-
How to clean an outside drain
Try clearing debris and build up from your outside drain by using a simple pipe snake. A pipe snake is a metal cable that is designed to be forcibly fed down drains and pulled back out in order to clear clogs from your external drains. To start the job, remove the drain cover and push the end of the pipe snake down into the drain. Extend the cable from the reel and force it as far down into the drain pipe as you can. Once the cable has been pushed down the drain quickly pull the cable out, the force of the cable being removed will dislodge clogs. You should repeat the process several times to increase the odds of removing any clogs. Finally, wearing thick rubber gloves reach into the drain to manually remove any remains of the clog that the snake has brought back up and if in any doubt call in an expert drain engineer.
-
How to clean a BBQ
Spring is finally here and what better time to time to get your BBQ ready for the summer. Cut two strips of aluminum foil to the same shape and length as the width of your BBQ grill. Cover the racks completely with the foil, making sure the shiny side of the foil faces down. Light the BBQ as normal and close the lid (if you have one) and let the heat do the hard work for you. You will start to see billows of white smoke rising from your grill – don't worry, this is the cleaning process doing its magic. Leave the BBQ on for 15 minutes if it is electric and then turn off the grill and let it cool down or if your BBQ is charcoal leave it burning for 15 minutes and then let it burn out. When you are sure that the grill is totally cool, remove the aluminum foil and scrunch it up into a ball shape and rub it across the wire grills to remove any remaining residue. The last step is to simply rinse off the wire racks with water, and wipe it down with a sponge. After this your grill should be ready to go.
Important information regarding our DIY help and advice
We try to make the advice on our website (www.HomeServe.com) as useful and reliable as possible. However, the purpose of this advice section of the website is to provide homeowners and private landlords with general guidance and useful tips only. It doesn't necessarily deal with every important topic or cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals and might not be relevant or appropriate in all circumstances. It is not designed to provide professional advice or financial advice and should not be relied on as such. Click here to read the disclaimer in full.