Take care of your home, and it’ll take care of you

Summer is here and it’s the season of DIY! It’s been a rough year, with lots of changes, and most of us are simply ready to relax & recharge. So now is a good time to put the world aside for a bit and give your home – your safe haven – a bit of attention.

Looking after your house is more than mowing the lawn and scrubbing the toilets. There are a few things we tend to forget about, and these can manifest into a disaster if left for too long. Here are a few things we’d like to remind you about:

• Gutters. Cleaning your gutter in summer will prevent blocking and spilling in winter! Scoop out sand and leaves with a small spade and clear up what’s left with a strong jet of water.
• Roof cavity. Over time, the cavity between your roof and ceiling becomes extremely dusty. This will cause dust to start falling into your home through small openings (Lights, alarm wires, trap door, etc). Give your roof cavity a good clean by sweeping up physical dirt or debris, and vacuum afterwards. Remember, don’t walk on the ceiling, only on the sturdy and big truss beams!
• Hinges & handles. After some time, your doors become squeaky and don’t swing freely anymore. Your door handles and their latches also become grindy and sticky. Using a good all-purpose lubricant will stop squeaks and promote movement.
• Geyser drip tray. Your geyser most probably sits in a plastic tray that is designed to catch and drain water if the geyser leaks or bursts. A drainpipe is connected to the tray to transport water away and to the outside of the house – but sometimes these can become blocked! Depending on the location of your geyser, the pipe may be blocked by spiderwebs, leaves, dust, sand, etc. Make sure you check and unblock this regularly to avoid damage to your ceiling or floors.
• Adjusting cupboards. Your cupboard hinges can be adjusted! When standing in front of your kitchen or bedroom closets, are all the gaps between the doors even? Open the doors and turn the adjustment screws until all the doors line up. You’re welcome!
• Cleaning drains. Over time, gunk, food deposits, hair, and other waste build up in the twists and turns of your drainage plumbing by the help of My24hrsPlumbing. A good practice is to pour some washing soda or caustic flakes into your sink, basin and shower waste traps, and chase a kettle of boiling water after it. This will eat grease and grime and leave your pipes open and fresh.
• Bathroom ceilings. Many people, especially teenagers, close bathroom windows when they shower or bath, causing steam to be trapped in the bathroom. Over the course of as short as one winter, black mould will start to form on the ceiling, causing ceilings to look horrible. A nifty trick is to mix some pool chlorine with water, and simply wash it off.

These are just a few basic things, but they will make a big difference to how your home looks and feels!

Now go on and improve that home! Rest assured – we’ll answer all your questions and give you solid advice that you can trust.

Need the right tools for the job? Check out these deals!