Ask Lucy: From can't-live-without cleaning products to what to do with a soiled sofa
Solving your cleaning queries one at a time
Content creator Lucy Kalice is one of Ideal Home's Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on cleaning, home decor and making the most of small spaces. See the rest of her articles here.
My dog was sick on our sofa and it’s left a mark, how do I get it off?
Oh no, your poor pup! I hope they are feeling better. Don’t worry this is something I’ve also had to deal with – the glamorous life of a dog owner, eh.
All sofas are made out of different fabrics which need to be cleaned in different ways, so my first recommendation would be to check the label on the sofa. It will say if the cushion covers can be washed in the washing machine. Hopefully they can and if so just wash them as per the label instructions with the correct temperature and this should sort it in no time.
If the cushion covers can’t be washed (mine can’t and it’s a little annoying) I’d recommend using an upholstery cleaner. You can use this to spot clean the marked area or go crazy and do the whole sofa. Either way, it’s going to be very satisfying when you see the dirty water afterwards, please feel free to send any pictures my way!
My favourite upholstery cleaner is the Shark Stain Striker. It works miracles…seriously. I’ve tried and tested it on many stains including ink and its never failed me!
Good luck!
What’s the one cleaning product you can’t live without?
This ones going to surprise you all I’m sure! I’ll give you some clues – it’s not a branded product, it’s got a strange smell and you could eat it…
It’s white vinegar! Yes, you read that right. Obviously this is not the same stuff you’re putting on your fish and chips. There’s standard distilled white vinegar and cleaning vinegar. Cleaning vinegar can’t be eaten as it has a higher level of acidity which is what makes it perfect for cleaning. It’s amazing and I’ll list some of the benefits below:
- You can use it to descale appliances like a kettle, washing machine, dishwasher
- A streak free way to clean mirrors and glass (think your shower screen, glass tables etc)
- Removes sticker residue
- Eliminates stubborn odours
- It’s really affordable
If you haven’t got some in your cleaning cupboard I urge you to get some ASAP!
I need a new vacuum cleaner, should I get a combo one that is a mop as well or just a standard one?
Oooo I love this question! Initially I was going to start by saying this is a no brainer, a vacuum cleaner with a mop is the winning answer. However when I thought about it a little more, I think there’s a few things you do need to consider.
First of all price point – usually vacuum cleaner mops are more expensive. And if you’re budget allows for this then that’s great, but if you’re not sure you want to stretch that far then I think that’s something you need to consider. After all, I do believe that a bucket of water, floor cleaner and a cloth does a fantastic job of cleaning the floors as well (if it worked for Cinderella it can work for us…).
Next thing to think about is how much hard floor do you actually have in your house. If you are mainly carpeted then I don’t think it’d be worth while to buy the combo cleaner because you probably wouldn’t use it that often. If you have mainly hard floor, I think it’d definitely be worth the investment and you’ll get a lot of use out of it.
Personally, I do love my vacuum cleaner mop because it makes my life so much easier. I don’t have to break my back cleaning the floor by hand. And it’s so much quicker. However, it does mean that when it comes to cleaning the machine, there’s more/different things to clean in comparison to a standard vacuum cleaner.
So overall I would recommend the vacuum cleaner with a mop!
