It's spring clean time, and Paul Ruddick, who founded D-Line, a business aimed at organising cables and wires in homes, provides some handy tips on how to declutter your home.
As we officially move out of winter and into the spring, now is the time of year that is traditionally associated with DIY and cleaning. Whilst the vast majority of people will maintain their homes on a regular basis – especially those more discerning owners, such as readers of Home UK – it is spring when we are most likely to pull everything out of its place and give the house a thorough going over.
It’s a perfect opportunity to look for ways of making the day to day sorting of the home that little bit easier for the rest of the year.
I found the inspiration to start my own business after seeing a particular problem in my own office and at home. The clutter of wires created by the proliferation of electrical products in the home doesn’t just look untidy but creates safety hazards, particularly where children and pets are involved. It creates dust traps that are difficult to clean around and which can double the time the job takes.
Despite this being the so-called “wireless age”, there is 170m of exposed cables in the average UK home. I designed a form of trunking, D-Line, which looks aesthetically-pleasing, not just functional, that clicks open and shut and can be painted or stained to match the rest of the decor, so cables can be run around the home without detracting from a great looking home. With cables neatly tucked inside what looks just like part of the skirting board, it’s so much easier to clean.
A full suite of products has followed, to help tackle the cable clutter.
But it isn’t just cables that make our homes difficult to clean and there are many great DIY jobs, which can make a lasting difference to the way we look after our properties.
Thick pile carpets, while adding a luxurious feel to a room, can also prove difficult to clean. Replacing them with a hard wood floor, which not only looks great, but is easy to clean, can help save a lot of time over the course of a year. Additionally, by using a specialist trunking, in place of the beading around the edges, you can keep that classic wood look and give yourself somewhere to hide cables.
When they lift the old carpeting, owners of older homes will often find they already have the basis of a fantastic, timeless wood floor. The chances are, all of the products needed to bring that to life can be found on a trip to a local hardware store, such as B&Q or Homebase.
If you are taking the opportunity to paint, and have children who practice their artistic skills on the walls, choose a high quality paint that is “scrub-able” and will last the test of time. It’s worth investing that little bit more, rather than have to paint again, and again… While we are on the subject of walls, vinyl wall coverings are a good choice for an easy to clean home. They have improved over recent years and are not only affordable, but easy to wipe down.
With life for most people now busier than it has ever been, it’s a good time to look out for these tips, because they don’t just save you time now, they speed up the process every time it comes to doing these jobs. And when we are besieged by more electrical goods than ever before, clearing up that cable clutter can be the start of a process, which makes life easier, cleaner and neater this Spring.
Paul Ruddick is Managing Director of D-Line. www.d-line-it.co.uk; 0191-2360960; D-Line’s range of products are available in leading retailers, including B&Q.