4 Often Overlooked Household Items You Should Clean Right Now!

We regularly wash our clothes, the window curtains and blankets. But how about the thicker household items such as the mattresses and comforters, which can double in weight due to dust, allergens, molds and bacteria?

Don’t worry, though. There are commercial laundry services in Singapore to do the job for you. The following household items may be too tedious to wash, but you can always have them professionally cleaned by a laundry service in Singapore.

Comforters

It’s easy to forget about cleaning the comforter, but know that it gets as dirty as table cloths, too. In some cases, you can wash your comforter by tossing it in the washing machine, but make sure to check the tag for washing instructions.

It would be worth having your comforter and bed spreads professionally cleaned by http://www.laundryfirst.sg/ in Singapore. Most household washing machines in Singapore are not large enough to wash a comforter. Besides, you wouldn’t want it to overflow or vibrate loudly when running a cycle. Moreover, drying large and thick items at home are quite tricky. It’s ideal to air dry a comforter, but no one has enough space to accommodate that.

If your comforter is made of wool or the colour is bleeding, do not attempt to wash it on your own at home. Bring it to a laundry service in Singapore and have it dry cleaned every time. Lengthen time in between washes by vacuuming it to remove dust.

Carpets and Rugs

Of course, carpets and rugs can be vacuumed, but stains happen occasionally. Instead of just covering the stains up by rearranging the furniture, minimize the look of the stain with shaving cream. Use a clean paintbrush or an old shaving brush to work the cream into the stained spot. Then, dampen a clean rag to wipe away the cream together with the stain.

When it’s time to have your carpet and rugs thoroughly cleaned, your best bet is to take it to a laundry service in Singapore. They will either have it washed or dry cleaned, depending on your preference, and they have the right cleaning agents to disinfect and get rid of the odour due to dirt and molds.

Pillows

Fluffing it isn’t just to make it isn’t to make it look soft again; this removes dust and dirt and to keep the pillow clean and light. Depending on the material, some pillows can be gently cycled in the washing machine. Polyester and foam pillows are recommended to be hand washed, but never dry them with a dryer; hang them outside to dry.

If you’re unsure how to wash your pillows, you can always have them cleaned by the professionals. Ask your laundry service about how to thoroughly clean your pillows without ruining them.

Mattress

Unfortunately, not all commercial laundry services accept mattresses for washing, but that does not mean you should not clean yours regularly.

Whether or not you’re planning on taking your mattress to a laundry service in Singapore, do some tiding up before deeply cleaning it. First, vacuum your mattress. This will remove lots of dirt and dust before washing it up. If there’s stain, spot clean it by working a damp cloth or sponge into the stained area. For odours, tone it down with odour sprays and scented disinfectant.

Once your mattress comes back clean, you can use a mattress pad to serve as a barrier between you and the mattress. Mattress pads protect the actual mattress, screening moisture and dirt from penetrating into the foam. It can easily be thrown into the washing machine or sent to a laundry service in Singapore when it’s time to wash it. But this doesn’t mean you will never have to clean your mattress again; it will only make your mattress easier to clean.

Fabrics You Can Laundry Wash

• Cottons. Usually, cotton items can be washed with water and detergent. However, you need to wash items in different colours separately, since colours in cotton garments tend to bleed. You won’t have problem with drying them though as cotton clothing are usually pre-shrunk, so they won’t change size after washing them.
• Synthetic Fabrics. Items made of nylon, polyester, acrylic, acetate and spandex are safe to laundry wash. However, they should be air dried as they can permanently wrinkle when dried out in a hot dryer.

Fabrics You Should Dry Clean

• Rayon. This material can be tricky to handle, because it is considered semi-synthetic. Hand washing rayon in mild detergent and cold water can be an option, but it’s generally safer to have it dry cleaned in a laundry service.
• Wool. It’s a sturdy fabric and must be dry cleaned as much as possible. If not possible, hand wash it in cold water, because it can shrink in hot or even warm water. When cared for the right way, this durable material can last a very long time.
• Silk. This is a natural and durable material. Known as a more luxurious fabric, it takes proper washing and drying to keep it soft and silky. The colour dyes in this material tend to bleed, thats why it’s advisable to have it dry cleaned. If you wish to wash it, always do so in cold water to preserve its colour.

If in any case, you’re unsure or just do not know how to wash some of your household items, you have the professionals to do the job for you. Before deciding to replace some of your dingy household items, try taking them to a laundry company in Singapore and ask if they can help you restore them.

How to Avoid Air Conditioner Repair Scams

Our home heating and air conditioning units play an integral part in giving us a comfortable everyday life. This is the reason why the maintenance and repair of these systems is a necessity. But like any unfamiliar area of home repair, there are also numerous scams surrounding aircon maintenance and repair services. The good news is there are some steps that you can take to avoid falling into these scams, as well as to ensure that you’re dealing with a reputable A/C service provider.

1. Perform a Background Check on the Company

The best way to avoid falling prey into scams is to do a background check on your potential service provider beforehand. Check the company’s license, insurance, certifications and affiliations. If the contractor isn’t affiliated with any reputable organizations in Singapore, then there’s a huge possibility that they’re not a reliable company and their technicians haven’t undergone any training or testing.

Sure, some aircon servicing companies might just be getting started in the industry, but that doesn’t excuse them from getting certified and licensed. Just like how you’d want someone with a medical degree to take care of your health, you’d also want to hire a professional to work on your HVAC system needs.

2. Educate Yourself

Educating yourself is one of the most effective ways to avoid getting scammed. If you’re installing a new air conditioning unit, take note of all the questions and calculations that your Singapore www.airconmaster.sg technician mentions. Understand that the size of your new A/C system depends on the size of your home, the number of people residing, as well as the number of windows in the place. If you need aircon repair or maintenance, however, then familiarize yourself with the common problems and parts of your HVAC system.

3. Beware of Offers That are Too Good to be True

Although a limited time low price offer seems like a great deal for someone looking for an affordable repair service, know that it’s just another scam in the A/C services industry. Contractors who use this promos won’t tell you that it’ll actually cost you more, especially when you call them back to have your air conditioning unit fixed again. So beware of such offers, as this is a repair service scam that you’d definitely want to avoid.

4. Request a Written Quote

Asking for a written quote for your repair job is always a good idea; it informs you of all the details of the work and holds the technician accountable for the entire job. Having a written estimate also allows you to perform further research about the problems of your unit and total cost of the aircon repair job. Other than that, you can also call a different HVAC company to compare service prices.

5. Inquire About Any Unclear Details in Your Quote

Confused about something? Are there any details in your quote that you don’t quite understand? If so, don’t hesitate to ask your aircon servicing contractor about it. He should be happy and willing to answer all your queries and educate you about your air conditioning unit. Your contractor might be the one who’ll repair your unit, but it also pays to understand all the details in your quote since you’ll be paying for it.

6. Get a Second Opinion

An air conditioner repair service isn’t as expensive as you thought it would be. If you happen to receive a large estimate from a certain contractor, call another service provider and get a second opinion about your problem. This is quite crucial, especially if one company suggested to replace your entire A/C system. You’ll be surprised to find out that the repair job that you need doesn’t cost as much as you originally thought.

7. Avoid Contractors Who Require Full Payment at Once

When doing an air conditioning repair, most service providers in Singapore typically ask their clients for a down payment before they start working on the repair job. But if your prospective contractor asks you to pay in full even before the repair job begins, then consider it as a red flag for an A/C repair scam. These contractors have a reputation of charging their clients with an absurd fee and doing poor quality work in return.

8. Ensure Your Contractor Specializes in Your A/C Unit

A good way to avoid falling into any aircon servicing scams is to make sure that your prospective service provider is experienced and certified to work on your specific A/C system. Check the contractor’s website to see the air conditioning that they’re qualified to fix. If you want, you can also call the manufacturer of your A/C unit to ask if they know a technician who specializes in repairing your particular aircon model.

9. Ask for the Part That was Replaced

If your technician informs you that they removed an old or broken part from your air conditioning unit, have them show you that particular part. If you’re sceptical with the repair job that they’ve done, bring the part to another professional and ask for a second opinion.

10. Schedule Regular A/C Maintenance

Regularly maintaining your A/C unit is another way of avoiding repair job scams, as it allows you to get a better idea of your system’s current condition. Being that lack of maintenance is a common cause of system failure, having your air conditioning unit regularly checked also reduces the chances of needing emergency repairs in the future – thus, reducing the likelihood of getting scammed by an A/C repair contractor.

Having a broken heating or air conditioning unit is never a pleasant experience, and getting scammed by a technician makes it even worse. So remember to put these tips to work as you start your search for an A/C service provider in Singapore, so you get to find someone who’s reputable and experienced to fix your air conditioning unit.

How to Do Your Own Plumbing

 

If you want to do your own plumbing, you should first check some Singapore plumbing forums to give you a better idea of what’s up ahead. The internet has always been our safe haven when we want to know and learn something new. It is because the internet has a wide variety of information that really helps us get through all the burdens we face in our daily lives.

Advantages of DIY plumbing

Some people who have heard that there are people who do their own plumbing tasks think that this idea is ridiculous. What these people do not understand is that it is possible to do plumbing works without the help of a professional plumber. If you have the willingness to learn, the patience to execute simple to complex tasks and the urge to read a plumbing forum Singapore based sites to gain more knowledge, without a doubt, you can be your own great plumber.

The best thing about doing this task without hiring a plumber is that you gain knowledge and develop some skills. Since you are doing it by yourself, you do not have any choice but to learn it all. Another advantage of doing this by your own is that you will be able to save some cash.

How? It is because you no longer need to hire and pay a professional plumber to get the task done. If you are someone who is open to the idea of learning and who is eager to save some money, then start reading Singapore plumbing forums now to have an idea on what plumbing tasks you can do and how to do them. You can also ask a family member or a friend to assist you if you have troubles starting to learn it by yourself.

Plumbing with push fit fitting

If you have read tons of forums regarding plumbing tasks, you might have come across the term push fit fitting. It is one of the most common plumbing tasks people encounter every single day. Just like other plumbing tasks, it is easy to learn if you have the right push fit plumbing instructions.

The first thing you have to do is to prepare all the materials and tools required. The materials and tools we need might be different for each one of us. It is because we have our own preferred materials to be used. Nonetheless, the basic tools needed are pipe cutter, marker pen and push fit fittings. If you already prepared all these, then it is time for you to start the process of plumbing with push fit fitting.

Now, you should start by marking the pipe with the use of the marker pen. Put a reference mark that will guide you in determining whether the pipe is already fully inserted. If your fitting has a twist lock feature, you should twist it until it completely tightens up on the pipe.

Check whether its collar is in the out position or not. If not, then make sure to correct it. Then, pull off the pipe and the fitting to guarantee it is secure. If you want to release the pipe from the fitting, all you have to do is to unlock the twist lock and then push in the collar. Then, you have to pull the fitting and pipe apart.

Examples of plumbing tasks

Aside from the push fit fitting, what are the other possible plumbing works that you might encounter in the future? Well, there are too many works related to plumbing. It is impossible to list every single task in this article. Nevertheless, we will give you a list of the most common DIY plumbing works:

  • Installing tiles on the floor
  • Installing a heater in your living room
  • Repairing leaks
  • Repairing doors

If you want to know how to do these tasks, you just have to read Singapore plumbing forums. You will find out a lot of tips and instructions on how to get a work done easily. Make sure you purchase quality materials. Also, be sure to follow the instructions given to you properly.

This will help you guarantee do the task in the most successful way. If you do not follow the steps, then there is a high possibility that you will need to redo all your work sooner or later. If you cannot promise a great DIY job, then it is better for you to hire a professional plumber for these matters.