Cleaning Curtains 'in situ'

Did you realise that curtains can be cleaned without taking them down? If you have non-washable heavy drapes or wall hangings that are difficult to remove and re-hang, they can be cleaned where they are, in your own home.

When preparing for cleaning, check for holes where moths and mites may have caused damage. If there are small black specks, these could be caused by fly 'poo' which is difficult to remove.

If in doubt about trying a 'do-it-yourself' cleaning solution on expensive items, choose a professional onsite cleaning service for curtains, pelments, carpets, rugs and upholstery. Wall hangings are prone to dust-gathering too.

First of all, items are prepared with a vacuuming to remove dust, hair, fibres, etc., then pre-sprayed with Prochem (or similar) dry cleaning solution. Soft furnishings are then dry cleaned with a professional machine, designed especially for the job, operated by trained professionals. When completed, everything should be bright, clean and smelling fresh!

Check out our other tips on this blog!

Allergies? Eliminate Dust Mites from your Carpets

House dust mites are mostly found in carpets and mattresses; their numbers are increasing because we provide perfect conditions - humid warm environments - in our centrally-heated, thermally-insulated, double glazed homes. They feed on dead skin that has been shed and forms part of general household dust.

They are a significant source of allergies, including: asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and dermatitis.

There are a couple of ways to eliminate dust mites.

• Subject dust mites to extreme heat (60'C) or cold (0'C) for about an hour -  therefore hot washes or putting a pillow in a large chest freezer would be quite successful;
• Sofas, mattresses and carpets can be vacuumed with a high suction cleaner. Treat first with a mite powder.

And no, we are not going to use a magnified image of a mite, just for sensationalism. Nor are we going to use a boring photograph of a vacum cleaner. Here is a beautiful carpet of flowers instead.

Would you notice if your Carpets Smell?

Food smells from cooking, particularly oily fish, frying and roasting are easily noticeable and dealt with by washing pans and regularly cleaning the oven. Similarly, fridges are regularly emptied and cleaned. But what about the gradual build-up of general household smells?

We get used to odours in our own homes and summer is usually a great time to 'air' carpets as windows and doors are open most days - except when the British summertime is wet! In fact, wet dogs and muddy shoes leave marks, cats stay in and drop hairs, we may even have resorted to bringing barbecue food and drink inside, adding to the spills and smells.

Time to think about a freshen-up! Professional carpet cleaners are usually very busy in the first week of September when children return to school, as well as the end of July before customers set off for their annual holidays. If you want to clean your own carpets, you need to ban children and pets for a good few hours!

When we have pleasant weather, the best way to bring the fresh outdoors inside is to open windows and patio doors. Beware of dirty shoes though!