Guides

Guides and advice

Practical, honest advice from the jobs we do every week, on clearing a house, getting the most from a carpet clean, and keeping driveways and patios looking right.

Clearance guides

White Luton box van used for Spotless house clearances, parked on a Dublin street

Guide · Clearance

How much does house clearance cost in Dublin?

How house clearance prices in Dublin are worked out, from van loads and access to special items and distance, and how to get a fixed quote from photos.

Illustration of a two-storey house in cross-section showing an attic, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, garage and shed

Guide · Clearance

What does a house clearance include?

What a house clearance company takes, room by room from the attic to the shed, what needs a specialist, and what stays behind. Send photos for a fixed price.

Wooden sideboard with a brass lamp and framed pictures in a house being cleared

Guide · Bereavement

Clearing a house after someone dies, a practical guide

A gentle, practical guide to clearing a loved one's home in Ireland: who decides, probate, valuables, what to keep, and how a bereavement clearance works.

Illustration of a sorting yard with bays for reusable furniture, metals and appliances, and cardboard and textiles

Guide · Clearance

What happens to furniture after a house clearance?

Where cleared furniture goes: what's reused, what's recycled (fridges and electricals included), what goes to licensed disposal, and why permits matter.

Illustration comparing an overflowing skip on a driveway with a neatly loaded clearance van

Guide · Clearance

House clearance vs skip hire: which suits your job?

Skip or clearance company? An honest comparison of labour, sorting, what skips won't take, permits, space and timing, and when a skip is the better choice.

Mixed junk in a garage, including an old chair, a vacuum cleaner and a garden ornament

Guide · Junk removal

Getting rid of junk in Dublin: a practical guide

How to get rid of junk in Dublin: what counts as junk, one item vs a van load, bulky furniture, white goods, and the mistakes that can land you with a fine.

Illustration of a semi-detached house ready for sale with a blank sign board and a freshly washed driveway

Guide · Selling a house

Preparing a property for sale: clear it, wash it, present it

Getting a house ready for sale in Ireland: clearing contents, attic and garage, estate agent photos, staging, power washing outside and cleaning the carpets.

Bedroom with shelving units, storage boxes and a mattress ready to be removed

Guide · Landlords

Preparing a rental property between tenants

A landlord's guide to clearing a rental between tenants: belongings left behind, the inventory, carpets, timing and handing over an empty, tidy property.

Bags of household items sorted and lined up in a room ready to load

Guide · Clearance

How house clearance works in Ireland

How house clearance works in Ireland: from photos to handover, choosing a permitted company, legal and practical points, and our Leinster coverage.

Bedroom floor in Sutton covered with bags, books and boxes waiting to be cleared

Guide · Dublin

Complete guide to a full house clearance in Dublin

Planning a full house clearance in Dublin: a week-by-week timeline from four weeks out to handover day, the order to clear rooms in, utilities, post and keys.

Illustration of a sitting room with stacks of papers and boxes along the walls and a clear path to a sunlit window

Guide · Clearance

Hoarding clean-up: how to help someone with a very cluttered home

How to help someone whose home has become very cluttered: starting the conversation, consent, a staged clean-up plan, safety first and what to do with finds.

Stored boxes, bags and loose items spread across a loft floor

Guide · Clearance

How to clear out an attic safely

How to clear out an attic safely: ladders, joists and boards, insulation, light and summer heat, sorting keepsakes, and what not to store up there.

Guide · Clearance

How to clear out a garage, zone by zone

How to clear out a garage: working in zones, what to do with tools and bikes, getting rid of paint and chemicals safely, and storage that lasts.

Shed full of garden furniture, a fringed sun canopy and folding chairs before clearance

Guide · Clearance

How to clear out or take down a garden shed

How to clear out or take down a garden shed safely: what's inside, rot and roof checks, dismantling step by step, asbestos caution and garden waste.

Illustration of an apartment lobby with lift blankets, a trolley of boxes and a van outside

Guide · Clearance

How to clear an apartment: lifts, loading and building rules

How to clear an apartment without upsetting the building: management company rules and notice, lift protection, loading bays, parking, stairs, keys and fobs.

Small office with desks, a sofa and computers before an office clearance

Guide · Clearance

Planning an office clearance: a timeline and checklist

Plan an office clearance step by step: a working timeline, building an inventory, IT and data responsibilities, furniture reuse and landlord handback.

Corridor of blue self-storage unit doors in a Dublin storage facility

Guide · Clearance

How to empty a storage unit

How to empty a storage unit: your notice period, facility access hours and rules, sorting off-site, clearing a relative's unit and the final hand-back.

Guide · Clearance

How to prepare your property for a house clearance

How to prepare your property for a house clearance in Dublin: a checklist for valuables, labels, appliances, parking and access, and what to do on the day.

The same living room after clearance, furniture and carpet gone and the floor bare

Guide · Clearance

Tips for a stress-free property clearance

Practical tips for a stress-free property clearance: planning around a deadline, sharing out the jobs, making decisions in batches and looking after yourself.

Living room with boxes, papers and ornaments covering the furniture before clearance

Guide · Clearance

A room-by-room guide to a house clear-out

A room-by-room house clear-out: which order to work in, what to check in the kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, living room, attic and garage, and when to get help.

Dining chairs, a footstool, a basket and bags gathered for removal on a red carpet

Guide · Clearance

House clear-out: how to declutter and clear your space

How to declutter before a house clear-out: methods like keep, donate, let go and 12-12-12, one room at a time, keeping memories, and when to call in help.

Furniture, chairs and bedding loaded and strapped inside our removal truck

Guide · Clearance

Why use a professional clearance company in Dublin?

Why a permitted clearance company matters in Dublin: your duty of care for household waste, how dumped waste is traced back, and checking the NWCPO register.

Guide · Clearance

House clearance near me: how to find and vet a company in Leinster

Searching for house clearance near me in Leinster? How to tell a local firm from a directory, and check permits, insurance, reviews and written prices.

Carpet, upholstery & mattress guides

Technician in shoe covers cleaning a patterned carpet with a hot-water extraction wand

Guide · Carpet cleaning

How professional carpet cleaning works

Hot-water extraction, shampoo or dry cleaning? How professional carpet cleaning works, from pre-treatment to drying, and how often carpets need it.

Blue carpet drying with an air mover after cleaning

Guide · Carpet cleaning

How long do carpets take to dry after cleaning?

Carpets cleaned by hot-water extraction usually dry in a few hours. What affects drying time, how to speed it up, and when to put the furniture back.

Cream carpet with a cleaned area beside the dirty carpet

Guide · Carpet cleaning

Carpet cleaning at the end of a tenancy

Carpets at the end of a lease: what landlords look for, normal wear versus damage, when to book the clean after the clear-out, and why to keep the receipt.

Pale green sofa seat partly cleaned, showing the difference

Guide · Carpet cleaning

How to care for and clean a fabric sofa

A practical guide to caring for a fabric sofa: what the W, S, WS and X care codes mean, how to deal with spills and pet hair, and when to call a professional.

Extraction wand on a hallway carpet next to a visibly brighter freshly cleaned patch

Guide · Carpet cleaning

The benefits of professional carpet cleaning in Dún Laoghaire

Why a professional carpet clean pays off in Dún Laoghaire homes: seafront sand and salt, damp in older houses, dust, and carpets that last longer.

Grey carpet with a cleaned rectangle where the tool has worked

Guide · Carpet cleaning

How often should carpets be cleaned?

How often to clean carpets, by household and by room. Kids, pets, allergies, rentals, halls and stairs versus bedrooms, and the signs it's time for a clean.

Hand-held extraction tool cleaning a grey carpet, leaving a visibly cleaner strip

Guide · Carpet stains

Red wine, coffee and tea on carpet

Red wine, coffee or tea on the carpet? What to do in the first few minutes, what not to do, and when it's worth calling a carpet cleaner. Calm, simple steps.

Bedroom carpet showing a sharp line between the cleaned and uncleaned sections

Guide · Pets and carpets

Pet accidents on carpet

Dog or cat accident on the carpet? How to blot it up, what not to use, why old urine smells return, and what professional cleaning can and can't do.

Patterned carpet with a clean stripe where the extraction wand has passed

Guide · Wool carpets

How to look after a wool carpet

How to look after a wool carpet between cleans. Vacuuming, spills, shedding, sunlight, moths, rugs and underlay, and the habits that help it last for years.

Freshly cleaned carpeted staircase in a bright hallway

Guide · Stairs and landings

How to keep a stair carpet looking good

How to keep stair carpet looking good. Vacuuming treads and corners, dealing with worn nosings, caring for runners and rods, and knowing when to book a clean.

Extraction wand leaving a clean path across a dirty beige carpet

Guide · Carpets at home

Carpets, dust and allergies

Carpets, dust and allergies. What carpet cleaning can help with, what it can't promise, and vacuuming and airing habits worth knowing. General advice only.

Empty carpeted apartment bedroom with fitted wardrobe after clearance

Guide · Moving house

Cleaning carpets before you move in

Moving into a new home or rental? When to clean the carpets around painters, decorators and the removals van, and why empty rooms give the best result.

Single mattress with faint staining in the centre before cleaning

Guide · Mattresses

How to look after a mattress

How to look after a mattress. Protectors, turning, airing, spills and accidents, moving and storing a spare, and when a professional clean makes sense.

Large grey vintage-pattern rug in front of a charcoal corner sofa

Guide · Rugs

How to look after a rug

How to look after a rug. Wool versus synthetic, vacuuming and fringes, rotating, rug pads and underlays, spills and dye runs, and when a rug is due a clean.

Heavily soiled orange velvet tub chair with a buttoned back before cleaning

Guide · Sofas and upholstery

Sofa stains, stain by stain

Spilled something on the sofa? Stain-by-stain first steps for coffee, wine, grease, ink and pet accidents, what the care code allows, and when to call a pro.