We’ve all experienced it – a wonderful glass of wine and then that scary moment when it topples over the table and spills onto the carpet. Yikes! It’s definitely one of those stains that knows how to leave its mark. And unless you know how to remove red wine out of carpet, that stain may be sticking around a little too long.

But not to worry – we have offered some step-by-step solutions to help you with red wine stain removal at home.

As with most household stains, the sooner you act, the better. If you can start removing the stain before it fully sets into the carpet, you’ll have a better shot at getting rid of it.

1. With a white cloth, try and blot as much of the red wine stain as you can. The more you can soak up, the less you’ll have to remove.
2. After you finish blotting, pour a bit of cold water directly onto the wine stain. Doing this helps dilute what remains of the stain, making blotting a bit easier. Continue blotting until you find that no more of the stain will come out.
3. Now prepare a baking soda paste by mixing a three to one ratio of water to baking soda and applying it to the affected area. Once the paste is dry, vacuum the stain.

If you’ve ever cut yourself with a small paring knife while cutting up fruit, you know that even the smallest tools have the potential to cause some serious damage.

No matter what size power tool or your level of expertise, it is important to follow certain safety rules every time they are used. A little bit of carelessness can make the difference between nine and ten fingers, so it is always best to err on the side of caution.

Before powering up, you need to dress the part. Always wear goggles, masks, and earplugs when necessary. Clothes should be fitted appropriately and cover your body (that means sandals and shorts are not such a good idea).

Long hair should be tied back and any jewellery removed as it may become tangled or caught in equipment. It is also important that you feel up to the task of completing your project. Don’t use power tools if you are sick, on medication that can impair judgment, or under the influence of alcohol. (more…)

We’ve all seen the adverts on the television of the steam mop gliding easily across the floor, leaving a beautifully pristine, shiny path in its wake but are they really as good as they look on the TV?

Most steam mops are relatively light in weight and have a small reservoir which can be unclipped so that it can be filled with water and then re-attached. The foot of the mop is either rectangular or triangular in shape and most steam mops come with at least a couple of covers which should be easy to fit and remove and which should also be machine washable. Just about all steam mops come with a button to eject extra steam which can be useful for stubborn stains.

There are several advantages to using a steam mop on a hard surface such as tiles or vinyl as opposed to a mop and a bucket of water or a scrubbing brush and a bucket of water. There is no need to be moving the bucket around or emptying and re-filling with clean water; you don’t need to use floor cleaner with a steam mop as the heat of the steam will shift any dirt and stains; it should require less effort and finally, the floor dries much quicker with a steam mop.

However, it is definitely worth looking at online reviews before buying a mop and finding out which are the best makes and which have the best features.

Most of us these days go to some efforts to recycle our waste products, whether it’s by separating plastics, cardboard and glass into the appropriate refuse bins or by saving water by turning off the tap when we brush our teeth.

However, you may not realise that leaving electrical and electronic appliances on stand-by for any length of time also wastes energy and, it is estimated that the average household could save up to £35 a year by switching off at the mains. There are products available to help cut down on stand-by costs, like stand-by savers which allow the consumer to turn off all items on stand-by in one go. Some of these are sold with timers and some have a single switch.

Since 2010, all electrical items sold in the European Union countries must comply to regulations stating that stand-by power should be under 1W. While it is true that appliances are becoming more energy efficient and are using less energy, the average household is buying more and more electronic gadgets, so it is still worth looking at stand-by energy consumption and making efforts to reduce it further.

You may have noticed plenty of television adverts or newspaper articles talking about smart meters  or read leaflets which your energy company may have posted to you.

A smart meter is the the newest kind of meter measuring your gas or electricity consumption. It’s a digital meter which is also connected to the internet, allowing your energy company to be able to read your meter at any time, without you ever having to submit a meter reading.

There are obvious advantages for the energy companies and it should help them to make savings but there are also certain benefits for the consumer too. For a start, it will eliminate estimated bills altogether but it will also help the consumer to easily look at their energy consumption at any time and make him or her aware of how much gas or electricity is being used. For those who are keen to make savings and reduce the size of their bills, then you will be able to see how much energy it takes to boil a full kettle, to leave the bedroom lights on upstairs or to use the hoover, for example. Once consumers have that kind of information then it’s possible to make informed choices on how to reduce consumption and, as a result, receive smaller bills.