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Staying away from home.

by with 2 Comments Family Organising

It’s that time of year when many off us go off on our holidays.  We are lucky as with other family members we own a lovely caravan in Norfolk so its pretty much a home away from home but I do love my abroad holidays too.

My anxiety is at an all time high at the moment as we are off away soon as I know for two whole weeks I will have to cope with whats on offer.  I always think of the amount of families that have stayed in the room, how they have treated it etc.  I hate this feelings it is so hard to deal with. Other people don’t even think about anything like this but for me this is a huge deal.

I am often asked how I deal with situations like this.  The answer is I don’t very well but I take as much as I can with me to make it a home from home.

Public transport is hard enough but I avoid this as much as possible when I am at home, This time I am confined to an aeroplane seat for a good few hours. I can’t get up to use the toilet and even watching people go makes me incredibly anxious. I wipe the table down and sit as still as I can and just try and focus on a film. People do look at me as if to say what are you doing. But I really don’t care.

As you can imagine i take a lot of cleaning related items with me including:

  • Handheld hoover
  • Dettol anti bacterial spray
  • Pillow cases and sheets
  • Washing up liquid
  • Multipurpose cleaner
  • Large multipurpose wipes
  • Airfreshners
  • Stain remover
  • Washing detergent
  • Plastic cutely
  • Plastic cups
  • Mug
  • Tea Towels
  • Dish Clothes

I then go to the local supermarket and get my bleach and a few other bits as I always like to test out whats on offer cleaning wise.

We are self catering this year but have the breakfast included.  We don’t use anything in the room at all. I just use the plastic bits I have taken with me.

Eating out isn’t easy either but Rob has read every review he can possibly find off all the local eating spots and we have listed the top few by hygiene rating and Trip Advisor reviews. I will normally have a peer in the kitchen too. As always I will have in my hand bag my antibacterial spray and my hand gel.

Before I begin to unpack I give the room a good clean

Bathroom

I give the toilet a really good clean, paying attention to the seat and the handle and I will do a bleach bath so I ensure its clean.  Using the large wipes I will clean the floor. I also clean all the switches and the towel holders.  I will then leave a candle in their burning for a bit to mask out any smells.

Doors

I will wipe over all the internal doors using the wipes and the door handles/knobs

Kitchen

Bleach the kitchen sink and wipe over all the external cupboards doors and wash the fridge out using warm soapy water.  Wipe over the floor too.

Bedroom

I take my own pillow cases and sheets so I will first check for bugs or anything that shouldn’t be there. Spray the mattresses with the Dettol spray and wash the floor around them.  I will pop air fresheners in the bedrooms and a few candles too. I take a throw to put over the bed too so I can sit on if needs be.

Outside area

I will wash the furniture down with warm soapy water and spray with the Dettol spray

By now you are probably thinking I an even more crazy but I need to feel comfortable. I am here for 2 whole weeks so making it a home from home is the only way I will cope.

Once this is done I will begin to relax and enjoy my holiday.

Don’t forget that coming home from your holiday can be hard work for some take a read here and see how to prepare before you go. Returning home from holidays

As always thank you for reading

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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Return home from holiday organised and refreshed

by with No Comment Cleaning Tips

We all love going away on holiday spending a week or two exploring new cities or relaxing on the beach but the build up can be pretty busy and stressful. Packing can be daunting and its important that you don’t forget any of those essential items.  Following a simple packing guide can really help and involving the whole family. It’s not just down to one person to get everything in order.

Unfortunately though, we all have to come back!

Good preperation before going away can really help. I mean who wants to come back to an untidy house with baskets full of laundry and beds that need changing?

I have put together a few ideas that can make coming back from your holiday a whole lot easier.

Deep Clean

Give yourself time before you go to have a really good deep clean. Its will make all the difference when you return home and allow you to focus on the unpacking and holiday washing. Empty all your bins add new liners and make sure all the toilets have bleach in the pan so they are continuing to kill germs and smell lovely and fresh when you walk in.

Make sure your laundry is up-to date

There is no better feeling than an empty laundry basket and a non-existent ironing pile. This can be rare for busy families but challenge yourself before you go away to ensure you are up to date.  You are going to be coming home with a big pile of washing and ironing and you really do not need to add to this pile. If you are struggling for time there is no harm in using the launderette or a local ironing service. You may also be coming home and then the children go straight back to school so you need to make sure all their uniform, stationary and bags are ready.

Declutter as you pack

Now is a really good time to tackle any declutter. When you are packing for your holiday use this time to pick bits out of the wardrobes that are no longer worn and create a pile for reselling or charity. You will be surprised at what you find you no longer need or will wear. Don’t just stop there file away that build up of paperwork along with any old magazines and newspapers that will be out of date upon your return.

Food Delivery

If your like me and have a regular food delivery organise this before you go so you don’t have to go to the supermarket and do a full weekly shop. Ask someone to drop some fresh milk and bread into your home just before you return so you can at least have a cup of tea if you haven’t got much else in.

Plan a meal

Cook up a health meal and pop in the freezer before you go so you can defrost and enjoy when you get home.  Holidays normally mean over eating and not eating so well so you will be probably be craving a home cooked healthy dinner. Knock up a quick Bolognese or a stew packed with vegetables.

Let your neighbours know your going away

If you get on well with your neighbours or have a friend that lives close by ask them to put the bin out for you and to water the garden flowers. This can really help as you don’t want to come home to a full bin smelling awful or dead flowers that you have been keeping  so well all summer.

Don’t jump straight into socialising

Give yourself a few days before you start to out again with friends and try not to organise any gatherings at your house. Ease yourself back in gently.

Back to work

If you can and have the flexibility book an extra day into your diary so you can give yourself time to adjust after your holiday. There is nothing worse that coming home in  the early hours of the morning and then having to be at work for 9am.

Keep your out of office on

Use this tool to your advantage and don’t switch it off until you have caught up.

Check your family calendar

Look at your calendar a few days before you are due home so you are not surprised by meetings or events that are going to sneak up on you for the up and coming week. Being prepared always help,

I really hope this little tips help you. Don’t forget you can get my holiday organisational printable CLICK HERE

Happy Holiday
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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My Review of the HOTPOINT Ultima S-LINE RPD 9467 JGG Washing Machine

by with 2 Comments LaundryProduct Reviews

I am so lucky the lovely team at Hotpoint recently send me a new washing machine. The Ultima S-Line RPD 9467 JGG My washing machine was fine but it had been going strong for 6 years and had worked so hard with my constant overuse that a new one was definitely due. I really look after my washing machines and washing machine care is so important.  With the old machine I tended to do at least two washes a day, main reason being it only had a small drum and being a family of 5 and having a Hetty one load was just never enough.

I certainly did need a bigger drum and my new machine has a 9kg drum which has made a huge difference. I can get so much in and my normal load just looks lost. On a good day I now only need to do one load of washing, so that is only one lot of detergent and fabric conditioner daily and I am using less energy. This machine is a premium energy efficent device which comes with an A plus plus plus rating and ensures minimal consumption of power.

Its been so lovely seeing my new shiny machine in my utility room the appearance certainly does grab attention with its LCD screen and smart sleek design. I have now tested out every function and believe me there is a lot. This machine does everything.  This washing machine is super silent and my utility room no longer sounds like an aeroplane is taking off!

Some of the functions that have particularly impressed me are:

Anti Stain Cycle

This function saves the need for a prestain treatment. This worked on tested stains of red wine and coffee at 20 degrees!

Steam hygiene

This amazing function which has really impressed me allows you to wash your clothes at a low temperature and it will still eliminate 99.9% of germs and bacteria.

Woolmark

This is a really delicate function that is great for those beautiful woolen delicate tops that you may own this function cleans well and keep the siftness that can be sometimes lost when washing.

Plus there are a great selection of programmes to choose from.  Whats even better as you pull out the drawer for the detergent and fabric conditioner and there is a list of the programmes so you can never forget and it saves you from looking for the instruction manual. But one negative with the drawer is, it’s very difficult to remove and I do like to remove mine to clean it at least once a week as mould and mildew can build up in this area.

  • Cotton 40°
  • Cotton 60
  • Synthetics
  • Silk
  • Wool
  • Duvets
  • Delicates
  • Steam Refresh
  • Eco Cotton
  • Baby
  • Shirts
  • White
  • Woolmark

There is also a delay timer which I use to set so the cycle has finished just as I come downstairs in the morning, this was I can hang my washing out staright away nivce and early or pop it in the tumble drier.  For safety it has a child look and the digital display is very clear so no eye strainning.

I am certainly not a washing machine expert but I have found this machine really easy to use, its super quiet and looks good.

Price point is really good and its availble in many stores such as John Lewis and Tesco plus many online.

Look after you machine and it will continue to keep your laundry smelling good

I hope you found this review useful

Thanks for reading Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This product was gifted and the opinons in this feature and my own