Home & Garden

5 ways to clear the clutter

by ACCESS4LOFTS 1. Have an action plan: Decide which room you’re decluttering and why – to free up more space, improve the flow of the room or just to change a look. If you know your goal first, you’ll keep it forefront of your mind. 2. Ready, Set, Glow: You should aim to have 3 piles –

Keep, Donate and Bin. At the end of the declutter your

‘donate’ pile should be the highest ideally, followed by your ‘bin’ pile and then your ‘Keep’ pile. 3. Get your Kondo on: When decluttering, decide if each item you want to keep is something that either you use (i.e need) or if it’s something that has a connection (emotional) to you. If it’s just ‘pretty to look at’ or ‘goes with the décor’ then it should go on the ‘Donate’ pile. 4. Out with the old: To keep on top of keeping your home in tip top shape, every time you bring a new item into your home, try to get rid of two old items from your house.

5. Call in the pros: Your loft may have more space than you think! Bromley-based loft ladder installer,

Access4Lofts, whose slogan is 'Creating Space The Easy

Way' can offer simple solutions on making the most of what you’ve got. The company provides a free survey and quote service so you can find out what is achievable with your loft area. For the full works, customers can get a retractable 3-section ladder, a new hatch, a floating floor over the loft insulation and lighting. Give Ryan or Kit a call on 0208 914 7597 to find out more!

HOW TO…WINTER-PROOF YOUR PAVING STONES

by Rowan Cripps from Infinite Paving

Clean stones regularly

Regular cleaning will help make your stones less slippery and protect the sealant. The first step is to remove any fallen leaves or twigs before giving your paving a good sweep and washing it down. Some materials are also easier to clean than others. For example, sandstone paving stones are very low maintenance, often only requiring soapy water to rinse the slabs clean. Products dedicated to the removal of mould, lichen and algae are your best bet during the winter months. These will specifically target problem growth and keep your stones at their best.

Fill in cracks

Make sure you select a dry day and remember, the longer you leave your cracked stones, the more likely water will penetrate through to the base and worsen the cracks.

Remove moss & mould

Moss often forms when you leave weeds, which then rot and become slippery. Left unchecked, this is likely to rapidly spread across your paving stones and become a significant problem, especially if the debris freezes, creating uneven and slick ridges which can lead to accidents.

Re-seal your stones

You should reseal your paving stones every three years. However, the time required between each reseal is dependent on several factors, such as foot traffic and the severity of the weather. If you leave them unsealed, debris like moss and algae can enter the stones and cause complications.

Did you know…?

A study highlighted by sciencedirect.com found a bacterium in soil called Mycobacterium vaccae that triggers the release of serotonin, which lifts mood and reduces anxiety.