Winter is Coming

You might have only been on a beach somewhere a few weeks ago, but Autumn is almost upon London and Winter won’t be far behind, so it’s time to remember a few tasks to get done around the home in preparation for the seasons to come.

Probably the most important thing is to make sure that the central heating is working properly. You don’t want to wait until it actually gets cold, power it up and then find it’s not working. Check it out before you need to rely on it. The boiler should be checked every year by a certified professional too, if you’re in rented accommodation make sure your landlord has had this done.

Related to the heating system, make sure your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working as they should. Go check them right now – or at least as soon as you get home.

If you have a real fireplace that you intend sparking up for cosy winter evenings in, make sure the chimney has been swept and is safe to use. The idea of a roaring log fire is all very nice, but you don’t want to set the chimney on fire.

As for other household maintenance bits, make sure the windows all close properly as you obviously don’t want draughts and heat leaks. That said, ensure you open ventilation slots to prevent unhealthy humidity building up and causing damp. This is especially true in bathrooms – clean the extractor fan and filter so it’s free from dust and working as efficiently as it can do.

If you’re in a house check the guttering is in good shape, and not blocked. Again, if you’re in rented accommodation, make sure you let the management agent or landlord know of any problems.

In the bedroom, if you’re the sort of person who swaps over winter/summer wardrobes for lack of space, you could get some cheap vacuum bags to pack up your summer clothes. You can get them in various discount/pound type shops, as well as the supermarkets. Just stuff them full of clothes, use the vacuum cleaner to suck out all the air, and in moments it’s all shrunk down to half the size. Great for making the most of limited storage space, and it keeps the dust, dirt and moths at bay. You can get bags big enough for squeezing down your summer duvet too.

While you’re at it you might as well have a bit of an Autumn Clean, clear out those items you might not really want again for next year, bag them up for the charity shop, or get them sold online. It’s always handy to have a bit of extra cash – especially as Christmas is just around the corner!

Don’t forget we can help if you need a hand when it comes to the heavy cleaning, give us a call to get a quote for a deep clean.

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