit and some basic safety knowledge goes a long way.  Have a look around your home now and see if you need to make any adjustments.  Stay safe everyone J

Household Tips that are Truly Useful

I know that when the Spring sunshine starts to shine through my home, I start to notice all those extra little jobs that Winter’s darkness ably covers.  I’m talking dusty blinds, grubby windows and cobwebs in high places.  If you’re a dog owner like me, you may also notice more and muddy patches at dog height on your walls, as our canine friends love April showers and then to wipe themselves the full length of the hallway – well, my mutt does anyway!

Here’s a few tips that actually work and you can easily incorporate into your spring clean

The only way is down   
Start at the top of the house and work down. As you finish each room, shut the door to keep the dust out. Clean downstairs in the same way, ending with the hallway. By working methodically, you'll know the whole house is clean.

Make like a professional 

Chambermaids at The Savoy are trained to stand at the door to see what needs doing and then whatever needs to be done - dusting, mopping or vacuuming - the rules are left to right, top to bottom and back to front.

Think about a clear out

If you can't decide whether or not to keep something, ask yourself 'Would I take this with me if I moved house?' If the answer is no, but you still can’t bring yourself to throw/give it away, try having a 'maybe' sack to store things in for eight weeks. If you don’t use it during that time then it is time to part company.  A useful mantra is also ‘is it useful or beautiful?’ – if it’s neither, the get rid of it.  If you can live without it for that long, it's time to say goodbye.

Store away your winter woollies

Wash or dry-clean your woollies before storing them. This will deter moths and also remove perfume and deodorant stains, which may oxidise and worsen over time. Store out-of-season garments in cotton, breathable bags rather than plastic, which attracts dust and condensation.

Get your duvet dry-cleaned

As the nights get warmer we often swap our duvets for one with a lower tog rating.  Making now the perfect time to get it cleaned. Dry-cleaning is the best way to kill off dust mites and their allergens.

Love your linens

If your white bedding and towels are looking a bit grey and tired, add half a cup of lemon juice or a cup of white vinegar to your wash.  Or try a sachet of one of the many ‘glow white’ laundry products on the market

And on the subject of cloth and washing…..

Remove oil from silk clothing

I have used this trick for perfumed oil - gently rub cornflour into the area to absorb the oil, and lightly brush off. Cover the oil mark completely with more cornflour and leave to sit for a few hours. Shake clothing free of flour and then hand wash, or use a gentle machine cycle, using handwash detergent. 

Save clothes from pollen

If you get pollen on your clothes, especially lily pollen, whatever you do, don't try to brush it off! Take a small piece of sticky tape, press the sticky side on to the pollen mark and roll off. Repeat with clean tape as required until all the pollen has gone

Lipstick remover

If you have lipstick on a machine-washable fabric, saturate the spot with hairspray, leave for ten minutes, dab the area with a damp cloth and wash as usual. It works!

Bobble banisher 
Wipe fine-grain sandpaper over a jumper in one direction - veeeery gently! - to lift off those horrid bobbles on your favourite knitwear

Colour-run catastrophes

You'll never have to worry about an accidental red sock sneaking in with your white laundry if you use a specialist ‘colour collector’ product, normally a single sheet similar to a tumble dryer softener sheet.  Add this to the washing machine with your stained clothes, use your usual washing detergent and any loose colour and dirt will be collected and locked in the sheet.

Now on to the housework proper J

Washing windows

When cleaning, finish off with a squeegee, wiping the interior horizontally and the exterior vertically so you know if any streaks are inside or outside.  Vinegar in your water cuts through everything making your windows sparkle.

Cleaning skylights

These are often hard to get to, so let’s cheat and enlist Mother Nature’s help!  Wait for the summer showers and tilt the window inside and wash the outside with soapy water before shutting it to let the rain rinse the soap away.  So simple!

Cleaning blinds

To clean blinds, just lower and close them completely, then use a damp paintbrush to lift the dust off.  Change the water regularly and clean your brush between strokes

Remove scuff marks on paintwork

Rub them with a clean pencil eraser, then dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol and dab the mark until it disappears.

Clean your lamp shades

Rid your fabric lamp shades of dust by simply running a lint roller around the outside. Smaller shades can be done with sticky tape

Clean chandeliers with a miracle product

If your chandeliers and crystal lights are gathering dust and you dread taking them down to clean because it’s such a fiddly job, cheer, as you no longer have to! Lakeland make a  crystal and chandelier cleaner (£9.99) that you just spray it on and let the dirt drip off on to a towel or bucket below. Miraculous results!

Remove pet hair 

A quick way to remove pet hair from upholstery is to put on a rubber glove - ideally with a raised grip - run it under the tap, then shake off any excess moisture. Run your fingers over the pet hair in short scraping strokes for easy removal. This is also useful on stair risers – obviously starting at the top and working down!

Spruce up your wood

Remove grease marks from wooden table tops using neat vinegar to dissolve the grease then wiping immediately with a cloth wrung out with a solution of equal parts vinegar and warm water

Bathrooms…….

Stop steamy mirrors
Rub a dry bar of soap over the surface of bathroom windows and then rub with a clean cloth to keep the fog away.  Alternatively to prevent mirrors from steaming up, put a small amount of washing-up liquid on a dry cloth and rub it thoroughly into the surface of the mirror.

Limescale in the loo

Limescale is calcium and can be dissolved by distilled vinegar dissolves calcium. Using a spray bottle, apply the vinegar to the loo and rinse clean 30 minutes later.  For more stubborn limescale, soak a few pieces of kitchen towel in vinegar and place them on the affected parts for a few hours before removing and rinsing.

Keep your shower clean

Good old vinegar again! Mix equal parts of vinegar and water and scrub on with a soft toothbrush to remove limescale on the shower door. As above, for heavy deposits, soak paper towels in vinegar, and leave on overnight.  Lemon juice and water applied with an old newspaper then rinsed with water works well too.

Grout cleaner 
Fold a piece of medium-grit sandpaper in half, rough-side out and use the creased edge to scrub out the stains in the bathroom tile grout.

Kitchens……

Olive Oil

Many cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel. Olive oil, however, is a safe and effective shining agent.  As well as cleaning - cooking of course! – olive oil can be sued to lubricate hinges with a small dab of oil to a cloth and wipe the top of the hinges so that the oil runs down the sides. This wonder oil can also be used to stop wax sticking to candle holders, if you rub a thin coat of oil on the base of the holder before inserting a candle. Any dripped wax should peel away easily.

Fresher smelling fridge

If your fridge smells of onions or pongy cheese, place a saucer containing a few tablespoons of ground coffee inside. Keep the fridge door closed for as long as you can - 24 hours if possible. Throw away the coffee and keep an open pack of cheap coffee in the fridge to serve as a deodoriser.

Super sparkling silver

Polishing tarnished silver cutlery takes ages, so try this tip and boil it for ten minutes in a saucepan of water, lined with aluminium foil.

All of these are really useful tips to help your home feel fresh and rejuvenated.

Tools for the Job

Tool  Number 1: The Iron

A quality iron may be identified by its well-built sole plate – you should look for something that is solid, smooth, and clean if buying used.  Usually they’re  made from solid steel, titanium coated or cast iron with alumina.

No matter what, avoid the super cheap irons (i.e. less than £15) as these often have really low quality sole plates to keep costs down.  A cheap sole plate isn’t easy to clean and won’t heat up evenly  so is a false economy as it will end up damaging your clothes

Look for high heat capability.  Most consumer irons range in power consumption from 420 watt, such as small travel irons, to 1800 watts, which are the higher end domestic models.  Generally speaking, the higher the wattage, the hotter the iron can get and the faster it will heat too, although the size of the sole plate must also be taken into account too

It’s important for your iron to be able to get hot as fabrics such as cotton and linen require high heat to reform their shape and a hotter iron can really reduce your ironing time as you don’t have to spend too long on each part of the garment. A hot iron is also needed to create steam and higher temperatures produce steadier steam

Steam is vital too, as it breathes life into fabrics and the hot moisture enables the toughest wrinkles to smooth out with minimal work by more evenly distributing the heat through the garment’s fibres.  Back to the gold old cheap iron (think student starter kit!) and its often pathetic steam component that functions as if it was an afterthought, sputtering and spitting – that’s no good.  Spend a bit more and you can get up to 300+ holes in the sole plate delivering clean, uniform steam.

Try to buy the best steam delivery system you can afford as a good steam iron can be used indirectly on wools and other more delicate fabrics and save £££s a year in pressing and dry cleaning costs

Be warned though, price doesn’t always mean quality.  Some irons are expensive because they are  made of lightweight space age materials, designed for those with arthritis or similar and cannot cope with a heavy iron. They are not necessarily better because they cost more,  they simply are being made for a different customer

 A special mention to the travel iron for those of us who travel for business or even those of us take an iron on our hols, a travel iron can be a wise investment.  Although hotels often have an iron and board available for guest use, this isn’t always the case, especially at hotels that are either budget or are trying to encourage use of their expensive in-house cleaning services.  Having your own iron enables you to use a device you’re familiar with and prepare your clothing on your schedule as you see fit.  No ironing board?  Grab a towel and throw it on a flat surface, that’ll work just as well. Look for something small, lightweight, with good heat capability and with a decent steam setting.

Tool Number 2: The Ironing Board

Basically, you need something that’s sturdy and can be adjusted to a height that’s comfortable for you.  To save money, it doesn’t even have to be new as all the work is done by the cover and the pad.  Look for a good, thick underlay, a non-slip surface and a heat reflective surface which will help speed up ironing time, as you effectively iron both sides of a garment at once.  You can also put a piece of tinfoil under the ironing board cover to do this too but do take extra care if you do this, as it will increase the speed in which you can burn the clothing.

Tool Number 3: Spray Bottle

If you are being thrifty and re-using a bottle that once contained a household cleaner you must be certain that it has been thoroughly cleaned as you don’t want to be spraying chemicals on your clothes.   Use the spray bottle to disperse water evenly over your garments before ironing if it’s too dry.  It’s also handy for when you’re ironing a stubborn crease – just give the crease a squirt and then iron it out seconds later.

Tool Number 4: Water

You want to use clean water without high concentrations of calcium and magnesium, both of which are common in hard water.  Long term use can lead to iron damage and leave marks on dress shirt fabrics that are hard to remove and for this reason many manufacturers recommend using distilled water. However, keep your iron clean and you do not need to use distilled water as some mineral presence is good as it acts as a wetting agent and helps water better vaporize when it contacts the sole plate.  In reality, drinking water is perfect for most irons.

Tool Number 5: Light-Coloured Cotton Towel

A towel can be used as an ironing board pad, rolled and used inside sleeves as a makeshift sleeve-board, or simply to clean up excess water sprayed on the shirt. It may also be sued to protect delicate fabrics that may need a burst of heat but would be damaged by direct contact with a hot iron.  Place the towel over the garment to be ironing and iron the garment through the towel to protect it.  A cotton handkerchief does this job on smaller, fiddlier items.

Tool Number 6: Spray Starch (Optional)

It’s easy to get this wrong in an attempt to get a perfect “crisp” shirt – too much starch and too high a heat and you can end up with flakes of starch everywhere.  It is best used in moderation and not on the iron’s highest heat setting.  Use in moderation or you can turn a normally breathable cotton shirt into something that feels like a synthetic plastic bag which creases the moment it’s worn.  It’s possible to make your own spray starch by dissolving one tablespoon of corn starch in two cups water. Using a spray bottle (preferably not the water one – clearly mark it “spray starch” – and LIGHTLY mist the fabric a minute before ironing.

Ask any workman (or woman), it’s really important to have the right tools for the job and I hope you’ll find this useful advice when it comes to tackling the UK’s most hated chore.  Anything to make it simpler………failing that, just give us a call!  We've got all the best tools for this particular job!

Me Time for Mums

It can’t have escaped anyone’s attention that it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and for many of us that means visiting our mums, probably armed with flowers and cards, and spending some quality time together.  My Mother’s Day will be spent with both my mum and my children and we will enjoy that all too rare event of sitting down to a meal together. 

Mother’s Day is lovely and I enjoy both being spoilt and equally buying a small gift for my mum too.  Over the years my children have bought me all sorts for Mother’s Day from pretty bouquets and gorgeous perfumes but my favourite present of all was home-made, by a then three year old and a 10 year old and it’s so precious to me that it’s in my special “memory box” on top of my wardrobe.  It’s the box I open when I need to feel centred and count my blessings.

This special gift was a crudely made “book” of vouchers for me from my girls.  It was made of (almost) rectangles of grey manila paper torn from an old sketch book and cut out badly with plastic, round bladed scissors.  The same scissors had been used to punch holes through the pages which were tied together with pink ribbon.  The bow – of course – being tied using the tried and tested  “bunny-ears” method. 

Each voucher was for one or both of my daughters to help me and give me some time to myself.  My three year old promised to make her bed if I tore out her voucher and gave it back to her, effectively cashing it in.  My elder daughter  promised to clean out our rabbit or do the washing up in exchange for hers.  Naturally, I couldn’t bear to tear out the vouchers and accompanying pictures and they still make me smile even though my youngest is now almost 16 and towers above me and my elder daughter left home years ago.  My girls had wanted to give me something most mums find incredibly precious and in very short supply – the so called “me time”.

Ask many mums to define “me time” and it’s the 20 minutes in front of the TV before sloping off to bed exhausted.  For most of the time, we mums are acting as chief cook and bottle washer, running Mumz Kabz, as well as being mum, partner and employee of the year. It’s a lot to ask of anyone!  Sound familiar?

Perhaps the best thing we can give mums – and ourselves – is more of that elusive me time.  Time for a long soak in the bath, without little ones knocking on the door; the opportunity to curl up with a good book; even just time to take a solitary walk at a leisurely pace.

I am fairly certainly that the best present any mum can receive on Mother’s Day is more of that time.  Help her out.  Walk the dog, do the laundry, cook a meal – anything that gives mum chance to put her feet up.  At Iron Maids, we know how important that is, and not just on one Sunday a year but every day.  That’s why we offer our popular Gift Vouchers for our laundry and ironing services.

Go on – give your mum a break, run her bath and pick up that iron.  Or of you don’t fancy doing it yourself, give us a call!   

SPRING CLEAN YOUR EATING HABITS

We now almost a week into Lent now and many readers will have given up something in the 40 day lead up to Easter.  In fact, many of us finding it easier giving up “naughty” things when it’s not deepest darkest winter and the need to comfort eat is overwhelming!

With Spring in the air, it can also be a good time to overhaul eating habits and make some healthy choices re our eating habits. 

Swap ‘Bad’ for ‘Good’ when choosing your carbohydrates.  Carbs help you feel fuller for longer and help keep insulin levels stable.  You can achieve this by choosing whole grain breads, brown rice and wholewheat pasta rather than their “white” super refined versions.  Also, keep your sweet tooth happy with fruit instead of sugary snacks.

Don’t eat too late – although there is no firm evidence that eating later leads to weight gain, common sense tells you that the longer you have to burn off the calories before climbing the wooden hill to Bedfordshire, then the less chance you have of storing the energy as fat.  It also gives your digestive system more time to rest and gives you a better morning appetite.

Don’t pass the salt – this morning’s BBC news told us that our children are eating far too much salt, leading to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, and we grown-ups are too. Salt is the main source of sodium for most of us and the main culprit in the Western diet? You may be surprised to know that it’s not crisps and salty snacks  - it’s bread. In some loaves a single slice may contain more salt than a packets of crisps.  You wouldn’t eat 4 packets of crisps a day but many of us will eat four slices of bread.  Leave the salt in the cupboard at mealtime sand choose low or no-salt versions of foods. You won’t notice the difference after a week or so.

Drink more!  No, not sauvignon blanc or Stella Artois – more water, fruit teas or diluted juices. An average adult woman needs about eight 200ml glasses per day to help stay health and flush out toxins.  Keep a bottle of water on your desk and aim to drink at least six glasses during your working day (you can easily drink two further glasses at home).  Both your waistline and your complexion will thank you for it!

Keep healthy snacks handy – if you make the right snack choices, you will be less tempted by sugary, salty or fatty treats.  Try these:

·       Nuts.  Don’t make the mistake of avoiding nuts because they’re fatty because these fats are good for you i.e.  Omega 3 fats in walnuts and mono-unsaturated fat in almonds. Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium, and almonds, cashews, pistachios and hazelnuts are good for iron. Your skin and hair will be much improved at the same time as curbing your appetite.

·      Dried fruit and seeds.  Not those found in sugar laden cereal bars but sunflower seeds, which are great for omega 6 and dried apricots (choose sulphate-free ones), raisins and packs that mix nuts and things like dried cranberries are fantastic for iron, slow-release energy and calcium.

·      Dark chocolate or liquorice (yay!)  A few squares of dark chocolate (a good, high cocoa content one) and liquorice are excellent sources of iron.  Now you have an excuse to eat more chocolate

·      Banana. When  ripe, a banana’s starches have been mostly converted to sugars, making them easy to digest. Accompanied by a handful of nuts, your ‘nana is an excellent slow release snack.

·      Oatcakes.  Oats are brilliant for fibre, slow-release energy and lower cholesterol; this super food also has B vitamins, vitamin E, iron and zinc. Try topping them with almond butter, which is high in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E.

·      Cucumber –great for hydrating and good for muscles, bones and other body tissue.

·      Apples. Oh, so portable – carry one in your hand bag and have this fabulous source of energy and aid to digestion close to hand at all times.

As the weather starts to improve and the days are getting noticeably longer, don’t just spring clean you house – look at your eating habits too, make a few changes and start to feel so much better.  By the time Easter comes round you will have earned a few treats and remember, a dark chocolate Easter Egg is good for you!

Filthy kit!

With all the focus for sports events this winter being the Sochi Olympics, there’s been little talk of the everyday sportsman. But we all know winter is the sporting season closer to home with football leagues, netball games, rugby tournaments galore.  And what do all of those things mean for us? Dirty boots and smelly kits! So, let’s have a look at how to keep the mud, sweat and tears on the pitch and not ruling your weekend!

THE BOOTS

• Bang the boots together to remove excess mud IMMEDIATELY after leaving the pitch.  If you’re not there to make sure it’s done. Drum it in before they go! It saves so much time and elbow grease later.  If you can’t knock the boots together on the pitch, send them off with a plastic bag. Pop them in there and do it anyway. Mess is avoided and you have less work later. 
• No matter how tempting, try and avoid using a wire brush. It’ll wear away the fabric. The minute or two you’ll save will seem pointless when you have boots falling apart at the seams.  Old toothbrushes or nail brushes work wonders.
• If they’re sodden (which with this winter they no doubt will be!) stuff the boots with newspaper so they don’t dry misshapen.  

THE KIT

With almost all kits being made of polyester, it’s a lot easier to take care of them than most cotton garments, which is always nice to hear! However, next up a few tips on the bane of the kit-cleaner, grass stains!

• Cold water, cold water, cold water. I cannot say this enough.  Cold water! Hot will only serve to set the stubborn stains and make your life more difficult, which is the opposite of what we want.
• Soak the kit for an hour in said water, using a detergent solution if it’s a particularly stubborn stain.
• If you’re lucky enough to be dealing with a light coloured kit, bleaching can be a solution. Just make sure its not chlorinated, it’ll damage the polyester and you’ll have holes as well as stains, which none of us want.
• If the stain is persistent, the old toothbrush can come in handy again. Give it a scrub with some undiluted detergent.
• In the machine! Finally, let technology do its work, put your feet up. You deserve it!  Keep it on a relatively low heat though, 30 to 40 degrees should do it.
• When it’s finally clean, let it dry naturally. It’s probably not needed for another week anyway!

And remember if the boots are particularly smelly, send them to us.  At IM Towers we have a specialist ozone cleaning system that eliminates odours from items, including foot wear.  It’s magic!

No More Smelly Clothing or Footwear!

Ever had an article of clothing that, no matter how often you launder it, it’s still, well…….a bit whiffy?  It could be a particular jacket that you always wear when cleaning up your muddy dog, or even cooking smells, clinging to your favourite delicate blouse after you’ve hosted an amazing dinner party.

We all know that with the services of a good dry cleaner and competent home laundry  can remove stains and spots and keep garments looking fresh but getting rid  of those lingering smells can be much more difficult.  We have recognised this and have been searching for a way that we could also  solve this problem for our customers and we’re delighted to say that we have definitely found a solutions to the problem of smelly clothes, ponging sportswear and even stinky shoes.

We have invested in the Ozocab system which has been independently tested and certified by the University of Newcastle microbiology laboratories to destroy completely harmful bacteria which cause odours.

At IM Towers we are now delighted to say that we  can eradicate bad odours and sanitise a wide range of garments including:              

• Suits
• Sports gear
• Leathers
• Footwear
• Formal wear
• Wedding dresses
• Blankets
• Bedding
• Uniforms
• Overalls
• Coats
• Curtains
• Pillows & Cushions
• Theatre costumes
• Body armour
• Wetsuits
• Hats
• Helmets
• Fur coats

To be honest, the list is endless!

We can now remove odours from garments that cannot be traditional dry cleaned or washed and items end up not just smelling fresh but also sanitised at the same time.  Our new Ozocab system has been proven to remove the following odours:

• Cigarette
• Pets
• Cooking odours
• Moth ball, mould and mildew
• Diesel
• Paint 
• Perfume
• Vomit
• Sweat
• Foot odour
• Urine
• Smoke damaged smells.

Our brand new Ozocab system uses clean technology to break down the biological structure of bacteria leaving items totally clean and fresh.  We will use no chemicals, cleaning fluids or powders, just ozone - the world’s most powerful sterilising agent – which breaks down bacteria and removes odours.  What’s more, the system has been specially designed and has a patented system that safely converts the ozone back to oxygen, thus leaving nothing behind that is either harmful or poses a risk to anyone.

Do you ever have any of the following to deal with?

• Strong cooking smells on your own clothes
• Staff uniforms that have to be constantly fresh
• Deodorant and/or perfume smells that refuse to budge
• Bedding or linens that need sanitising
• Motor cycle leathers to clean
• Wetsuits to sanitise

We can deal with all of the above and leave you with super fresh garments, linens and uniforms – something that has been almost impossible to achieve in the past.

Give us a call today on 01622 870111 to find out more about our fabulous new odour removal and sanitising service.

Simplify your life in 2014

I’m sure that like me, you began 2014 with all the best of intentions.  Mine was to exercise more and generally take more care of myself – nothing unusual there then – but I have found that too many things were stopping me from doing this.  Quite simply, life is just too busy.  Perhaps the best thing to do for myself was to actually do less and worry about fewer things.  I have to think seriously about de-cluttering my life.

Turning to the internet as ever for advice, the top tips I learnt to achieve this are:

Be ruthless with your routine – is your diary full of post work commitments? PTA meetings, book clubs, catch up with friends? Then it’s time to have at least one night when you can just chill.  Get the children to bed early, put on your comfy ‘jamas and read, have a bath or watch TV.  Whatever you do, just do it because you want to, not because you feel you can’t let anyone down.

Take a good look at your Facebook “friends”…….is she just there because she knew your brother’s ex-girlfriend or something equally tenuous?  If so, delete!  Life’s too short to read status updates from people you don’t actually care all that much about; or to get bogged down with pictures of cute puppies roller skating. Don’t feel bad about it and it also gives you more time for the folk you do truly care about.

Sort out your bathroom.  Do you really need 4 anti-cellulite creams, 6 body scrubs and a shelf full of cleansers?  The answer is definitely no.  Think of all the time and money – not to mention space! – that you’ll save by just having one or two of each.  And, here’s a shocker, you may even finish each product too!

Take a long hard look at your wardrobe. Still got that ra-ra skirt and those stone wash denims because you just can’t bear to throw them away or you believe your daughter will want them one day.  The truth is that they are just taking up wardrobe space and you could clear them out. Try adopting a system on one in, one out and accept that your wardrobe has a finite amount of space, so that you must give something away every time you buy something new.

Back up your life.  Most of us now fully endorse a technology led life and our tablets, laptops and phones carry our whole life. However, one of life’s truisms is that at some point your technology will die and lose everything you cherish and have entrusted it with. To save yourself a lot of heartache buy an external hard-drive and use it

Sort out your undies drawer. Banish those horrible grey baggy articles that used to pass for white knickers and invest in some essential every day t-shirt bras, some matching sets and some good smoothing underwear.  Never again will you ferretting through your smalls draw like a terrier digging a hole for a bone – everything to hand will be ‘just right’ and VPLs will be a thing of the past.

Take control of your finances.  When did you last go through your back account and look at all the standing orders and direct debits?  You may well be surprised to see small amounts going out that you’re just not sure about. Things like forgotten magazine subscriptions or no longer needed warranties.  There may even be unnecessary charges on your bank account for things like ‘legal helplines’, ‘emergency home protection’ or even mobile phone insurance, all of which you may have through your existing insurance companies.  Examine every last payment and ask yourself is it necessary?

Early spring clean – perhaps not a full bottoming of your home, that can wait a couple of months, but how about just trying one room as a time and tidying as you go.  ‘Nuff said on that one…..

Get the whole family involved.  Remember, you’re not in this alone. Even the youngest of children can be encouraged to straighten their own duvets or put their own clothes in the laundry bin and older children can be ‘persuaded’  to help with chores  with the help of a bribery reward system. It took me years to relinquish control of ‘my’ kitchen and let my Hubby cook on occasion but I do now and I love my nights off from it all.

These are really just a few simple things that you can do to try and lessen some of the madness that seems to be going on around us at all times.  Just a few simple steps can make a big difference, so step away from Facebook and go and run yourself a nice hot bath.