Ultimate Home Living March 2015

ultimate

home living March 2015

The Adviser. Australia No. 1242 Wednesday, March 18, 2015 – Page 23

ultimate

home living

Forget Spring;

give your home an Autumn clean GREAT TIME TO CLEAN… Autumn is a great time to clean your home indoors and out. There is no need to wait until your Spring clean. Photo: Supplied.

YOU don’t have to wait until Spring to give your home the clean it needs, and you might even find that the rest of your year will be clutter and stress free if you do.

Autumn cleans are the perfect opportunity to reorganise your home and here are some of the key jobs you should tackle.

Sort out your wardrobe

An Autumn clean is a great time to sort through your wardrobe, getting rid of any clothing that remains unworn. The rule is, if you haven’t worn it in over 12 months, chances are you won’t, so donate it to somebody that will.

Re-jig your pantry

Sorting through your pantry is important to help with knowing what you actually have in stock, and to clean up those hidden out-of-date goods that should have been removed from the panty years ago. You’ll be surprised at how easy things become to find and how easy it becomes to put things away after you have done your shopping.

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Attack your outdoor area

After a Summer where most people have spent a great deal of time outdoors, it’s a great idea to work on whipping your backyard into shape before Winter sets in. Clean any outdoor furniture, the clothesline, your drains and guttering and even.

Clean your windows

You can easily make a DIY window cleaner by adding a cup of methylated spirits to half a bucket of water and then transfer that to a spray bottle.

Spray on, wiping with a squeegee and then polish with a paper towel. Don’t use newspaper to clean windows because inks now contain a latex base and will leave smear marks on the glass.

Get your garden ready for Winter S HORT E R d ay s a nd u npre d ic t able temperatures make Autumn one of the more challenging seasons to navigate when it comes to looking after your garden. However, with some love and attention, you can give your lawn and garden beds the treatment they need to remain healthy, year round.

Top four must-dos for Autumn gardening 1) Fertilise

Fertilising gives your soil the nutrients it needs to weather the Winter elements and will help your lawn maintain a rich, green colour throughout winter.

A slow-release, granular fertiliser applied early to mid-Autumn will gently feed your garden and lawn and give you the best results.

Check the forecast and fertilise just before rain is predicted.

2) Clear the leaves

Autumn leaves look beautiful but aren’t so great for flourishing gardens. To avoid smothering your garden as well as developing any yellow or brown patches on your lawn from built-up leaf litter, try to rake leaves daily to give your lawn the oxygen and sunlight it needs to be healthy.

3) Remove the weeds

If there are only a small number of weeds, dig them out by hand. If however the lawn is starting to become overrun, cooler Autumn temperatures are a good opportunity to use a weed spray.

5) Watering

Generally speaking turf doesn’t require much water during Autumn so you won’t need to water your lawn as frequently as you would during the Summer period, but with daytime temperatures often still high, early morning watering once a week is still best and the same applies to watering your garden beds.

The Adviser. Australia No. 1242 Wednesday, March 18, 2015 – Page 25

ultimate

home living

DIY Autumn maintenance tips Use these must-do Autumn maintenance tips to keep your house in shape and help keep you warm this Winter.

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1. Home exterior

Regularly clean gutters and downpipes and make sure all drainage areas are unblocked by leaves and debris. Consider installing gutter guards to make the job a lot easier.

2. Keeping warm

Have your fireplace or heater inspected, cleaned and repaired to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning when coming into Winter.

If you use a hot water system for heating, drain the expansion tank, check the water pressure, and bleed your radiators.

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3. Doors, decking and windows

The change in temperature and humidity and normal wear and tear can cause window seals to crack and shrink. Check your windows and doors inside and out for leaks and drafts. Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks and use caulk to fill the holes or, if needed, completely replace the wood.

4. Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors

Each Autumn, check carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms and put in fresh batteries. These are very important detectors to have in a home. A smoke alarm can save lives in a house fire. A carbon monoxide detector can also save lives if a home has oil or gasburning appliances, like a furnace or water heater.

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