Home Design Guides: Maintenance

Most of the time, if a tap in your home is leaky, dripping or hard to close it's the result of a broken washer. While it's possible that your leaking tap's a 'washerless' tap (i.e. one with a ball, cartridge or ceramic disc mechanism - see the 'Types of taps' article linked below), it's a lot less likely that these taps will be leaking like this. You can usually tell if you have a ceramic disc type tap because it'll only need a quarter or half turn to fully open the tap.

Like any other part of your home, windows need regular care and maintenance. Over time with exposure to the elements, windows can deteriorate if they aren't properly cared for.

Like any part of the home, windows need care and maintenance to function at full capacity. The following maintenance and cleaning tips are provided to help you prevent permanent...

Like nearly any part of the home, windows need care and regular maintenance to function at full capacity. Maintaining window frames is relatively easy and if done regularly, can increase...

Solar panels are relatively expensive, and because they're on your roof they're constantly exposed to the elements. Find out how to safely clean your solar panels.

Running your hot water system can be expensive, especially when you're not there - but turning it off can be dangerous. Find out when you should turn your hot water off.

Newer globe types may be cheaper to run, but they're also more expensive to buy. Is switching worth the effort?

Fluorescent globes contain mercury. Find out how to recycle them safely and avoid harmful pollution.

There's not a whole lot to maintaining lighting, but a little effort once in a while can make a pretty significant difference. Learn more about maintaining your lights, and how to recycle safely.

Light globes, particularly those outside, can lose a significant amount of light output if not cleaned regularly.

Cleaning light switches is not difficult, and is perfectly safe provided that you do it the right way.

There's nothing worse than a leaky tap - except perhaps a dirty and leaking tap. Find out how to clean and maintain your fittings.

Keeping your fittings clean and gleaming will really make them stand out, and if you’ve put any amount of time into your bathroom design, they will be one of the key features that people will notice.

Caring for saunas isn't that complicated. For the most part, it comes down to knowing how to clean up after yourself, and what sorts of things you need to avoid.

Cleaning mould is not simply a matter of wiping it off and assuming the job's finished. Find out how to effectively clean rust stains and get rid of mould for good in your bathroom.

Blocked drains in your kitchen are no fun - but thankfully they're not too difficult to deal with. Read our guide on how to unblock a drain and save yourself from a watery disaster.

Find out how to deal with stubborn water film on glass, how to clean a shower head and how to wash tiles to make your shower sparkle like it's new.

Cleaning your shower is a necessary evil. If you do it regularly (and properly), your shower will only need a light clean every time.

In most cases, replacing your toilet seat is an easy and relatively inexpensive task.

For obvious hygiene reasons, cleaning your toilets is the most important part of maintaining a clean bathroom.