HOUSEHOLD
There are many things which are scary about living without parents for the first time. But knowing which products to use, should not be one of those worries. If you are renting a student place, your first house, or there is a new product you haven't tried yet, we will give you all the knowledge we can to help you.
The Ultimate University List
There are so many exciting things about going to university, and shopping is a big part of it. But it can also be overwhelming to know what to get and where to start.
​
Are there good shops to start with? Yes, always start with your local supermarket sales, you might be able to pick up cheap towels or plates. You also might be able to find some really good things in local charity shops for a fraction of the price. And when you need the big items Ikea is a really good place to go for reasonable quality and price.
​
Don't panic about everything matching because the likelihood of you having the same plates, bowls and cutlery at the end of university is highly unlikely. Things will break, so don't worry too much about the perfect plates.
​
But there is a range of things you will need to buy, for example, a bathroom caddy, under-bed storage, and the essential pizza cutter. Our comprehensive Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom lists have everything you will need for your first few months of uni. There is also an extras list, with things you are likely to forget in the panic, such as phone chargers and extension cables. Never assume that the wall socket will be right next to your bed.
For all of our full lists and the printout, sign in to the Household section of our member's area.
​
Btw, you also need a full set of every cleaning item you will use so that when you first move in you can do a basic or deep clean to make everything feel like your home. This full list is in the Cleaning section of our Members area.
Major Water Leak To-Do
​First of all, don't panic, you can do this!
​
1. Get a bucket and towels to catch excess water. As much as you can mop up in the first few moments the better. But don't spend a significant amount of time here, you need to move on to step two quickly.
​
2. Find the stopcock to stop the flow of water into the house/flat. Find the source of the leak and turn off the flow of water. If you can't turn off the place as many towels and clothes as you can get around the source of the leak, and catch it early to avoid significant water or structural damage.
​
3. Turn off all electrical appliances. You don't want an electrical fire as well as a flood! Turn off sockets at the walls, and unplug as much as you can.
​
4. If you have another bucket, use this to try and get water away from the
source of the leak. For example, say the bath is leaking because the seal on
the drain pipe has broken. Keep the plug in the bath but try and get as much water
out of the bath using the bucket as possible. throw it down a drain you believe is
not connected to the leak. Test this by collecting a small amount of bath water and
putting it down the kitchen sink, if you see any signs under the basion of a leak
stop and try somewhere else. If everything is connected stop and wait for a
plumber or landlord.
​
5. Alert the landlord or contact an emergency plumber. If you are a homeowner, call a plumber as soon as you can. the longer you leave it to call a plumber, the more damage will be done, and the more expensive the repair job will be.
​
6. Take photographs of the damage and along with the photographs you took when you moved in, send these to the landlord or keep them for records. Make sure all photographs are time and date stamped correctly. (phones will automatically do this for you)
​
Until your landlord or plumber arrives, go through steps 2-4 over and over again. There might be new ways water will come through, and more water to take away from the source. Keep replacing the towels and make sure you have a set of screwdrivers on hand for the person coming to help. Do not run any taps from anywhere in the property.
​
Screwdrivers and what they do
In an emergency would you know the difference between screwdrivers and which ones are needed for each job? Have you built your flat-pack furniture with a butter knife? (we have all been there don't worry)
The first thing to say there are primarily two different types of screwdrivers, Phillips head and Single-slotted that you need to be aware of. To find out more sign up to the member's area to find out.
​
Phillips-head is most commonly used for household screws and putting furniture together. The screw has four points and looks similar to a star shape indent at the top, and the screw-head you want to fit also has a star shape and sticks outwards. The screwdriver fits the screw. See the labelled picture above.
​
There are different sizes to fit different-sized screws. Don't worry if the first screw-head you pick is out too big or too small for the screw, find another one in the same case and it will work much easier. You really want to try and get the right size and not go down a size because as you turn the screwdriver in the screw head will often take off a tiny layer of the metal. If the head is the wrong size for the screw then you might wear down all of the edges and will be unable to get the screw out.
Single-slotted screws are a line indented and will only fit with a Single-slotted screwdriver which is also a one-line shape. Single-slotted screws are usually used on larger screws such as...
For square-looking screws, you should use an Alan key labelled in the picture as a Philips or Single-slotted will not work for this job. Often these can come in packages with IKEA furniture, keep them if you are given them. You don't want to be tearing apart furniture when you move house.
Bail Out Bucket
The Bail Out Bucket is one of the most important things in our homes. Both for renting and home ownership having a bucket filled with emergency supplies is always a good thing.
These things will come in handy when it is past the supermarket closing and you have run out of bin bags, and the reason we put the supplies in a bucket to store them, if you have a water leak, you want to know where all the emergency supplies are in one place, and you will always need a bucket.
​
In these buckets, we usually put all kinds of emergency supplies inside. But remember always keep it on a high shelf, out of easy reach of children or pets, and only use it in emergencies.
We have a list above of what we have in our buckets, but some extra things to add if you have small children, add an extra couple of nappies and wipes into the bucket. If you have pets a couple of extra pick-up bags, and if a member of the family has specific allergies or medications, a laminated or card copy of all medications. These grab-and-go items are not for everyday use, they are for a snow storm and you can't get out of the house, a burst pipe and you need to leave in the next few hours, you have the flu and the friend or family member cant bring pain killers for another hour.