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As we enter yet another week of lockdown, more and more of our clients are telling us how much they’re beginning to miss their home-helpers working in their homes! And rest assured, our home-helpers are missing their clients just as much and are very much looking forward to seeing them again.
Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
Whether or not you’re lucky enough to have relied on an Extra Help home-helper to keep on top of your household chores prior to lockdown, the responsibility for cleaning lies in your very own hands right now, unless you have a helpful partner or even more helpful children, which, let’s be honest, lots of us don’t!
As well as the regular cleaning of your home, it’s incredibly important to look after your appliances, such as the vacuum cleaner, dishwasher and iron, as the last thing any of us needs right now is the hassle of organising repairs, sourcing new appliances and discarding the broken ones, especially as most shops and domestic waste sites are currently closed.
With this in mind, we thought it would be useful to pass on some of the most useful tips we give to home-helpers on caring for and extending the life of their clients’ appliances, so you can continue to keep yours running efficiently during lockdown.
1. Clean vacuum cleaner filters at least once per month
So many vacuum cleaners get discarded because people think they’re no longer working when, in actual fact, all that’s needed is the removal and cleaning of the filters. Be sure to check your manual thoroughly, as some vacuum cleaners have an additional filter, which is not immediately obvious. Also, if your vacuum cleaner has a spinning brush, ensure that any build-up of fibres or hair has been removed, so that it can turn properly.
2. Keep your dishwasher running efficiently.
Keep it topped up with Rinse Aid and dishwasher salt. Check the drain regularly and remove any debris. It’s also a good idea to run a cycle with some kind of acid, such as lemon juice, vinegar or a branded dishwasher cleaning solution, to get rid of water deposits and build-up.
3. Extend the life of your iron
Even the best irons become less efficient after several months of use, producing less steam and making it harder to remove creases. If you live in a hard-water area, this can happen even more quickly. Most irons come with some sort of self-cleaning function, so check the instruction manual and you’ll probably find it’s a very easy process. Also, check to see if your iron has an anti-limescale cartridge, which should be replaced every few months, and a limescale collector, which simply needs to be removed from the iron and rinsed frequently.
To clean the soleplate, try this method: mix together baking soda and water into a paste, rub it onto the soleplate with a soft brush and simply wipe away.
4. Give your washing machine the TLC it deserves!
A washing machine is a highly essential appliance that people often take for granted, until it goes wrong! To keep your washing machine in tip-top condition, run an empty, hot water cycle every month, adding two cups of bleach or white vinegar. In the middle of the cycle, add half a cup of detergent and allow the cycle to complete.
Also, always avoid overloading or underloading the machine, as this adds wear and tear to the motor and can cause damage to the drum.
5. Look after your kettle.
It’s fair to assume that, with more people currently at home during the day, your kettle is probably working harder than ever at the moment! Kettles have a habit of dying at the least opportune moments, but you can extend its life with regular care. To do this, fill the kettle with equal parts of lukewarm water and vinegar and leave it to sit for around an hour. Then boil the kettle, empty it, fill with fresh water and re-boil. This final step is particularly important, otherwise your coffee might taste a bit strange!
Also, make sure you empty any excess water out of the kettle once you have used it, as water that’s left in the kettle after boiling leads to excessive limescale build-up.
As you can see, if you look after your appliances, they’ll look after you! We hope our top 5 tips will help you to keep your household appliances running beautifully and efficiently during lockdown.
For more information about Extra Help and the essential services we are continuing to provide during lockdown, visit https://www.extra-help.co.uk or give us a call on 01604 532932.
