TRADITIONAL (SPRING) CLEANING TIPS

By Christina Uppenkamp - Home Instead

Welcome to the latest edition of Senior Snippets: the monthly advisory column with the older members of our community in mind, brought to you by Christina Uppenkamp of Home Instead Dartford.

Despite all the powerful new cleaning products available on the shelves today that use advanced chemical technology and sophisticated ingredients, many cleaning jobs can be just as effectively done using “old-fashioned cleaning remedies”. These are tried and tested methods that have been passed down from generation to generation and are just as effective today as they were before the invention of fancy and expensive cleaners and sprays.

Removing limescale from kettles: There’s nothing like a good cup of tea. To keep your kettle clean and free from limescale, just boil the kettle and switch it off. Then, add two tablespoons of citric acid powder and leave to cool. Once it has cooled off, pour the solution down the sink and re-boil the kettle twice with fresh water. This traditional fix not only dissolves the limescale, but also prolongs the life of the kettle.

Cleaning a wooden chopping board: All you need is some coarse salt and a lemon. Simply sprinkle the board with coarse salt, scour the surface with half a cut lemon, squeezing to release the juice and leave it for five minutes. Then, scrape the residue off the board and rinse with a clean wet sponge.

Natural carpet freshener: Here’s a simple solution to remove wet dog and stale smells from your carpet; sprinkle a light dusting of bicarbonate of soda onto the carpet before vacuuming to remove smells and freshen the room.

Cleaning your washing machine: Rid your washing machine from mould and musty smells with a vinegar rinse once in a while. All you have to do is add a cup of white vinegar to the drum of the washing machine and do an empty wash on the hottest cycle. Do this every 2-3 months to keep things fresh and fragrant.

Cleaning windows: White vinegar (a natural disinfectant and deodoriser) and newspaper will give you windows that sparkle and shine. Mix one part white vinegar with one part warm water in a spray bottle and spray on to your windows. Then, polish your windows using crumpled newspaper. Don’t use vinegar on frosted glass or leaded glass windows.

The next time you need to do some household cleaning, don’t rush out to buy a host of harsh chemical cleaners. It is amazing what simple household items such as lemons, salt and bicarbonate of soda can do. Not only are they better for the environment but they are often better for your purse too!

To make a suggestion for a future topic, please write to me at c.uppenkamp@dartford. homeinstead.co.uk or by post to Home Instead Dartford, St Fidelis House, St Fidelis Road, DA8 1AT.

In this month’s article we look at new electric vehicles coming in this year.

By Dhiren Ganesh

large, airline-style seats in the rear that can even lie horizontally to make sleeping easier. Further highlights to ensure comfort include a 48in entertainment screen and a refrigerator. Lexus says it has designed all seats in the LM to counter any unwelcome swaying encountered while driving. It will be powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine coupled to a hybrid system. Luxury kit list means that prices are expected to be high with an estimated starting price of around £100,000 when available in Autumn 2023.

2023 Renault Clio - The Renault Clio has undergone a small but significant change – it’s now offered solely with hybrid power to align to other small cars in the market. The Clio’s ‘E-Tech’ hybrid system is carried over and produces 143bhp but with slightly lower CO2 emissions. It will only be offered in an automatic gearbox with the same engines as before however the looks have had a revamp. Its new nose incorporates new full-LED headlights and a chequered grille bearing Renault’s new simplified logo. Inside, entry-level models have a 7.0in in infotainment touchscreen, with a 9.3in touchscreen offered on upper trims, whilst all get smartphone mirroring. Available from May 2023 prices are expected to start from £22,000.

2023

- gets upgraded engines and more tech as standard. This will be the final version of the Cayenne to be powered by internal combustion with 3.0 litre 348bhp and 4.0 litre 468bhp engines available. The Cayenne E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has been increased with its electric motor uprated to 174bhp. The future versions of the Cayenne will be all-electric. The looks have only been tweaked with Matrix LED headlights a new addition. Inside, Wireless smartphone charging is now standard together with more leg room for passengers. Also as standard will be adaptive suspension to enable stiffening for a sportier feel. The updated Porsche Cayenne will cost from around £79,000 when on sale in July 2023.

Dartford Fc Community Funday

SUNDAY 11TH JUNE 2023

10AM TO 2PM

Dartford Steel Band

Music

Second Chance Animal Rescue

DFCSupporters' Association Tombola

DFC women

Cyclety Group

Other stalls

Kevin the Dart

Lavinia Cookies and Honey

Face - Painting

The Balloon Man

Bouncy Castle

Penalty Shoot - Out

Bat and Trap

Music with DJ Paul Jenkins

Junior Section Football

Community Presentation

Paul Page Golf

Dart Burger Bar

Champions' Bar

DFC Club Shop Open

Meet available players

Nature Trail

Meet the Mayor of Dartford

Dave Fulton has it all; irony, a sardonic turn of phrase, an amazingly relaxed stage presence and the intelligence to casually riff with the British audiences that have adopted this shaggy American joker.

The Seattle-based comedian has played clubs from San Francisco to New York, and notched up many TV credits ranging from Half Hour Comedy Hour (MTV), ShowTime and An Evening At The Improv (A&E) to a cutting-edge US programme called Comedy Explorers where he was filmed floating down the Grand Canyon. He’s also been seen entertaining crowds as far away as Hong Kong and Cape Town, South Africa.

Dave is opinionated, isn’t afraid to pull punches in his observations, yet has a deceptively laid-back stage manner that disguises a raw aggression. A varied melting pot of issues that sometimes even he doesn’t want to explore.

This is unmissable comedy from one of the most dynamic and innovative comedians breaking on the comedy circuit at the moment. His mother would never have thought it possible from someone who holds a Masters in Music Composition.

Recent television appearances vary from BBC 2’s The ‘Stand Up Show’ to Channel 5’s ‘The Comedy Store’ on which he took the roof off the prestigious club with his highly inventive perspective on life. You’ll have also spotted Dave on BBC2’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Steve Coogan’s Saxondale.

As always there’s a great supporting line-up direct from the London Comedy Circuit.

Book Early - Limited Availability! For more information visit https://www.houseofstandup.co.uk/dartford/

Ticket prices are £15.00 each, £12.50 for a group of 4 and just £10.00 each for a group of six adults.

by Bhavesh Ganesh

If Todd Boehly believed visiting Chelsea’s dressing room to deliver some home truths would inspire a Champions League miracle against Real Madrid he was, as he has been so often since arriving at Stamford Bridge, very much mistaken.

Co-owner Boehly decided it was time for the personal touch after a home loss to Brighton, although reportedly telling Chelsea’s players their season had been “embarrassing” was not quite the morale-booster he maybe hoped for. It also does not help that one of the main causes of Chelsea’s current predicament is the scattergun strategy and wacky transfer spree from their owners that has taken them to mid-table in the Premier League and out of the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, who are always happy to apply brutal reality to any romantic notions.

Hefty responsibility also now lies with the cosporting directors, who felt Graham Potter’s time had to end and who have been leading the search for a new manager. In previous years, under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea cracked the code on how to not only survive but thrive amid much managerial churn and transfer dealings. Not this time.

Sporting events in May include:

5: Athletics - Doha Diamond League, Qatar

7: Formula 1 - United States Grand Prix, Miami

14: Football - Women’s FA Cup final, Wembley Stadium

18-21: Golf - US PGA Championship, Oak Hill Country Club, New York

19: Rugby Union - European Challenge Cup final, Aviva Stadium, Dublin

20: Rugby Union - European Champions Cup final, Aviva Stadium, Dublin

20: Athletics - Night of the 10,000m PBs, London

20-21: Rugby Union - World Sevens Series, London leg

21: Formula 1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Imola

27: Rugby Union - Premiership final, Twickenham

27-29: Football - EFL Play-off finals, Wembley Stadium

28: Formula 1 - Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo

28 May-11 June: Tennis - French Open, Roland Garros, Paris

31: Europa League final, Puskas Arena, Budapest

By Maria Kingsford

Local people from ‘Dartford painted rocks’ on Facebook have been busy this month painting and hiding them around the town. The rocks can be exchanged at Stephen Oliver: Studio and Gallery located at the Orchards Shopping Centre .

Here are some of the photos of their latest painted rocks.

BLOOD PRESSURE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Dr Julie Taylor

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force required to push blood around your body. When we measure blood pressure, we get two numbers. The top number is the systolic blood pressure, which is the highest your blood pressure gets when the heart beats pushing blood around your body. The bottom number is your diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure as your heart relaxes between beats.

What do these numbers mean?

Ideally, your blood pressure should be between 90/60 and 120/80. High blood pressure (hypertension) is anything above 140/90. This is the point at which your risk of serious health problems as a result of high blood pressure can go up. Only one of these numbers need to be raised for you to have high blood pressure. But we don’t rely on just one reading. Many things can affect your blood pressure reading, from when you last ate, the temperature and whether you are stressed.

Why do we worry about high blood pressure?

If your blood pressure is high, that means that there is extra stress on your blood vessels and your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. Your blood vessels, which are normally stretchy, become stiff or narrow. This makes it easier for fatty material (atheroma) to build up, narrowing them further. This can cause other problems.

• High blood pressure plays a part in 50% of strokes and heart attacks. In fact, high blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke.

• The additional strain on the heart caused by high blood pressure can lead to heart failure over time, where the pumping action of the heart is reduced.

• Studies have shown that people aged 40-64 who have high blood pressure are more likely to develop vascular dementia.

• More than half of people with chronic kidney disease have high blood pressure – it is the leading cause.

• High blood pressure can also affect the blood vessels at the back of your eye (retina), making them narrow and leaky, which can cause problems with your eye sight. It is also related to other eye problems that can affect your vision including blockage of small arteries and veins and age related macular degeneration.

• Damage to blood vessels means that men with hypertension are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction.

This is why your GP surgery may contact you to check your blood pressure if you are over 40.

Blood pressure – the silent killer

Around 30% of the population have high blood pressure but many don’t realise. High blood pressure rarely has symptoms, so the only way you will know is to have your blood pressure checked. Many community pharmacies around Dartford offer free blood pressure tests. Some surgeries have a blood pressure pod in their reception areas for patients to use. You can also use a friend or relatives blood pressure machine for a quick check.

If your blood pressure is raised, but not dangerously high (180/110), we will request some blood tests to see how your kidneys are working and to check for other risk factors such as diabetes and high cholesterol. We may start you on medication to bring down your blood pressure and we will monitor this with blood pressure checks and blood tests at least yearly.

What can I do to keep my blood pressure low?

Having a healthy lifestyle is important. Being active, getting to a healthy weight and stopping smoking are important. Follow a balanced diet with five portions of fruit or veg a day, reduce your salt and saturated fat intake. Cut back on alcohol and make sure you get enough sleep.

Free Volunteer Training

Home-Start are recruiting new volunteer parents of any age, background, culture or gender to attend a free 40-hour course of preparation beginning

Friday 12th May 10.00 – 2.00 [thenafurther nine Fridaysuntil21st July]

Subjects covered include ADDICTION, DEPRESSION, LISTENING SKILLS, LOSS, PARENTING SKILLS, LEARNING THROUGH PLAY, CHILD PROTECTION, SPECIAL NEEDS

Following training (plus DBS checks + references) individual volunteers will be ‘matched’ with isolated vulnerable local families with pre-school children –to home visit for 2-3 hours per week offering emotional and/or practical parent-to-parent support. Travel expenses are paid and ongoing supervision / training provided www.homestartnwkent.org.uk

CALL 01322 225 100 for details or email office@homestartnwkent.org.uk