’ll do it later. It can wait. I don’t have the time right now. The calling card of people putting off a DIY job that they don’t want to do. Not everyone loves doing DIY, but everyone is always happy with the finished result – if the job has been done well. Here are some of the most common DIY tasks that people put off for as long as possible.
Deep cleaning the carpets. You can opt to get someone in to do this for you if you don’t want to do it, but it needs to be done at least once a year. Carpets hold a lot of dirt and odours. High foot traffic areas, even with shoes removed see bare feet, mud, pets, sweaty socks, spills and crumbs. Over time they work their way into the carpet and can be a nightmare to remove. If you want a quick fix, then you can deodorise the rug by putting a thin layer of baking soda all over it, waiting a short while and then hoover it up. This won’t clean it for you, but it will trap and remove any lingering smells.
Defrosting the freezers. For some reason, this job is continually put off until people can barely open the drawers. Don’t let the frost in there build up too much; it just becomes harder to defrost in the long run.
Peek under the couches and beds. When was the last time you swept or hoovered under there correctly? This can often become the place that all of the household lost items end up hiding for a very long time. Clean out the underneath of large pieces of furniture at least once a month (more if you have the time). It will help avoid large collections of dust, dirt and the lost property piling up.
Do you have a ’dumping ground’ the like an outhouse, loft or garage perhaps? Out of sight out of mind is sometimes a great thing but these spaces could be adding value to you by being well-organised storage spaces. Make sure that all of your tools are packed away and safely out of reach of children. While you’re around the tools, make a note of anything that you might need to purchase (from somewhere like toolden.co.uk), over the years little things like pin hammers and drill bits can go missing. It’s always better to have a full inventory before you start a job.
The garden can be a paradise unless it is overgrown with weeds. While some people love gardening and making the most of any sunny weekend to do so, others put it off and can never thoroughly enjoy the tranquillity a little outdoor space can give. Get some weeding gloves, and the next time there is a sunny weekend, put some elbow grease into creating a backyard paradise… or at the very least, remove the weeds and cut the grass.
Staying on top of the jobs that you try and put off will mean when the time comes there will be less to do.