Category Archives: House Cleaning

Home Improvement Projects On A Budget

Home Improvement Projects On A Budget

Every year thousands of home owners do major renovations on their house in order to improve the value as well as enjoy their improvements. Some home improvements are very costly and many do not have a good return for the money spent. If you want to improve your home and up the value at the same time there are 3 areas you can focus on that make the most difference.
These projects can add value to your home, make it more enjoyable and don’t cost a lot of money either!
One key area in your home is the entrance. It’s the first thing that people see when they enter and the first place you step into when you come home. Spicing up your entrance goes for the outside as well as the inside. If you have a porch, add a nice planter and some lush vibrant plants. How about a nice wicker chair and table? You can search second hand stores for interesting items to add to your porch for a bargain.
If you really want a change try putting a coat of bright paint on the front door. Paint is cheap and can make a big difference in the way your whole house looks. While you have the paint brush out, why not try a different color on the inside foyer as well?
The kitchen is another key area in your home and making improvements in this room will add value to your house if you plan on selling it. The biggest thing in your kitchen is the cabinets and after years of use they can get dingy and dull. One thing you can do is give them a good cleaning. This one step alone can make a difference. You would be surprised the amount of dust and grease that can accumulate on cabinets. Depending on the material that your cabinets are made of, simply removing the cabinets from their hinges and wiping them down with the damp cloth is sufficient. There are chemicals on the market, but you need to make sure that the chemicals are made for your cabinet material.
Aside from cleaning the cabinets, you can give your kitchen a whole new look by replacing the cabinet knobs and hinges. Painting your kitchen can really change the way it looks and a nice tile backsplash can be inexpensive but have big impact.
The third area that makes a big difference in the house is the bathroom. Your guest bathroom is typically the smallest one in the house but you can make it have a big impact for you and your guests. You undoubtedly have a nice set of guest towels and matching accessories. Think about adding wallpaper trim, artwork, and color to the room.
There are numerous styles of wallpaper trim that you can choose a new look for your bathroom. You can go as conservative and as creative as you want. To complement the wallpaper trim, you can add artwork. You don’t have to go out and purchase expensive artwork. You can use your imagination to come up with some ideas. For example, a few seashells, colorful fabric, and an empty picture frame are all you need to become your own favorite artist.
Just like the other room, paint is an inexpensive way to totally change the look of your bathroom. And don’t forget to hit the second hand stores for interesting accessories to add to your bathroom.

Improve Your Smile With These Teeth Whitening Tips (5)

Improve Your Smile With These Teeth Whitening Tips

White teeth are an important part of any mouth. Having white teeth is a sign that your teeth are clean and that your mouth is healthy. White teeth give us our bright smiles that people love to see. The advice in this article will help you with teeth whitening.

Visit your dentist regularly. Sometimes, the regular cleaning a dentist can provide will remove stains from your teeth and you may not need to have them bleached at all. This deep-down cleaning will help get the stains out of micro-cracks in the enamel in your teeth.

One important teeth whitening tip is to try to avoid beverages that will stain your teeth. There are many liquids that can cause damage that is hard to reverse. Drinks to avoid if possible are carrot juice, red wine, coffee, tea, and cola. If you do choose to dring any of these drinks, be sure to clean your teeth soon afterward.

To make your teeth look their best after a bleaching session, be sure to focus on your gums. Red or irritated gums will distract from your teeth, and may make them look less healthy than they actually are. Try using a gum massager before you have your teeth whitened. It’ll make sure part of your smile looks great.

Apply a sunless tanner to make your teeth appear whiter. The color you will get from applying a tanner provides a contrast to your teeth that will make them gleam whiter than when you are paler. As an added benefit, it will also make your eyes stand out even more.

Try natural remedies to whiten your teeth. Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda have long been known to whiten teeth. These can be used together as a paste to brush your teeth with. You can also swish with a mixture of peroxide and water two or three times daily. This will not only whiten your teeth but will improve the overall state of your oral health.

Talk with your dentist before beginning any teeth whitening program. If you currently have any sort of dental disease or issue, your dentist may recommend a specific method of teeth whitening. Most natural remedies do not have side effects, but if you are prone to gum problems or teeth sensitivity, some remedies may not be appropriate.

Before you commit to a certain over-the-counter teeth whitener, you may want to check online reviews or ask your friends for their experience with it. Many times, people pay ridiculous amounts for a product that promises to whiten their teeth, when in reality, it does absolutely nothing to help or makes teeth color worse.

For inexpensive teeth whitening at home, brush your teeth thoroughly and then swish a mouthful of hydrogen peroxide inside your mouth for as long as possible before spitting it out into the sink. Hydrogen peroxide is an active ingredient in most commercial teeth whitening products and provides an oxygenating action that helps lift stains from teeth.

In conclusion, an important part of any mouth is white teeth. Having white teeth can be a sign that your mouth is healthy and your teeth are clean. Without white teeth, we would not have our lovable bright smiles. By following the advice from this article, you can whiten your teeth and have a lovable bright smile.

Ideas To Help You Improve Your Home (2)

Ideas To Help You Improve Your Home

Improving your existing home is now a choice many people are making with a down real estate market. Here is some advice and information you may want to consider when you take on your next weekend project or major remodel project. The more you know, the better the decisions you can make.

Replace counter tops in your bathroom and kitchen with new marble or granite tops. Over time, counters will wear down especially if they are made of laminate. Older homes can have outdated or vintage counters. By replacing the counters you will improve the eye appeal and home value without spending a great deal of cash.

When you paint interior rooms during a home improvement project, allow extra drying time if your house is new. Newer homes are usually built with extremely effective (nearly air-tight) separation between the interior and exterior. While this is an advantage for you as a homeowner in most situations, when you paint inside, your paint will take longer to dry than the paint manufacturer might claim.

Consult a professional for larger jobs. Even if you think you know what you are doing, you can benefit from a professional’s experience in the field. A professional has done the job more often than you have and can help you find supplies, get the job done quicker and troubleshoot any problems.

Create a file of photos cut out of magazines or brochures, ideas you’ve written down or sketched, and any plans you’ve had created professionally. Take this with you when you meet with contractors you’re interviewing to do your home improvements and they’ll have an easier time envisioning what you want and then creating a quote.

If you live in a hot climate, replace your original glass windows with low-E glass, which can make it easier and more affordable to cool your house in the boiling summertime. Although the installation can be a bit pricey if you pay someone to do it, you will recoup your costs in energy savings by the end of the summer.

A great way to add some life to your bookcases and end tables, is by adding some nice tablecloths. You can make your own by purchasing some nice higher end fabric and sewing in the ends to prevent fraying. Arrange your items in a visually pleasing manner, which is sure to be the new focal point of your room.

Unless your carpet is very worn or outdated, try steam cleaning it before replacing it. If your goal is to sell your house, all you need to do is make a positive first impression. Often cleaning carpets will achieve this goal, and replacing them becomes unnecessary. Hiring a professional steam cleaner can save you thousands over replacing carpet throughout a house.

Having a home is a great opportunity to let your personality shine. More and more people are using home improvement projects to better their existing homes, rather than selling and buying a newer more upgraded property. With the information you have gotten from this article, you should be well on your way to a wonderful remodel.

Important Tips That Stressed Out People Should Follow (2)

Important Tips That Stressed Out People Should Follow

Did you know there is a direct link to stress and health? It can be mental health or even physical health. There are many common ailments that can be prevented by living a relatively stress free life and the following article will give you some solid advice on how to start living that life today.

When the weather is nice outside, take advantage of the outdoors and have a picnic with your friends and family. It is important to get out of the house once in a while, as this can serve as a great alternative. Also, breathing in the fresh air will make you feel great.

Eliminating caffeine from your diet completely or as much as possible is a great way to help reduce stress. Start maneuvering your way into drinking decaf coffee, and stay away from caffeinated sodas and other beverages. Dropping caffeine completely can cause headaches, so you might have to do this slowly.

A great tip that can help you when you’re feeling stressed out is to do some cleaning. Part of the reason you’re stressed out might be due to the fact that your home is so unorganized. Doing a bit of cleaning around your house can help you out and get you in a better state of mind.

Reducing clutter in your life will automatically reduce some amount of stress! Be it your desk, pantry or closet, anything over cluttering your physical environment makes it much harder to work and find things and just isn’t pleasing to look at it! By cleaning up clutter you can operate more efficiently, enjoy your surroundings more and simply be less stressed.

Try a positive affirmation to reduce stress. Positive affirmations help to calm that nagging voice inside of us all that can cause anxiety. Your affirmation can be as simple as “I am capable of this” or much more complex, if you choose. Memorize your affirmation and use it anytime that little voice starts to get you down.

Sleep is a great way to reduce the stress levels in your life. By getting at least eight hours of sleep a day, you are setting yourself up to have a much more productive, and less stressful day. When you are lacking sleep, everything seems to be much more difficult, and therefore, more stressful. Strive to get the maximum amount of sleep each night for more productive, and less stressful days.

To reduce stress, one of the things that you can do is plan a hiking trip with your friends. This will be great for your body and give you the emotional reprieve that you need. Also, you will be out in the natural wilderness, which will provide very comforting scenery.

While all stress can not be eliminated from life, remembering these tips during a stressful period of time can be the key to reducing the mental or physical problems stress can manifest. Use these tips to help reduce or even see the disappearance of stress related illnesses, conditions and unhealthy behaviors.

Benefits and Dangers of Chlorine in Showers

Benefits and Dangers of Chlorine in Showers

For the past few years, many people have been alarmed with the surfacing news about the possible dangers of chlorine. The news was backed by many clinical researches and studies on tap water. Experts and researchers stressed the fact the there are dangers of chlorine in showers, pools, and cleaning products. However, people should also not forget about the benefits of chlorine.

Before you look into the dangers of chlorine, you should first know what chlorine is. Every home has a shower room and quite a few have swimming pools too. It is also a must to maintain the home’s cleanliness by using cleaning products. Since you’re exposed to chlorine everyday of your life, it would help a lot if you know substantial info about chlorine.

Chlorine is used for different purposes. It is one of the elements found in cleaning products and aside from that it is also used in pool sanitation. The gas form of chlorine is poisonous. You will note that chlorine has a strong odor and when the liquid form us released, it immediately turns to a hazardous gas. Just try to imagine your pool filled with that element; you will surely have second thoughts about dipping in it even for a few minutes, right? But you must know that the chlorine present in pools and showers is already extremely diluted.

Public pools make use of more chlorine as compared to private pools. Even if they have high chlorine content, public pools are much safer. Chlorine is a powerful cleaning agent. Private pools usually have lower chlorine content because less people swim in it and so there is fewer bacteria.

If chlorine is used properly, you will benefit a lot from it. It can disinfect the water that flows from your faucet and it can kill the bacteria present in the pool. The house will also be kept clean and free from germs and other bacteria. However, things can suddenly turn unpleasant if you are overexposed to chlorine.

Homeowners should be advised that chlorine is a dangerous compound. Many years ago, it was used as a poisonous substance. It can destroy your respiratory system and if you inhale its concentrated form, you will not be able to breathe. Chlorine is not explosive but if you mix it with other compounds like ammonia or turpentine, it can become combustible. Be very careful when mixing cleaning products. You see, if you have chlorine bleach at home, don’t try to mix it with other household cleaners because it can turn into a dangerous gas.

You can’t avoid using chlorine everyday. However, with the right practice, you can use the element to your advantage. Make sure that you keep all your household cleaners in a safe place. The same thing should be observed when storing your sanitation supplies for the pool. You have to ensure that children can’t reach it to avoid any accidents in the future. When using the household cleansers or the pool cleaning supplies, you should wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and before preparing your meals.

There is always a good side and bad side; that is also true with chlorine. If you use if properly, you can enjoy its benefits but if you use it unwisely and carelessly, your health will pay the price so be aware of the dangers of chlorine in showers, pools, and cleaning products.

The Hidden Dangers Of Chlorine In Showers, Pool, And Cleaning Products

The Hidden Dangers Of Chlorine In Showers, Pool, And Cleaning Products

According to AAPCC or the American Association of
Poison Control Centers, there have been a lot of
recorded instances wherein health problems were
primarily caused by the presence of chlorine in
cleaning agents or products. Aside from that, water
also contains chlorine which can be harmful to one’s
health. In both instances, chlorine was mentioned.
This is the right time to finally discover the hidden
dangers of chlorine in showers, pool, and cleaning
products.

To start with, take a look at the chlorine in showers
and pools. Many years ago, the element (chlorine) was
used as a chemical warfare, particularly in the Second
World War. By the end of the war, cheap chemicals were
abundant. Back then, people found out about its great
benefits. They used the element to disinfect water
supply and mixed it with other products as well.
However, the studies today revealed that chlorine can
cause breast cancer. Scientists handle the element
with extreme care and they even use proper
ventilation, facemasks, and protective gloves in the
process.

Despite the harmful effects of chlorine, most of
today’s cleaning agents as well as dishwasher
detergents contain chlorine. Enhanced effects can be
seen when you’re taking a shower because the fumes are
heated or when you’re spending a relaxing moment in
the Jacuzzi. Swimming pools also contain chlorine
because it disinfects the pool and rids it of certain
bacteria. Drinking water has chlorine as well. Studies
revealed that bathing lets the body absorb more
chlorine than simply drinking the water because the
element immediately enters the bloodstream.

Now, focus more on the cleaning products that you’re
using at homes. Check out the dishwasher detergent. It
contains dry chlorine and it can cause poison
especially if the dishes are not washed properly.
Residues can pile up on the dishes and it can even mix
with your hot food.

The laundry products, toilet cleaners, oven cleaner,
bleach, furniture polish, and upholstery shampoo all
contain harmful chemicals. You have to ensure that
these things are kept in a secured place where the
children can’t reach to avoid poisoning or other
accidents like fire. The National Research Council
also announced that the products which contain
chemicals don’t give out toxic information. Tests have
been conducted and twenty percent of these chemicals
create acute effects and ten percent give chronic,
mutagenic or reproductive effects.

If you want to protect yourself and your family
against the harmful hidden dangers of chlorine and
other chemicals, you have to educate yourself. Gather
as many information as possible and look for safer
options or alternative products. You can also cut down
the use of chlorine in your pool and you can also
purchase natural cleaning products. Whenever there is
a spill or stain, clean it immediately.

Food wastes should be thrown away promptly. Check the
humidity in your home and try to maintain at 30 to
50%. Entrances should have mats so that few dirt can
enter the house. When you’ve purchased a certain
product with chlorine, be sure to follow the
manufacturer instructions and use only the recommended
quantity. You must always read labels carefully and
follow precautionary measures.

Now that you know the hidden dangers of chlorine in
showers, pools, and cleaning products, you should be
extra careful. By simply following some preventive
measures, you can take care of your health.

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