Our Garment Rails just got bigger… and so can yours!

Brilliant news for anyone who wants to increase the size of their Garment Rail, the latest products in our Garment Rail Range will do just that. These Conversion Kits will convert a standard single top rail garment rail into a double top rail garment rail.

That means you can now easily double the hanging space available to you! This is yet another step in providing you with the most Adaptable Garment Rails possible.

Our double top rail brackets and extra rail package includes the components needed to convert a standard single top rail garment rail into a double top rail garment rail.

Simply remove your current single top rail, attach the 2 new brackets, one on each side and then place your existing top rail and the new top rail in place and you have doubled your hanging space! This package includes one top rail and 2 x end brackets. Check them out and maximize your space!

Don’t forget there are also other options available for increasing the size of your rail. We know you want a rail that will adapt with your changing needs, which is why many of our rails can now be purchased with Height Extension Pieces and adjustable Centre Rail, thus allowing you to double your hanging space - see a snapshot from one of our newsletters:



We also have some new additions to our rails with the 3ft Bespoke Custom Coated Pink Garment Rail for anyone wanting to add some colour & style to their room! It’s now also available with 3 and 4 inch heavy duty castors. 

Functional, adaptable and great to look at… check out our Garment Rails and Accessories to begin creating your own Rail!

My Space Saving Mission continues!

I’m on a mission to make sure everyone makes the best of use of all the space in their homes!! I recently mentioned how to get 3 times more storage space in your wardrobe! And now I’ve got a solution for the limited (but incredibly useful) space under the bed.

Ok, you can’t actually increase this space, but you can reduce the size of items you put under there… and that means making use of the brilliant concept of Vacuum Storage!

The Deluxe Underbed Vacuum Storage Chest, which is new to the vacuum storage range, will reduce volume by up to 75%!  Storage bags and boxes for under the bed are great, and will organise what goes under there making it easy to get out and being organised will actually gain you some extra space too.

However, for items that you don’t need to get to every day a vacuum chest is ideal. This one is high capacity with a compressible inner bag, and is very sturdy with rigid side panels.  Both airtight & waterproof it has the added benefit of providing protection against moths, bugs, dirt, mildew & odours.

The see-through window allows quick identification of contents and the strong handle makes it easy to pull out. A brilliant invention for neatly storing bulky items under the bed (not intended for storing feathered duvets or perishable goods).   Dimensions: 106 x 45 x 15 cms ( 41” x 17 ½” x 6” approx )

If you also want to make use of vacuum bags in your loft or cellar, the Vacuum Storage Jumper/blanket Volume Reducing Chest is available in large and jumbo size and reduces volume by up to 60%.

One large chest contains a vacuum bag with the capacity to store jumpers, pillows, blankets, duvets, sheets and/or t-shirts and then by inserting your vacuum cleaner's hose into the valve the air is removed from the bag, and just watch the volume of the bag reduce. One Large bag size: 43 x 40 x 26cm

Now you can store your last season's clothing in smaller spaces. The stackable chest will protect your cottons and woollens against dust, moisture, insects and moths and mildew.

Re-use the chests - open the seal and the stored items recover their original shape and size. You can add more chests in the stack - buy them as you go and add them.

The Jumbo size is 65 x 48 x 28cm. The storage bags will reduce to an uneven shape, depending upon what you put in them. Our chests are stackable, so that you can store multiple bags neatly. Think Small!

http://www.caraselledirect.com/_/storage_bags_and_chests/?Referrer=vacuumbed_blog

Great storage products for your children’s bedroom

I’ve hopefully given you some inspiration on options for Clothes Rails which are suitable for a children’s room in my previous article Children’s Clothes Rails, so I wanted to also go through accessories to go on the rail and other storage possibilities for a child’s bedroom. Often in a room, which is either small or an awkward space, good storage is important in order to avoid it looking like a toyshop, or to be honest, a complete mess!

So what are the options? Well firstly, the clothes rail/wardrobe itself – hanging canvas storage such as Wardrobe Hanging Organisers are great for storing sweaters, shoes and many other clothing items or smaller items such as toys/accessories. You want something that doesn’t take up too much space and this one does just that being only 15cms wide. Small on size but it will hold several pairs of shoes, trainers and socks or just leave it to your kids' imagination!

You can also make the most of your kids' wardrobe hanging space with this fabulous Four Shelf Sweater Organizer, this one matching the shoe hanger and made of soft touch material in lilac with pink binding. Not only for sweaters, but can be used for toys, t-shirts, or whatever your kids wish to put in it. It measures 90cms in height, 22.5cms in width and 22.5cms in depth.

So other areas where you should make use of for storage include everybody's favourite... under the bed! We’ll come to that, but have you considered using the door too? I have hooks on the inside of cupboard/wardrobe doors for small accessories/scarves/belts… but don’t just go with the obvious! I’ve made use a Hanging Magazine Organiser in my son's room, which is a really useful Organizer because it can be either hung from a hook or can be used with the 2 hooks, included to hang over a door. Featuring a large pocket for magazines (or small books and comics!) and 3 hooks, it is a great use of space.

Similarly the Kids Over-Door Hanging Organizer will make use of this normally wasted space with 11 pockets, this beautiful organiser can be used for all the bits and pieces your kids love to store - toys, hairbrushes, gloves, stickers.

Anyone who has children will know they love putting things into pockets and bags, so this will even encourage them to tidy up!! Plus they make great presents for kids.

Now for the favourite hidden storage place – under the bed! Everyone makes use of this space, but if you store items properly under there you’ll actually be able to find them again! Plus, using an Underbed Storage Chest will actually provide you with more space, because it will be organized.

This one has a soft touch material and it’s Lilac colouring with pink binding and zip matches hanging organizers and hangers in this range too. It has a clear see-through window and will look fab in girls' bedrooms.  It really is an ideal storage item for clothing, toys and more! There is also a pink with white spots Underbed Storage Box for those who need everything in pink!

Need even more space under the bed? Keep an eye out for my next article when I’ll tell you about a brilliant new product, which will transform everyone’s favourite storage area!!!

Trouser Hangers that work

The best storage products are ones that are often very specific to: the type of items you are storing, where you are storing them, how often you need to access them and so on. I mean you wouldn’t consider using a vacuum bag for clothing that you need to get out every day, or trying to fit a full height clothes rail into an awkward space, or even using a children’s clothes hanger to hang your work shirt!

Yet on this last point it’s true that some people don’t use the correct hanger to fit the correct clothing item. Recent customer enquiries regarding trouser hangers has led me to talk about what is the best way to store your trousers and what problems you may be having. Let’s start with jeans. You use them frequently and they are heavy, but you don’t really need (or want!) to leave them in a pile in the corner of the bedroom until the evening or weekend.

Some trouser hangers will simply bend from the weight, so a hanger designed to take heavy items would be best for this job. The newest addition to the hangers range – the Deluxe Chrome Plated Heavy Duty Hanger is ideal. Built with strength in mind being a specialist kilt hanger it has Large Extra Strong Clips, and although ideal for a kilt is also perfect for hanging your jeans and any other heavy trousers!

It’s 42cms wide with 3.5cms wide clips. It has an extra hanging hook, which is useful for hanging a belt or other accessory (or for any kilt wearers to hang the sporran).

People sometimes find that hanging up their trousers means they end up in a pile on the bottom of the wardrobe, so make sure you choose a hanger that prevents this. They need to be either non-slip, or have a locking bar or clips to stop this happening. With so many varieties available it can be hard to choose. Space can often be the deciding factor however! I’ve recently gone through various space saving options for your wardrobe, and a space saving trouser hanger will keep your wardrobe organised and make the best use of limited space.

The brilliant Huggable Hangers (see recent Huggable Hanger Reviews) has a space saving trouser hanger, which will take up less of the valuable wardrobe space. These 4 Bar Non-Slip Huggable Trouser Hangers are available in Black or Pink and with a swivel chrome hook and special flocked non-slip coating your trousers won’t be going anywhere! They really are ultra-thin being only 45cms wide, 43cm high & only 5mm wide! Other space-saving trouser hangers are also available.

The very popular Deluxe Metallic Silver Non-Slip Trouser Hanger with Chrome Hook is now back in stock – also providing a non-slip solution to your trousers ending up on the floor. They are available in multipacks for even greater savings too.

Of course some of the choices are down to personal taste. If you like your hangers made of wood look no further than the Cedar Wood Trouser Clamp Hanger. These super smooth finish cedar wood hangers are made entirely from moth repelling soft touch cedar and are a real customer favourite:

Good value and an item I thought was no longer available. Speedy delivery - no problems

What more could you ask for? Well they are currently on special offer too!

Also on special offer is the White & Taupe Non Slip Trouser Hanger, so don’t’ miss out on these great deals while they last!

Looking for a mini boot box? Look no further

If, like me, you’ve started wearing your ankle boots more and more now that the weather is finally warming up, then you may be thinking about the best way to keep them in great shape and store them when not in use. In which case what you are looking for is a mini boot box. Knee boot boxes are great, but ideally for knee length boots obviously! So I thought I’d run through the different ways you can store your smaller boots.

Mid Calf Boot Boxes provide not only an easy way to store them, but being transparent means you can see every pair of Boots instantly plus being able to open them from either end means you can take a pair of Boots out of the box without disturbing the stack!

Some women keep most, if not all, of their boots and shoes in their wardrobe, so this provides the ideal stacking solution because you can keep adding to the stack, and when it exceeds 6 or so boxes you can start another stack. Plus they look so good that if you’re running out of wardrobe space you don't have to hide them away in there - they would make a feature in your bedroom too.

They are even portable too, you can take your box by the handle and travel!

The boxes are delivered flat packed, and they are very easy and quick to assemble. They are made of strong transparent polypropylene and are made to last and last. They will accommodate Boots up to size 7. Box size is 36 x 29 x 12cms (14" x 11 1/2" x 4 3/4")

Why not mix the Clear Mid Calf Boot Boxes with the very popular addition to the range the ‘I Love My Shoes’ Mid Calf Boot Boxes?

If you’re just looking to keep your smaller boots in shape then Boot Inserts are what you need. They will keep your boots in immaculate shape and are suitable to tall and short boots because there is a score line, which allows for the Shaper to be reduced in size to fit Ankle Boots.

Again they are available as Clear or with the "I Love My Shoes" pattern. They come in pairs and like many products can be purchased in multipacks for even greater savings.

Yet another alternative for shapers are the Ankle Boot Shapers. These ones are made of high quality acrylic plastic, are easy to fit into most sizes of Shoe & Ankle Boots and ideal for Footwear with Laces. They’ll keep your boots (or your shoes) in great shape. The dimensions are: Length = 230mm, Height = 190mm, Width = 13mm.

Don’t forget that we have a great promotion at the moment when you buy the above storage boxes in packs of 10 you will receive free of charge a pack of 6 Clear Self-Adhesive PVC Pockets (you can insert your own label or photo and affix it to the box). Also you will receive a pack of 25 sheets of high quality acid free Tissue Paper (which are ideal to use when storing your shoes and boots).

Need a larger wardrobe? Make your stuff smaller!

If you can't make your wardrobe larger, then you can make your stuff smaller!

Introducing a wonderful way to store your jackets, shirts, coats, dresses etc. The Hanging Vacuum Organiser compresses your clothes safely inside a special bag, which has a seal and a valve into which you place your vacuum hose to extract the air from the bag. This protects your clothes from dust, dirt, moisture, moths and insects (the clothes should be clean before sealing the bag).

It can be wiped clean inside and out, and can be used for many years (although it is recommended that stored items are removed every 6 months for airing). When the bag is opened, air immediately circulates through the item and restores it to its former plumpness.

The size of the standard bag is 105 x 70cm approximately and it takes up to 5kg in weight of clothes. The Standard size is suitable for jackets, suits and tops whereas the Large bag is suitable for longer items such as dresses, coats and long jackets.

The bag creates up to three times more hanging space on crowded wardrobe rails and cupboards! That means up to 3 times more storage space!

What can’t you use them for? They are not suitable for leather, fur or silk material, and should not be used with feather and down filled items or perishable foods. They should be stored away from heat sources such as radiators and water tanks or airing cupboards.

When hanging the bag, it would be best to hang it not with a metal hooked hanger but with a plastic hanger (metal hooks may puncture the bag).

It’s so easy. Gather up your cleaned and dry items, max weight 5kg. Place them on plastic hooked hangers

Next, put the clothes in the bag, attach the hanger hooks onto the large hook which comes with the bag.

Use the special glider to seal the bag.

Now unscrew the hanger from the valve. Place the hose from the vacuum cleaner over the valve. Switch on the vacuum cleaner to extract the air from the bag. The bag will compress in seconds.

Replace the main hanger into the valve and now you can hang your clothes up in your wardrobe, or on a clothes rail.  For your convenience we now stock a sturdy chrome 3ft rail and 6ft rail.

Finished!

See my previous article about the brilliant and colourful new Shocking Pink Garment Rails, one of the many sturdy clothes rails available for hanging the bags on! Keep an eye out for future inspiration on how to get more storage in children’s rooms and your room too!

Children’s Clothes Rails... and more!

Children’s rooms can be a real problem. Firstly… children grow! You begin with a room for the baby, but soon it needs to adapt to a little person with completely different needs and eventually a child who builds up their own collection of toys and clothes. Suddenly the room isn’t big enough, or the wardrobe isn’t able to store all the clothes and there’s no other space in the house for them, every cupboard and draw is full and don’t even look under the bed!

But there are ways to make the most of the space you have and add storage items that don’t take up too much room. The key is to keep everything in proportion. People are often asking us about storage solutions for children… especially Children’s Clothes Rails. So let’s start there.

Indeed you may not have the space for a large Garment Rail in their room and with the size of childrens' clothes you don’t need it. The 4ft Junior Height Black with Chrome Top Garment Rail is more than sufficient, plus takes up less space in the room. This high quality clothes rail measures 48" (122cm) in height and 48" (122cm) in width. The tube measures 1" (25mm) in diameter and the castors 2" (5mm). These rails are ideal for children's clothes, or indeed also for separates and smaller items. They are sold singly, and in twos or threes for added value.

If you are looking for a truly adaptable rail that will grow with your child you should check out the Adjustable Width All Chrome Mini Rail because it extends in Width to 4ft 8' of Hanging Space. This strong All Chrome Mini Garment Rail on casters (4cm diameter) has pull out arms to give 56" (142cms) of Hanging Space. The height is 40"  or 102 cms and the length is 32" with an arm at either side of 12" each. It’s quick to assemble (supplied in 8 parts). It is lightweight and flat packed.

Perhaps like myself you had to extend, convert the loft or change the layout of your existing bedrooms to make room for a new arrival and now you need a rail to fit. Having gone into the eaves of my own house for just this reason I know about awkward spaces, and the Understairs Garment Rail is perfect for awkward storage spaces!

This Garment Rail will make the most of the wasted storage space, in your loft with sloping ceilings, in cellar space (and under your stairs too!)

The Rail is lightweight and height adjustable. Made of quality stainless steel and fitted with casters so you can easily move it around.

Check out the following dimensions to see if it could solve your problems!
Width - 88 cms (34 1/2")
Depth - 43 cms (17")

Height when Fully Extended (with 6 cm wheels) :
Long Arm - 158 cms (62")
Short Arm - 126 cms (49 1/2")

Height when At its Lowest (with 6 cm wheels) :
Long Arm - 129 cms (51")
Short Arm - 97 cms (38")

A customer who reviewed this product said:

I would recommend this product, as it's good and substantial. Would also recommend Caraselle for their prompt delivery and their after sales service is excellent.

So you don’t need to compromise and get a Rail that is too big or just doesn’t fit into an awkward space, instead get a Children’s Clothes Rail or Angled Rail to do the job properly!

For more ideas on what to do about gaining extra space for all those extra clothes and toys keep an eye out on Children’s Storage Ideas next week… and don’t forget we have a new addition to our large range of Garment Rails with the Shocking Pink 3ft Bespoke Custom Coated Pink Garment Rail – so something for you too!

How to clean and be green!

Started your Spring Cleaning yet? For those of you who still need a little inspiration to get going check out ‘Let the Spring Cleaning begin!’ and later articles for how to get going on what can seem like a very large job! However, it isn’t as simple as tidying and cleaning up as usual anymore, many people now are conscious of being as green as possible, so here are a couple of tips and products that will help.

Obviously vacuum cleaning is a job that can’t be completely skipped, but instead of using it every day why not use some of your own power to get smaller areas clean and for in between days? In many cases this can be easier than getting out the hoover and more effective.

Hand held manual Carpet Cleaners and Roller Brushes are great for these occasions. This is especially true if you’re trying to keep up with removing pet hairs. The Orange CarPET Cleaner is a really useful brush for doing just that – it effectively removes pet hairs from rugs and carpets (I use it frequently on a rug which is favoured by my dog and it is more effective than using the hoover!)

Roller Brushes are equally useful, not only for removing hairs from clothes/carpets but also for harder to clean areas such as sofa upholstery, curtains and when using the paper wrapped around your hand cleans areas a vacuum cleaner never can!

Ok, so you want to reduce the chemicals you use, but you also want to save money. Why not switch your fabric conditioner for the super effective and cheaper Dryer Balls, providing a re-usable, safe, non-toxic & environmentally friendly way to soften your laundry without using chemicals or fabric conditioners. Using fabric softeners and drying sheets can sometimes cause unwanted allergies, but the pink & blue "Tumble Dryer Balls" soften fabrics the natural way.

They save you money because they are re-usable and they reduce drying time.  All you need to do is place both balls in the tumble dryer on the usual setting. As well as retaining heat, the balls lift washing and increase circulation of air within the machine.  The specially designed nodes physically break down hardness in fabrics created by water when drying, leaving your clothes beautifully soft.

These clever Dryer Balls even reduce the amount of lint (waste fluff) as well as creases and wrinkles - saving you time at the ironing board! And they are anti-static too. They really are an amazing environmentally friendly alternative to fabric softener and dryer sheets.

Want to do some cleaning but don’t want the chemicals? Check out these Gonzo Cleaning Sponges which can be used over and over again! The range includes sponges for removing pet hairs, cleaning the dashboards & upholstery in your car, your Lampshades, Ceiling Fans, Venetian Blinds, Curtains, Computer Screens, Books and more!

Similarly the E-Cloth Kitchen Pack provides chemical free cleaning for all hard surfaces. Brilliant on stainless steel worktops, glass, chrome, granite & wood.  Perfect cleaning with just water. They save time, save money and are kind to your family and the environment.

Need an emergency heavy duty stain remover? The Gonzo range of red wine, pet and multi stain removers are environmentally safe, don’t smell and are non-toxic…. plus they really work!

Need to transport clothing? You need a Garment Carrier

Travelling these days can be challenging especially if you need to take clothing that can’t or shouldn’t go in your suitcase. If you need to take a dress or suit with you, the best option is to use a Travel Garment Carrier.

The worst scenario when using a garment carrier is the handle snapping so make sure you choose one that is very robust, such as the Travel Suit Carrier with Extra Strong Handle. This design features an extra strong and robust reinforced handle so preventing such a problem!

The range of Deluxe Suit Carriers are also ideal, with two strong reinforced carry handles,  a large zipped pocket which can be used for shirts and/or accessories and a metal grommet for hanging and a clear pocket to hold your business card / address details. Made with a strong polyethylene fabric on the outside which is both water resistant & spongeable.

A breathable material is on used on the inside of the cover to let air circulate & maintain your garments. Size : 112 x 63 cms ( approx 44" x 25" ) Outside pocket 62 x 29 cms ( 24" x 11" ).

There are a variety of colours available and the range also includes a longer length for coats / dresses.

Of course there are many occasions when you need a full-length carrier, whether for traveling by car with clothes, salesman’s sample cases, or for special occasions carrying more than one full length item of clothing. Especially for the later this Travel Garment Carrier makes life much easier!

These carriers can hold up to 8 Suits / Dresses! Super strong, it is made in 4oz coated nylon and is water resistant too. The long heavy duty zip is reinforced with twin needle seams and at the top is a thick black cord to keep all the hangers together when carrying the clothes bag. T

here is even an ID pocket on the front. The size details are: Length:  130 cms (50"), Width:   60cms (24"), Gusset:  25cms (10"). One customer reviewed it as:

A fantastic product at a great price.

What more could you ask for?!

Heavy Duty Garment Rails: A New Addition!

Many customers ask us how strong our garment rails are… we understand that the strength of the Rail is one of the most important things people look for when choosing a rail. There is no doubt our Garment Rails are very, very strong and long lasting… check out our video to see the proof.



But that isn’t the only criteria, not only do you want a heavy duty clothes rail that will last a long time, it needs to be adaptable for your changing needs, which is why many of our rails can now be purchased with Height Extension Pieces and adjustable Centre Rail, thus allowing you to double your hanging space!

[caption id="attachment_948" align="alignright" width="201" caption="Shocking Pink Heavy Duty Garment Rail"][/caption]

See “How can you get the most out of your Garment Rail?” for more information.

Apart from strength and adaptability, you want something that looks good – for home clothes rails you are going to want something that makes a feature of your room and to add some colour and style to your room… we now have another addition to our range which will do just that!

Our 3ft Shocking Pink Clothes Rail has an all pink frame and top bar and nylon castors. It is more sturdy and substantial than many others on the market, and is easy to assemble and long lasting.

* All pink portable clothes rail with strong & sturdy construction

* Rail Dimensions - W 92 cms H 155 cms ( 361/4" x 61" ) Depth = 50 cms ( 20" )

* Comes with nylon castors to make it portable and more versatile

* Easy to assemble

Don’t forget to get your beautiful new rail a cover by checking out the range of Garment Rail Protective Covers manufactured for this rail (ref : 258 & 1380)

Add colour & style to your room with this great idea!

Huggable Hangers Review

I mentioned in a previous article "Lovely new space saving hangers now in stock" that there are now even more hangers in the Space Saving Hanger Range, such as the brilliant Huggable Hangers.

A great name and a great product… the name conjures up images of comfort and the hangers live up to this image with their Special Flocked Non-Slip coating to stop your clothes falling off and taking up less of your valuable wardrobe space being ultra thin!

There’s something for everyone in this range with the 4 Bar Non-Slip Huggable Trouser Hanger measuring 45cms wide, 43cm high & only 5mm wide!

One customer revently wrote:

The hangers are stylish and robust, 4 pairs of jeans easily hang on the hangers and the non slip bars make sure they don't slip off

The Shirt/Tops Huggable Hangers are proving very popular. Measuring 42cm wide & 23cm high, they are the ultimate ultra thin spacesaving hanger, ideal for shirts and tops with a tie / belt bar and extra hook.

One customer commented on the excellent value of this product:

Very pleased good value

And now they are at an even lower price, plus like many other products they can also be purchased in mulipcaks for an even great saving!

The Children’s Huggable Hanger (30cm wide & 22cm high) and Suit Huggable Hanger (45cm wide & 25cm high) complete this huggable range and all available in Black and Shocking Pink.

Plus these space savers really show their star quality when bought with the Mini Hooks - a really useful accessory to give you even more hanging space. Very easy to use and again available in Pink & Black.

Find out more about this range of Ultimate Ultra Thin Space Savers

Essential Holiday Items for your journey

If you’re already starting to plan your Summer Holidays you should read on, because with some careful preparation and the right products you can reduce the panic packing and buying which precedes the holiday (all too common especially if you are going away as a family). Start by checking out our ‘How to Pack a Suitcase’ articles to ensure going and returning from your trip is as easy as possible!

If you’re travelling by plane, you should think about buying some Luggage Scales… fast becoming an essential item in order to avoid a surprise when you get to the airport! These Luggage Scales have to be one of the most cost effective travel accessories available! They weigh your luggage with a maximum capacity up to 32 kg ( 75 lb ) and have a built in 1 metre tape measure and a memory function.

With two hands on the scale – the red hand weighs and returns to the top after removing the luggage, and the black hand stays in position to indicate the weight of the item after you have removed it from the scales, this is the memory function. Using these means you will prevent those nasty & expensive shocks at the check-in when you find you have packed too much into your suitcase!

Next, your luggage itself. Ok so packing it is bad enough, but once packed make sure you use a strong and robust Luggage Strap with a Combination Lock. This one is a very sturdy buckle and a heavy-duty combination lock, allowing you to set your own combination numbers.

You can further protect your luggage with this Combination Lock and Luggage Tag set… it means there are no keys to lose because you can set your own lock combination and it has a handy hidden address feature.

For the journey itself you’ll want to make it as pleasant as possible. We all know how uncomfortable it can be whatever your mode of transport or how long your journey, but consider taking an Eye Mask, Travel Socks and Fan.

Not just for comfort, Travel Socks are recommended for all journeys of 2 hours or longer to help prevent DVT, swollen ankles & aching legs. When considering a Fan to take make sure it’s compact and ideally dual purpose with a torch. This Mini Fan & Torch is battery operated (using 2 x AA batteries – included with product) and creates a lovely cooling breeze.

It can be used hand held or standing and has soft safety fan blades. Many people don’t think about taking a torch but there are so many times you will wish you had one – especially when travelling somewhere you haven’t been before. This product includes a bright personal torch making it a very useful & compact travelling accessory, and essential when travelling to hotter climates.

So with your luggage packed and weighed you can be confident that you have stayed within the required baggage limits. With luggage straps, lock and tags your bags will be protected and you have ensured a more comfortable journey too with eye mask, travel socks and fan! But what about when you reach your destination? Whilst you can’t think of every eventuality you can prepare for many of them and later in the week I’ll take you through how!

So you want to be a Masterchef?!

Like many others I’m already missing Masterchef – even when making beans on toast for my children I feel as though I have to do it well to get through to the next round! Ok… so we can’t all be on Masterchef, but there are some items in the kitchen which may make you feel a bit more like a cook and certainly some tools are very useful for saving time and making real life cooking a bit easier.

Going back to basics, start with good quality tools. I remember my grandmother using an old style vegetable brush and today such items can be hard to find. These Vegetable Cleaning Brushes not only do the job, but they look the part. With a white wooden stock & Green, Red or Yellow Bristles, they are ideal for cleaning vegetables.

They have a well-made and comfortable wooden handle brush with stiff bristles and are made in England. Granny would approve! No doubt she would also approve of using a good quality Pastry Brush… this essential kitchen item is used frequently so you want one that will last a long time, such as this 7" Pastry Brush with Wooden Handle and Pure Bristles. The handle is excellent quality and is easy to use and clean.

For a few additions to the more modern kitchen Toastabags are brilliant invention, featured on Dragons Den. They toast sandwiches and snacks in your toaster with no mess! The Gold Reusable Toastabags can be reused up to 100 times and they are Quick, Clean & Convenient. Use them to make a wide variety of toasted sandwiches or to heat up pastries, pizza slices, chicken nuggets & more! Perfect for kids after school snacks!

Another Dragons Den invention, which every modern kitchen would benefit from, are Quickachips. These oven proof chip baskets will give superb tasting oven chips in superquick time. They allow air to circulate ensuring all round crisp chips every time!

Placed directly on the oven shelf the Quickachip basket allows hot air to circulate to give your oven chips, garlic bread & pastries that perfect all - round crispness.

The basket allows more even contact with the heat of the oven & therefore avoids soggy foods. Ideal for BBQs & gives you control over your cooking: no more losing kebabs, sausages or vegetarian food to the coals! Plus they are freezer & dishwasher safe.

Even Masterchefs need a bit of help!

How to Pack a Suitcase (2)

So continuing with the best way to pack a suitcase and certainly the best way to minimise the horror of unpacking a badly organized suitcase when you return! For really small items roll them into small bundles that can squeeze into leftover spaces. Items such as underwear and accessories can be packed using mesh laundry bags, which will save on space. Again these are ideal to use to store all your laundry and other items when returning… saving more time when you get home because you can then sort your washing in your bag when you pack to come home and just place in the machine when you return!

Put all folded items in the middle layer in an effort to keep them folded, and try to avoid taking bulky, large items altogether – instead layer your clothes – easier when you get there and for packing too.

Place items you need to be kept flat at the very bottom and remember never pack valuables or items you need to get to quickly in your suitcase. Carry these with you in a secure bag or Money Belt. This one is very strong and has an adjustable belt and soft comfort backing, use it to store all your valuables safely.

Of course for the ultimate help when packing a suitcase use Vaccum Seal Bags - such as the Travel Vacuum Seal Bag Pack (2 bags per pack). This is a brilliant product for travelling because it reduces bullk in your suitcase dramatically!

Each pack contains two bags (Large and Medium) which are re-usable clear sealing bags, and all the air can be squeezed out by rolling the bag up. The clothes will retain their original shape and size.

The bag sizes are Large : 28 x 18" (70 x 45cm) and Medium : 24" x 15" (60 x 38cm). Brilliant when you realise you're taking back more than you went with!! Now things just got a lot easier!

So now you’ve packed your suitcase… is there anything else you need to think about before you leave? I’ll run through any essential items that you may otherwise forget later in the week!

How to Pack a Suitcase

Most people think of packing a suitcase as an enjoyable task, building excitement for the holiday… likewise unpacking it is completely the opposite. Whether going on a business trip or on holiday the way you pack your suitcase at the beginning will determine how painful this job is going to be when you return! So in an effort to make sure you start out correctly, here are a couple of tips to reduce the unpleasant task of unpacking!

Firstly, take only what you need! Obvious, but think about it before you begin packing and you’ll find you have more space for items you do actually need! Don’t put heavy items at the bottom – putting them on top of your clothes minimises creases, because your clothes won’t move around so much within the bag.

Fold clothing properly! The best way to fold top is to fold the sleeves into the torso and then in half so you end up with a rectangle. Make this really quick and easy with a Clothing Folder such as the Flip and Fold Shirt Folder. Designed to help you fold and pack Shirts, Blouses and Sweaters easily makes it ideal for travel and storage.

Use bags to keep items such as shirts looking good. Shirt Bags protect shirts, blouses, t-shirts and other items and are ideal to use for your laundry on the return trip! These are strong and durable bags, useful for storing many other items in your suitcase too!

I always use a Shoe Wash Bag when packing shoes - not only protects your shoes, but also your clothing! Make sure you stuff socks in shoes to make use of otherwise wasted space.

More on this tomorrow when I'll go through how to make sure all your other items are packed properly!

Go Green with Caraselle

I recently received a flyer from my local Council about a new bin I would be receiving to collect food waste along with my garden waste. Apparently 40% of the waste in the bin in made up of food waste. I’m pretty good at making sure I use all my leftovers – anyone who has a dog will know that there aren’t too many leftovers to throw away anyway!

However, it got me thinking a bit more about how I could make sure I am as Green as possible! I recently mentioned the brilliant new Reusable Stay Fresh Plastic Can Caps.  You can make sure you use already opened cans and jars of food and drink – the can of beans that isn’t quite finished or juice you’ll drink later. These easy to use and fit caps will keep food fresh and minimise wastage.

Having recycling bins in your house doesn’t mean you need to have unattractive bags and boxes all over the place – these Connectable Recycling Bags are proof. They are large and strong enough to cope with the average family’s weekly load of recyclable items, and each bag has press studs to lock them together. Being washable and very strong means they can be reused for many years.  The perfect solution for storing and sorting your recyclables.

Like many I already use environmentally friendly washing up liquid and so on, but when it comes to stain removal and other emergency cleaning items or keeping up with the day to day cleaning I’ve also tried to minimize the chemicals I use (and the electricity used when hoovering and more!)

So continuing with my Spring Cleaning theme, next week I’ll go through some great ways to clean without compromising an eco friendly lifestyle and some products made from recycled materials.