Kenneth Glad
The temperature is dropping fast, and millions are wearing extra jumpers to avoid the thermostat. But before you finally turn the boiler on, your home might be harbouring a filthy secret.
Putting off the central heating is a stubborn annual tradition. The chill usually sets in slowly throughout autumn. Then, quite suddenly, thick socks and hot tea are no longer enough to keep the bitter cold at bay.
Eventually, everyone simply bites the bullet. Paying to heat a property is an incredibly expensive burden right now.
We all want our systems to work perfectly when we finally use them. Yet a major block to that efficiency is sitting right out in the open, writes the Daily Express. It goes completely ignored by most households.
Unseen winter grime
A sparkling clean radiator does a lot more than just look nice in your front room. According to the newspaper, clearing away hidden grime is an essential step for keeping your monthly bills under control.
The Radiator Outlet advises people to clean their heating units once or twice a year to ensure they run smoothly. Homes with pets require even more frequent attention.
Leaving thick dust trapped in the metal fins forces the system to work much harder to warm a space. That extra strain wastes expensive energy. It also seriously increases the risk of a boiler breakdown.
Worse still, trapped debris gets blasted directly into the air you breathe the moment the metal warms up.
The hairdryer trick
You do not need to buy expensive brushes or chemical sprays to fix the problem. Experts warn that bleach can ruin the paintwork, and strong cleaning products might create a fire hazard when exposed to high heat. Warm water works best.
Instead of buying new gadgets, Daily Express reporter Nicola Roy tested a simpler method using an ordinary hairdryer. She wiped the front panel with a damp cloth. Then she aimed her hairdryer straight down the narrow fins.
The results were immediately disgusting. Huge clouds of trapped dirt blew straight out of the bottom and covered the floor in seconds.
Without this quick blast of air, all that hidden mess would have baked onto the metal. It is a genuinely terrible thought. A quick vacuum and an open window sorted the mess out, leaving the system primed for winter.
