Top Air Purifying Plants for your Home

Mother-In-Law's Tongue plant next to a made bed

It’s certainly a trend at the moment to fill your home with gorgeous leafy plants and we’re all for it. We love the way that houseplants bring a bit of life and personality to a room as well as helping to clean and purify the air in your home. After a study conducted by NASA into the air-purifying effects of indoor plants here are our favourites of the top 10.

Snake Plant (Mother-In-Law’s Tongue)

A tropical plant with stiff upright leaves that flourishes in both bright and dim light. This is a great plant for beginners as it’s pretty hardy and doesn’t need watering very often. Not only does it raise oxygen levels but has also been shown to eliminate chemicals found in products such as aerosols and cigarettes.

Weeping Fig

A popular houseplant that grows fairly quickly and needs to be placed in a bright room. A weeping fig will do well watered with care and kept out of any draughts, they like to be kept in a degree of humidity so should be misted regularly in summer months. Great for lounges and living rooms as they battle the chemicals found in furniture and smoke from the fireplace.

English Ivy

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This beautiful trailing plant is perfect for the bathroom as it works against chemicals found in cosmetics and reduces any airborne particles coming from the toilet bowl. English ivy enjoys moist conditions found in bathrooms but will do best in bright conditions when given plenty of sun.

Peace Lily

If you’d like to add a flowering plant to your home but still benefit from the air-purification that leafy varieties bring then the Peace lily is ideal. Beautiful and easy to care for Peace lilies are great for the areas of your home that don’t get as much light. They don’t need much watering either, appreciating moist soil that’s well-drained. Another plant ideal for the bathroom or toilet but one that doesn’t need so much sunlight. This plant has been shown to help remove mold from the air so is perfect if your bathroom isn’t well ventilated.

Spider Plant

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One of the easiest plants to grow in your home, the Spider plant makes for the perfect indoor hanging plant. They’ll do well in a variety of conditions but prefer bright, indirect light and plenty of water. One of the most effective plants at purifying the air, Spider plants filter formaldehyde found in cigarette smoke and plastic shopping bags.

Do you have houseplants in your home? Show us your favourites! Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter or leave a comment here.

The Hidden Benefits of End of Tenancy Cleaning

A hand with a sponge, wiping a clean surface

Of course it’s a requirement for your property to have a good standard of cleanliness before any tenants move in, especially when they are expected to leave it in the same condition. But there are greater benefits than you might think in having a thorough end of tenancy cleaning service between each set of tenants.

 

Faster lets

Have your property looking great in estate agency photos and delivering a fantastic impression on first visit and you’ll have secured new tenants in no time at all. If the photos of your property were taken before anyone moved in then make sure the cleanliness is back up to those standards before allowing any new prospective tenants to visit. You don’t want the first visit to be a disappointment.

 

Better impressions

A clean and well-presented property shows prospective tenants that you are a professional landlord and conveys the message that you’re reliable when it comes to maintenance issues.

 

High quality tenants

A clean property attracts clean tenants that will take care of their home. You can expect that tenants with high standards in their property search will also have high standards in their daily living and the ongoing condition of their home.

 

Reduced costs

A deep clean will tackle any problems that might go unnoticed during regular cleaning and build up over time. A professional clean will often mean that something can be returned to its original condition rather than replaced. For example, in one recent end of tenancy clean we saved a local landlord money on replacing all his kitchen cupboard doors. He was very happy – as you can imagine!

 

For a quote on your property for professional end of tenancy cleaning, call or text us on 07957 235574.

What Your Mum Really Wants for Mother’s Day

A bunch of tulips

Sure, you’re probably getting her a card, some chocolates and a bunch of flowers. But, if your mum is the one who ends up doing all the housework then what she really wants is a day off just to be herself. Here are 6 things you can do around the house that will really have her feeling happy and relaxed this Mother’s Day.

 

Put things away

Go around the house and pick up after everybody in the family. Put everything back where it belongs to make sure surfaces are clear and there’s nothing lying around on the floor that shouldn’t be there.

 

Do the washing

If there are piles of washing ready to go in the machine then get them in there. It’s a good idea to separate colours and whites and some things need more care than others. If in doubt check the label and follow the guidance – just careful not to ruin her favourite top!

 

Do the vacuum cleaning

Once you’ve cleared away everything in a room, give the carpets a good run over with the vacuum cleaner. Go through the whole house and do a thorough job on high-traffic places like the hall or by the front door. If you need it here are some more tips on getting your carpets clean.

 

Make the beds

Take away all the dirty bedding, put it on to wash and replace with fresh sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers. If your mum has a favourite set then put this on her bed. Don’t tell her that you’ve done it and it’ll be a lovely surprise when it’s time for bed.

 

Do all the washing up

Collect everything from around the house that needs washing up and get to work with your rubber gloves on. Once everything is clean, dry it off and put it all away. If you have a dishwasher then get it stacked and running early in the day so that things are ready for tea time.

 

Clean the bathroom

If your mum’s the type to enjoy a long, hot bath on Mother’s Day then get the bathroom squeaky clean and smelling fresh. Put some bleach in the toilet, clean the sink, the floor and the inside of the bath. Add some candles and fresh, fluffy towels for an extra luxurious Mother’s Day experience.

 

Once you’ve done all this your house should be beautifully clean and tidy – almost as if your mum had done it! We’re sure that after all this, your mum will be relaxed during her day and appreciate all the effort that you’ve put in.

Furnishing Your Rented Property in York on a Budget

chair, sideboard and statement vase on a wooden floor

If you’ve just moved into a rented house or flat, making it feel like home can be tricky when you don’t have any control over the colours of the walls or the type of kitchen cabinets you have. Plus, if you’ve just dropped a load of money on a deposit and your first month’s rent then you can’t afford a big trip to IKEA.

 

Snap Up a Bargain

Luckily, if you live in York then there’s the most amazing place to get some great furniture without breaking your budget. This gem is the Community Furniture Store. You can find it off James Street (behind Morrisons). All the furniture is second-hand (apart from a selection of brand new items like beds) so there’s a fantastic selection of different styles. You’re bound to find some things that will have your new house or flat feeling like home. And the best thing is that most deliveries to York are free (I imagine you’d need to pay if you were buying several heavy items).

 

I would definitely recommend having a hunt around the store to see if there are some things that suit your style. A few carefully chosen pieces that really make you happy will make a huge difference to your new space.

 

York Community Furniture Store

Quick Tips for Keeping Your Carpets Clean

Closeup of carpet

A soft, cosy carpet looks and feels great, but you need to work at keeping it in top condition. Here are our quick tips to extend the life of the carpets in your home.

 

Regular vacuum cleaning

Vacuuming your carpets weekly stops any major build up of dirt, dust and hair making it much easier to keep them in good condition. Be careful with very delicate carpets and avoid using a beater bar on anything with a loop pile.

 

Tackle stains as soon as they happen

When something gets spilled try to deal with it straight away. If it’s a liquid then blot it up with a cloth or paper towel to get it as dry as possible. If the liquid has left a stain then tackle it using a stain remover made for carpets or a home-based solution. This is a great article on using different household products to remove different kinds of stain.

 

Neutralise bad smells

If your carpets seem a bit musty, particularly in the high-traffic areas, then spread around some baking soda and leave it to settle for 10 minutes before vacuuming it up. This should remove any bad smells and leave no odour at all. If you want to go a step further you can add in a few drops of an essential oil that you like to leave your carpets with a lovely fragrance. Here’s a guide for how much to use from Organic Authority.

 

Catch the dirt at the door

This sounds like an obvious one but having some great mats at your front and back doors will go a long way to avoiding dirt from the outside world being trodden into the carpets. Give them a regular beat out (outdoors!) and a good vacuum every week.

 

A deep clean

Once or twice a year, consider a deep clean for your carpets. You’ll be surprised at just how much of a difference it can make. Nothing beats the feel of freshly cleaned carpets underfoot, so let us take all the hassle out of refreshing your carpets with a full professional clean. Get in touch today for a free, no obligation quote.