DECLUTTER AND GIVE YOUR HOME A FRESH FEEL
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NOW the Christmas decorations are packed away, it’s the perfect time to refresh your home with a January clean-up and good sort out.
Here cleaning expert IWAN CARRINGTON, who presents BBC One’s Sort Your Life Out alongside Stacey Solomon, tells KIM CARR exactly how to shake up your home for 2022 freshness.
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So read on for Iwan’s laundry life hacks – from removing wine stains caused by New Year’s Eve tipples toppling over and how a cotton bud can keep germs out of your freezer…
WHERE TO START:
ARE any Christmas gifts a duplicate of something you already own or toys which replace ones your children have grown out of?
Aim to let go of the same amount of items to make room for them.
Then it’s a good time to assess what you haven’t used over the past year.
Your winter wardrobe will be fresh in your mind, so are there any coats or jumpers you haven’t worn? Donate.
HOW TO REFRESH HOME ON A BUDGET:
PAINT is one of the most costeffective ways to transform a space, even if you do one wall or use it to upcycle a piece of furniture.
You can clean most of your home using a splash of washing up liquid, white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda or bleach. Cut old T-shirts into rags.
YOUR
MAKING CHORES FUN:
SET a timer and dedicate a small amount of time to cleaning while listening to a podcast or your favourite playlist.
VACUUMING:
MY favourite vacuum Bosch Unlimited Serie 6.
The XXL crevice nozzle is great for getting rid of hard-to-reach cobwebs and the XXL upholstery nozzle is ideal for cleaning the sofa and getting those “justcleaned” lines.
I always start at the furthest corner of the room away from the door, and work top to bottom.
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BEATING CARPET STAINS:
THROW salt on any wine stains to soak up before vacuuming once dry. With any stain, always dab rather than scrub. White shaving foam can be good to lift stains from carpet.
DUSTING:
A CLEAN old sock over your hand works really well – you can pick up objects and dust at the same time. It’s great for getting in between blinds.
WINDOWS:
USE a tiny splash of washing up liquid in a bucket of hot water, then clean with a cloth and use a squeegee to finish.
KITCHEN:
HAVE a bin by to keep on Regularly give tech a once ov