As temperatures and we come closer to the winter, your home is likely to require at least a few unforeseen repairs.
So, autumn season is actually the best time to get ahead on your home maintenance tasks, before the colder months settle in.
From saving on energy bills amid the cost of living to making repairs around your home, or using materials around the home to take care of chores like pest-control or cleaning, there are plenty of easy but effective tricks for maintaining your home.
The home experts at beanbags.co.uk have shared their top home maintenance hacks that you can do this autumn.
Bag of fresh mint to deter spiders and other pests
Pests like spiders and mice often seek shelter and food in our homes during the colder months. But there's an easy and affordable fix for this.
Placing a bag of fresh mint – which costs around 50p – acts as a natural insect repellent for spiders, ants, flies and even mice.
Alternatively, you can chop up the mint and add it to boiling water. Once the mixture cools down, strain it and pour it into a spray bottle. Then spray in all the hard-to-reach spots around your home where spiders are commonly found.
Vinegar for deep cleaning carpets
Carpets are useful for insulating our rooms, however, it's easy for mould to creep into the thick material during the damper, colder months.
It's best to deep clean your carpets twice a year, usually in the spring and autumn.
Get rid of any foul odours from your carpet by using a vinegar solution consisting of one part vinegar to one part water. Spray this solution uniformly over the carpet and let it air dry before you start your deep cleaning process.
To deep clean, vacuum thoroughly and then use a steam cleaning machine to remove dust mites and allergens that can cause illness.
Make sure to vacuum skirting boards, behind radiators and any other places in the house where dust tends to accumulate
Baby oil for fireplace
You don't use your wood-burning stoves or fireplaces during the summer. So ahead of winter, check that your fireplace is in good condition.
Before lighting your first fire in autumn, make sure to clean it with a dustpan, brush and bucket or vacuum it. After this step, add a few drops of baby oil into a kitchen roll and rub this into the fireplace to make it look brand new and ready for winter.
Tape for fixing window draughts
If you notice draughts in your home, you need to fix this immediately.
Draughts not only make the room feel colder but can be dangerous enough to blow down lit candles and cause a fire.
To check for draughts, close all windows and doors then see which ones let in the air when they've opened again.
Once you've found the draughts on both windows and doors, you can fix it by using affordable tapes that cost only around £3.14.
Move sofas one foot away from radiators
Many people push their sofas against their radiators as a means of creating more space in a room.
However, this can actually increase your energy bills in the colder months.
When blocked by furniture, it is harder for heat from the radiator to circulate throughout the room. This in turn causes you to increase the temperature of your heating, leading to higher bills.
Use kitchen spatula to clean debris from gutters
Your gutters not only protect the structure of your home but also prevent water damage to the interior and exterior of your home.
It also prevents the foundation of your home from cracking due to pooling water, which can expand and freeze.
Cleaning debris from your gutters and ensuring the smooth flow of water through pipes is easier than you think it is. All you need is a spatula that you can use to scoop out any debris including leaves and dirt.
Deep clean your oven to help heat your home for free
You should clean inside of your oven every three months for many reasons, including preventing fires and making your stove more efficient, which saves on your electricity and gas bill.
Cleaning your oven and leaving the door open allows heat from inside to warm up the rest of the room.
However, ensure that you don't leave your door open if it’s gas, as there’s the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning from the fumes.
It's also important to be wary if you live with children who are in danger of burning themselves. Also make sure that things like your tea towel isn't near your oven as it could catch alight and start a fire.
