Home Help: 2 August
Q When I took up our hallway carpet I found the original Victorian tiled floor. Can you suggest products to remove the carpet-glue deposits and clean and restore the floor? I don’t want the finish to be too shiny and slippery.
JS, via email
A I recommend Tar & Glue Remover (£15.54 for 5L). Scrub gently to avoid scratching the floor. Next, clean with a household floor cleaner. To get a natural finish with a non-slippery shine, use Bourne Traffic Liquid Wax (£28.68 for 5L). Buff by hand or use an electric polisher. Reapply wax annually. Both products stocked by Express Cleaning Supplies.
01622-714800, www.express-cleaning-supplies.co.uk
Q I long to paint my sitting room blue, but don’t know which shade to choose to avoid it feeling cold in the winter.
PJ, via email
A Choosing the right colour for a room is all about balancing warm and cool tones. Use a blue with hints of yellow to give it a duck-egg hue; try Paint and Paper Library’s Constantia Blue (matt, £35 for 2.5L). Mix with natural linens; add a red stripe somewhere for warmth and gold for glamour. Beige and coffee in upholstery will balance paint such as Copenhagen Blue (matt, from £24.29 for 2.5L) in the Dulux Heritage range.
Paint and Paper Library: 020-7590 9860, www.paintlibrary.co.uk
Dulux: 0844-481 7817, www.dulux.co.uk
Q I remember from my childhood a white milk jug with sort of an indented belt round the middle in the same colour. It was probably made in England and may have been a 19th-century design, but I have no idea where or if it is still made.
RL, Herts
A You are most likely thinking of the Burleigh Hooped Churn jug. The design is from the 1850s but is still made. The 1pt (568ml) jug costs £17.
Burleigh Factory Shop: 01782-525510, www.burleigh.co.uk
Send your queries to the usual Bedford Street address or email Hugh St Clair at hughstclair@googlemail.com
JS, via email
A I recommend Tar & Glue Remover (£15.54 for 5L). Scrub gently to avoid scratching the floor. Next, clean with a household floor cleaner. To get a natural finish with a non-slippery shine, use Bourne Traffic Liquid Wax (£28.68 for 5L). Buff by hand or use an electric polisher. Reapply wax annually. Both products stocked by Express Cleaning Supplies.
01622-714800, www.express-cleaning-supplies.co.uk
Q I long to paint my sitting room blue, but don’t know which shade to choose to avoid it feeling cold in the winter.
PJ, via email
A Choosing the right colour for a room is all about balancing warm and cool tones. Use a blue with hints of yellow to give it a duck-egg hue; try Paint and Paper Library’s Constantia Blue (matt, £35 for 2.5L). Mix with natural linens; add a red stripe somewhere for warmth and gold for glamour. Beige and coffee in upholstery will balance paint such as Copenhagen Blue (matt, from £24.29 for 2.5L) in the Dulux Heritage range.
Paint and Paper Library: 020-7590 9860, www.paintlibrary.co.uk
Dulux: 0844-481 7817, www.dulux.co.uk
Q I remember from my childhood a white milk jug with sort of an indented belt round the middle in the same colour. It was probably made in England and may have been a 19th-century design, but I have no idea where or if it is still made.
RL, Herts
A You are most likely thinking of the Burleigh Hooped Churn jug. The design is from the 1850s but is still made. The 1pt (568ml) jug costs £17.
Burleigh Factory Shop: 01782-525510, www.burleigh.co.uk
Send your queries to the usual Bedford Street address or email Hugh St Clair at hughstclair@googlemail.com