Friday 27 January 2017

Top Cleaning Tips for Parents...

messy toddler
Familiar sight? Image source

Keeping your home clean when you have children is no mean feat. No matter how organised you are, and how well behaved the kids – a little or a lot of wear and tear is inevitable. If you’re being driven mad by stains on the sofa, hand prints on the walls and other little ‘accidents’ that just can’t be helped, read my tips and tricks for restoring your home to its former glory…

Sofa, so good

That brown chesterfield sofa looked perfect when you had it delivered, but the arrival of babies has probably left it looking more like an antique than you would like! You are far from alone if you find yourself removing half-eaten pieces of toast and old bits of biscuits on a regular basis! 

Thankfully, it is relatively easy to restore your leather couch to its former glory. Here’s what to do:

  • Vacuum the entire sofa thoroughly, getting into every crevice to remove dirt and dust.
  • Make your own DIY cleaning solution by mixing water and white vinegar together for a non-abrasive way to remove dirt and stains. Gently rub all over until you have covered every part of the sofa.
  • Dry off any residue with a clean towel.
  • To give a leather sofa the gleam that it had when you first bought it, condition the fabric with linseed oil or flaxseed oil. Leave the oil on overnight, then buff to a brilliant shine in the morning.

Magic carpet tricks

Has your little one gone crazy with the glue during her crafting session? You don’t have to put up with glue all over the carpet. To get rid of glue stains, place a paper towel over the offending areas and set your iron to a low heat. Iron over the paper towel, and hey presto – you can peel the stain away! For stubborn food or drink stains after a particularly messy eating session, blot as much as you can and use a mix of water with a little white vinegar: this is especially good for getting rid of fat or oil marks.

Wondrous walls

Do you find yourself going crazy because of hand-prints all over your carefully painted walls? You can remove those marks without having the hassle of repainting the whole room. I swear by baby wipes for getting rid of hand marks – they remove the prints without damaging the paint, just make sure you go easy with a gentle rubbing action to protect taking any colour away.

Make mattresses great again

Bed-wetting is a common problem with young children, if you forgot to buy a mattress protector and the inevitable accident happened then try not to worry - you don't need to remortgage your house to buy a new mattress. You can remove the odour and stain by mixing 3 tbsp of baking soda with 8oz of hydrogen peroxide, then use this to scrub the mattress. For really stubborn odours and stains, prepare a mixture of washing powder and water to make a foam and leave to soak for half an hour. Finish off with a vacuum – and your mattress will be like new.

You can keep the house clean and looking good even when your kids are messy – it just takes a little ingenuity! 

Tell me your best tips in the comments section below…

Mrs B

xxx

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