Category: cleaning
Having an office space is great, whether it’s a designed space at home or at your company’s headquarters. However, having an extra bit of space also means it can get a bit messy. If you struggle with keeping your office tidy, this blog article is for you.
Having a cluttered desk has plenty of downfalls. Working in a messy environment may also decrease your levels of productivity and effectiveness. If your desk is tidy, you will spend less time looking for documents and items around your desk. Also, with a clear space your mind won’t be distracted by the thought of having to sort things out. So let’s get into it.
Remove everything
By removing everything from your desk and office, you will have the opportunity to sweep and clean your furniture too. At the same time, you can actually go through everything you own. Which bring us to point 2.
Divide your things in different piles: throw away, donate and keep
The most important part of this step is to be rational, and only keep objects you know you will use, for example a mouse pad or a photo of your dog. When it comes to donating and throwing away, the best way to divide your stuff is to think whether someone else will make use of it.
Consider investing in space organisers and shelves
Clearing things up is helpful, but with time your office space will get clogged again. The best way to prevent this is to get some space organisers, such as bookends and pen cups. Shelves are also great for books and documents you don’t need to access as often. Another tip would be to get some drawers to have under your desk.
Fix your cables!
Cables really do make a difference when it comes to space tidiness. There are some options for cable management, such as buying sticky labels or even cable management boxes, bars and sleeves. Having tidy cables also makes it so much easier to clean your office space.
Don’t forget to clean regularly
Once you’ve invested in decorations and space organisers, and sorted out what you need, cleaning regularly comes next. At the end of the day, cleaning regularly is the best tip on how to keep your office space tidy! It’s important to have a routine and do this whenever you can. It doesn’t have to be every day, but even once a week or once a month works. It’s important to set aside some time for cleaning and sorting our your space. If you do this regularly, it will only take 1h tops every so often.
Storage is your friend
Sometimes getting rid of old things just isn’t an options, and that’s when renting a storage unit can help you keep your space tidy. Cookes Storage can support you throughout your business journey with a variety of storage room options, and more. If you’re based around Sutton Coldfield and have any questions, please email us at
info@cookesstorage.co.uk or give us a call on 0121 250 5055 .
After a long and cold winter, it’s finally April and the weather is getting a little bit warmer. The trees are blossoming, and the sun is shining. When the air is not so cold, you want to open the windows and let the warm air into your house. But to really refresh your house, opening a window isn’t enough. Therefore, we’ve put together a successful checklist for spring cleaning to help you prepare your house for the warm weather.
First, you may be asking yourself: why do I need a checklist?
Having a checklist, whether it’s written down or just in your brain, helps you keeping things tidy and organised – just like you want your house to be. This will help you define what you want to do for each room, and it gives you an idea of a timeline. Deep cleaning should also be an integral part of your house, in order to keep it tidy and organised.
Have a goal
You should be thinking of what’s the aim of this spring clean? Is it to identify what piece of furniture you want to donate? Is it to declutter? Change the layout of your house/flat?
Divide your tasks into categories
After you’ve figured out what you want to do, we recommend dividing your tasks in different categories. This way, you don’t feel overwhelmed. You can divide your activities this by day, or by room. For example, for each room you can select what you want to:
- Clean
- Donate
- Store away
- Recycle/repair
We recommend coming up with a realistic timeline, avoiding stress. Spring cleaning should be enjoyable, and it should be about bringing your house back to life.
Identify what products you need
You may be thinking, I already have bleach, mould remover and cleaning wipes. While this is true, spring cleaning is a good idea to identify what products you’re missing and which one you want to replace. Maybe you want a new bathroom cleaner spray. Maybe you want to use more plastic free and green alternatives.
In addition, it’s important to make sure your vacuum cleaner is running and that you have good mop at home.
Wash pillows and duvets
Washing pillows and duvets can be quite impractical, and you may not have a lot of time to do so. If you want to go ahead with it, we recommend doing it during spring cleaning. If you have a lighter duvet for the warm months, this is the best time to take it out.
Don’t be scared of emptying your drawers, donation is an option!
Are your drawers very messy and cluttered? Spring cleaning is the best opportunity to sort them out and identify what you want to do with your belongings. Throwing away is not always the best options, as we would encourage you to donate/resell as much as you can. This can be old Christmas decorations, plates, cutlery, dvds, old toys and of course clothes.
Don’t forget about the deep part of the cleaning
Dusting your furniture, donating, removing mould, and cleaning your mirrors is key to a good clean. But the point of spring cleaning is to do a deep clean. A successful checklist for spring cleaning included unclogging the sink and drains, cleaning behind the toilet… It also included throwing away expired make up, taking care of your garden if you have one, and most of all…make the most of it.
And finally…
If you’re not ready to let go of some of your belongings, or have no space to store your winter stuff, storage might be a good option for you. With plenty of storage rooms with different sizes, convenient prices and industry leading security, Cookes Self Storage will look after your belongings. And you don’t have to worry about a single thing. To enquire about self-storage, call us on 0121 250 5055 or email us at info@cookesstorage.co.uk .
Every new year we want to start it off right and we make resolutions we end up not following. We think of the new year as an occasion to reinvent ourselves, which we totally can, but maybe instead of making big plans, we could start small instead. This way, it’s easier to achieve what we set for ourselves.
Here are some ideas and some totally realistic resolutions we can all work on for 2022.
Start the new year off right by being more environmentally conscious
Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a big focus on climate change and being environmentally friendly. As good as it sounds, buying an electric car or having solar panels installed is very expensive, and not everyone can afford it. Instead, there are plenty of small acts that can make a change. Taking public transport instead of driving is one easy step.
Or for example, turning the tap off when it’s not needed is a great start. Buying second hand clothes is also a great option, and if you can’t afford not buying from fast fashion brands, there’s plenty of things you can still do. For example, instead of buying clothes that are only fashionable for a short period of time, buy timeless pieces of clothing instead. Also, making the most of the clothes you have and wear them until they break can make a difference.
Also, ditching plastic as much as possible whenever you can really helps the environment. Eating less meat is also a good option, even though vegetarian and vegan options can be quite expensive.
Start the new year off right by sticking to a healthy routine
Everyone wants to be healthy, join the gym, exercise every day, never have cheat days and so on. As good as these plans sound, they’re hard to stick to. Having a routine can be hard when you are busy and have long shifts. If you see that going to the gym isn’t doable, instead of signing up and only going once, there’s other options. For example, there are plenty of 30 minutes workout videos on YouTube that you can follow from the comfort of your living room. Another option is aiming to walk at least 10k steps a day, or trying some yoga.
Balance is key, and never having cheat days is definitely not healthy. Instead of not eating food like chocolate or pizza, or drink alcohol, you should include them to your diet, just in controlled amounts among many other nutritious foods.
and keeping your house tidy
Having a tidy house is a big ask, but one easy thing that can be done is to recycle or donate items that you don’t need. By unclogging your garage or your spare room, your house will automatically be tidier. And if you still want to get rid of items you don’t use as much but you don’t feel the need to throw them away yet, a storage room is a good option.
We offer plenty of storage options to suit your needs, from 16sft to a 270sqft room. For more information you can check our website: cookesstorage.co.uk or email us at info@cookesstorage.co.uk.
You’re moving out of your parent’s house and into your first home or maybe you are moving into Uni halls… but you don’t know what to take and what do you leave? Don’t worry, you are not alone! We can guarantee that everyone has had to think about the ‘what do I take with me’ problem!
You might be thinking about all the new things you can get for your home, but you’ll soon find your parents on the doorstep with a car full of your childhood toys and teenage clutter. You might not see the need for them now, but one day you may well treasure those memories. So, what sort of thing should you hold onto and what should you let go?
Things to keep
Family photographs
You may not be that interested in pictures of yourself playing on a beach you don’t remember age 3 – but one day you’ll find yourself wanting to know more about your parents holidays before you were born, or your grandparents wedding. Go through them with your parents, and have them write down who each person is on the back, so you have the information when you want it.
Old toys
Just like clothes, toys often come back into fashion as trends renew. Marvel figurines, Matchbox cars, Furbies, Tamagotchi and Pokemon cards have all come back around as must have toys over time. If you are still holding on to original versions of these, they may well increase in value. The last thing you want to do it is throw out all of your childhood toys now, only to discover you had a rare and valuable Barbie. And even if they aren’t worth anything, your own children may enjoy playing with them in time.
School reports and pictures
You may have skipped out of school on the last day, glad you never have to think about it again. Perhaps you won’t for years. But then you’ll have a school reunion, or bump into someone you knew, and you’ll want to peek back at the memories.
Awards, certificates and trophies are all nice to keep, but perhaps one of the best things, though you might not think it now, as your school reports. In 20 years time these can be a great source of entertainment, although you might want to hide the teacher’s comments from your own children.
Things to recycle
Clothes
There may well be some favourite clothes you just can’t bear to leave behind: a snuggly hoodie or band T-shirt. But the majority of clothes you wore as a teen probably don’t need to go with you to your new home. Sort out the ones that no longer fit, or are a bit too worn, and see what you can give to charity.
Books and magazines
We certainly do accumulate a lot of paper in our lifetimes. But do you really need to keep it? Take a look at your bookshelves, and see which treasured paperbacks you are really likely to read again, and which ones you have outgrown. Comics and magazines are the same. It’s all extra weight.
Finding space
Now you’ve decided what you need to keep, you still might not have space in your new place for all the boxes. Don’t throw things out just because you can’t find a cupboard for them, if you know you’ll regret it one day. With your own small self-storage locker, you’ve got just enough space for your childhood treasures, secure and dry, until you’re feeling nostalgic.
Still not sure how much space you need? Call us on 0121 250 5055 and we’ll talk through your requirements and design the perfect package for you.
It’s that time of the year to start spring cleaning, and it’s a task many of us dread.
There are plenty of great ways to reduce the effort though, so we thought we’d save you some time and scour the internet for the best in cleaning tips using some natural home ingredients.
Sparkling windows
You can buy all sorts of cleaners that work specifically on the glass in your house. Or you can save some pennies, and use a simple solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. Wipe with a newspaper or cloth for sparkling windows.
Picking up pet hair
We love the furry members of the family, but we’re less keen on the hair they leave on the furniture. There are a number of ways to pick hairs up, including a trusty lint roller, but our favourite is to simply use a pair of rubber gloves. Just run your hands over your sofa, and the friction will cause the hairs to stick to the gloves.
Cleaning limescale from taps
Limescale build up leaves a white deposit on your taps, in kettles and washing machines. Scrubbing it away can take a lot of time and elbow grease – but we’ve found a simple trick that takes all the effort away.
Limescale dissolves in a mild acid, such as the citric acid of a lemon. So, cut a lemon in half, wedge it gently onto the end of your tap and leave it for an hour or more to loosen and dissolve any deposits, while you move onto another chore.
Freshen up your mattress
You may think that one of the hardest things in the house to clean is your mattress, but it’s really one of the simplest. All you need is some bicarbonate of soda, and a sieve. Sieve the bicarb over the whole mattress, and leave for several hours. The soda will draw out any dirt, moisture and odours, without damaging the mattress. Finally, hoover up the powder thoroughly and you’ll be left with a fresh, clean smelling bed.
Microwave your lemons
Another top tip using the lovely lemon – squeeze some juice into water and put it in the microwave for a minute. The steam will loosen any food stuck to the inside for an easy wipe, while the lemon leaves it smelling lovely and clean.
Clean out your drains
Our drains can become blocked with hair and soap, but there is an easy way to clean it out and keep on top of any build up. Pour half a cup of bicarbonate of soda down the drain, followers by 1 cup of white vinegar, and leave it for 30 minutes. Then flush down some fresh clean water and you’ll have lovely clean drains.
Fresh and fragrant
Finally, leave your home smelling beautifully fresh with these simple tips. Add a few drops of fabric conditioner to a dry wipe and leave it behind your radiator. As it warms the fragrance will spread across your room. And there – a lovely, clean and fresh home, ready for the year ahead.
We hope that you enjoy these easy at home tips, and enjoy a fresher cleaner life. Happy cleaning!