Your home's spring health check

Published 21st Jul 2006

HSS advise on the ultimate spring clean.
Cleaning unwanted residue from tiling, enamelled surfaces and stainless steel used to involve buckets of water, sponges, scourers and chemical cleaners. It doesn’t have to any more.

Head of steam
A Steam Cleaner, generating steam to 150°c, will do a deep cleansing job in no time. Just add water, switch on and direct the nozzle at the grease – and watch it disappear. The machine is fitted on a trolley so it can easily be moved around from job to job.
There will be times when you need to hire a Vacuum Cleaner with a bit more ‘oomph’ than your usual one – a medium-duty machine has powerful twin motors to suck up deeply ingrained dirt.
For complete hygiene, it’s a good idea to give your carpets a thorough ‘shampoo’ with a Carpet Cleaner. You will have time to do a number of rooms in one day (it’s lightweight and portable so is easily carried upstairs) and you’ll save a fortune on professional cleaning charges. A cleaner with separate water tanks for clean and dirty water, and a powerful vacuum for effective deep down dirt removal, will make a world of difference to a carpet and prolong its life. The Upholstery Attachment will spruce up your settee at the same time.

Tip
It’s best to clear the room when you clean a carpet so it could be a good idea to choose a dry day so that furniture can be left outside if there is nowhere else for it to go.

Drying out
Leaking water can soak carpets and cause a musty, unhealthy atmosphere throughout the house. If this happens then dry out a carpet quickly and effortlessly with a Carpet & Floor Dryer.
This powerful, three-speed blower is a heavy-duty item that will help get your home back in order in no time. The dryer also works on hard floors – just plug in, switch on and direct the air flow over the wet surface.

Go with the flow
One annual cleaning task should be to check your gutters. If they get blocked up, then the water will overflow and the damp on walls will seep through inside the house to ruin decorations. Keep gutters clear with a Gutter Cleaning Kit. It’s safe and easy to use – just connect the washer to the lance, attach the nozzle and flush away dirt, moss and leaves. And the beauty of it is you don’t have to leave the ground to use it – which is a real boon for anyone without a head for heights. The Hirepack Kit provides you with all you need – a job well done!

Tip
If gutters are sagging, again causing overflows, tighten the screws holding the gutter support brackets to the wall; this will realign it.

Let's go outside
Going into the garden, if your patio is looking shabby, then spruce it up the easy way with a Power Washer. Just direct the lance jet and watch the grime fall away. And while you’re out there with the washer, take a few minutes for a carwash and also refresh the garden furniture.

Tip
Lift out any cracked or sunken paving slabs or blocks carefully and replace or re-lay on a bed of sand or ready-mix mortar.

Also for hire from HSS:
• chimney sweep set
• hot water washer
Find out more at www.hss.co.uk

Source: ' 4Homes '

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