Finally, cottage season is upon us! Tackle the following cleaning and maintenance tasks with ease by using these clever tips.
Musty odours: When doors and windows are closed for an extended period of time, dust collects, creating a musty odour. Throw open the windows and doors and air out the interior of your cottage. Give the entire cottage a good dusting and vacuum too. Air movement is vital to removing moisture and odors – so turn on ceiling and/or bathroom fans to assist with the process. Use a mixture of white vinegar and water and a microfibre cloth to wipe and clean surfaces.
Bedding: Inspect the mattresses, pillows and bedding in each bedroom in the cottage. Is it time for them to be replaced? Cottage beds are often shared and used by many people so it’s important to use mattress and pillow covers; cleaning them regularly. Make up beds so that everyone has one or two good pillows. Use cotton sheets and a nice duvet.
Mouse droppings: Thoroughly disinfect all surfaces that have come in contact with mice droppings. Wear rubber gloves and pick up droppings by dampening a microfibre cloth and wiping them up. Dispose of the microfibre cloth and droppings into a garbage bag. Never sweep or vacuum up mouse droppings as this can cause the release of virus particles into the air. Put all cleaning materials into a plastic bag, seal, dispose and wash your hands. Open your doors and windows to allow fresh air and the warmth of the sun inside.
Bathroom: Encourage guests and family to help keep the bathroom clean. Keep a microfibre cloth handy and have everyone dry off the sink and counter. To avoid hard water stains from forming, leave a squeegee in the shower and ask everyone to give doors and walls a quick once-over after each use.
Wasps: To deter wasps from making nests, hang up fake wasp’s nests. Sold at hardware stores, some look like a paper lantern, and others look similar to a real nest. You can also hang up a brown paper bag as this also offers the same purpose. Wasps are territorial and won’t make a new nest if one is already in the area.
