Home Sweet Home

Not much should go wrong with a modern electrical system. The most common fault is that the room light will not work when you turn on the wall switch. Usually, the fault is a defective bulb. Turn off the wall switch while you change it.

Occasionally, however, the bulb will not have been at fault. In that case check whether other lights in the same and adjacent rooms - those likely to be on the same circuit - are working. If all are out, the trouble is probably a blown fuse.

If none of the lights in the house works, look outside to make sure that the whole neighborhood does not have a power failure. (more…)

Vacuum cleaners

Empty out the bag frequently. Do not ask it to do too much. Tugging can break cables in the flex. In time the motor loses some power: often it can be replaced.

Washing machine

A really labour-saving machine, especially if it is fully automatic. To get the best from it, follow the programmes for different fabrics carefully. If something is very dirty give it a separate pre-wash; rub collars and cuffs of shirts with detergent before machining. (more…)

Baths, basins, bidets

Ideally these should be cleaned immediately after use before soap and grime have a chance to harden. If you do it then, no special cleaners other than hot soapy water are needed.

Prevent lime forming round waste hole, by making sure taps don’t drip.

Change the washer in time. To clean cast-iron or vitreous enamel or porcelain appliances, use mild abrasive paste, rinse off and dry. For difficult stains, rub with a little vinegar—but rinse away thoroughly as quickly as possible. (more…)

Decorative panels

Moulded plastic can also be used to make an outer skin to furniture or fittings : for example, some louvre doors consist of ft chipboard core with a plastic front.

Plastics laminates

Laminated plastics (for example Formica or Warerite) are now widely used for work-surfaces in kitchens, offices, bathrooms. These are made from layers of Kraft paper impregnated with phenolic resin bonded together at very high temperatures. As the top layer of paper can be printed any colour or pattern, this kind of plastic laminate can simulate any texture or material (see the section on Wood finishes overleaf). Melamine is a harder, clearer resin used to coat the surface of the bonded material. The thicker the Melamine layer, the higher will be the quality. (more…)

Care of sisal

A stain resistant finish provides a good barrier to liquid stains such as spilt coffee or Indian ink and prevents major accidents from causing permanent staining provided, of course, that spillage is mopped up as quickly as possible.

Regular care: If the carpet is reversible, reverse from time to time because the colours on the underside are always fresher. Hard, dry brushing will not harm the carpet but too much water will, and could cause shrinkage. (more…)

Now contains more than the odd broom, ragged mop and yellow duster, though you still need these as well, but your armoury is extended ; these are the weapons you will need :

Vacuum cleaner : Upright or cylinder? Uprights have been demonstrated to be more efficient at picking up dog hairs from carpets. Cylinders are more convenient for hard floors because of their attachments. There is an attachment for more powerful cylinders that does do carpets well and, equally, uprights can come with as varied a range of bits. What is important is to get the most powerful suction possible. (more…)

Nylon

A percentage of nylon is generally used to give additional toughness and abrasion- resistance to other fibers, wool especially.

The most important other use for nylon in upholstery is for stretch covers. These were invented for nylon, because it has a high degree of elasticity and is given a two-way stretch when knitted. It can be so knitted into plain or textured fabrics in one or more colours. It is eminently washable. The one snag is finding the ready-made cover to fit your chair in the colour/pattern you like. And there are problems in making up stretch fabrics at home.

Care: On its own, nylon can he washed. In a blend, follow instructions.

Acrylics

The Acrylic family of fibres has not been used for woven fabrics. Knitted fabrics may become more common as the rising prices of other fibres make acrylics comparatively cheaper. (more…)

The best way to keep upholstered furniture looking good is to ask yourself the right questions before you buy anything. Silk upholstered chairs or pale suede sagbags have a role they can play for years in some homes, but not in those where they will come in contact with children, pets, mud, food, drink, grease or ball-point pens. The amount of wear you expect to inflict should be an indication of how tough and practical your furniture need be. This can vary not just from home to home, but room to room. A pretty Victorian chair could survive intact for years in the bedroom of a house where the daily onslaught in the living-room would destroy it in a matter of months. Meal-times are much more relaxed if you are not on edge in case something gets spilt : dining chairs need to be easier to keep clean than those in a study. Outdoor furniture should be able to survive outdoors without having to be brought in to shelter every time it rains. Obvious things when you think about them, but often forgotten at the moment of purchase.

General maintenance

Regular care is the most important rule. What is quite a quick and simple matter to remove each week becomes difficult, often impossible, if left to accumulate over months. (more…)

Timber is classified as hardwood and softwood. Softwood, from conifers which grow fast, is comparatively cheap. It is used for constructing buildings and cladding. Formerly it was used only for cheap (nursery and kitchen) furniture, but now “pine” is fashionable and not so cheap. Hardwood has denser grain, matures more slowly and is therefore always more expensive. It is used for fine furniture and sometimes for parts of a building that show — the doors, the window frames and occasionally also the wall cladding.

Because both mass production methods and the prevalence of central heating call for a dimensionally stable material which solid timber is not, (more…)

Oiled furniture

Teak and its substitutes, Afrormosia andIroko, are most often oiled. Rosewood, mahogany and oak can be oiled, but not ash or sycamore except where air and surroundings are ultra-clean.

Teeth oil : Is the up-to-date version with additives to speed drying and resist marking, but you can use a mixture of 25% linseed oil and 75% turpentine, which is cheaper though slightly harder to apply. Use on indoor or outdoor woodwork.

To apply, use a fluff-free oil-impregnated cloth and rub very sparingly well into the wood. Remove excess oil by buffing up with a second fluff-free cloth. Repeat the whole process even more sparingly next day. This treatment can be repeated when the wood begins to look dull. Do not over-oil or a sticky deposit will form (i.e., not more than twice a year). Oil can he cleaned off by rubbing the surface with fine wire wool dipped in a little white spirit. When dry, oil again sparingly. (more…)