Ask the experts Garden lighting, healthy bedrooms and more
I want to have a lot of twinkly lights outside, including solar-powered ones. Where should I hang them, and how do I power them so they can be on all year round?
CAROLINE TILSTON SAYS
Winter or summer, a garden full of twinkly lights is a magical sight. For the most effective results, thread them through the planting, if possible. You could also create your own starry sky by stringing lights back and forth over a sitting area.
The solar-powered ones won’t work very well in winter, so position them in the places where you’ll be spending time on a summer’s evening. Hang powered lights where you can see them from inside the house – these will come into their own when it’s too cold to go outside. For power, you could go for a battery-operated option, or fit an outdoor plug in the garden to access mains electricity. This is the best option if you use extendable strings of lights where you can add lengths onto each other to cover hundreds of metres for an amazing effect.
Healthy bedroom
I want to create a tranquil summer bedroom for my husband and I, but we’re both allergy sufferers. How do we make a cool, healthy room?
OLIVER HEATH SAYS
A 2011 survey suggested that at least 12 million Britons suffer from allergies, three-quarters caused by exposure to allergens such as dust mites, chemicals, pets, pollen and mould. Worse still, 59 per cent of those surveyed suggested that symptoms were worse in the bedroom. However, there is much you can do to alleviate these issues.
One of the primary causes of allergies is dust and, to be more precise, the faeces of dust mites – rather unpleasant really! First of all, you need to reduce the number of places that dust can be trapped, so get rid of clutter, unnecessary shelves and items stored under your bed. Use solid floor surfaces such as timber without rugs and vacuum them regularly. When cleaning surfaces choose natural fluids.
Fabrics are a source of trapped dust, so use a protective allergy cover on pillows, duvets and mattresses, and wash them at least once a week at 60 degrees centigrade to remove dust mites. Instead of large fabric drapes, opt for shutters or washable cotton curtains and blackout blinds – they’ll also help you get a good night’s sleep.
If your bedroom gets hot at night, don’t open the window – instead use a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) fan to clean and move air around the room. Lastly, if your allergies are pollen related remove the clothes and shoes you’ve been wearing outside before entering the bedroom, and bathe or shower before you go to bed.