Articles for General

We are all familiar with that clammy, uncomfortable feeling in the middle of summer, it’s not just the heat that gets to us, those high temperatures  are often accompanied with heavy, moisture laden air which makes our immediate environment what we call ‘humid’. We often associate humidity with negative feelings and see it as something ... continue reading "Why Would You Need a Humidifier?"

Air conditioners have become so entrenched in our everyday lives it’s hard to imagine getting along without them. That blast of fresh crisp, clean air we receive after getting into a baking hot car that’s been sitting in the sun for hours is priceless. Similarly the sudden boost in focus, concentration and enthusiasm that rushes ... continue reading "How Do Air Conditioners Work?"

We Brits are never happy it seems, so synonymous are our fair isles with rain that foreign visitors virtually demand the sight of a downpour upon touching down! 2010 has certainly not delivered on the rain front however, as this is one of the driest years in history. While this might have some of us ... continue reading "The Driest Countries in the World"

We are well into August now and facing the final few weeks of hot, sunny weather in the UK. The snow fall that virtually froze the country in a cryogenic state only seems like yesterday and the prospect of another long, cold winter may seem like a depressing one. The unfortunate reality is that we ... continue reading "Embrace Winter!"

How many people do you know with a ceiling fan? Let me take a guess. None? The ceiling fan seems to have fallen out of favour in British households of late. The rise of interior design with its fussy skirting boards and pastel shades seems to have helped at least in some way to bring ... continue reading "Fan-tastic Additions to Your Home"

So we’ve reached that time of year again, the shorts make the annual debut as pale legs begin to appear all over the land, soon to be branded with the unmistakable crimson British tan lines! While summer as a season is widely celebrated in the media, in reality, it’s not as popular as you might ... continue reading "Its Not the Heat That’ll Kill Ya!"

Britain seems to be gripped by a fashion-epidemic. A concept which was once confined to clothing has now filtered down into almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives. From cheese graters to egg-poachers, design is big business and people are prepared to pay a premium for a perfectly preened precision potato peeler these days! James ... continue reading "Fan-cy Dan"

Summer is more often than not quoted as most people’s favourite season. The sun beats down casting a golden glow across the land, transforming even the most bland scene into a picturesque oil painting. The whole country basks in an atmosphere of happiness and joviality as friends and families congregate in parks, gardens and on ... continue reading "Top Four Summer Safety Tips"

Green. It seems you can’t escape the word these days. It used to be a colour but in few short years it’s meaning has changed, it now comes to represent an ecological cause, ‘be greener’, ‘reduce your carbon footprint’ and ‘halt climate change’ are a messages being fired at us from all angles. Whether we ... continue reading "Stay Cool – Be Green!"

I’m constantly hearing workmates and friends (me included) complaining about how hot it is at the moment. It’s just so humid that working in an office is simply no fun. All of us Brits who do struggle with the heat though should count ourselves lucky we don’t live in India, where they’re still suffering from ... continue reading "You Think The UK Is Hot…"

The weather over the last few weeks has been beautiful; even the music-goers at the Glastonbury Festival saw a beautiful weekend (something that particularly bugged me as i couldn’t go). Rainfall has been well below average for this period in the UK, and according to the BBC it’s the ‘driest January to May period since ... continue reading "Will The Dry Spell Last?"

Don’t know about you, but one of the less pleasant consequences of this great weather we seem to be having is the apparent increase in the numbers of flies and other buzzing creepy crawlies that are flying about.  We all know that flying insects like moths and bees are vital for pollination of crops, but ... continue reading "On The Fly"

Even we in the midst of this World Cup season wouldn’t try to shoehorn in England footie fans here.  Nor are we talking about  how oddly teamed animals make their way back home, or how Raquel Welch squeezes into a miniaturised  submarine (that would be a Fantastic Voyage!).  Neither do we consider a long and ... continue reading "Fantastic Journey"

The World Cup.  We promised not to touch it, but we just can’t avoid it, especially given the run of frankly baffling first round group stage results.  France apparently being morphed into a Pub Team.  Switzerland beating Spain – what’s that about? Ten-man Germany slipping to defeat after missing a World Cup penalty for the ... continue reading "Who Are The Best Fans?"

On Monday, President Obama started his Memorial Day Speech in front of huge crowds of people in the middle of a torrential downpour. With severe lighting stoms close by, Obama seemed a little distracted at first – the wind and  rain lashing at the free world’s  leader from all angles.
Within a few minutes, Obama ... continue reading "Obama Scared Of A Little Shock…"

Quick, grab the barbecue before it changes its mind!
It’s June now, so I  think we can be forgiven for expecting a bit of sun. Yes I know we’re in Britain, but I want my summer.
After a couple of false starts (where it pretended it was summer to get us all in shorts and ... continue reading "The Sunniest Weekend Of The Year So Far On Its Way…"

The volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier is apparently spewing out far less ash, but a change of wind direction means the island’s main airports are set to close for the first time.  It remains active and has been throwing magma chunks the size of cars into the air with some lava flow and Earth tremors. ... continue reading "Was Iceland Volcano an Inside Insurance Job?"

In the old days of LBC talk radio on FM in London you knew summer was coming because virtually all the advertisements on air were for portable air conditioners.  Even if it was raining cats and dogs outside the car window, as soon the annoying, strident tones of the ads for a particular supplier came ... continue reading "Air Conditioning and the First Signs of Summer"

Even if you are not a fan of weather forecasters, they all seem to be in agreement about what this summer is going to be like.  It’ll be a scorcher!   Not just the Met Office, but a number of commercial forecasters (which have to be right more often so they get paid!) are suggesting that ... continue reading "Summer Is a Coming!"

Weather forecasters. The popular conception often seems to be that they may have more gadgets and gizmos, but seemingly today’s weathermen can’t tell us much more than the Shaman in the headdress holding two sticks and throwing chicken entrails at the clouds.  After all, even with global warming and all that, how hard can it ... continue reading "Weather Wizards of OZ?"

At a time when there seems to be a conspiracy to deny the scientific basis behind climate change theories, you could be forgiven for  relaxing about making your home and lifestyle fit better with sustaining  the environment.  Even if you believe the global warming deniers, the one thing that cannot be denied is the fact ... continue reading "Humidifiers Can Help Save Energy and the Planet"

Part of the thrill of becoming a parent for the first time is the preparation of the baby’s room.  That’s when new dads, no matter how ham fisted, are expected to master gloss and emulsion painting  and the art of wallpapering by trying to match up patterns of cartoon characters without consuming  half the roll ... continue reading "Getting the Right Humidifier For The Nursery"

One of the most important  factors to bear in mind when choosing a dehumidifier  is the need to match the water extraction capacity of the unit with the requirements of the place where it is going to be installed. Obviously, larger rooms require dehumidifiers that are capable of removing large quantities of water efficiently in ... continue reading "Guide to Choosing a Dehumidifier"

Air purifiers and humidifiers have demonstrable health benefits, especially for people with respiratory illnesses or children who are suffering from croup or any other infection of the upper trachea.  Many find relief from their symptoms by using humidifiers and air purifiers, but we’ve come across a recently launched unit that claims to bring the health ... continue reading "The Future of Air Purifiers?"

We don’t all have green fingers.  Whatever the opposite of that is, many of us have it in spades! Our allotment is barren, our house plants wither and die no matter what we do.  Which is a shame really, since indoor plants act as a natural air purifier, filtering the toxins and pollutants including carbon ... continue reading "Horticulture or Humidifiers?"

If you’re in a band or an orchestra and have musical instruments in the house, you’ll be aware of how quickly they can “spontaneously” go out of tune.   That’s especially the case if you live or perform in a very dry or arid environment.   There are humidifiers specially made for instrument cases and some ... continue reading "Humidifiers to Keep You in Tune"

Crufts is coming!  Around 28,000 dogs will descend on the NEC in Birmingham on 11-14 March for the world’s greatest dog show and why not?  Pets are great. They reduce blood pressure, provide companionship, give you a reason to go out to the pub for “walkies” and introduce the kids to responsibility.  They’re cute too!   ... continue reading "Control Your Killer Pets"

The Cigar.  It’s the staple export of Cuba, the image associated with the “fat cat banker” and the traditional gift for new fathers.  Smoking is bad for you, so stop OK!  Cigars especially, no matter how much you may enjoy them, do leave a stink.  However, if like Mark Twain (nee Samuel Clemens) you do ... continue reading "Air Purifiers for Cigar Smoking Celebs"

Cold and flu season has arrived and it’s been well established that running a humidifier in your home can help relieve congestion and soothe a sore throat.  A humidifier can be particularly beneficial for children with colds and snuffles as their smaller nostrils get stuffed up more easily. Indeed, one of the first things most ... continue reading "Humidifiers Could Help Kill Flu Viruses"

Most weather men are suggesting that this year has been one of the coldest so far and it’s set to remain that way for a while.   Temperatures are low enough to begin with, but add a wind chill factor to that and the results on your skin can be pretty bad.  You don’t have to ... continue reading "Humidifiers Protect Skin in Cold Weather"