Random services people use

DiveBar2021 our food waste just goes in the black bin. My Grandma in a different county had to have a caddy in the kitchen for food and 4 wheelie bins !

Leeds doesn't have food bins but we do have a waste to energy incinerator plant so no (domestic at least, not sure about business) waste goes to landfill.

I'd expect a tenner for lawn cutting to be for a relatively small lawn, possibly also where the gardener also has other jobs in the area.

Or they're not a serious business person, some small scale trades might be good at doing the actual job, but less good at charging proper business rates, so it's more a hobby business/income top up aside to a pension, benefits or a spouses income.

Bin cleaning is done as rounds, where the ideal is they have lots of houses close together that can be done quickly. Still seems pointless to me, our bins have never been cleaned and don't seem particularly dirty or smelly, given that they're bins and don't need to be spotless. Seems like a waste of money and water to me.

Some of these services seem cheap?? A tenner to cut a lawn?? £2.50 to clean a wheelie bin?

A bloody americano is £3 at least

I wonder if they have a daily version. 🤔

I use a “Sell It”’service, where someone comes to collect things I want to sell and sells them for me taking a commission (and all the hassle out of it). Brilliant idea.

I do need a decluttering service.

Gutter cleans once per year, same with fascia soffits etc wash. Stupid white gutters! Never again.

There is someone locally who offers a home cooked ready meal service. Think lasagnes, cottage pies etc. We buy every couple of months.

Tyre service: we live remotely so have someone put winter tyres on our car. They store our summer tyres for us and switch them back.

I have the carpets and ovens cleaned once a year, makes such a difference and jobs that I hate doing. Car cleaned once every couple of months at the local car wash inside and out to keep on top of it as with 2 kids its often a state.

I used to have an ironing service but now mostly buy clothes that don't need it (since having children) and I still have a fortnightly cleaner.

I do also use the local laundrettes service wash every few months. I do wash regularly, but it's useful after a trip or just when it starts piling up, and I can't keep on top of it or have plans at the weekend after a full on week at work. I can fill an enormous basket (easily 4 loads worth) and drop it off, pay £20 and collect it a couple of days later, all clean, dry and folded. I sort it first and of course I'm washing the rest at the same time but it helps me catch up and occasionally to see the bottom of the washing baskets!

Have also recently had the gutters hoover, soffits and fascias cleaned - makes the house look fab so will do that again. The same guy then came back to professionally clean our block paved driveway,. He pressure washed, scrubbed with some products and once dry came back and re-sanded it. It looks brand new and it's over 10 years old. I could not believe the difference so that was well worth it too. Maybe not every year, but every few years I think.

Yearly gutter cleaning does make a difference - they get all the moss and muck out and scoop the drains, meaning less overflow and flooding in heavy rain. We can do the lower ones ourselves but the top ones are an enormous faff without the proper kit - which they have and we don't.

Now we have solar panels we'll probably pay for those to be scrubbed every few years as well to keep them efficient. Like the gutters, it's not worth buying and storing all the ladders and poles needed for such an occasional job.

And we employ an occasional tree surgeon.

Can't think of anything else though. We have a Vax to do the carpets. Don't cook the sorts of food that gunk up the oven or throw away the sorts of things that make bins smell. Subscription deliveries either rely on more predictable routines than we have, or need so much checking and adjusting that it just seems easier to buy stuff when we need it.

I used to work in an office who used a plant-maintenance service and realise I need that now as I kill houseplants regularly. They supplied the plants, watered them, treated any bugs etc and replaced sad plants with new, healthier ones. Not sure if they came weekly or fortnightly.

No food waste bin in some North Yorkshire councils as well.

Yes. If I could find a reliable handyman I would adopt him.

They have tyre hotels in Germany, who store your summer or winter tyres, depending on which season you're in.

When I developed mobility problems I had a home organiser for a while. She helped me de clutter, empty a lock up and completely reorganise my storage in all rooms and the garage. I now have a fortnightly cleaner to do the jobs I can't manage and I've been fine ever since.

Yes, we’re with South Staffs council and it’s not collected here. I don’t think that East Staffs council where my son lives collect it either.

Off point but are there places in the U.K. where the council don’t collect food waste and it still goes in the main bin?

I think this is how I’m going to celebrate my first night of retirement - not for a while yet mind but just seems a really outrageously decadent self-care thing to do! 😁

@MoominMai not a problem we have encountered. We’ve been using this service for over a decade now!

I’m sure that rich people and some swanky hospitality places use a Christmas decorator / tree one!
they would turn their noses up at my dusty b and q old tree from put the loft with Woolworth decorations from the 90s! lol 🎄

The Lowry hotel in Manchester used to have a bath menu. No idea if it still does but you could order various bath foamy concotions and things to eat in the bath like chocolate dipped strawberries and champagne.

I would love a Christmas Tree decorator, but there's none in my area sadly. I am sure they can travel but the cost would be ridiculous for me 😂

Stylist!

I don't know if it's very random, but she's a life saver.
I book her to declutter my wardrobes, and give me a list of basics I am missing, book online shops with her so I have a shortlist of clothes.

I have no time, energy or idea about clothes shopping, she's ace and shops in the shops I want (NewLook and Vinted if needed, it's not designer-based)

Ds2 uses the prescription delivery service. He rates it.
I had a carpet cleaned once, honestly the man made such a fuss about it with his rules around not walking on it too quickly ( fair enough ) how the colour might fade , how long it would take to dry , it was a real faff tbh. He made me so stressed out, I think people had complained before and he had to cover every eventuality!

Im intrigued by the carpet cleaning but I read somewhere that it damages the carpet because it strips them of some factory coating or some such so subsequent stains actually become more stubborn to remove?