UK households can save up to £580 in one year by cleaning common feature

UK online searches for "how to clean behind radiators" and "how to fix rising damp" have actually surged by over 5000% in the past month alone.

And there's plenty of good reason for why. Experts not only emphasise that over time, rust, dirt, and limescalecan clog radiators, restricting water flow and causing uneven heating, but ultimately this forces your boiler to work harder.

The inefficiency can increase annual heating bills by as much as 25%.

For a typical three-bedroom semi-detached home paying around £2,347 a year, making the saving over £580 annually.

Luckily, all it takes is just a tiny amount of annual cleaning and maintenance, and you'll be rewarded with hundreds of pounds in savings.

Cleaning your radiator is much simpler than you might think, and experts reveal the exact steps to follow. One of the key practices for maintenance is to remove sludge by simply bleeding the radiator.

Ideally done once a year, around the autumn period, this will release a small amount of trapped air. This allows hot water to flow properly.

Experts at Rainbow Rubbish Removals explain that the method, which simply uses a radiator key, improves heating efficiency, decreases energy bills, and increases the lifespan of your heating system.

Mirsolav Radov adds that it's also important to clean all areas of your radiator. Simply take a long, thin radiator brush to reach the back and between panels. He explains that "hoovering with a small nozzle attachment can also work well, or using a hair dryer to push the dust towards the floor and then hoovering up the excess".

Once you've hoovered up as much dust as you can, just wipe the surface again with a cloth and lukewarm soapy water.

Online, mums have been getting creative with DIY radiator cleaning hacks. One shares on Mumsnet that if you can't find long wand dusters, simply tie a piece of rag on a string and pull up through each channel. They say it "takes time but does the same job".

Another writes that they place a washing-up bowl and towels underneath, pouring hot water down the inside of the radiator into a basin.

While another simply uses a hairdryer at the top and a hoover pipe at the bottom.

However, while experts at bestheating.com agree that a clean radiator is better than a filthy one and ultimately keeps the heating costs down, they warn that using the wrong products for the job can lead to damage and even dangerous scenarios.

Products that shouldn't be used include abrasive materials, antibacterial products (specifically aerosols and sprays), and corrosive chemicals such as bleach.

They also advise leaving your radiators off for a couple of hours before attempting any cleaning.