Perry’s proving pivotal
WHY IT’S TAKEN NO TIME FOR GIFTED RIGHT-BACK TO CEMENT HIS PLACE IN BLUEBIRDS LINE-UP
specially for glass and mirrors. Wash the dirt off with warm water plus a drop of washing-up liquid using a cotton cloth then dry with the microfibre cloth. Your windows will be streak-free.
Window frames, ledges and tops of doors
Get the ladder out, climb to the places you don’t normally reach and prepare to be horrified.
For general dustiness, use warm, soapy water wrung out in a clean terry cloth – old towels ripped up are ideal. Damp dusting is far more effective than dry – the dust just sticks to the cloth rather than flying around the room to land on a different surface.
While you’re up there, take down the lampshades for cleaning.
You’ll need to change your water and cloths often (you can’t clean with a dirty cloth). Wipe down doors, walls, skirting boards, dado rails, banisters while you’ve got the ladder out.
Pillows
A fair proportion of a pillow’s weight is made up of skin scales, dandruff, sweat, saliva and goodness knows what else, so you need to clean them at least once a year. When the sun’s shining, wash them two at a time in the machine (check the care label first) and put them straight out on the line.
Feather-filled pillows need to dry quickly. If they hang about damp for a few days the feathers will develop mould and they’ll be ruined. If the rain’s back on, stick them in the tumble dryer with a few white tennis balls to stop the filling clumping. For man-made fillings, follow the washing instructions on the label.
Duvets
Single duvets can go into the washing machine. Larger ones normally need to be taken to the launderette.
Wardrobe floor
It’s amazing how mucky and dusty the floor of a wardrobe can get – and this dust will attract moths.
Pull out everything that’s down there and clear out the dust with the vacuum cleaner nozzle, getting right into the corners.
Barbecue
If your barbecue was put away last year without being cleaned, don’t just chuck it away.
Take a handful of scrunched-up aluminium foil across the cooking area – this will quickly remove most of the grot.
Finish cleaning in a sink of hot, soapy water using a pot scrubber. Rinse, dry and light your coals.