Menu
When most people deep clean their homes, the kitchen sink is left alone. After all, you rinse thoroughly each time it’s emptied, so what’s the big deal, right?
Well, the big deal is that rinsing alone isn’t enough. Case in point: your kitchen sink is the germiest spot in your home, and you don’t need to look very far to locate second on that list: your sponge.
To stop microorganisms from setting up camp in your sink, you should wash and disinfect the sides and bottom at least once a week. There’s one exception to that rule: clean your sink immediately if raw meat or the dirt from potatoes were part of your meal and rinsed in the sink.
The best way to clean a sink is with hot water and soap but for even better results, use vinegar or bleach. Hot soap and water provide sparkling shine while vinegar and bleach take care of the germs.
Once you’re done cleaning, use a disinfectant wipe to remove cleaning product residue. Also, if you use bleach, pour a capful into a large bottle of water and then thoroughly rinse it.
As for that nasty kitchen sponge of yours, it’s wise to replace it at least once a month. In the meantime, dampen and microwave sponges daily to remove bacteria, yeasts, and mold. You also can clean sponges in your dishwasher.
According to the Australian issue of the Huffington Post, “Kitchen sponges not only act as reservoirs of microorganisms, but also as disseminators over domestic surfaces, which can lead to cross–contamination of hands and food, which is considered a main cause of food–borne disease.”
If, after all that, your sink still looks worn and dingy, it’s time to contact Kalamunda Plumbing for a replacement sink and perhaps even a new tap. It’s a simple and budget-friendly way to spice up the look of your kitchen. Kalamunda Plumbing: for all your home plumbing needs.
“Okay, honey…we agree, let’s remodel the kitchen!”
Statements like that are heard throughout the Eastern Hills more than any of us can imagine. Here’s what else we don’t know and only you can answer for yourself: is it an impulsive decision to plow into a project or has it followed a very careful and meticulous planning process?
For your sake, we hope it’s the latter. Otherwise you could be looking at cost overruns, decisions you’ll live to regret, and things you wish you had factored into the newly remodeled kitchen (or whatever room or space you’re tackling).
To help you avoid the heartache and added expense of a home remodel gone wrong, here are some questions to ask yourself before you delve too far into the process.
At Kalamunda Plumbing, we can new beauty and functionality to your home with any number of plumbing upgrades, including:
For more information and a free in-home consultation and new plumbing proposal, contact us today.
From lemon-scented soap and dishwashing liquid, to furniture polish and air fresheners, a little lemon juice can enhance cleaning power and add a pleasant aroma to any household.
In fact, forget some of the retail “lemon-scented” retail cleaning products. Often you can get the same result with lemons alone
Here are several practical examples of a lemon’s inherent cleaning power:
Lemon juice, when combined with baking soda, is also a great way to deodorise your drains and prevent them from blocking drains.
That doesn’t mean you won’t be faced with a blocked drain or toilet from time to time anyway. When the time comes, one call to Kalamunda Plumbing Plus is all it will take to fix the problem…and all with your satisfaction guaranteed.
Once upon a time, when the manufacturers of wipes finally realized their products were causing serious blocked toilet problems, they said in unison: “Aha! Let’s create a second version we’ll call ‘flushable’ wipes, except they really won’t be!” They didn’t really do that, but you get the idea.
So, while thinking they were having the last laugh, the tables turned on them. Case in point: on 8 April 2018 The Sudbury Morning Herald and others reported that Pental Limited and Pental Product Pty Limited, the manufacturer of White King’s “flushable” wipes, was ordered to pay $700,000 for claiming its product would disintegrate in the sewage system “just like toilet paper.” This was a claim that was judged to be “false and misleading”.
No matter what the advancements have been in wipes, the fact remains that only toilet paper and waste can safely be flushed down the toilet. That’s because wipes – flushable or otherwise – don’t dissolve, thus enabling them to form inside-the-drain clogs that you might not be able to unblock on your own.
In case your kids need a little positive reinforcement, you might want to point out other items on the “Please don’t flush that!” such as: Mommy’s house slipper, junior’s toy race car, junior’s brother’s favourite watch, junior’s sister’s favourite perfume, and the list goes on.
But, humans being imperfect and unpredictable entities, are going to make a mistake every now and then. If this is a “now” moment, Kalamunda Plumbing is on hand to unblock even the most stubborn drain or toilet you can imagine. Contact us today for the service you need, and a toilet you once again can flush with ease.
We’ll let you in on a little secret: the natural colour of tile grout is not mildew grey! Okay, so maybe you knew that. And yet there you are, staring at grey, discoloured grout, wondering how to restore its natural beauty.
There are several ways to accomplish that goal, including these:
Simple is better: Steam cleaning is an effective way to kill the bacteria and mould that get trapped in grout. Try using a pressurized steamer, a hand steamer, or towels soaked in boiling water – just be careful not burn yourself.
Back to basics: Mix baking soda with just enough water to make a paste, and scrub. Scrub again with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Once the bubbling stops, wipe the grout clean with a sponge.
Homemade cleanser: Adding either hydrogen peroxide or lemon to hot water creates another potent cleaning solution. The peroxide and acid from the lemon juice dive deep into grout to pull up stains while killing mould.
Rubbing Alcohol: Mix rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle, spray directly onto grout and let sit for 10 minutes. Then wipe it away. No scrubbing needed!
Bleach: If you’ve tried the steps above without much success, it’s time for more drastic measures. Tear paper towel into long strips and soak them in bleach. Place these strips along the grout lines and bunch them up to completely cover it. After a while, the stains should be gone. To clean tiled walls, use toilet tissue vs. paper towels – the former sticks better.
If you’re attempting to clean grout as a first step in updating your bathroom, Kalamunda Plumbing Group can help. For starters, we can recommend the right products to match your style, needs, and taste. And, just like always, you can count on us for expert plumbing and removal of your old fixtures. Contact us today for a free quote or to get started on your bathroom upgrade project.
Which would you rather deep clean: your kitchen or master bathroom. While there are at least two sides to every argument, most people prefer kitchen cleaning. That’s because most bathroom have multiple types of surfaces, thus resulting in multiple cleaning measures.
Still, any chore worth doing – no matter how unpleasant – can be made simpler, faster and, in this case, greener. Here are some natural cleaning tips worth trying.
Mirrors can be cleaned with a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar blended inside a spray bottle. Just spray and wipe clean with an old rag, microfiber cloth, old t-shirt, or newspaper. Paper towels leave an annoying residue.
Each of the following tips will save you time and produce a cleaner and greener clean:
Coat the inside of your toilet with baking soda, then pour a cup of undiluted white vinegar into the water. An old tooth brush is the ideal scrubbing tool for stains easy and tough. This same process works well on the outside bottom of your toilet and the floor around it.
For any bathroom plumbing need – repairs and installations alike – Kalamunda Plumbing Group is ready and able to serve. Contact us today or any time for prompt service and dependable results.
Whether it’s your first, third, or umpteenth, buying a home is always an exciting time, with heaps of stress coming along for the ride.
Are you about to embark on such an adventure? If so, we urge you to make a building inspection part of the process and have it conducted early enough so you become aware of problems before signing on the dotted line.
There are three good reasons to have your home professionally inspected before making an offer:
Ultimately, the purpose of a building inspection is to help you determine if “this” is the right house at the final negotiated price. Without such a process, you won’t know until it’s too late to back out.
There are multiple items that may not be included in a building inspection but are no less important to your peace of mind. These include the following:
That’s a lot of information to absorb, but well worth the effort. Plus, there’s no shortage of professional help available to you. Take us, for example. We are a full-service plumbing, drain, and hot water company…expert gas fitters, too. One call to Kalmaunda Plumbing Group is all it takes to arrange a very thorough plumbing inspection, including everything the eye can and can’t see. In the meantime, good luck searching for your new home.
No matter what of year might be, chances are you pretty much always have home improvement projects in mind – either things that need to be fixed or finding ways to jazz things up a little. The problem is, who has the time?
Well, if you can spare an hour here and there, YOU have the time – depending, of course, on the nature of the projects. So, from our home to yours, here are several home improvement projects you can complete in an hour or less.
Drain the water heater. Over time, sediment collects at the bottom of your water heater causing it to work harder than it needs to. To help prevent internal corrosion and keep your water heater running at peak capacity, drain about a litre of water every three months of or so, following your manufacturer’s instruction manual. You can also find those instructions online.
Install a programmable thermostat. If you still have an old-fashioned dial thermostat, it’s time to upgrade to a programmable model That way, you can come home to absolute comfort while reducing your energy costs while your home is vacant.
Update your switch plate covers. From vibrant graphics, to modern nickel, to antique brass, there’s a switch place cover to fit every style and budget. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to add a little pop to any room.
Install dimmers on your lamps. You don’t have to spend money on brand new light fixtures or lamps to get the softness and warmth ambient lighting provides. Simply plug a dimmer cord into the wall and the lamp cord into the other side of the plug. Then, use the slide switch to get just the right amount of light.
Apply window film. Gain more privacy or hide an unattractive view with window film. It’s available in a variety of patterns and opacities and it’s easy to install once you get the hang of it. By placing window film on sun-facing window, you’ll also enjoy lower energy costs.
New kitchen tap. Sick of your drab, leaky tap? If you can wield a wrench, you can easily install a new faucet. Before you start the job, turn off the water supply. Then just unscrew the connections from your old faucet and screw in your new faucet. Add an aerator, and you’ll lower your water bill at the same time.
When it comes to household plumbing, we’re always glad to lend a helping plan. And that goes for people with too little time, or too little inclination to tackles the job themselves. Kalamunda Plumbing Group: a history of making home life more comfortable and convenient since 1954.
Water consumption always spikes a little – and sometimes a lot – during a Western Australian summer. Some of it depends on your lifestyle and schedule, but it’s safe to say that, during the summer months, more showers are being taken, more pools are in full operation, and lawns are receiving greater amounts of water.
So, what’s a person to do? Shed your Australian ties and reestablish roots in a country with a more bountiful water supply. Or, how about this: just be a little more careful about your water consumption habits.
To that end, we present the following suggestions:
Cover your pool
Water evaporates. If it didn’t, puddles of water in your driveway following the latest rainfall would still be there. Well, the same is true of your pool. To help prevent evaporation, keep it covered when not in use. Then you won’t need to refill it as often.
Stop toilet leakage
Did you know a toilet can leak more than 4 litres of water per day, and all without you even being aware of it? Well, it’s true. One telltale sign might higher-than-normal water bills. To play it safe, put a drop of food colouring in your toilet tank every once in a while and leave it there for about 15 – 30 minutes. When you come back, check bowl…if it’s tinted with the same colour, you have a leak.
Time to replace your water heater?
By replacing your hot water system for one with a higher efficiency rating, you’ll reduce both your energy and water usage costs. Does it make sense to replace a 2-year old water heater? Of course not. But if yours is 10-12 years old, why wait for it to break down on your and fill your life with a good deal of pressure you really don’t need when you can replace it now and start saving immediately!
Switch up your landscaping
This may be a longer-term solution, but with less lawn and more garden beds with low-water consumption plants, you can add considerable beauty to our property while enjoying significant water savings.
Switch to a low-flow showerhead
Simply by replacing your current water-guzzling showerhead with a low-water-consumption model, you can start saving up to 15 litres of water per minute, and still have all the pressure you like for an enjoyable shower experience.
When it comes to helping home and business owners accomplish more with less water consumption, we’re at our best. Find out for yourself by contacting Kalamunda Plumbing Group today. Give us a goal, and we’ll show you how to achieve it.
Have you fallen out of love with your house – assuming, of course you ever WERE in love with it? Either way, we encourage you to not give up hope. Not if you have some time on your hands and are willing to explore various options to help make it love worthy.
Here are some suggestions that could work very nicely for you while impressing friends, family, and other guests:
And then there’s your bathroom, a place that’s very easy to get tired of. At Kalamunda Plumbing, we have a wealth of ideas to help you transform the look of any bathroom while enhancing your personal comfort and safety. Contact us today to learn more, or to schedule a free in-home bathroom upgrade consultation.
Office Hours : 7:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri
PH: 9291 6000
service@kalamundaplumbing.com.au
13 Godfrey Street, Walliston WA 6076
Licences PL980 / PL8780 -ABN 11 003 214 451
Copyright © 2018. Kalamunda Plumbing Plus
Areas Served | Contact |
Our entire team of plumbing professionals is on hand to assist you . So give us a call or use the form below to request service or a quote, or if you simply have a query.
