Got floor scuffs?
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Sometimes it is just inevitable when it comes to floor scuffs. The only real way to prevent this problem is to prevent shoes from being worn past the front or back door. But, if you do allow shoes you may be noticing that certain soles of shoes cause those unsightly scuff marks especially on tile and vinyl floors. You may also see it on wood flooring.
How can they be removed and easily? Thanks to eHow.com, here are a few ideas. A couple of them I have tried and actually work!
If you have a no-wax floor, using a dry paper towel to remove the mark is pretty simple. This works great on vinyl flooring. The tougher marks can be removed with no-wax cleaner but gently apply until it disappears.
This idea is pretty unique yet pretty cool. Try cutting an X on the bottom of a new or clean tennis ball. Attach the ball onto a broomstick then rub along the scuff mark. Apparently, this erases it hassle free. Definitely worth giving a shot!
Hardwood floor cleaners should help remove any scuff marks present.
Again, these are easy ways to remove those marks but you are better off preventing the problem by setting up a no “Outdoor Shoes” rule! It keeps those nasty scuffs away everytime.
Source: eHow
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Natural room deodorizers
Friday, May 4th, 2012
There is nothing worse than walking into a room and smelling foul odors circulating through the house. From pet odors to garbage and fish smells it can be hard to keep a handle on. Store bought deodorizers tend to just mask the odors or even be overwhelming with fragrance. One of the best routes may be the natural approach. Here are a few ideas that not only make your house smell fresh and clean but also zap odors completely:
For the kitchen
To get rid of odors in your sink (garbage disposal), put orange peels down the drain and run hot water down the disposal as you run it. Believe it or not this actually works naturally deodorizing your sink and kitchen. Lemons, limes, and grapefruits work just as well.
For any room
Vinegar and baking soda act as natural deodorizers. Scrubbing down any surface with this solution will keep everyone room smelling fresh and clean.
For the Carpet
Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets and let sit for an hour then vacuum. This naturally removes pet odors off of carpets and area rugs.
Miscellaneous
Another great one I recently tried is a tablespoon of vanilla extract and a cup of water in the microwave for 3 minutes. This leaves a lovely fragrance throughout the home.
Try placing a small bowls of vinegar and baking soda in every room. This naturally freshens a room. I do this on a daily basis and it actually works great with pets. The vinegar and baking soda absorbs odors in the room. Vinegar and lemon juice also works nicely.
Source: DIY Life
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Declutter your bookshelves!
Friday, May 4th, 2012
Have you ever found yourself walking into a room despising the books cluttered on your bookshelf? It can become a definite eye-sore. If you would rather not deal with the clutter you can always Velcro a fancy or trendy curtain. Here are ways however to effectively declutter your bookshelves its really quite simple:
- Start with one shelf. Sort through books worth keeping on the shelf and box up others you no longer need. This will significantly cut down on the clutter depending on size and thickness.
- Another approach is called the pro technique. This is where you put all of the books in the front allowing only a little bit of the shelf floor to show. You can do this based on length.
- Get crafty and create Colorado coordinating book covers. This is a great one to involve even the kids.
- Ditch paperbacks or stack them in an artsy way.
- Create hiding spots.
- If all else fails remove all the books and just start over.
Source:Houzz
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Unique decorating ideas for the home
Monday, April 30th, 2012
We all know that interior design in any home can become very expensive especially if you pay top dollar for the hottest and best trends. It’s even more expensive to hire a designer to come in and completely transform you home into something spectacular. What if I told you you could design a room for much less but while making it look like you spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars? It can be done.
Here are some unique ideas to help get you started.
- Tile Illusions. You can achieve this look without even using a single tile. Just Google printable tile patterns and print out on a color or laser printer. You can frame then hang. It truly tricks your eyes and brain into thinking actual tiles are nailed to the wall when in all reality it is just printable paper or even glossy paper for that added illusion. You can even do this with elegant wall paper styles as well.
- DIY Wine Wrack. Shoe wracks, PVC Pipes, and and Shelf Cubes make great wine wracks. For easy DIY instructions go to eHow.com.
- Shutter Light Fixtures. If you really want to bring a unique look into your home with your lighting fixtures, try using old shutters. I recently saw this done on the reality show: “Resturaunt Impossible.” It was quite amazing and brilliant! Basically you take 4 single shutter boards and have them form a box. Install lights and hang on a wall.
For more unique yet budget friendly decorating ideas for the home go to housebeautiful.com.
Source: House Beautiful, eHow, and About
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Managing dust in your home
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
Dust can become a major problem and build up quickly if not managed properly affecting your overall health and well being. Who wants dust bunnies and dust mites flying around the home anyways? Here are a few tips thanks to Ezine Articles:
- Monitor how many times you open and close your home’s windows. This can reduce the amount of dirt that blows into your home.
- Vacuuming more often helps reduce the dust problem in your home.
- Consider removing carpeting and going hardwood floors instead. Dust and dirt trap easily into carpeting raising allergies.
- Changing your furnace filter helps cut down on dust getting blown back into your home.
- Changing bed sheets on a daily basis is a good idea when you want to reduce dust and dead skin skills, yuck.
- When you do go to dust shelves, fans, etc., make sure you are using something that will trap the dust and not just spread it around making it worse.
Excellent tips!
Source: Ezine Articles
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Top 5 Weed Killers
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
Weeds, weeds, weeds. They are a nuisance and an eye sore. You pull them, you spray them but they just don’t die or they just keep coming back. What brands of weed killers really do work for your lawn?
Upon a little research, I found 5 of the best weed killing agents out there that not only claim to remove those nasty weeds but keep them from growing back on a continual basis. Not only are these top 5 week killers effective, they are also pet safe.
- Lighting Fast Weed Killer
- Consumer Brands LG Safe N Simple Weed Control
- Bite Blocker EcoBlender Weed Killer
- Fertilome Weed Free Zone
- Burnout II Organic Weed and Grass Killer
This top five list can be seen on Garden Guides with a detailed description about each product.
Source: Garden Guides
Image: Wikimedia Commons
How to maintain a brick patio
Friday, April 13th, 2012
If you have a brick patio in your backyard, you may be curious as how to maintain it’s appearance and usage. Realistically, maintaining a brick patio is actually easier than one may think. Here is all you need to get the job done:
- A bucket
- Bleach
- Water
According to eHow are are some effective cleaning and maintenance methods that will keep your brick patio attractive and enjoyable:
- Sweep away all debris such as dirt and leaves away from your brick patio. Fill a bucket with 2 cups of bleach and 1 gallon of warm water. Dip a broom in the mixture and scrub surfaces thoroughly especially to rid mold and mildew. Rinse the surface and finish scrubbing. This process can be done only once or twice a year.
- Spread a thin layer of sand over the bricks to get it in the spaces. This will prevent water buildup.
- Inspect cracks for weeds. You can use a weed killer to keep the weeds from spreading. Round Up works wonders.
Source: eHow
Image: Wikimedia Commons
How to treat pest problems in your home
Friday, April 13th, 2012
When it comes to bugs, you would expect to see them in the great outdoors, not inside your home. Some homes may experience a serious problem when it comes to pests so how can it be treated and effectively?
The best way according to the idea marketers, is to “take preventative measures in your home even before the problem arises.” If you treat your house 3-5 times a year you shouldn’t experience a problem with pests. Well, this most certainly makes sense but what if you are too late in the game and already have pests creeping around your home, what can you do?
When it comes to health and safety of your loved ones, it’s best to choose the least toxic method. Here are some other ways that will be effective if you find your problem worsening:
- Culk and seal every possible opening outside your home. If you block off their little passage routes you will begin to see less pests entering your home.
- Fix and clean areas where insects tend to be attracted like damp areas, rotted wood, etc.
If you are worried that the problem is way beyond your control, it is better to contact a professional. They will know how to destroy and prevent in sufficient time. But if a professional is outside your budget, consider a strong spray from a hose, insect soap spray, organic and chemical pesticides are necessary depending on the type of pest problem you are experiencing.
Source: Wiki Answers
Image: Wikimedia Commons
How to repair broken window screens
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
Do you have a window screen that is in major need of repair? Here are some tips that you may find helpful:
- You will first want to remove the window screen from the window.
- Use a screwdriver to pull up the corner and then slowly bring out the rest of the mesh material.
- You can now remove the old material from the window.
- Unroll the new screen material and lay the old screen on top of it.
- Cut the new screen larger than the old screen.
- Measure and cut the new length and spread over new frame. Press firmly into the frame.
- Trim the excess screen outside of the frame.
This is a quick and effective way to replace an old tore up window screen. For more information on how to repair broken window screens go to ehow.com.
Source: eHow
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Updating your front porch railing
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
Do you have a wobbly porch step railing? This can become a danger to anyone who uses the step on a regular basis such as the mail carrier, etc. It is important to update your porch to add to that curb appeal. It can be a DIY project or you can opt to hire a professional. The decision is yours but if you have an unsightly porch with wobbly steps, now would be a good time to make those updates. Here are a few tips, and options you can go by when moving foward with this exterior home improvement. Keep in mind this is dependant on how severe or minor the wobble is.
- You could bolt the rail with a carriage bolt to the step structure.
- Strap it to the step structure.
- From using step one or two from above you can use “L” brackets from the railing to the step.
If you are uncertain if these tips will take care of your front porch railing, you can always have a professional come and take a look at it and give you an estimate of what exactly needs to be done. Sometimes these minor improvements can easily become a DIY project. Youtube has DIY videos in these categories if you would rather save some money.
Source: Today’s Modern Woman
Image: Wikimedia Commons
