Category Archives: House Cleaning

9 Affordable Luxury Gifts

February 28, 2024   Matt

9 Affordable Luxury Gifts

It’s possible to treat everyone on your list to a luxury gift without spending a fortune. You just have to know where to find great deals on luxury gifts and how to fit luxury gifts into your budget. If you can’t afford to give an entire designer ensemble, opt for a less expensive accessory. Instead of a mink coat, try mink fur-trimmed gloves. A trip to a day spa, instead of an all-out spa vacation. You get the idea.

How do you define a luxury gift? Webster defines a luxury as (1) something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary (2) an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease. So you see, it isn’t always about the price. A luxury gift can be anything that a person doesn’t find absolutely necessary and probably wouldn’t buy for himself/herself but would love to receive. It’s a special treat.

Here are several affordable luxury gifts that are sure to please:

Jewelry and Watches

A piece of fine jewelry or a designer watch are always welcome gifts but may not be in your budget; especially if you have a long gift list. There’s still a way to get the glitz for much less than retail. Swarovski crystal is a great alternative to diamonds. Or, you could always visit online discount sites if you prefer the real thing. I recently found a Raymond Weil ladies watch for 35% off retail. I’ve also seen substantial discounts on premium designer jewelry and watches on auction sites.

Soothe Mind and Body

Is someone on your gift list stressed out? Treat him or her to a spa service such as a massage, manicure, pedicure or facial by giving a gift certificate. These services cost much less than a full spa day and the recipient will still feel pampered.

Bath and Fragrant Products

This happens to be my absolute favorite when it comes to indulgences. High end soaps, shower gels and bubble bath are richer and more luxuriant than the lower end versions. They also last longer and smell better. I love Bath and Body Works products (especially the new Tutti Dolci Apple Torta line).

Cashmere

There’s just something about cashmere that says luxury. Maybe it’s the feeling of having this ultra-soft wool next to your skin. If your budget won’t allow for a sweater or robe, try less expensive items like scarves, gloves and hats.

Silk

You can find affordable gifts in this luxurious fabric at online discount sites as well. The prices at these sites are so reasonable, that you could spring for silk pajamas without breaking the bank. You could always opt for silk scarves, pashminas or ties.

Fine Foods

Gourmet gifts are great for the person who has everything because they’re consumable. Gourmet foods are generally made of the finest and rarest ingredients and run the gamut from caviar, and lobster to Belgian chocolates. Although some of your recipients wouldn’t dream of paying for these gourmet delicacies, they’ll be glad you did (or at least they’ll think you did). You can impress for less by visiting igourmet.com.

High-End Cookware and Utensils

If someone on your gift list would rather prepare their own gourmet meals, why not arm them with state-of-the-art cookware or utensils. It’s not difficult to find top brands such as All-Clad, Cuisinart, KitchenAid and Le Creuset at savings of up to 70%.

Luxury Bedding

Someone who thinks that all sheets are created equal hasn’t slept on sheets with a thread count above 400. If you want to give someone a luxurious night’s sleep, try sheets with a thread count of 600 or higher. I’ve found a 1,000 thread-count queen sheet set for 9.00 online – 62% off the retail price.

Maid Service

Wouldn’t you feel pampered if someone else handled the house cleaning for you? Give your friend or family member a gift certificate from Merry Maids or Maid Brigade and relieve the recipient of the burden of house cleaning. Service can be scheduled through the companies’ local offices. House cleaning gift certificates are available in amounts of 0 and higher.

Read More

Building Your Fish Pond In Your Own Backyard

February 23, 2024   Matt

BUILDING YOUR FISH POND IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

A pond may offer a number of benefits. It can be cool
and relaxing, visually appealing and it can provide
the local wildlife a watering point.

For Starters

It is imperative to know the reason why you are
building this pond before the actual construction.
Some individuals just wanted to put up these kinds of
projects without considering the comfort and safety of
the inhabitants of that pond. Evaluate first these
things before assembling your pond.

You can ask for advice from your pond professional or
read books that are concerned on pond kits and the
techniques of construction of ponds. Consult your
local pond contractors who have experience regarding
this field.

Now you can build your own fish pond following these
planning stages:

Consider the location.

Choose a site where your pond is not near existing
large trees. These vantage points will prevent root
problems as well as minimizing the problem of falling
leaves in your pond that may cause decaying and poor
water quality. Pond plants such as water lilies need
sunlight to grow. It is best to place your pond where
it can be exposed to sun but not too much as it can
over heat during mid afternoon or on hot days. A semi
shaded place with a good amount of light coming
through is sufficient enough.

Temperature extremes should be minimized on the pond.
If you intend on raising and keeping fish, it is
important to make the pond as deep and as large as
practical. However, deeper ponds may need to be fenced
to prevent accidents.

Design with purpose.

Consider electricity supply for pumps, filters, and
lights when designing your pond. It is also important
to look into the water supply and drainage.

Ponds must have an overflow area (a place located
below the rest of the pond height) to control where
the excess water should go. Overflowing may be caused
by overfilling the pond with water or from heavy rain.

Screen your overflow paths to prevent any escape of
small plants, fishes (and its eggs), and snails during
water additions and heavy rainfall. This may also
protect the local waterways from any possible escape.
This is especially important if there are non local
fish in the pond.

Complete preparation requirements.

It is essential to clean and rinse ponds before using
it since fish and other water plants are sensitive to
contaminants. “Curing” concrete ponds combined with
water changes, scrubbing, filling, and painting with
vinegar is also important.

Allow chloramines and chlorine to dissipate especially
if you used tap water to fill the pond. One can also
utilize a commercial chlorine neutralizer from pet
shops to solve this problem.

Ensure that all equipment such as fountains,
waterfalls, filters, and lights are working
satisfactorily before adding the fish and plants.

It is also better if you allow at least one week for
the plants to settle in the pond before adding the
fish. Clean up the pond regularly for dead leaves as
this will add unwanted excess nutrients to the water
and decay it as well.

Observe proper maintenance.

A said, keep the pond clean of fallen vegetation and
dead leaves. The frequency of cleaning will depend on
the amount of vegetation falling into the water and on
the tome of the year. Do the cleaning at the beginning
of spring before the temperature of the water starts
to rise.

Feed your fish and clean up the filters periodically.

Add water in the pond periodically. A normal garden
hose will do. However, no more than 10-20% should be
added at any time because of the chlorine levels in
tap water.

Read More

Types of Vacuums

February 18, 2024   Matt

Types of Vacuums

Anyone with a carpet needs a vacuum to help keep it clean. There are many different types of vacuums on the market, and choosing the right style is easy with a little bit of information. Here are some types of vacuums and their benefits.
Upright Vacuums
These vacuums are used more for carpet than for bare floors. They are easy to store and to move around the house.
HEPA Vacuums
Best for those with allergies or asthma, these vacuums contain filters to clean the air. They are good options for home or office use.
Canister Vacuums
These vacuums are useful for stairs and bare floors, as they are very portable.
Stick Vacuums
Perhaps the most convenient vacuums to store, these are good for bare floors or area rugs.
Backpack Vacuums
These are very quiet to use. They are also very portable and help you clean difficult-to-reach areas.
Hand-held Vacuums
Perhaps the most portable, these vacuums can be used to spot clean areas of the home but are also very useful to clean out vehicles. They require very little storage space.
Steam Vacuums/Carpet Cleaners
For deep-cleaning carpets and upholstery, these vacuums are your best bet.
Commercial Vacuums
These hardy vacuums are good for frequent usage, particularly in office buildings. They usually have a longer power cord, allowing you to reach faraway areas.
Vacuums come in a number of different brands. Prices vary depending on quality, durability, and type. When selecting among vacuums, consider how often you will need to use your machine (Will you use it daily?); where you will use it most frequently (Do you have a lot of hard-to-reach areas?); and how much space you have to store it.
Some homes or offices require more than one type of vacuum, to serve different purposes. For example, if you have a combination of carpet and hardwood floors, you may want to have a stick vacuum as well as an upright or canister vacuum, as these serve different needs. Wet vacuums are also useful if you need to clean damp areas. A salesperson can help you determine which specific brand or model will help you best serve your needs.

Read More

Wool Carpeting For Your Home

February 13, 2024   Matt

Wool Carpeting For Your Home

There is nothing quite as luxurious as having wool carpeting in your home. Although is a definite luxury, wool carpeting is also a lasting value. A wool carpet will cost more at the time of installation, but over the years a resilient wool carpet will prove itself to be a lasting value far superior to other types of carpeting. No man made fiber rug can come close to wool superior rich look and feel.

Wool is a prized natural fiber that has many attributes that lends itself to quality carpet making. Wool is non allergenic, which can be a very important consideration to some who may deal with allergies or children with asthma. It does not promote the growth of dust mites or bacteria and has no harmful emissions as do man made carpet fibers. It is naturally soil resistant. Wool is naturally flame retardant. The fibers of wool have a natural superior long term appearance retention which is why wool carpets don’t age as quickly as man made fiber carpets. The wool fibers don’t crush or break down under use as man made carpet fibers do.

Along with the above natural attributes of wool over man made carpet there is also wool’s natural ability to absorb and retain colors. As it is a natural fiber wool is able to capture clearer colors than synthetic fabrics. Also as anyone who has a synthetic carpet knows, synthetic carpets requires frequent cleanings, and, after cleaning some man made fibers such as olefin, nylon and polyester actually develop graying in traffic areas and actually look worse than before they were cleaned. This will not happen with wool carpeting.

As with any carpet, a cleaning schedule will help to extend the life of your wool carpeting. Many different methods can be used on wool carpeting such as spray extracting, rotary shampooing or foam, use of dry powder or factory cleaning (in the case of area rugs, such as oriental rugs).

You may want to consider a wool carpet when buying new, or replacing existing carpeting. If you can’t afford to carpet your entire house with wool then carpet the room that will receive the heaviest traffic, such as your living room or family room. You’ll be glad you did.

Read More

Initial Steps to Getting Organized

February 08, 2024   Matt

Initial Steps to Getting Organized

Getting organized doesn’t have to be a chore. Below are a few simple steps you can initiate right now that will start you on your way.
*Begin with messes and clutter that you see every day. Organize your kitchen, garage, and family room before your hallway closet. Once you see how nice it looks, you will want to work on the hidden areas.
*Use drawer dividers for socks, underwear, lingerie, and tiny items, to keep them separated and organized. This works well for both silverware and office supplies too.
* Give everything in your house a place of its own. This way your family will know exactly where to find it and where to put it away.
* Establish one defined place in your house for storing library books, and end a house-wide hunt when it is time to read or return them.
*Hang hooks for your keys and purse at the entry to your home, so each time you walk in, you can hang them up.
* Set aside one basket for you and your partner for incoming mail, bills, and receipts and letters. This way everyone will know where these important items are when needed. Keep all important papers such as birth certificates, social security cards and medical insurance information in one folder.
* Get rid of things that are not needed any long. Expired coupons, old prescriptions, magazines you might get around to reading someday. All these take away space you could be using for items you do need and use..
You will free your mind to remember more important things like appointments and birthdays when you are organized. Be attentive about thoroughly cleaning once a month and you will find it much easier to keep up, week-by-week. An organized house does indeed help unclutter your mind.

Read More

What Are Some Economical Things That Eliminate Odors?

February 03, 2024   Matt

What Are Some Economical Things That Eliminate Odors?

Running a household is not easy. Between keeping up with children and pets, maintaining sanitary conditions in and around the home, and providing your family with a nurturing environment, housekeeping is one of the hardest jobs around. So how is it that you can spend all day cleaning, and your house still does not have a fresh scent? Even with the best cleaning and laundry agents, everyone needs things that eliminate odors from time to time.

If you have pets and children, you know that odors come with the territory. But other odor-causing elements can create smells that linger long after the source of the smell is gone. Take cooking, for example. If you spend a great deal of time in the kitchen, you may be releasing smells into your home that do not disappear just because the leftovers have been eaten. Fragrant vegetables, hearty stews, dishes made with fish, all of these are odor-causing meals that can linger, not only in your kitchen, but in the furniture, carpet, and curtains of your home. And just because a dish smells good when you are cooking does not mean that the remaining scent will be as attractive. Often, the smell that a delicious meal leaves behind is anything but appetizing. If you are a frequent cook, look into some things that eliminate odors in the kitchen before they reach the rest of the house.

A room freshener is good place to start. Many fresheners come in spray form, allowing you to use them on an as needed basis. Among things that eliminate odors, liquid air fresheners (Liquid Air Freshener – Rainforest) are known as long-lasting and easily dispersed through the air because they are made with scented oils. When you create a particularly fragrant meal, simply use your air freshener as you go, spraying periodically to restore a fresh scent to your home.

Also keep in mind that if you, your family members, or your guests smoke in the house, even one cigarette or cigar can create a stale smell that rides on the smoke and embeds itself in your upholstery, destroying the fresh scent you worked so hard to achieve. A long history of smoking indoors can create a difficult odor problem that may call for things that eliminate odors on a daily basis.

Pets are a source of joy and constant companionship. Most pet owners believe that they are well worth the time and effort it takes to maintain their health and happiness. Unfortunately, many pet owners forget that maintaining the home’s freshness against persistent pet odors is also necessary. We have all walked into a home and immediately smelled the pet odors that linger in every room, making it obvious that the owners, though diligent in their pet care, have neglected to include things that eliminate odors in their daily cleaning regimen.

For persistent smells like pet odor and stale smoke, a daily upkeep of your home’s air quality is advisable. Look for a room freshener that provides a continuous fresh scent and can stand up to the everyday smells created by smoking or pets.

One concern that many people have is what to use to eliminate odor on furniture. Upholstery holds onto smells when it has been exposed to adverse conditions. You can do a sniff test to see how strong the smells are and to help you determine what to use to eliminate odor on furniture in each area of your home. You may be able to use a spray deodorizer or simply vacuum the smell away if it is mild. When determining what to use to eliminate odor on furniture though, it helps to know if the odors come from a stain or are embedded in the entire piece. Stains can be treated with a good one-step upholstery cleaner.

If the source of the smell is not a stain, to truly restore a fresh scent to your upholstery, you may need to take some time to clean it. When you have decided what to use to eliminate odor on furniture, keep in mind the type of fabric you have and how long it will take the cleaner to dry before you make a purchase.

Overall, there are some very efficient and cost-effective things that eliminate odors in your home. If you have trouble diagnosing your own needs, ask a trusted friend or relative to come over and give you an honest opinion. Often, people become accustomed to the smells in their homes, even the bad ones. Remember not to be offended by their comments. Instead, use the feedback to find things that eliminate odors for good. And then take a deep breath for a job well done.

Read More
« Older posts
Newer posts »

  • Subscribe

Support us!

If you like this site please subscribe