Look After Your Boiler During The Summer Months To Avoid Nasty Bills

1st Action advises consumers not to abandon their boiler until the winter

With the summer months upon us, it may not seem like a priority to think about getting your boiler ready for the cold winter, but this is what Richard Clarke, chairman of 1st Action is calling for homeowners to do.

Every central heating boiler should be checked and serviced each year to avoid problems such as pump failure, heating circulation problems, a noisy boiler, leaking radiator valves or cold spots on the radiator. If these problems are regularly experienced then the heating system could benefit from power flushing. A regularly checked gas boiler could improve its efficiency and lead to smaller gas bills. It could also reduce fuel waste and highlight any safety problems.

Clarke comments, “It is not only less expensive but you are likely to get a better service if you have your central heating system sorted out in the summer. During the winter, when the demands on boiler engineers is at its greatest, they tend to spend most of their time carrying out emergency boiler repairs and solving urgent heating boiler problems. During the summer they are under less pressure as heating systems are switched off. This is the best time to service your boiler and heating system.”

Clarke continues, “We know that after months of cold wet weather when the sun finally appears, the last thing you want to prepare for is a winter that is several months away. However every year for the last twenty winters as we get the first few days of colder weather our phone lines are crammed with callers whose heating is not working properly. You are not likely to be one of those customers if you have taken the appropriate steps during the summer.”

Many gas safe registered plumbing and heating specialists have special offers during the summer months to encourage homeowners to take care of the heating boiler and be prepared for next winter.

For more information, please visit www.1staction.com and the ‘Boiler Offers’ page

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Make Your Goal A World Cup Clean Up With Rug Doctor!

Beer spills, muddy trainers, cigarette smoke and take-away food stains are no match for Rug Doctor’s awesome cleaning power!

Here’s a bright idea to avoid a red card over the effects on your home of any World Cup crowd pullers this year – the Rug Doctor! After the final whistle, rent one of Rug Doctor’s easy-to-use carpet cleaning machines to deep clean any walked-in dirt from the garden – or spots and stains from food and drink spills – and you’ll be a winner! There’s even an upholstery attachment included for use on soft furnishings, carpet edges and stairs.

Best of all, most people can clean their whole house for less than £40.00 – and that includes four litres of the new Rug Doctor Carpet Detergent with Spot Blok ® stain repellent, which builds up the resistance to stains every time it is used so that carpets and upholstery stay cleaner for longer.

“The World Cup always brings fun, excitement and totally spontaneous reactions from footie fans, but the penalty can be the effects that spots and stains from accidental spills can have on both carpets and upholstery – especially if you’re watching the match at home with some mates,” says Paul Fildes Marketing Manager of Rug Doctor. “Rug Doctor will help your ‘pitch’ recover from any mistreatment in no time, bringing all the freshness and softness back thanks to Rug Doctor’s easy-to-use machines and our award winning carpet and upholstery detergents .”

Consumers can now find Rug Doctor machines in every B&Q, Homebase, Focus and Johnsons the Cleaners, as well as in selected Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury, Somerfield, the Co Op and other quality independent stores. In fact, Rug Doctor now has nationwide availability with almost 90% of all UK consumers being within just a 10 minute drive of a rental location. Consumers are encouraged to use the store finder on the Rug Doctor website to find their nearest location.

Twenty-four hour rental costs on average £19.99 or £24.99 for the Rug Doctor Wide Track machine which, with its wider cleaning head and higher capacity detergent tank, can cut cleaning time in half. Rug Doctor Carpet Detergent costs about £9.99 a litre or £19.99 for 4 litres.

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Best Way To Deep Clean Your Carpet

You know its time. Even though you have been religious about vacuuming your carpets, quickly attending to spots and spills, and varying traffic patterns to reduce soiling and wear, your carpets are ready for a freshening, and you have decided to hire a professional to give your carpets a deep cleaning. All carpets should be deep cleaned every twelve to eighteen months; a thorough cleaning not only revitalises the look of your carpeting, it also reduces wear, extends its life and may be required in the terms of your warranty. But just how should your carpet be cleaned? There are five accepted methods for cleaning carpets, and one is right for you.

In most new carpets, your carpet manufacturer or retailer will recommend the best cleaning procedure for deep cleaning your carpets. Always follow these recommendations. If you are attempting the deep cleaning yourself, chose a carpet shampoo or cleaning and follow the directions for application and dilution to the letter. Never use soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent or other household cleaners intended for use on other flooring surfaces. For the best results, be certain to vacuum the carpet thoroughly before cleaning, and apply a preconditioning solution before the deep cleaning process. These pre-cleaning solutions are mild detergents that begin loosening soil before the actual cleaning begins.

There are several ways to find the best professional for your job. You may simply ask for referrals from friends, family or even carpet stores or you may use the Internet to do your own search. No matter which means you use, be aware of the five basic methods professionals use to clean carpets. Each has its advantages and disadvantages; discuss with a professional which is best for your carpets before you begin deep cleaning your carpets.

Dry extraction cleaning uses an absorbent compound containing special detergents and solvents that is infused in and around the carpet fibres with specially-designed machines and brushes. The compound acts as a tiny magnet, attracting dirt, oils and soil in the carpet fibres, and then both the soil and the compound are removed by vacuum. This method is recommended for sturdy fibres, including most synthetics, and is especially appropriate for natural fibres like wool and cotton that should not be exposed to excessive moisture.

The dry foam extraction method applies a special detergent solution that has been fluffed into a foam, and then applied to the carpet. This foam, which is less dense and much drier than a wet solution, is worked into the carpet by specially designed machines, and then removed by wet vacuum. Some dry foam machines have their own extraction capabilities, while others need a thorough vacuum after the carpet is dry.

The hot water extraction method, or “steam cleaning,” as it is sometimes called, is the most common method for do-it-yourself’ers and mobile professional cleaners. After preconditioning carpet areas that have experienced heavy use, the carpet cleaner uses hot water extraction equipment to infuse a pressurized cleaning solution into the carpet. Suspended soil and the cleaning solution are immediately extracted. Use caution with the hot water extraction system so that carpets do not become saturated, and accelerate drying in any way possible – using fans, air conditioners, dehumidifiers or additional drying strokes – to avoid possible damage and discolouration resulting from the moisture.

The rotary shampoo method is the classic home carpet cleaning technique. A machine with rotary brushes injects a cleaning solution into the carpet, and then removes the loosened soil and cleaning solution. And as with steam cleaning, be certain you carpet dries as quickly as possible. Never use a machine intended for hard surface flooring to shampoo your carpets – pile distortion and untwisting of fibers can occur, causing permanent damage to your carpet.

The absorbent pad method should be used only by a trained cleaning professional. In the absorbent pad method, a special machine similar to a floor buffer with an absorbent spin pad is used to remove the soil. The pad absorbs soil on the carpet, and the soil is then rinsed off of the pad. The pad must remain saturated with the cleaning solution or damage to the carpet pile may occur. And regularly change the pad to prevent returning the soil back to the carpet face.

When choosing a deep cleaning method for your carpets, always check the recommendations of the carpet manufacturer, the equipment manufacturer, and your carpet cleaning professional. The match between your carpet and the right deep cleaning method will give your carpets added years of beauty and wear.

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