Category: Home Garden

Clearing out – what should be considered when clearing an apartment or household?

The most important reasons for a clearing campaign

Basically, decluttering is about tidying up the relevant area and getting rid of the items or odds and ends that are no longer needed. The typical clearing objects basically include all rooms in an apartment or in the house as well as the basement, the attic and the garage. In the commercial sector, clearing out is usually carried out in offices, warehouses and other areas used for business. The measure usually serves the purpose of facilitating a household or apartment liquidation and creating a clear environment by clearing out. Since some ballast can accumulate over time, it is advisable to start cleaning up in good time before moving and to plan the clearing action carefully. Entire offices or storage rooms often have to be cleared out as part of a company liquidation. It is important to ensure that sensitive data in particular, which is located in old files or on company computers, is professionally destroyed. Specialized companies usually take care of deleting data on hard drives and shredding old files. While in many cases a viewing appointment has to be arranged first, there are now also options for arranging the appointment for a clearing project by telephone or online. According to their own statements, clearing specialists such as the company Rümpelrando guarantee quick appointments. In addition to a fixed price offer for the clearing project, the services that can be expected from a professional clearing also include discretion in the process and the professional disposal of the waste. Basically, a clearing company takes care of all the details, so that your own presence on site is not absolutely necessary. Normally, the cleared-out premises are then handed over clean-swept. So that nothing is overlooked, it is important to go through the rooms again before decluttering to make sure that there are no valuables such as cash or jewelry or personal documents, files and photo albums in the apartment. All items that have a material or immaterial value should be removed beforehand so that they are not mistakenly disposed of when clearing out.

How are items that are no longer needed disposed of?

When clearing out the whole house, it is important to check the basement and attic to see if all the important items have already been removed. One of the more complicated tasks is clearing out a messie’s apartment. A messie object is often a rental apartment that was left behind in an extremely untidy or neglected state, for example by rental nomads. Before a new tenant can be found, a thorough clearing out is usually necessary. However, this can be very time-consuming and labor-intensive, so professional support from a clearing company can make sense. However, decluttering does not mean throwing everything in the bin. Even if many things are no longer used, everyday objects or textiles can often be used for another purpose or donated to charity. It is therefore advisable to pack these things in boxes so that you can later decide what to do with them. There is often the opportunity, for example, to offer textiles, books or decorative objects at the flea market. Other opportunities to get rid of well-preserved items after a household liquidation can often be found on the Internet. In addition, some items may be placed in classified ads in the local media or donated in kind to clothing stores and charity drop-off points. In the case of a household liquidation, the owner of the household effects is responsible for clearing out the household effects, while after a death the heirs have to take care of the proper disposal. Although professional clearing out is associated with certain costs, on the other hand a lot of time and effort can be saved when clearing the apartment or household. The cost of a decluttering campaign depends on various factors. In addition to the type and quantity of the household effects to be disposed of, this also includes the current disposal prices. In addition, a clearing company also takes into account the number of employees required, the location of the property as well as access routes and parking facilities at the site when calculating the costs.

So the move works without problems

Never lose track

If every little thing has to be packed in boxes, then one or the other thing can get lost. To prevent this from happening, the boxes must be labeled. In this case, small keywords are completely sufficient to always know where which object is located. If you also write on the boxes which room the contents belong in, you will save yourself a lot of stress when unpacking. In this case, the boxes can be brought straight to the place where they belong.

If you want to make it even easier at this point, you can also use colorful sticky notes. A sensible scheme works wonders in connection with bright signal colors. Example: All boxes with a yellow label go in the bathroom, all boxes with a green label in the bedroom.

Get professional help

Many people want to save money when moving. That’s perfectly legitimate, after all you have to pay a lot of money for the deposit, new furniture and possible renovation anyway. But sometimes it is still worthwhile to use the help of a moving company.

If you rely on the help of good friends or family alone, then in the worst case you will be left without any help at all. This can happen, for example, if private helpers suddenly change their mind or become ill at short notice. If, on the other hand, you book real professionals, it will of course cost money. But you also have the certainty that you have active helpers at your side on the day of your move who know something about their work.

Not too much at once

When you pack the individual boxes, you should make sure that not too much is stowed away in these boxes. Of course, the available space should be fully utilized. However, it makes little sense if you only pack heavy things like books, decorations and dishes in a box. It makes much more sense if you pack a few heavy things and fill the resulting empty space with pillows, blankets or other textiles. In this way, you not only use the space optimally, but you can also cushion the content at the same time. In general, it is better if you use smaller boxes if you later have to carry the boxes yourself. In this way it cannot happen in the first place that the boxes are overloaded.

Plan ahead

If you still have enough time before the upcoming move, then you should use it sensibly. For example, think carefully about which furniture should be placed where. For this purpose, look at the plan of the apartment and measure carefully. If you already know exactly where which piece of furniture is to be assembled on the big day, assembly will be much faster. You can also give the helpers clear messages. Fewer misunderstandings about the location of the furniture save a lot of time and ultimately money. Also include furniture in the planning that you might want to buy first. Then you don’t have to laboriously rearrange the old furniture later, you can get started right away.

Upholstery and sofa cleaning – let the professionals help you!

Only an expert can guarantee cleanliness without damage

Although upholstered furniture and sofas are not necessarily sensitive, removing dirt can quickly lead to damage. This is particularly the case if there is no know-how in the field of cleaning. For this reason alone, it is advisable to have a professional help you with dirt. Professional upholstery cleaning and sofa cleaning can also be found on the Internet. So do not ignore the problem, but tackle it and ensure the required level of cleanliness. After all, there are a few reasons to value the condition of sofas and the like.

Dirt is not exactly conducive to comfort

Of course, it is not absolutely necessary to clean upholstered furniture and sofas, as they can also be used without appropriate care. However, you should think carefully about whether this is really in your interest. After all, it cannot be denied that a lack of cleanliness does not exactly have a beneficial effect on comfort. It is therefore better to get rid of dirt, as this also indirectly benefits relaxation.

Without care, it can even lead to vermin infestation

Dirt is not only unsightly, it can also lead to vermin infestation, for example due to food leftovers in cracks, and although there are measures to eliminate vermin, this is not exactly pleasant. While bed bugs can cause unpleasant allergic reactions, clothes moths and carpet beetles are problematic when it comes to feeding damage. Vermin infestation usually only occurs if insufficient attention is paid to care. Another good reason to get help from an upholstery and sofa cleaning service in Berlin.

It’s also about hygiene

Last but not least, it should be mentioned that the issue of hygiene should also play a role in the area of ​​furniture. This is especially true if the furniture is used regularly in everyday life and, in addition to dining tables, this is also the case with sofas, for example. Poor hygiene can, among other things, increase the risk of diseases and is generally not exactly conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Cleaning your upholstered furniture and sofas regularly or having them cleaned is part of the household somewhere. It is therefore important that you deal sufficiently with the topic and rely on professional solutions.

Solid wood planks as flooring: properties and advantages

What is solid wood

Wooden floorboards have been used as flooring for more than a thousand years! Such floorboards are made of a solid, processed piece of precious wood, which is made with the help of modern woodworking machines. After processing, each plank has the exact, determined size and dimensions so that they can be optimally adapted to each other. Solid wood floorboards are often screwed, nailed or even glued to a wooden substructure. However, some have special connectors for easier installation. These planks can be covered with protective varnish and designed in different ways.

Solid wood surface

Solid wood floors have an even surface. The panel thickness varies between 18 and 22 mm. The thicker it is, the easier it is to renovate and re-treat the floor using a scraper or grinder.
The surface of the wooden floorboards can remain “rough”. Such untreated soil draws a lot of moisture from the room and at low humidity levels it can dry out and shrink. If you want to keep such a floor in its original form, you should control the indoor climate and maintain humidity in the range of 50-65%.

can be covered with a lacquer, oil or with Polyx®-Oil. Varnish protects floors from moisture and gives them shine, while wood impregnated with oil can be characterized by reduced hygroscopicity.

Various types of solid wood

Solid wood is one of the premium flooring materials and has a fairly high price. Choosing the solid wood that is most suitable for your home is not an easy task. Various types of panels are available for sale, differing in price, color, size, processing methods and finishing coating. There are many categories of solid wood. The main criteria for distribution are the texture of the wood, its quality and the cutting methods.

The following types of wood are used most frequently: oak, wild oak, ash, walnut, beech, beech heartwood.
The gradation of types of wood appeared for the first time on the American market. They identified four basic types of sorting: Select, Natural, Rustic, and Country.

Choose: A mixture of the selected wooden boards without sapwood and wood defects with other boards that may occasionally have small amounts of light-colored knots up to 5 mm in diameter (the dark ones up to 3 mm). Differences in color can only be slight.

The Select grade is ideal for classic interiors where the floor needs to blend in with the overall calm style of the room without attracting undue attention.

Select wood grade is more expensive than other grades.

Nature: Wood with a varied texture but without strong color changes. Normally it is without sapwood, but sapwood is still allowed in this class (up to 5% of the board area). Light and dark knots must not have a diameter of more than 10 mm. Nature is a classic type of wood that comes into its own in various interiors.
The absence of color changes makes it look like a Select cultivar, but the presence of small knots gives the boards a nice wood texture.

Rustic: Differences in wood color and amount of sapwood are not regulated. Light and dark knots are permitted up to a diameter of 20 mm. The Rustic grade has one of the most colorful and vibrant markings. The tones of the boards can vary significantly. Sapwood is also reliable. This offers an interesting play of colors.
Flooring of this type fits perfectly in summer houses or cottages in the country, as well as in modern loft or country-style apartments in the city center.

Country: This grading includes wooden boards with no limitation on the number and size of natural wood defects. This is a real “artistic floor” drawn by nature. In different tones, country looks very different. With the light wooden boards, the play of colors is in the foreground, with the dark ones – a pronounced wood pattern.
Light country style is ideal for such interiors as pop art, art deco and kitsch. At the same time, country with a dark shade looks calm and solid. Characterized by an underlined wood structure, it fits perfectly with all interiors, including the classic ones.

How does solid wood differ from parquet floorboards?

Outwardly, these floors are similar, but they still have some differences. Parquet floorboards consist of three layers:

• the top layer of precious wood;
• the middle layer of cheap softwood;
• the lower layer of a plastic.

This cover is cheaper but the lifespan is a little less. Solid wood and parquet floorboards are two strong and durable materials with good sound and thermal insulation properties. Both materials can be sanded. However, one can distinguish the following advantages of solid wood:

1) Due to its monolithic structure, it lasts longer.

2) It is an eco-friendly material.

3) Solid wood is harder and more durable.

The dream of your own pool

What types of pool are there?

The first decision that any prospective pool owner must make is of course the type of pool. There is often no space for an indoor swimming pool. A spacious garden, on the other hand, can be optimally used with a pool. If you still want to design your garden in a natural way, you can opt for a swimming pond. An artificial pond for swimming has a chamber for water regeneration in addition to the swimming area. There, plants ensure natural purification. Anyone who likes to go on a resort holiday and wants to take a piece of this luxury home with them is more likely to opt for a classic swimming pool. There are many different variants of this – from the simple inflatable pool to models with a metal frame to the built-in pool that is embedded in the ground. In terms of stability and appearance, this is certainly the best option for most prospective buyers. However, most costs must be planned for.

Proper care of the private pool

Careful planning before construction can already save a lot of work. While a bit of shade is tempting, the pool should not be set up under trees as falling leaves and debris can spoil poolside fun. If you are not going to use it for a long time, we recommend a cover and an outdoor shower, where you can easily clean yourself before each bath, is recommended. But even if these instructions are carefully observed, a pool must be maintained regularly, because the wind can also blow dead leaves and soil into the water. Every owner should install a filter system that is tailored to the size of the pool. In addition, it is recommended to clean the pool at least once a week with a pool vacuum. This task can also be performed by a pool robot. As a daily ritual, nets are also ideal for keeping the water clean.

Clean water with chlorine

Before chemical additives are added to the pool, the pH value of the water must first be measured. This is the only way to determine the amount of chlorine that needs to be added for optimal hygiene. However, the entire procedure can also be carried out automatically. A pool dosing system for chlorine can be used permanently or only if nobody is on site for a long time to take over the pool maintenance. These dosing systems are available in different versions. Simple models float on the water surface. A certain amount of disinfectant is continuously released from these. Fully automatic variants for chlorine are simply connected to the filter system. Water analyzes are then carried out regularly and the correct dose of disinfectant is automatically dispensed into the water. The decision for such a system can also be made later, because it can be installed at any time.

Safety in residential buildings through fire protection measures

The first step towards greater safety: recognizing sources of danger

Particular attention should be paid to electrical devices. If energy-saving lamps, chargers and computers are poorly manufactured or overloaded, they pose a fire hazard. Many electronic products have voltage spikes. This means that the electricity is not used evenly. If the integrated neutral conductors are not designed for them, there is a risk of overheating. If they fail, an overvoltage occurs. Possible consequences can be the device scorching, burning or exploding. There is also a risk of fire from poorly ventilated objects. If heat builds up, they can catch fire. For this reason, electrical products should not be stored in narrow cupboard compartments and the like.

A fire can also result from overloading sockets, cables and plugs. It may occur when too many large electrical items are plugged into a single power strip. In this case, the power lines are overheated. When purchasing electrical devices, you should always pay attention to the VDE test mark. Among other things, it offers safety in the area of ​​toxic, thermal, radiological, mechanical and electrical hazards. Stand-by circuits also represent a risk factor. Televisions, stereo systems, PCs and the like are constantly live, which means they heat up inside and can cause overheating, overvoltage or a short circuit.

Most fires in the kitchen start on the stove, and overheated fat is often the cause. Extractor hoods are problematic: They suck in the flames and cause a kitchen fire. The more grease-soaked the filters are, the easier they are to catch fire. Replacing or cleaning at regular intervals should therefore be a matter of course.

Tip: Never throw water on burning fat, it can cause a fat explosion! At best, you smother the flames with a fireproof tool such as a baking sheet or a saucepan lid.

Smoking in the home increases the risk of fire. Still glowing cigarette butts that have been carelessly thrown into the trash can are just as much a cause of the fire as falling embers. Anyone who empties their ashtray should also make sure beforehand that nothing glowing is left in it.

Another risk is flammable liquids, including gases, paint, detergents and spirits. They ensure enormous acceleration of a fire that has broken out. Gas cylinders are sometimes even highly explosive. What many people don’t know: Fire accelerators of any kind must not be stored in the attic or in the basement.

Fire protection starts with building a house

Every structural system must be designed in such a way that the spread of fire and smoke as well as the outbreak of a fire is prevented. In addition, it must be possible for rescue workers to carry out extinguishing work unhindered and to be able to save people and animals. The model building regulations (MBO) contain relevant regulations and minimum requirements for the

• flammability of building materials,
• fire resistance of the structure,
• tightness of closures of openings,
• Arrangement, location and design of escape routes as well as
• access for the fire brigade.

The prudent selection of building materials for the construction of a property serves to ensure the safety of the residents. Let’s take steel, a popular construction material, as an example. It is available in different versions, each with their own individual properties. There is a classification for construction products and parts based on European standards. Tests are primarily carried out to demonstrate fire behavior and fire resistance. In this case, the relevant standard for classifying construction products is DIN EN 13501-2. If you want to be on the safe side, pay attention to various certificates from a steel producer. The steel frame manufacturer Wulf, for example, has various fire protection approvals for Austria and Switzerland.

What else can be done to protect against fire?

We recommend self-triggering smoke detectors, which trigger the alarm immediately if a fire breaks out. The faster those affected can intervene, the easier it is to prevent the spread of flames. A fire extinguisher should also not be missing in any household. They are available with various extinguishing agents such as powder, foam, water and CO₂. In addition, there are fat fire extinguishers on offer that are used to extinguish burning cooking fat and oil. Their place should be near the hob. Fire blankets made of glass fiber fabric or Nomex fibers are also a good choice, they are particularly suitable for smothering incipient fires.

Good neighborhood for more quality of life

No country is as well known for escalating neighborhood disputes, including legal disputes, as Germany. Constant stress with people who live in the same area is often unavoidable, which can cause bad emotions to build up and eventually make you ill. Here we collect tips on how to shape the relationship with the neighborhood positively in the long term.

You don’t live alone!

A positive relationship begins with the realization that you don’t live in a vacuum. Many activities that you do in the apartment, on the balcony or in the garden have an impact on the environment and everyone who lives there.

For example, numerous conflicts arise from different rhythms of life: Those who work shifts sometimes hope for quiet during the day to sleep, while families with children cannot always regulate the noise level as easily as the neighbors might hope. Those who like loud music or like to celebrate long parties run the risk of causing a stir – as do those who like to cook with lots of garlic and who use inappropriate ventilation to cause the fumes to drift into the stairwell.

Commonly agreed rules such as B. a stairwell order, Kehrwoche, order in the front yard or the like are loaded with conflict potential when different world views and generations collide.

If you keep in mind that you should be considerate of your fellow human beings, you can avoid many of these problems in good time. But even if resentment arises, all is not lost. This brings us to the next tip.

communication is everything

In order to prevent long-lasting arguments, it always makes sense to address conflicts directly and not to eat up anger forever. And just as communicating problems is an important component, the same applies: the sound makes the music. Anger and aggression is definitely not a good guide, no matter how annoyed you are by your neighbors’ problematic behavior. Instead, the guidelines for non-violent communication should be taken into account: I-messages, formulate clear wishes, and make no assumptions about motives or backgrounds for the behavior of the other party. With the help of this method, at least small problems can be resolved quickly – provided, of course, that both parties have an interest in friendly cooperation at all.

Friendliness and little attentions: these are the lubricants of civilisation

If you want to work on your positive effect on roommates or neighbors, you can start with very fundamental things: It is often enough to smile at the other person, always say a friendly hello and a step towards the other is already done. Another way to make yourself popular is by taking packages for your neighbors, a service that has become often indispensable for those who are not at home when the delivery services make their rounds.

Other things can also help to create community: At Christmas or Easter you can hang small gifts on the doorknob, celebrate neighborhood festivals, organize game nights or set up a common book box with which reading material can be exchanged.

Benefit together with your neighbors from E.ON Plus

Neighborhood connects – and can be associated with many advantages. That’s why the electricity provider E.ON offers you and your neighbors the opportunity to benefit from discounts and other advantages together with the E.ON Plus program. Simply bundle a specific energy contract with your neighbor’s contract and they both receive green electricity at no extra charge – if they don’t already purchase green electricity from E.ON – as well as the possibility of a 60% discount per contract.

Incidentally, the offer does not only apply to people who live right next to each other or even in the same house: you can team up with anyone whose contract meets the requirements, be it a family member, friend, work colleague or club mate. Incidentally, this way you do not enter into any mutual obligations: The special thing about this bundling mode is that all contracts continue to only apply between the customer and E.ON.

5 tips for switching electricity providers – you should take this to heart

You may feel addressed and if that is the case, we have good news: In this article we would like to show you 5 tips that you should take to heart when switching electricity providers and that can help you to fully exploit the savings potential.

Use a power comparison portal

There are a large number of electricity suppliers and their conditions can sometimes differ greatly. It is therefore important not simply to fall back on any provider, but to compare the various electricity suppliers. Electricity comparison portals, where you can usually switch electricity providers directly, are ideal for this. Here, among other things, you can easily switch electricity providers and also have the opportunity to compare the individual providers according to various criteria. You can use this to better assess which electricity provider is best in your case.

Avoid long notice periods

Even if you should be happy with the new electricity supplier, that doesn’t mean that switching again doesn’t make sense. Such a change can be worthwhile for the sole reason that a change is usually associated with various bonuses. However, the statutory notice period for electricity providers is three months, which may stand in the way of a short-term change. So it is best to stick to an electricity provider whose notice period is no more than one month.

Dissociate yourself from tariffs with a deposit or payment in advance

If you use a comparison for electricity providers, you do not normally have to worry about this, since dubious providers are not even recommended. Nevertheless, we would like to suggest that you refrain from tariffs with a deposit or payment in advance. Such often lure with attractive prices, which is extremely tempting, especially now that many Germans are plagued by money worries. However, such providers are dubious and should therefore not be an option. At worst, it’s just a rip off.

Choose a provider with an electricity price guarantee

It is not uncommon for electricity providers to see the initial price change quickly and consumers pay more after a few months. In times of Corona, when more is being saved than usual, this should be a thorn in everyone’s side. You should therefore choose an electricity provider with an electricity price guarantee. At least one electricity price guarantee for one year is often offered. So you should have some choices.

Opt for a short contract period

You may find a better deal or simply want to take advantage of bonuses on offer. However, this is not easily possible if the contract period should be several years. Admittedly, this is rather rare, but at least two-year contracts do happen again and again. However, such should be avoided, since a contract period of one year is significantly better and this way you have more leeway in the event of a possible termination.

We hope that our contribution was helpful. We have other interesting articles. Just watch our practical tips over, because there are certainly other texts that can help you with everyday decisions.