Christmas can be a wonderful time of the year, but it can also present a minefield of festive household dilemmas. Here are the top 12 solutions from our traders at www.hamuch.com to the most common problems faced by householders over the festive period.
1. Fridge Overload
In the run-up to Christmas, start clearing out the fridge and freezer so that there’s plenty of room for all the festive goodies – especially if, like many people, you’re planning to have house guests.
2. Messy Wrapping Paper
After opening your presents, for a quick-fix solution to clearing up, use a bundle of sticky tape to dab around and pick up bits of polystyrene and other small bits of stray packaging.
3. Red Wine Spills
As with most stains, it's best to act quickly by using paper towels or a clean cloth to blot away the excess moisture. Then, a good hack to this problem, is by using white vinegar and dishwashing liquid. In a small bowl, pour two cups of warm water. Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar and one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid.
4. Pet Hair
Put on a damp rubber glove and rub it across your furniture to remove stubborn pet hair. The fur will stick to the glove until you rinse it off.
5. Shoe Polish Solution
Shoe polish can be an excellent solution for scuff marks on expensive leather sofas; this is particularly a problem if you have pets who like to scratch the furniture. Leave the polish to set for 24 hours, or overnight at the very least. Similarly, use baking soda on a fabric sofa – simply sprinkle the sofa with baking soda and then hoover away.
6. Pine Needles
A great way to banish annoying pine needles from your floor is to use duct tape. Wrap a piece around your hand with the adhesive side up, then wipe away those pesky pine needles. It’s more effective than vacuuming and stops your vacuum cleaner getting clogged up.
7. Clean the Oven
Use baking soda to get your oven sparkling clean before it’s heavy duty use over Christmas; and then post-Xmas to get it tip top once again. Mix up a paste of water, ⅓ cup of salt and one cup of baking soda and then spread equally over the oven door, grills and walls. Leave the paste to soak and then thoroughly wipe down with a hard sponge and soapy water.
8. Cloudy glasses
One of the best ways to get your wine glasses sparkling is to wipe them with a cloth dipped in white vinegar, rinse them then dry them with a lint-free cloth.
9. Water & Lemon
A great way to clean your microwave is to fill a glass jug with water and then add half a lemon. Set your microwave to 2-3 minutes, then leave for a further five minutes to let it ‘steam clean’ your machine.
10. Sock it!
A great way to clean dusty window blinds is to use a sock dipped into a glass of water with a few drops of white vinegar. Simply, run your sock-clad hand along the window blinds for a cleaner look.
11. Deep Clean for Showers
Make your shower head super clean to cope with the extra demands from family and house guests over the festive period. Just hang a bag with vinegar around the shower head, and watch as it transforms to squeaky clean.
12. Blocked Dishwasher
Larger bits of foods can block the dishwasher drain and make water flow back up. Remove any food that you find on the bottom of the machine. You can do it easily with a gloved hand. Always remove as much left over food from your plates as possible before putting them in the dishwasher.