Walls and ceilings
Remove dust with a soft brush or a dry cloth, and stains with a cleaner suited to your finish. Do touch-ups with the same paint and with good ventilation.
Care
Care and upkeep
A well-planned interior and garden do not stay beautiful on their own; they stay beautiful thanks to a little regular care. Walls, furniture and textiles inside, the deck boards, paths and flower beds outside: each has its own season when it needs attention. Below is a general guide to check against the manufacturers' instructions for your materials.
A little care every season saves you a major repair a few years down the road.
How this section works: we give general care advice without naming brands or specific manufacturers' products. Check what to treat a surface with, and how, in the instructions for your material.
Care by element
What to pay attention to in the house and the garden.
Furniture
Freshen up cabinets and frames with a soft, barely damp cloth, then dry the surface. Every now and then, check that tall furniture is still securely anchored to the wall.
Textiles
Wash curtains, throws and covers according to the manufacturer's care label. Swapping textiles with the seasons freshens up a room and gives things a rest.
Deck boards
Sweep away leaves and debris, and do not leave wet mats or pots without saucers on the boards. Renew the protective coating as the manufacturer's instructions say.
Garden paths
Pull weeds from the joints and make sure water does not stand. After winter, check whether any sections have sunk.
Flower beds
Top up the mulch, remove dry shoots and make sure the plants do not crowd each other as they grow.
Conifer bed (in Russian)
Care through the seasons
- In spring, inspect the paths, deck and flower beds after winter, clear last year's leaves and top up the mulch.
- In summer, keep plantings watered, air out the house and protect fabrics and wood from direct sun.
- In fall, clear leaves from the deck and paths and store garden furniture and textiles somewhere dry.
- In winter, do not clear snow from paths with metal tools, and do not scatter anything on wood or stone that could damage it.
- All year round, ventilate rooms while painting and while cleaning with household chemicals.
Read next
- Materials
Light, color, textures, textiles and furniture as the building blocks of a design: what to look for when choosing. The article catalog is here too.
- Tools
What helps when designing a home and garden: tape measure, laser distance meter, level, graph paper, samples, stakes and string.
- Conifer bed (in Russian)
Archived address: how to plan and care for a flower bed of conifers.
What we rely on
- Manufacturers' instructions for materials and equipment
- Mydiz editorial materials
The advice in this reference is general and based on material manufacturers' instructions and widely accepted safety rules for the home and garden. Check paint composition, installation methods and work requirements in the instructions for the specific material and with your building management, and leave electrical work, remodeling and complex installation to professionals.