Cleaning SOS: Common Tough Stains and How to Shift Them

We've all been there: you spot a stain on your floor/wall/favourite item of clothing and try to remove it using your usual methods, only to find nothing seems to get rid of it. Here are some tried and tested solutions to some of the most common tough stains that occur in the home.

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Grass

If you have kids, you'll know just how hard it can be to get rid of grass stains on children's clothing! While a normal detergent should remove these stains during a standard wash, remnants might still be visible. Clean these off by carefully dabbing at them with methylated spirits.

Blood

Not only is blood difficult to clean off fabrics, but it's also pretty unpleasant to deal with. You can shift blood stains by soaking the garment in cold water (never use hot) mixed with a bit of your usual laundry detergent. If this doesn't work, try to remove the stain with hydrogen peroxide.

Water marks

Most common on wooden surfaces like flooring and furniture, these can be really pesky! If the mark hasn't penetrated the wood very deeply (i.e. if it's light in colour), an oil-based substance can be applied to the affected area. Try an oily furniture polish or petroleum jelly. Other methods include rubbing the spot with toothpaste, half a brazil nut (yes, really) or a mild solvent.

If the water mark is dark, this means it has spread further down into the wood and can be more difficult to remove. Extensive water damage may require the replacement of the furniture or solid wood floor in question (browse wood floors online at UK Flooring Direct).

Red wine

Most people know to throw white wine on red wine stains to get rid of them, but why waste perfectly good alcohol on something as mundane as cleaning? Try using soda or carbonated water instead, and give the surface a good rinse afterwards.

Paint

Solvent-based paint stains should be tackled with some white spirit, while water and emulsion-based paint marks can be removed simply with warm water, although you'll have to do this immediately while the paint is still wet. Dried paint will have to be scraped off, unfortunately.

Lipstick

Considering how quickly lipstick can fade from the lips on a night out, it's annoying how stubborn it can be when you accidentally get it on your clothes! Apply some washing up liquid or soap to the garment and rub fabric against fabric until the stain is gone. Alternatively, methylated spirits can be used on non-washable clothing.

Candle wax

When the wax has dried, pick off the excess and put a piece of kitchen paper over the top. Go over it with a warm iron until the wax melts and is absorbed into the paper. If there is still a stain on the fabric, use methylated spirits to treat the area before washing as normal.

Chewing gum

Chewing gum can be incredibly tricky to remove, but one way to do it is by freezing the gum with a bag filled with ice cubes and then picking it off. This will obviously be easier on a laminate or wood floor than carpet! If you do get chewing gum tracked into your carpet, try using some WD-40 to loosen the gum.

Do you have any more tips for getting rid of pesky stains around the home? Leave a comment and let us know!

Dealing with Noisy Neighbors: 4 Tricks to Survive

Neighbors can turn out to be a blessing or a nuisance depending on their nature and personality. The chances of eliminating the noise are quite few as it is highly unlikely that you would change your accommodation simply because of the noise inflicted by your neighbors. However, you can employ a few tricks that would help you in surviving the noisy and yet unavoidable neighbors!

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Sound Proofing Your Apartment

Several sound proofing products are now available in the market that would absorb the noise coming in and out of your apartment. Sound absorbent panels, Sheetrock and several other products can be hung on the wall so that any noise that is coming from neighbor’s apartment is effectively absorbed and you can work at peace! In case, you do not want to spend excessively, you can try to be creative and use products such as corkboards covered in cloth which can be hung at various places to lower down the noise level.

Doors allow a lot of noise to pass through and therefore you must try to dampen the noise coming from these openings. Neoprene seals can be used within doors while any noise that is coming from ceiling can be dealt by inserting a drop ceiling. You can add more rugs to your floor or cover it with another layer of carpet if you feel that the noise is coming from your downstairs neighbors.

Shutting Out the Noise

A little background noise of your own can effectively solve your problems and allow you to concentrate at the task at hand. All you have to do is turn up the music a little or turn on the bathroom fan to drown out the noise that is coming from across the hall!

Communicate

Communication might be the key solution to your noise dilemma. However, the conversation must be done in a polite and friendly manner as opposed to approaching the neighbors in a rudely manner. The issue can easily be solved if both the families come together and engage in an informal conversation regarding the problems that they are facing as a result of one another. If you adopt a rude or impolite tone it is highly likely that your neighbor might be further offended and simply increase the noise level! That could turn out be too more of a nuisance for you!

Arbitration

Many organizations are now engaged in providing conciliation services for issues related to noisy neighbors. Look for the organization near your house by researching on the internet or calling up the information service. The conciliation service acts as a third part whereby views and opinions of both the parties are taken and a common ground is reached that might act as a solution to your neighbor problems.

Andrew has been an active contributor in the real estate industry. Over the years, Andrew has written numerous articles on interstate removals, property management and home renovation. When he is not blogging, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family.

Top Garden Design Requirements of the Discerning Customer

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In this day and age, what does it mean to be competitive in garden design? Modern British customers are smart and very discerning when it comes to hiring services, especially when it comes to their home and their garden. They look not just for that creative spark that sets a company a notch higher than the rest. Customers know that creativity ought to be paired with experience for the best possible outcome.

Quality service

Companies are only too quick in claiming that they provide quality services. But what, essentially, are the characteristics of a company’s offerings such that they are the best quality service available? Are the gorgeous photos of previous projects enough to affirm their claims? When a Garden Design, Kent firm advertises itself as an expert in both traditional and modern garden design, are they also experts in providing the maintenance service required by the garden that they have completed? And is the proposed concept of the garden an expression of the personalities and preferences of the people who have commissioned it, or does it feature a general theme that no one in particular can relate to?

Finally, is the project well within budget, and the best possible outcome given the finances set by the owners? Only when all these bases are covered can any company claim to provide high quality complete services to clients.

Client involvement

A company’s commitment to quality service is also defined by how much it involves the client in the project – from design to implementation to follow through. Many modern British families appreciate a Garden Design firm that offers services with in-depth involvement of the clients themselves. Most of the people who commission gardens these days prefer the design to be customised, energy-efficient, and easy to maintain. Being hands on has become popular in many communities throughout the UK, and it is not uncommon these days to encounter commissioned gardens that the owners hope to play an important role in maintaining themselves.

To what extent?

The involvement that many require typically starts from the very beginning. Clients want to be part of the planning and design process. They have their own ideas about how to utilise the available space in their property. Smart companies listen closely to these suggestions, knowing full well that nobody knows the area better than those who dwell in it and use it everyday.

When the customer is intimately involved in the garden design project at the outset, there is a lesser chance of committing major and very costly mistakes. And when there is open communication between the client and company representatives, the garden created becomes a harmonious product of good organisation and management which allows for creative juices to flow.

For a garden to be successful in providing the tranquility, solace, and beauty that owners look forward to having in the privacy of their own homes, it has to be built by committed, experienced, and creative individuals. When a professional garden design company and its clients are successful in establishing a productive relationship, every aspect of a garden falls into place without much effort.

Denise Wallace is a freelance writer who has thrived in the lifestyle niche and is highly interested in professional gardening and landscaping services like Garden Design Kent. She lives in London and maintains a pocket garden.