London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/10/2010 -- Premium German appliance manufacturer Miele realises the importance of getting your home into shape this Spring and has developed some top tips to make revitalising your living space a piece of cake.

Elspeth Smith, Miele’s in-house Home Economist, offers the following advice:

1. Vacuum your whole home
• Deep cleaning for your entire home is at your fingertips with Miele’s range of high-quality vacuum cleaners, and by following these top vacuuming tips you’re house will be spotless in no time:

• Get rid of the Winter mud, dust and grime by vacuuming your carpet thoroughly and then using carpet shampoo. With the newly innovated Miele Hybrid S4812*(from £499), you can switch from cord to cordless in a second meaning that a lack of power sockets is no longer an issue – ideal for stairs and hallways.

• Miele’s optional attachments (from £3.99 for a crevice nozzle) for vacuums will make getting to those hard-to-reach areas a breeze - the range includes a mattress nozzle, radiator brush, upholstery nozzle, dusting brush and crevice nozzle – for all those nooks and crannies.

• A top tip to get your carpet looking its best after cleaning is to always finish vacuuming against the thread of the material – this ‘fluffs-up’ the pile and makes it look as good as new.


2. Clean the oven
• After all of those hot dinners, your oven will be in dire need of a de-grease. Mix some bicarbonate of soda into a thick paste and smear it onto the door. Leave for a few hours and wipe away with a damp sponge.

• Miele’s Pyrolytic Compact Oven (from £970) features an impressive self-cleaning programme. The advanced technology used to develop the oven means minimal maintenance and the innovative AirClean system mean nasty odours are a thing of the past.

• Alternatively, the Miele DGC 5080 XL Steam Oven (from £2,150) has a stainless steel interior surface and a PerfectClean finish, with special non-stick properties for easy cleaning. It also runs a soak programme for persistent or heavy soiling.


3. Revive your curtains
• Use your Spring clean as an opportunity to breathe new life into your curtains.

• The Miele WT 2789 i Washer Dryer (from £1,650) has a specific curtain-washing programme for sheer or lightweight curtains.

4. Banish those stains

The sooner you treat a stain on your clothes or upholstery the greater the likelihood of success. Miele’s W5000 models include an in-built repertoire of 22 individual stain removal programmes including wine, coffee and grass. Up to three stain removal programmes can be used at any one time, meaning that with a Miele washing machine you’ll always be sure of perfect results – whatever the fabric, whatever the challenge.

Miele experts have put together the following top tips for getting rid of the most common household stains:
• Cola – treat the area with a detergent for delicates and then rinse with mineral water before washing in the usual way

• Curry – first, soak in warm water then work in some glycerine or, for very fine fabrics, eau de Cologne, spirits or alcohol before washing in the usual way

• Lipstick – pre-soak the material in a diluted solution of ammonia or use an aerosol stain remover containing benzene

• Red wine – white wine, sherry or clear alcohol can all be used to attack red wine stains; however, the best remedy is a large pinch of salt. For stubborn stains, try using glycerine on the area before washing – if all else fails, bleach can be used

• Suntan Lotion - apply butter. It may sound absurd but the oily molecules stick together and draw out the stain from the fabric. Place a cold slab of butter onto the stain and leave until it begins to soften, then scrape off the excess butter and launder as usual

5. Eliminate odours
• Bicarbonate of soda can be a godsend for smelly spills or pet smells on carpets. While it doesn’t ‘absorb’ smells, it cleans the area where smells originated and stops them getting in the air. For a cat or dog stain, sprinkle the bicarbonate on the area and leave it for as long as you can – overnight ideally. When you’re ready, sweep over the area with a hard brush to pull up the bicarbonate, and then vacuum to pick up the remaining particles.

• Pop an open box of bicarbonate of soda into a clean fridge to absorb smells. Or, use charcoal – it’s legendary at taking in nasty odours, which is why a charcoal filter can be purchased as an optional extra on all Miele fridges.

• Pop fabric softener sheets into a wastepaper basket in the living room, bathroom or bedroom to stop nasty smells escaping

• Newspapers, cat litter and bicarbonate of soda all work if you place those in the bottom of your kitchen bin before inserting the liner. They help to neutralise smells

• For a whiff-free washing machine run a monthly hot wash with biological washing powder or tablets (not liquid as it doesn’t contain the necessary bleach) – this will kill mould and any smells. Put a few tea towels in to avoid wasting water.

6. Spread nice smells:
• Pop a few drops of perfume or essential oils onto a lightbulb on a table lamp – when it warms up it will give off a lovely smell

• Soak cotton balls in vanilla extract and pop them in the corners of your room – they will give off a lovely fresh vanilla scent for ages