eSpares

Microwave wonders

Ever wondered how a microwave works? Wonder no more. In this video Matt explains exactly how a microwave works to heat your food. Whether it’s some leftover horse meat, or spaghetti bolognaise you fancy - your microwave will come in handy.

 

How a microwave oven works

 

 

I’ve learnt recently to cook sweet potatoes in the microwave, which is especially helpful given I’m not a fan of waiting, for anything really.

1)      Wash the sweet potato

2)      Pierce it with a fork so it doesn’t explode

3)      Wrap it in a wet paper towel

4)      Pop in microwave for 5 minutes

5)      Done. A deliciously cooked sweet potato! (The simple things, right?)

 

In fact, there are a number of things you can cook in a microwave vs. the ol’ cooker.

 

Scrambled Eggs

Crack and stir in a bowl. Heat with intermittent stoppages to stir the eggs. Done.

 

Bacon

Chuck the bacon on a plate, layered with some paper towels. In it goes. Out it comes. Cooked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nachos

Nachos, grated cheese, microwave heat. Delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe it’s considered lazy to use the microwave vs. the cooker for the aforementioned, but I think it’s just more efficient. Right?

Now, if you do need to carry out any repairs on your microwave or it’s not working properly, you can see our list of common microwave faults to help you diagnose what the problem might be.

Get a perfect looking lawn

It’s starting to get a bit warmer and the days are slowly, but surely getting longer. As Spring approaches you might be looking at your lawn, thinking it’s not looking particularly nice. After the cold winter your lawn has no doubt taken somewhat of a beating and will definitely be in need of some TLC.

Some key areas to remember when restoring your lawn are mowing, fertilizing, weed control and aeration.

Mowing - You’ll want to make sure that the blade on your mower is as sharp as possible. This will ensure you cut the grass cleanly rather than tearing it from the roots. So, you’ll need to sharpen the existing blade or alternatively replace the blade.  Next, clear your lawn of any leaves and debris that might have gathered. If you’ve got a particularly large area you might want to invest in a garden vac to help with this task if you've not already got one.

 

Fertilizing & Weed Control - Using a fertilizer on your lawn will help rid it of unwanted moss and weeds that will have made your grass home over the winter months. The fertilizer will also give the grass a dose of nitrogen, which will help boost grass growth.

 

Aeration - During the winter, your lawn will become compacted and air flow will be restricted. In order to get some life back into it you can use a garden fork to go along and methodically work the grass to help it back to life. If you’re working with a bigger area then you might want to look into getting yourself a proper aeration tool. In doing this you’ll be allowing oxygen to more easily get into the soil and help with the healthy growth of the grass.

In this video Matt will explain exactly how you can follow the above steps to help get your lawn looking great. We’ve got loads of spares and accessories to help you get started with this!

 

How to get a perfect looking lawn

 

Tumble drying made easy

It’s still pretty cold out there and I reckon your tumble dryers are still being put through their paces. I’d kindly like to draw your attention to the below article to help you get the most from your tumble dryer.  

Make your tumble dryer more energy efficient

 

So, to paraphrase and key points to remember:

Keep your lint filters clean. Watch how to change them in this video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check your vent hose to make sure it’s in good working order.  Watch Rory show you vent hose glory in this video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chuck in some energy saving dryer balls to speed up the process and reduce your electricity bill.  It really is this easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out all tumble drying how-to videos for more handy advice.

 

Last, but by no means least, have fun with your tumble drying and when it’s all said and done take him out and have him let his hair down.

 

Cooker Hooding

I’ve been thinking a lot about cooker hood fans lately, yes this is how exciting my life is.

My flatmates are constantly cooking sausages and beef* burgers (*horse) in our kitchen and the smell tends to linger. It’s winter, it’s cold and opening the windows is not an option for more than 7 seconds to help air the place out.

Our cooker hood fan works well and is fairly new but I reckon it’s time to change the filter and give it a once over. Hmmmmm but how would I do this? Well, here’s a thought- why not watch a how-to video courtesy of the very company I work for and then fix it. Okay, granted it’s not my cooking that leaves the smells. No, my cooking is perfect and leaves the kitchen smelling of roses. Every time.

Firstly, what type of cooker hood do I have in my home? It could be one of two: an extractor fan which actually funnels the smells outside or a re-circulating fan which absorbs the smells and filters them before re-circulating them back into the kitchen. Well, let’s let Matt help me in determining that. Matt will also prove helpful in telling me about which type of cooker hood filter I currently have and whether I should replace it, clean it or both. 

Luckily the lamp in my cooker hood works (so the boys can always see what glorious meat products their cooking) so that’s fine now.

 

(Matt explains all about cooker hoods, spares and accessories in this brill video)

 

I never knew there was more than one type of cooker hood fan nor did I care but it is helpful to know how things actually work. These are things we use every day in our homes without any thought but it’s important you know how they work to enable you to be able to fix them yourself.

This is an example of food I make that doesn’t fill the house with nasty, greasy smells. Scallops, tuna sashimi and mussels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, and to be fair my flatmate did make us an incredible lamb roast last weekend, it was divine and left the kitchen smelling pretty brill.  

 

Get stuck into spares

Spares aren’t particularly exciting. No matter which way you cut it. I mean you wouldn’t take the family or a loved on one a “spares” shopping spree at the weekend or treat them to a voucher for a new oven thermostat on their next birthday. Nonetheless they are great and are essential to keep our appliances working properly. Not to mention they will save you time and money vs buying new.

I have particular feelings towards a lot of spares and parts we offer in that I think they are, well fantastic. Not necessarily exciting, no, but great in that they can be fitted with no experience, will save you money or, like the Wine Space Saver Rack below, are just inherently brilliant.

This is a bit of what I like.

 

Energy saving tumble dryer balls couldn’t be any easier to use. They will help reduce your drying time, saving you money and will leave your clothes feeling soft.

 

 

 

Oven elements are key to good cooking and a happy home (yes, they sure are!) Most are really easily fitted and will restore your faithful oven to its original cooking glory.

 

 

 

This Universal Space Saver Wine Bottle Holder is without a doubt my favourite spare. Store extra wine bottles AND free up space in your fridge for more food! Who wouldn’t love that right?!?!

 

 

 

If you’ve got a smelly vacuum not to worry. We’ve all been there, you’re not alone. It’s easy to fix and Josh shows you how in these two videos. The first if you have a bagless vacuum and the second if you have a bagged style model.

Once you’ve given your vacuum a proper MOT you can go that extra step and use a freshener with your vacuum to keep it smelling fresh. Check out which freshener might work best for you from the results of our in-house test

 

 

 

Melting cooker knobs? A lot of people mention that the knobs on their cooker are melting even when newly replaced. It was brought to our attention not too long ago that the reason for this is not inferior knobs but rather because the seal on the oven isn’t doing its job and heat is escaping. This will mean your oven is having to work much harder to heat up and will also melt your knobs! Changing the oven door seal is a relatively easy task which even a beginner DIY’er can do.

Universal Oven Door Seal

 

 

 

So, if you've got an ailing appliance take the time to see what might be causing any issues with it and give fixing it a go yourself. You might be surprised to find how easy it is and you'll definitely feel good in the end for having sorted it yourself. You honestly, truly, really, really will!

 

 

Alternative uses for everyday items

Some alternative uses for everyday items found in and around your home.

Olive Oil

Use this as an alternative to shaving cream. It protects and moisturises, not to mention will leave you smelling good enough to eat?

 

Baby Powder

If you've got squeaky floor boards, sprinkle baby powder over them and sweep the excess in the cracks. You will have squaky floor boards no more.

 

Egg Shells

Sprinkle crushed egg shell into potted plants. The roughage terrain will deter insects from eating the plants.

 

Old socks

If you've got a feline in the home fill an old sock with cat nip and your cat will love you forever.

 

Plactic Carrier Bags

No doubt you've got quite a lot of these stock piled in your home. Use them to protect fragile items when packing or posting versus expensive bubble wrap.

 

Magazines

Use magazines to wrap presents. If you want to really shake it up you can also chuck in a couple take away menus to add some "spice" to the wrapping.

 

Jars

Remove the labels from cleaned out, empty jars and use as shabby-chic vase for flowers.

 

WD-40

If you're little ones have taken markers or crayons and used your walls (or any other hard surface) to do their best Van Gogh impression, spray WD-40 on them and wipe away.

 

Alka Seltzer/ Ant-Acids

Use a couple of these tablets versus harmful cleaner to remove grime from your toilets. Chuck them in and leave to sit until fully dissolved.

 

Dryer Sheets

If you've got a pair of shoes that are starting to smell less than fresh you can chuck these into them to absorb the smell and return them to their original glory.

 

Buttons

Organise your earrings using a button to keep them together. Will work for either studs or dangling pairs.

 

Lemon and Salt

Not just for tequila! Take a wedge of lemon dipped in salt to polish brass or copper items in your home.

 

Baking Soda

Baking soda has many uses in the home, one of the simplest is for brushing teeth. Use it for instant fresh mouth and a whiter smile.

 

Hand Lotion

Use hand lotion to shine your shoes. It will also help to further protect them in the same way shoe polish can.

Freshen up your home

We take pride in our homes and want to make them look their best. So, hop to it and learn some things you can do that will truly help make your home look that much nicer. As far as DIY skills go, so long as you have a pulse and a pair of hands you should be ok at completing most of these.

• Paint your front door. Easy, not too time consuming and totally rewarding. Try a different, stand-out colour en route to an aesthetically beautiful result

• Give a room a fresh coat of paint to liven it up. You can also paint the ceiling and skirting boards for the full effect.

• Make a "feature" wall in one of your rooms. In my old flat the living room was quite small and might have been the deal breaker when my friends and I looked at it. But, no joke, one of the walls had really nice black/ charcoal print wall paper on it and it completely changed the room. We put our offer in the next day :)

• Clean the grouting in your bathroom. This task is easy albeit can take awhile. Nonetheless it will restore your bathroom to its former glory. Use a toothbrush and a dedicated bathroom cleaner. Recommended to do this when it's a bit warmer out so you can crack open the windows and properly ventilate as you clean. This way you won't be breathing potentially harmful cleaning chemicals.

• De-clutter! It's easy to acquire things over time you no longer need. Clothing, old paper work, general bits and bobs. You've got to be a bit ruthless here and commit to getting rid of the stuff. If, like me, you hum and haw and think maaaaaaaaaaybe I'll wear it/ use it again, chances are, you won't. Get rid of it. Do pass anything you can to charity shops and send the rest to the tip.

• Change the inner doors in your home. A lot of new build homes are fitted with rather plain and somewhat inferior doors. Going back to my old flat, another thing that stood out for my friends and I was doors (I'm getting old) Each one had been stripped back to the original wood and kitted out with lovely brass hinges and handles. Simple but makes such a difference. Fitting doors is an easy job but just make sure you have an extra set of hands when lining up the hinges and securing into place.

• Lay a wooden floor. Whoa, easy there! But seriously it's not as big a job as you might think. There's loads of options for DIY wood floors. Most "click" together and it's simply a matter for you to decide which type wood you want and then set aside time for you and a mate to put it down. The extra set of hands will prove helpful in getting it done sooner so there's more time for "successfully-completed-floor" drinks

• Add crown moudling/ coving to a room. Again, not as difficult as you might think! All you require is a coving mitre block to cut the corners and some strong adhesive. You might also want to include some small nails for added staying power. You can even get polystyrene coving but be prepared to cover with a few coats of paint prior to putting it up. This way it will look more complete and professionally done.  

 

Make a wall dedicated to all your hats

No more food wasted

In the UK we throw away about 15 million tonnes of food. Almost 50% of this wastage comes from our homes. Obviously a good way to prevent this is to only buy what you need, when you need it but it’s also a good idea to make sure your fridge is in good working order to prevent food from going off and to keep it fresher, longer.

 

Some simple things you can do to keep your fridge working properly.

 

Clean the condenser coils

These will be located at either the back or on the bottom of your fridge If these coils are laden with dust the fridge will have to work harder to keep cool (which also increases your energy bills) and in some cases won’t be able to keep as cool as it should. You can dust these with a broom or better yet, grab the vacuum to clean the dust from them.

 

 

Empty the drain hole and clean the drip pan

Locate the drain hole and drip pan of your fridge according to the manual then clean thoroughly by removing any food particles and mineral deposits.

 

 

Clean the seals

It is really important to keep your fridge door seals clean and mould free. You can clean them using warm water and soap. Test your fridge seals by putting a note in between the seal and door. Close the door and if the note comes away easily you might want to change the seal completely.

 

 

Check the level

Might seem odd/ obvious but check that your fridge is standing level. If it’s not the doors won’t shut tightly and you’ll lose precious cool air!

 

Also have a look at my Waste not want not blog about what food to store with what in your fridge to help prolong its life.

 

 

 

How to bleed a radiator

This is a fairly easy, step by step instruction guide to bleed a radiator. If you’re home doesn’t seem to be heating as well as it should be you might want to bleed the radiators in your home to fix this. Also, if you notice that your radiators are cold at the top and warm at the bottom you need to “bleed” them to get rid of the trapped air that’s causing the cold spots

This should be done once a year to keep your central heating in tip top condition. If you find that your radiators need “bleeding” more than once a year you should have them looked at by a professional.

 

You will need: a radiator key, a cloth

 

Step 1- Open the radiator valves

Make sure all the valves are open fully in your radiators, including those on any heated towel racks and run your central heating for 10 minutes. Turn of the system.

If your radiators are cooler in one area of the house, they aren’t properly balanced and in effect the ones that are closer to the boiler are using most of the hot water. If this is the case you will need to call a professional to fix it.

 

Step 2- Release the air

Put the radiator key into the valve and turn it anti-clockwise. Make sure you’ve got a cloth with you to catch any drips or moisture. There should be a hissing sound as the air escapes from the radiator. As soon as the water begins to drip out, close the valve and wipe any excess water away.

 

Step 3- Check all other radiators in the home by repeating this process. Turn the heating on and check that there are no dripping valves. Tighten where necessary.

 

Easy, peasy done!

 

Hey ho it's snow

“Snow” is defined as: atmospheric water vapour frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes and lying on the ground in a white layer.

The Inuit have many different words for snow depending on what kind it is. Living in the North, where snow is a part of everyday life it’s essential to learn each meaning in order to  survive.

Anniu- falling snow

Api- ground snow

Qali- snow on the boughs of trees

Qamaniq- when snow makes a bowl like depression under tree

Siqoqtoaq- sun crusted snow

Siqoq- drifting, smoke like snow

Anamana- space between snow drifts and an obstruction

Upsik- wind beaten snow

Mapsuk- overhanging drift

Kaioglaq- sharply etched wind eroded snow

Tumarinyiq- ripple type snow drift

Kalutoganiq- arrow shaped snow drift

Kimoaqtruk- snow drift

Pukak- bottom snow layer

Salumaroaq- smooth surface of fine particles

Natalgonaq- rough surface of fine particles

Quinzhee- snow shelter

 

In the UK we use only one word to define the white stuff but this by no means limits its meanings. 

Snow- road closures

Snow- train delays

Snow- exhausted social media status updates

Snow- half of work force arrive late to work

Snow- flight delays

Snow- flight cancellations

Snow- Instagram photos of snow uploaded ad nauseam

Snow- inadequate footwear

Snow- school closures

Snow- power outages

Snow- delivery delays  

FYI: You can check out the DPD Delivery Schedule to see if your next day deliveries might be affected)

 

The snow is coming down properly in Londontown at the minute and I will say this, it looks mighty pretty!