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Tips for Decorating an Apartment

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 10:36:39 GMT

Because of the restrictions many renters have on the changes they can make to their apartment, decorating can seem like a real hassle. How can you effectively bring color and vibrancy to a room when you can't even paint the walls?

For Rent has a few suggestions if you're stumped on what direction to take your apartment décor—what will you do to make your space shine with your own personality and taste?

Adding Color

Even if you can't paint the walls (or can, but don't want the responsibility of re-painting them later!), there are a lot of ways to inject color into a space. Try a few of these instead:

Colorful drapes.
Patterned curtains.
Throw blankets and pillows in bright accent colors.
Area rugs with conversation-piece style patterns.
Brightly colored furniture.
Second-hand furniture with character.

Choose a color palette of a few colors that complement each other well or neutrals with one bright color in different hues to help your apartment feel cohesive and inviting.

Wall Space

Too much wall space? Especially with white or neutral paint, a large expanse of bare wall can feel stark or cold. Break up the wall space and bring depth to a room by using:

Framed photographs.
Paintings.
Framed prints.
Regular or geometric shelves
Invisible shelves

Breaking up the wall space will give your apartment a warmer, more home-like feel.

Lighting

Another way to bring warmth into the space is with the right kind of lighting. To try:

Lamps with dimmer controls.
Interesting patterned or colored lamp shades.
Colored bulbs

Having a dimmer switch on some of your lights makes it much, much easier to control the way the room feels. Thankfully, you can find many kinds of lamps who have an adjustable feature built in.

What You Should Know About Yellow Jackets before Taking Steps to Destroy Them

Fri, 28 Nov 2014 15:14:11 GMT

Have you spotted yellow jackets or a yellow jacket nest near your home? If you have, then your next thought was probably how to get rid of them? However, before you take the steps to destroy them, it is important to understand them first. Here are 5 things about yellow jackets that every homeowner who wants to destroy them should know:

These wasps are ground dwelling.

You can easily mistake them for honey bees. They are most active during autumn and this is when they can disturb you the most. It is also during autumn that their numbers increase tremendously.

They are small (10 to 16mm long).

They have black and yellow colored bodies. This is why they have the name 'yellow jacket’. Each of these wasps has a stinger that can sting multiple times. This makes them more dangerous than the honey bees which can only sting once.

These organisms are helpful to the environment.

This is because they eat harmful pests. However, they are also scavengers who love foods with sugar, meat and fish.

These wasps are also defensive when they feel that their nests are in danger.

Contrary to what most people think, they never look for people to sting. However, when threatened, they will attack in mass. Vibrations and sounds can also trigger an attack.

People respond to yellow jacket stings differently.

Since the stings can cause an anaphylactic shock, yellow jackets are life threatening to some people. This condition is characterized by difficulty in breathing.

With these facts in mind, you definitely now know what you are dealing with. The fact that yellow jackets can harm you and other people in your home is the main reason why you should destroy them. Instead of running away because of an attack, you should take steps to get rid of them before they attack you or anyone else in your home. And if you are looking for assistance around your home let The Maids of New Hampshire, in North Hampton, discuss with you the cleaning service options available.

Repairing Dents and Chipped Wood Surfaces

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 15:32:19 GMT

Repairing dented and chipped wood surfaces can be a simple or difficult task depending on the total area to be worked on and skills you have. Learning how to do this on your own will save you money as you will not have to hire an expert or replace your furniture because of damage. Below are some simple tips for repairing your damaged wood furniture:

Repairing Dents

Some of the items that you will need include an iron, water and a towel or rag. First, you will need to put a dab of water on the surface to cover the entire section needing to be fixed. Then place a towel or rag on the area, giving the water ample time to penetrate the material. Set your iron at its highest setting and hold it on the affected area. Move it in circular motions while pressing it firmly until the paper towel or rag dries completely. In doing so, the wood will absorb the water and bulge back to its original shape. You might have to repeat these steps once or twice until the expected results are achieved.

Repairing Chipped Wood Surface

Items that you will need to do this include: a cloth, spray bottle and lacquer thinner. First, you will need to test the finish if you are not sure about its specific properties. You can do this by pouring some lacquer thinner in a discreet section to get a clear picture of what to expect. Use the spray bottle to evenly spread the thinner on the affected area. The main role of using thinner is to emulsify the lacquer. If the furniture has a varnish finish, go ahead and rub the chipped area with fine steel wool. You can also use hard wax to get rid of the chip but you will need a heating tool to melt the wax.

And while you are taking care of the furniture in your home, let The Maids of New Hampshire, in North Hampton, assist you with your housekeeping needs.

How to Organized Your Home Library Books in the Best Way Possible

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 09:15:46 GMT

If you have a personal home library, you know how easy it is to get it disorganized and how tough it is to straighten it, unless you use a maid service of course. If don’t but would like to, The Maids of New Hampshire in North Hampton can do it for you, as well as clean your home in great detail. But if you handle the project yourself, it can be an ongoing adventure. This is because when looking for books, you can easily get the books from their current locations but fail to put them back to exactly where they were when you are done with them.

When you want to organize your home library, you can't just put the books anywhere on the shelves. They have to be put in the right places for easy retrieval when they are needed. There are many ways that you can use to arrange books in your home library. You may decide to arrange them using an alphabetical order, author or even by topic. Whatever method you choose, here are things that you should keep in mind if you want to arrange the books in the best way possible;

1. Re-Your Books

There may be many books in your home library that you no longer need. Although it is hard to part with some of your books, you have to re-evaluate to see which ones you should remove from the library. Weigh whether you are willing to read a given book again and be honest with yourself. Remember, when you sell or give away your books, you are creating room for new books.

2. Shelve Your Books

There is no better way to arrange your valuable books in your home than putting them in shelves. Shelves will make your home library look good as well as make it easy for you to retrieve your books when you need them. Sort your books using any method you like and arrange them neatly such that their titles can be seen without removing them from the shelves. Shelving books also help to make it easy to return the books where they are supposed to be after using them.

Organize Your Garage Using Simple Techniques

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 08:01:21 GMT

Organizing your garage does not have to be challengingor expensive. It is something that you can do without help in a matter of days—if you have the time. An organized area is a safer place to be in. Whether your garage is large or small, there are plenty of things that you can do to utilize the available space, and to create some additional space for yourself andfor storage. Try utilizing the following products to organize the area better.

1. Utilize the small spaces

You can get more organized by utilizing all the small spaces in your garage. These spaces can hold a lot of unnecessary items that may be creating disorder. For example, you can put a cabinet in the narrow space that is beside you garage door instead of leaving that area unused. The key to an organized garage is to use all the space available. Don’t ignore a given spot because you think it is too small. If it is small, then use it to store small things. Remember, by combining several small spaces, you will create a larger area.

2. Install cabinets

Cabinets can help to create space and order in a garage. They also provide safe places to keep all your valuable items. If you build enough cabinets, you may be able to store everything away so that the garage can look neat and tidy. You can purchase cabinets that are already built and hang them yourself.

3. Hang up things

Hang up things in your garage to create more floor space. When you hang up most things in your garage, you not only utilize space better, you also make it look better. Hanging is a great way of creating spaces in acluttered garage. One last tip is to hang up as many things as possible.

If you find that you don’t have the time to revamp your garage or even your home with detailed cleaning and organization, The Maids of New Hampshire provides house cleaning on demand or on a schedule.

Little Known Cleaning Secrets

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:25:19 GMT

Society has advanced evolutionally with leaps and bounds over the last 50 years. Still, sometimes the most effective way to handle a problem is through a time-tested method. This is certainly the case with certain everyday cleaning problems. Let's take a look at a few quick hit suggestions you can use right now for hard to clean situations.

Grease on Clothes

Who hasn’t gottengrease on clothing? It happens to everyone. Removing the full stain can be a real nightmare. Well…maybe not anymore! Instead of wasting money on useless cleaning products, just buy a piece of chalk. Rub the chalk on the spot of grease and then throw the clothing in the washing machine. The chalk sucks up the grease. The normal cleaning cycle will then wash away the chalk. This works like a charm!

Coffee Maker

Not to gross you out excessively, but coffee makers are the perfect environment for mold – lots of hot water and darkness. You must be diligent and clean yours at least once a month. Here's how to do it:

Mix a cup of white vinegar with two cups of distilled water.
Fill the coffee maker water tank with the mixture.
Run the device until the mixture works itself through your machine.
Do another run with just water to avoid the taste of vinegar in your next pot of coffee.

Once a year, you should mix a small amount of bleach with water and run it through the coffee maker as well. The bleach will kill off any bacteria hiding in recesses you can't see. Make sure to run a couple of pots of water immediately after this to make sure all the bleach is removed. Ingesting high levels of bleach can kill you, so do not skip this step.

Carpet Burns

Have you had an ember fly out of the fireplace and leave a burn mark on your carpet? No problem. While you can't clean the mark per se, you can hide it. Grab a pair of scissors and sharpen them. Now cut out the tops of the burned fibers so the burned material is removed.

Now we get sneaky.

Head into your closet or some other area nobody will see. Cut out strands of carpet along the back corner wall. Just the hairs, not the pad. Go back to the burn and glue the strands into the burned area. Think of it as a carpet toupee!

Well, there you go. Three quick hitting suggestions anyone can use to clean a homemade mess. For the rest of your cleaning needs, try The Maids of New Hampshire in North Hampton, which detail clean in every room down to the gaps and hidden areas.

Homemade Cleaning Solutions for Your Bathtub

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 08:50:09 GMT

Keeping a bathtub or shower clean can be a real challenge. Perhaps this is why you see so many commercial products promising the world on television. Of course, these products never seem to actually deliver on the promises, which really isn't all that surprising. The good news is that you can skip the nonsense because it is easy to make homemade cleaning solutions that work really well.

Cleaning the Tub

Looking for a simple and inexpensive solution to cleaning your bathtub? You can take advantage of this perfect homemade solution, but you are going to need a long list of supplies, including:

1 grapefruit
¼ cup of kosher salt

Okay, perhaps not such a long list of ingredients! Yes, this is really all you need to clean a tub. Just follow these steps:

Cut the grapefruit in half.
Sprinkle salt on the grapefruit surface.
Spray water on the surfaces to be cleaned and let it drain away.
Lightly spread salt around the bottom of the tub.

Now start running the open face of the grapefruit over the surface of the bathtub, just as you would a sponge. Make sure to slightly squeeze the grapefruit as you move it around so that the acidic juices can mix with the salt. Lift the grapefruit up and set in on a new salty area of the tub after every couple of strokes. Do the tub and fixtures from top to bottom and you will have a clean tub that also smells fantastic. This works every time!

Bathtub Grout

Try to clean it and you will soon agree. The gunk that gets in thereis pure evil. Fortunately, a few items you already have at home are great for cleaning dirty grout. Just follow these steps:

Add a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water to a spray bottle.
Grab a sacrificial toothbrush.
Spray the grout and let it sit for a minute.
Scrub the grout with the toothbrush in circular motions.

This should be sufficient to clean the grout if you do it twice a month. If the grout is really nasty, mix baking soda with water and apply it to the worst areas of the grout. Scrub again with the toothbrush and you should be good to go.

DIY

Cleaning your bathtub doesn't need to be a nightmare. Use these two techniques frequently and you will have a bathtub that both smells nice and is perfectly clean.

The Maids of New Hampshire in North Hampton offers great tips for efficient house cleaning . Visit us for so much more.

Cleaning a Dirty Stove Top without Spending a Single Dollar

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 09:05:03 GMT

Left alone, the top of your stove can start to look like the mountains of a foreign planet. Crustaceans here and there in a mosaic of past meals. The good news is there is a simple way to keep your stove clean without spending a penny on cleaning products.

H20

Our secret cleaning ingredient is…water. Here's how the process works:

Put a kettle of water on the stove and heat it up to boiling.
Turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute.
Now pour the water out slowly onto the top of the stove so every area is covered in at least a bit of water.
Let it sit for another minute.
Take a sponge and start wiping.

This hot water should break up any crusty spots, making them easier to remove with the sponge. Yes, it really that simple.

Grease

The first time you use this approach, you may find the stove top is so greasy that the hot water doesn't do the job. No problem. After you bring the kettle to a boil, let it sit for a minute and then add a bit of dish washing soap. Give the kettle a swirl, then pour the mixture out onto the stove top. Give it a minute to soak and sponge up the results. The soap should break up the tough grease, making it easier to wipe it away with your sponge.

Creases

What about creases on your stove top where two surfaces meet? Food, grease, and other unmentionables seem to congregate in these areas and a sponge isn't particularly effective at getting the gunk out.

What incredibly expensive tool will you need to get the crease clean?

Use the mighty toothpick.

Here's the trick. Take your toothpick and simply run the point from one end of the crease to the other. The gunk in the crease should pop out as the toothpick passes. Use a paper towel to wipe it up and you are good to go.

Weekly

The key to keeping a stove top clean is to follow this simple process regularly. Do it once a week and you should be able to get it completed in 10 minutes. Not bad, eh?

If you are in North Hampton and would rather have a professional do the work for you, The Maids of New Hampshire make hiring a maid service simple.

The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk!

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 13:55:15 GMT

The 5-mile Walk will take place at Boston’s DCR Hatch Shell along the beautiful Charles River Esplanade on Sunday, October 5th!

We are also excited to announce a special contest connected to the Making Strides of Boston walk. Walk Participants who register online at www.makingstrideswalk.org/bostonma and raise $300 by October 1st will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a Grand Prize of free house cleaning for a year!*

To start a walk team, please visit: www.makingstrideswalk.org/bostonma .

To make a donation to The Maids walk team please visit:

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/themaidsnewengland

Thank you!

*For contest rules please email bostonmastrides@cancer.org

Get Compacted and Save Space

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:27:03 GMT

If you are a housekeeper, you know just how busy you can be. There is no shadow of doubt about the amount of work you put in. However, there are certain things you can do to make it more efficient and reduce the amount of time that you require to remove all the clutter. Here is a sneak peek of some of these ways:

First, you need to have a better organization. The truth is that better organization is crucial towards efficient cleaning:

When you sort through your stuff, you will no longer inquire where they should go.
You won’t have to ask where your items will go because you will be able to tell in which category it belongs and go ahead and place it in that category.
After knowing exactly where to place your belongings, you will realize that you have saved your time for more crucial life needs.

Place some items in a lost and found drawer.

For items that neither have a category nor a drawer or items you need to ask someone about, you can choose a designated lost and found drawer and place those types of things in it. Just in case someone fails to find what they are looking for, they can always re-visit the drawer to check if these items are there. This will not only be convenient to the person looking for a lost item, but also on the person doing the cleaning.

Putting away some seasonal clothes.

The truth is that some closets have limited space. Therefore, you want to ensure that you have taken all the winter clothes out of your closet during summer. Place them in plastic storage bags or stackable totes instead. This will ensure that all the summer clothes are accessible when you want to choose an outfit to wear without winter clothes getting in the way.

Place all the puzzles in a bag.

If you have family members who love puzzles, some pieces within your home may fall out and get lost. Try placing these pieces in a sandwich bag and subsequently place them in a small tote. You will create more space and be organized in the process.

Keeping your home organized and clean is a full-time job. If your schedule is making it difficult to find time to do anything else, get in touch with The Maids for a helping hand.

The Uses and Disadvantages of Chlorine Bleach

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:37:02 GMT

There are a variety of uses for chlorine bleach in your home. Chlorine bleach can be used to eliminate mildew and mold that may be growing on various surfaces; it is also used in disinfecting and cleaning many items. Chlorine bleach may be very handy to use around the home but it is also important to note that it can be a hazard, so it’s wise to use the bleach cautiously, especially in a home that has pets or children. The Maids usehousekeeping products that work as well as—or even better than—bleach but are friendly to the environment to give you the best results in a way that is completely safe for both you and your environment.

The Downside of Chlorine Bleach

There are many uses of chlorine bleach; however, it also has very some concerning aspects. One negative quality is that it quickly corrodes stainless steel, and can literally burn a hole through it. It is important therefore to ensure that the bleach is kept away from all stainless steel items.
Additionally, the bleach should not be kept separate from many cleaners that are used in the home such as acidic chemicals and ammonia because mixing them can lead to explosive reactions. It can also cause chemical reactions that may give off dangerous vapors or gases that may be harmful to anyone nearby.
Avoid splashing or spilling chlorine bleach in the process of using it since it usually causes colored fabrics to fade.
Finally, the strength and effectiveness of the bleach reduces over time. It will have lost at least 20% of its effectiveness after just six months.

Uses of the Bleach

As a main ingredient used in most cleaners today, bleach is generally considered as an all-purpose cleaner. It is used in sanitizing and cleaning the following;

House siding
Rubber mats
Floors around the home
Shower liners
Countertops
Trash cans
Toilets, showers, sinks and tubs
Children’s toys
Rags, white socks, towels as well as many other linens

When using bleach, don’t forget to consider how it should be diluted for the task at hand, and always use it with caution.

The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk!

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 07:01:31 GMT

THE MAIDS OF NEW ENGLAND IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER WALK.

The 5-mile Walk will take place at Boston’s Hatchshell along the beautiful Charles River Esplanade on Sunday, October 5th!

We are also excited to announce a special contest connected to the Making Strides of Boston walk. Walk Participants who register online at www.makingstrideswalk.org/bostonma and raise $300by October 1stwill automatically be entered into a drawing to win a Grand Prize of free house cleaning for a year!*

To start a walk team please visit www.makingstrideswalk.org/bostonma.

If you would like to donate to The Maids team, please CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Thank you!

*Contest rules: Participants must register online before October 1st and raise a minimum of $300 for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Boston walk. From all qualified entries the winner will be selected at random. Winner must be a resident of …. A year of cleaning from The Maids consists of one cleaning per month for a calendar year.

Renew the Beauty of Your Outdoor Furniture

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 09:54:06 GMT

If you have outdoor furniture, signs of wear and tear will appear over time. Many factors cause outdoor furniture to fade and wear, some of those being: daily use, adverse weather conditions, and scruffs and scratches. Regardless of how often you clean them or how careful you are, as the years passthe signs of use will show. So have some fun with your furniture and give it a facelift instead of replacing it. These simple tips will help you bring new life toyour outdoor furniture.

A New Coat of Paint

A new coat of paint allows you to bring back the colors you once loved that have become faded and worn. Sanding down damaged areas will remove small dings and chips in the paint, and allow for a smooth painting surface. And when you repaint the furniture it is a good idea to use paint that is designed for outdoor exposure.

A New Color Selection

A new color, colors, or pattern might bring totally new beauty and attitude to your outdoor furniture. There are paints for common outdoor furniture material such as vinyl, hard plastic, metal, or wood, just to name a few. There are several paint brands to choose from, just make sure that you select one that is designed to be used outdoors.

You will be amazed at how a fresh coat of paint can make such a huge difference, or what an entirely new color scheme can do for your outdoor space. This is a simple way to save on cost, and create a space you can enjoy with family and friends. And while you are busy bringing new life to your outdoor space, you can hire The Maids to handle your indoor cleaning.

Removal of Stickers and Their Residue from Various Surfaces

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:06:48 GMT

As long as the price stickers are where they belong – on the labeled products in your convenience store or other shopping malls, then they remain functional and useful. However, most stickers don’t stick there for long; they get to come off once they have been paid for after their brief shelf life. And heaven only knows where these stickers end up; they can easily become a nuisance on every surface in and around the home.The following are some of the ways to clean those stickers from various surfaces at home:

Glass Surfaces

Avoid scratching the glass to remove the sticker as this may damage the glass. Instead, apply vegetable or baby oil, allowing it to remain on the surface overnight; by morning it should peel off. Using nail polish and allowing it to soak for about 30 minutes should also do the trick.

Wooden Surfaces

Lay a cloth or paper towel that has been soaked in white vinegar over the sticker and allow it to soak into the sticker and residue for about five minutes. Peel off the sticker and once the wooden surface is clean, use wood polish to wipe the surface.

Plastic Surfaces

Heat up the portion around the sticker using a hair dryer, then peel off one side. Aim the hair dryer below the sticker as you hold up the loose side; this will allow the area to warm up and slowly release the sticker from the plastic surface. Ensure the surface doesn’t get hot enough to melt the plastic. Finish by washing the surface using a solution of dish soap then dry it.

Metallic Surfaces

Scrape off the adhesive as much of it as you can from the metallic surface then apply water-displacing spray on a cloth, but make sure not to use something abrasive that will scratch the metal . Continue rubbing the sticker with this spray, and then wash the surface using warm water mixed with dish soap. Rinse the area and dry it.

You can maintain all your surfaces and their nice appearance even after the stickers have been removed. There is always a suitable solution to deal with the unsightly blemishes on your surfaces. No need to be miserable about those annoying stickers anymore! And for all your other messes, The Maids can do your housekeeping for you.

Cleaning with at Home Made Products

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 10:53:00 GMT

Allergies and other respiratory issues make it hard for some people to use chemical cleaning products. At the same time, there are plenty cleaning items sold these days claim to be eco-friendly and free of harsh chemicals, when that isn’t always the case. The following are some cleaning solutions which you can make right in your kitchen using other common household products:

Wax for Floors

2 Tbsp. of olive oil
warm water
white vinegar

This wax will serve as an effective alternative for those who are bothered by the strong chemical smell of many common floor cleaners.

Furniture Polishing

1/4 cup of olive oil
20 drops of lemon oil
1/4 cup of white vinegar

The wood will absorb the oils and the lemon will cut away all the excess greases.

Homemade Bleach

1/2 cup of baking soda
1/2 tsp of peroxide
1 tsp of dish soap

This solution can effectively scrub tiles and bathrooms with ease.

Microwave Cleaner

A few lemons cut into wedges
Bowl with small amount of water

Place lemon wedges inside of the bowl with a tad bit of water and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and wipe your microwave out using a damp cloth.

Glass Cleaner

1 1/2 cup of water
lemon juice
1 cup of white vinegar.

This will work best on mirrors, and the lemon will give them a streak-free shine.

The main goal of good housekeeping should be to make your home fresh and clean, which will help keep your family healthy and happy.If you would like to hire someone to do your house cleaning, The Maids should be the ones you call!

Top Uses of Storage Bins

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:09:48 GMT

There are many industries that are doing an awesome job of manufacturing safe-keeping bins. These bins are a great part of daily life as they are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes for organization and house cleaning. These storage bins are used not only in homes, but in schools and warehouses as well. You can easily get the bins according to your need from any shop near your property.

Here are the top 10 uses for household storage bins:

1. A detailed storage system:

A number of people use storage platforms with storage bins in an integrated system of shelves, cabinets, lockers, and racks. It depends upon the individual to select bins according to the particular storage need. These storage bins can be purchased in all different sizes and shapes, making it easy to choose the right size and condition.

2. Security of numerous materials and parts:

Many bins are manufactured to handle heavy-duty storage as these bins ought to guarantee the security of different materials and belongings.

3. Protection of electronic digital components:

Many containers are manufactured for the purpose of protecting sensitive items. These are the components that are supposed to be kept secure, and plastic storage bins do really a great job for this reason.

4. Different portions to arrange:

Many items that don’t require special care are needed in a home or shop, but these are typically the parts that need to be stored in an organized manner. Many storage bins have completely different portions that do a great job organizing these items.

5. Easy access:

Many storage boxes are accessible in handy form and the user can decide how to make bins accessible in kitchen or other places. Finding a bin that meets your need will help.

6. Handling of food:

Storage bins come with the ability to look at different items of food in them. Air tight boxes or even bins help food to remain protected. These bins are located in many different sizes meant for storing food without waste.

7. Storage for children’s items:

A number of shoppers buy storage bins in which they may keep their children’s belongings. These bins play a great role for protection with children's toys, books, and craft things. These bins are located in many bright colors which attract kids for enjoying these boxes as properly.

8. Organization of house:

Storage bins are manufactured to help with your organization of tools with the garage like screws, products, nails, pipes etc.

There are many other advantages of having these bins inside your homes but these had been just few important and additionally integral uses of storage devices bins

Storage bins are one way to help keep a house organized and clean, and maid services like those from The Maids can take it one step further.

Keeping Valued Papers Safe

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:05:14 GMT

Preserving confidential papers is something that every household needs to know to do because nobody wants any of these papers wet, lost, burnt, or damaged:

birth certificates
registration papers
credit reports
membership cards
collectible concert tickets
home business papers
photos
and other valuable papers

Organization is key to keep your papers from getting lost, and an important part of housekeeping. The following are other ways to protect your valuable papers.

Lamination

You can laminate papers of different sizes using special products that come in different models to heat-seal lamination material over the paper for protection and preservation. Currently, you are not allowed to laminate Social Security cards, but you can do so for older cards without that restriction, including insurance cards and award certificates, to keep them protected from bends, tears, water, etc.

Fire Protection

A fire outbreak can cause damage to important documents and papers that might be difficult to replace. So, the best thing to do is to use a fire safe, a filing cabinet, or shelved cabinet to protect these items. Moreover, a filing cabinet will also help you to stay organized and avoid unnecessarily misplacement of your important items. For a small price of around $40, you can find a rectangular box that can offer you the benefits of safety with a small investment. Depending on what you are willing to part with for a decent fire safe, these products vary on how long and how much heat they can handle. A majority have numbered, keyed, or padlocked protection for confidentiality.

Sealed Bags

Large sealed bags such as Ziploc brand bags and sandwich bags can protect many valued papers from condensation, spills, decomposition, or debris.

Digital Protection

Digital storage is the best way to protect or preserve important papers. Scan your papers or visit a local photo lab such as CVS or Wal-Mart to make copies of your papers in digital form, and then store them on a memory stick, email, or in a cloud system. Use some of these techniques to protect your important papers and photos and you won’t have to regret: better safe than sorry.

Keeping your papers organized is an important part of the process of protecting them, and keeping clutter down in general will help. Of course, cleaning is practically a full-time job, so if you need some help, don’t hesitate to call The Maids.

Reducing Your Energy Bills with Simple Weatherization Tips

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 07:56:22 GMT

What is weatherization? This refers to the process of protecting your premises and its internal accessories from various external factors such as precipitation, temperature changes, and sunlight, in order to reduce energy consumption and save money. To achieve this, you have to purchase and install a number of weatherization products. Here is a brief look at some weatherization products that you can use to save money:

Air Filter Whistle:

Virtually all air conditioning systems have air filters whose main role is to protect the internal components from dust and ensure even distribution of either hot or cold air. Just like other parts, it needs to be changed regularly to protect the system from overheating. An air filter whistle is a third generation gadget that will let you know when filters in your system needs to be changed. You can also install it in your furnace. Having an air filter whistle will help you keep your air filter changed as needed in order to have your heating and cooling system running optimally, effectively assisting in reducing your energy bills.

Portable Heater:

As the name suggests, this is a heater with a unique compact design. It is an ideal choice if you need short term instant heating in your garage, workshop or any other room in your premises. They are very light in weight and quite easy to operate, and eliminate the necessity of cranking up your heating system, which can run up your utility costs significantly.

Blinds:

Blinds are important fixtures in your home to protect your windows, and assist in reducing your energy bills. During cooler times of the year, opening the blinds can be an effective way to reduce having to turn so many lights on in your home, as well as the sunlight can assist in keeping your home warm. While being able to close the blinds at night still protects your privacy. And during the summer keeping the blinds closed on very hot, sunny days can reduce the need to run your air conditioning as much.

Air Handler Control:

This is another top rated weatherization product that is designed to control the air temperature conditions in your house by controlling the manner in which central heating and cooling system operates. That is, it will turn it on and off depending on the outdoor temperature. This will significantly help to improve heating, cooling, effectiveness of home heating, filtration systems and humidification.

And while you are busy taking care of your home, let The Maids of New Hampshire, in North Hampton, handle your housekeeping tasks for you.

Homemade Cleaning Agents Recipes

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 12:20:46 GMT

Instead of using toxic chemical products in your home, you can make your own cleaning agents using some safe household ingredients. However, never mix bleach and ammonia, as they can create a deadly gas. It is important to ensure that the ingredients you are planning to use are appropriate for the surface you want to clean. White distilled vinegar and many other basic cleansers are safe for cleaning most surfaces, and can be mixed to make great cleaning products. Below are a couple of recipes for basic cleaners and their uses

Window Cleaner

How to Make

You will need a cup of white vinegar and a cup of water for this mixture. Fill a refillable 16 ounce trigger spray bottle with the vinegar and water. Shake the mixture and label.

How to use

Spray the mixture on the glass and wipe using a clean and soft lint free cloth, or use a balled up sheet of newspaper. This is a great recipe that does a fantastic job and is very economical.

Carpet Cleanser

How to Make

You will need six drips of oil soap, a cup of club soda. Mix the drops of oil soap with the club soda in a bowl to make a foamy cleaner.

Using the mixture

Rub mixture into the stained areas on the carpet and scrub using a brush. Rinse with water and blot immediately. Ensure that the stains on the carpet are cleanedas they happen, as the can be difficult to clean once they are dry. This agent is an effective cleanser and is strong on even the toughest stains.

While these cleaners are very effective, you simply may desire to have help. If this is the case, you can hire The Maids to assist in your cleaning needs

How to Get More Comfort from Your Bed

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:39:03 GMT

The most popular place people enjoy relieving themselves from work, school, or housekeeping exhaustion is the bedroom, but it can be a problem when your bed is not comfortable at all. You may spend a better part of your sleeping time turning from one side to the other if the bed is not made to be cozy and warm. Even if you have a high quality bed and mattress, there are always other things that you can do to make it comfy and cozy:

Layering

Your bed will never be as comfy as it could be if you just use one foam pad above the mattress. To make your bed luxurious, why not add several extra layers to create an auspicious bedding experience?

Using Bed Warmers

The ideal way of warming your bed is using bed warmers to up your comfort level and directly get you sleeping within no time, no matter the situation.

Replace Mattress

There comes a time when the only solution to make your bed truly enjoyable is to replace it. Old mattresses are no longer as comfortable when compared to those that embrace new technologies. If yours does not have additional cushioning but just single foam, it is high time you should do away with it.

Happy Memory

Today, you can get memory foam pads for your mattress. The best size thickness for extra pleasure is 1-1/2- to 2-inch thickness. It gives enough room for near endless padding and cushioning.

Going Down

When you are not allergic to products made from feather, down padding is the best option for you. Luxurious comforters, pillows, and mattress toppers will be the best additions to down filled bed experience.

Use High Quality Sheets

The best sheets are those that gently touch on your skin offering quick comfort and the right amount of warmth, and you can only get that from cotton as the main fabric.

Your bed will never be the same again if you employ some of the preferred suggestions above. You should always choose whatever goes hand in hand with your needs.

There’s nothing better, too, then climbing into a freshly made bed in a clean bedroom. If your schedule is too busy to keep everything clean, a call to The Maids could put you in real comfort!

Gain More Free Time through Better Organization

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 12:56:17 GMT

Getting organized at home is a great idea. In your daily life there are some house cleaning chores which you will be required to carry out on a daily basis. When cleaning the house, you will need to arrange different items in the places that make the most sense for functionality in your life. The best way for you to arrange the items in your home is putting them in places where you can easily locate them whenever you would like to make use of them. This will reduce the time that you would waste in trying to locate certain items in your home. The following are ideas that you can employ for you to get organized easily:

Personal Electronic Accessories

There are several home accessories available in a home. For instance, you will often have the following electronics in your home: phone chargers, game console controllers, TV cables, USB portable storage units, power adapters, headphones, video cables, Wi-Fi dongles, remotes, Ethernet cables, watches, watch batteries, standard batteries, electronic parts, tiny screws and other gadgets with their accessories. To have an easier time when cleaning your house, you can design a drawer where you can place all the electronic gadgets so that when you need them it will be easy for you to retrieve them.

Dirty Clothes

To arrange dirty clothes so you can easily gather them when you are ready to wash them, buy laundry hampers and place one in each bedroom in your home so that your family members can put their dirty clothes in them every day. This will make it easier on laundry day because when you’re ready to start cleaning your clothes you will go straight to the hamper rather than wasting time looking for the clothes all over the house.

For a little extra help in keeping the house clean and organized, a maid service like The Maids can do the job.

Eliminating Pet Hair on Your Couch

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:08:47 GMT

In a home, pets help family members enjoy life, especially those who love their pets very much. They also tend to add more work to your home when you’re trying to maintain high level of cleanliness. This is especially noticeable when you have to try and remove pet hairs during house cleaning that settle on places in your home such as on your couch or other furniture.

The pet hair can settle on the couches if your pets sleep on your furniture, but they can also float on the air where they will finally land on random areas in your home. It’s bothersome to remove the hair from the couch each day, so it’s necessary to try and look for ways through which you can make the work of removing hairs from the couch very easy. There are various vacuum pumps available that can easily help you in getting rid of the hairs

Using Attachments for Vacuums

The vacuum pump sometimes have attachments which you can use to get rid of the pet hairs. Pumps with brushes or wide floor attachments tend to make the work of removing the pet hairs a bit harder because they are not designed for the work.

Vacuums Designed for Pet Hair

There are vacuum pumps that are designed with a particular attachment that makes the work of removing pet hair very easy. You can order an attachment that will enable you to remove the pet hairs from your couch, but buying the one that has the attachments already is preferable.

The Types and Styles of Attachments

The attachments available on vacuum pumps differ according to the manufacturers. There are those that provide the attachments with rubber on the edges which form grips that help in removing the hairs before the pump sucks them. Other features on the vacuum pumps include rubber bristles which help in brushing up the pet hairs from your couch with great ease.

Of course, to keep a house really clean takes consistency, and if your time is stretched thin, The Maidscan help.

Best Garage Organization Ideas That Work

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:26:30 GMT

Are you forced to leave your car out on the street because your garage doesn’t have enough room for it? If so then its time you started thinking of how to get your garage organized. Listed below are a few tips to help you make that happen. Read on!

1. Sort

It is best to group similar items together to make them easy to find. Shelving units, a few coats of paint and some cute decals for the garage door will transform the space without spending a lot of money. Put frequently used items, such as paper towel, cleaning materials, toilet paper and drinks, on the shelf units.

2. Keep dangerous chemical in their original containers

Most people often keep paints, pesticides and auto fluids in old food containers making them very dangerous as these containers may leak and cause respiratory problems, fumes, burns and even fire hazards. Besides being stored in their original containers, they should also be kept out of reach of children or pets. This can be inside locked cabinets or on high shelves.

3. Lean the ladders horizontally

Ladders when left leaning against the wall can be a hazard. This style often seems to be the correct storage position, but what if it tips over? It can injure a loved one or damage your car. So the best position is to lean it horizontally along the wall. You can also store it on hooks, which is the better option.

4. Assign each area of the garage a specific purpose

Take your time and think carefully about what you want the garage to be used for. Also, think about the best possible way it can be divided up. Divide the space into zones to help you create a setup that does not only make sense, but also leaves the room neat and well-organized.

Ig you need help with cleaning and organizing your garage or anything else, The Maids cover it all, from one –room cleaning to whole house cleaning, as well as emergency cleanups.

Exploring Cabinet Handles

Fri, 30 May 2014 07:21:09 GMT

Within your home, you have many items that use handles, including dressers, kitchen cabinets, drawers, entertainment center doors, etc. Those handles can wear out, break off, or loosen and no amount of house cleaning will fix that problem. If they are just loose, you can easily fix that problem. But if they are worn, faded, chipped, scratched, or stained; you would be better off replacing them.

Cabinet handles come in various materials, including:

Chrome
Satin-nickel
Stainless steel
Bronze
Oil rubbed bronze
Brass
Plastic
Vinyl
Oak
Pine
Poplar
Etc.

Depending on the application it will be used for, you can choose a material and style that fits right in with the décor. A dark dresser may look great with bronze or stainless steel, while a white dresser can look great with satin-nickel or chrome hardware. Because there are so many options, you can find something to fit your style with ease.

Handle Uses

So many different items need handles in order to function. Your dressers, your drawers, your pantry, your kitchen cabinets, and many others all need pulls and handles so you have something to grab to open them. Your entertainment center has doors that need handles. The kitchen needs handles for the cabinet doors and the drawers. You pantry needs one to be able to open it. Your dressers need handles so you can easily pull the drawers out. The list could go on.

In addition to the standard uses for cabinet handles, you can be creative and decorate with them too! Try mounting some on a board and then mounting the board to the wall. You now have a hanger for jewelry, hats, pictures, or anything else you can decorate the wall with.

In addition, you can use the handles on coat hanging racks, on the tops of lids for jars, on wooden dowel ends to make curtain rods, and many other imaginative ideas. Because there are so many designs, materials, and styles; you can be very creative and still find the right one to fit your needs.

Easy Methods of Keeping Your Documents Safe

Fri, 23 May 2014 14:25:31 GMT

Everyone has some really important documents that are of tremendous value to them. These range from photographs, birth certificates, collectible concert tickets, credit reports, and other vital possessions. Even when you put a lot of effort into house cleaning , there are certain effects of nature and time that may wear them out, like fire, moisture, and losing track of their whereabouts. It is not a joke when someone loses their birth certificate or gets their home business reports wet or burnt. Here are some easy ways of keeping them safe:

Method #1: Keeping them In Sealed Bags

Items that do not need a lot of attention, such as library cards, paper photos and concert tickets can be kept in sealed bags, to protect them from collecting debris, decomposing, or being worn out. For example, you may choose to use the Ziploc variety or the sealable sandwich polyethylene envelopes.

Method #2: Laminating the Papers

This method is reserved for those pieces of paperwork which are frequently used and are likely to be exposed to rough conditions, dampness, or frequent touching and smudging. To protect them from bends and tears, a piece of laminating material can be used as a covering. Documents like birth certificates, insurance and club membership cards, and even certificates of merit can be kept safe using this method.

Method #3: Keeping them in Fireproof Cabinets

This is ideal for highly valuable and original documents, especially when some of them are confidential and even, in some cases, irreplaceable. Items like these you especially don’t want to lose, even in the event of a fire. Fire cabinets come in all shapes, prices, and sizes. They are also rated depending on the amount of heat they could possibly handle - with the more expensive pieces being very reliable and worth the investment.

Method #4: Using Digital Protection

This is probably the best method that can be universally used to preserve documents of value. Simply scanning them and keeping a digital copy in .pdf or .jpg format does not cost a thing; yet it is sufficient to keep your papers safe and in great shape, especially if you consider backing up the files online. Best of all, you can make as many reproductions of the documents as required. This method complements the different methods that have been featured above.

Of course, organization is key when it comes to important paper work, and keeping your house tidy helps to ensure everything will be in order. If you need a hand with staying clean and organized, check with The Maids New Hampshire for a reliable clean.

The bottom line is that keeping the documents safe is a great idea that can come in handy in future. The peace of mind that comes with it is invaluable.

Using Additional Shelves for More Storage Space

Fri, 23 May 2014 13:36:43 GMT

A home is a home, filled with your things—and the clutter that comes with them. However much you try, it is rather difficult keeping your home in tip-top condition all the time. You will find your cabinets filling up, drawers getting loaded, and closets carrying too many things.

The best way to overcome all this clutter is to think of innovative ideas for your shelves. Use your creativity to make more space so that all your housekeeping efforts keep your home looking great. The first thing to do is reorganize all your shelves so that they give you more space to store your belongings.

Purpose

The purpose of the shelf is very important in helping you decide what you want, and how much you want to expand your shelving units. Decide if you need shelves for storing your music and movies, for your kids’ activity coloring books and games, or other types of items.

Once you determine how much you need to store on shelves, you can decide if you need to expand with more shelving units. If you find you don’t have sufficient room for games, movies, and music on one shelf, it’s the best time to add another shelf for all of these things.

Organization

You can start organizing your things once you decide what you want in a shelving unit. You need not buy additional shelves all the time; if required, shelf systems can be compacted and restricted to fit more of your belongings.

This is because many shelf systems today have peg holes to use for self-adjustment purposes. You can thus place items on the shelves based on size, so that you have a shelf that snugly fits to the next one.

With the extra room you have, you can start adding shelves. Just go to the local hardware store to find out what they offer for shelf boards, and then cut them to the required size. If your existing shelf system is painted, just paint the new boards with a matching color.

On adding new shelves to the unit, and having pegs holding them up, you can now install a new shelf on the remaining space you have once all the new shelves are added to your existing shelf system.

Keep clutter at bay regardless of your schedule with a hand from The Maids, who will not only straighten the clutter, but also make sure your home is truly clean.

How to Remove Lipstick from a Carpet

Fri, 16 May 2014 15:09:13 GMT

Have you ever experienced the mishap of staining your carpet with lipstick? Well, that does happen quite a lot especially in homes with kids playing all over the house. If such a thing happens there is no need to panic because the stain can be as good as gone when you apply the necessary steps. Here’s the good news of how to remove lipstick from a carpet.

Immediately after you stain your carpet with lipstick the first thing is to remove large pieces of the stain. Look for a spoon or a dull knife and carefully take out the large pieces leaving small amounts of stain on the carpet. Ensure that you do not damage your carpet while doing this.

What follows is getting rid of any loose lipstick on the carpet surface. Here you look for a clean damp cloth and blot the stained area removing all the loose particles.

When that is done, get a white clean cloth and some dish detergent mixed with warm water and hand wash the area until the spot is clear. For a cleaner surface, consider rubbing the carpet fibers in a circular motion moving from outside to the center of the lipstick stain. Also remember to keep on blotting the wet carpet using a clean dry cloth to ensure all the stain is removed.

In some instances you may find that the lipstick stain is still visible even after hand washing with the detergent. Now in such a case you need to apply an all-purpose stain remover. You can also try rubbing the remaining stubborn stain with a cloth saturated with nail polish remover. Other helpful products that you can use in this step are vinegar, ammonia or hairspray.

Now as you finish rinse the formally stained area with clean water then blot it dry using a white clean cloth. This ensures that detergents or any other product that you may have used are removed.

That’s it! With these simple steps of how to remove lipstick from a carpet, you now need not to worry about your kids playing around your house. After all you have the skills to get rid of any lipstick stain that would be spilled on your carpet.

Tips to Help You Create a Cleaning Schedule

Fri, 16 May 2014 13:44:08 GMT

When you create a cleaning schedule, you make it easy to ensure that your house stays neat and tidy. A schedule is also a must even if you use a professional maid service like The Maids of New Hampshire in North Hampton. This is because it will help you know exactly when and where to clean. A cleaning schedule will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed when the cleaning jobs pile up.

The first step when creating a cleaning schedule is to write down all the cleaning tasks that you need to accomplish. Take time to walk from room to room so that you don’t leave any task off the list.

Once you have listed all the jobs that need to be done, sit down and decide how many times each job needs to be done over a given time frame, say a month. Identify the jobs that need to be done every day, those that need to be done 1 to 3 times a week, those than need to done on a monthly basis and those that are done once a year.

Here Is an Example ofthe List You Should Create

Daily: Make bed, wash dishes, clean surfaces, do laundry etc.
Weekly: Clean bathrooms, take out trash, vacuum, dust etc.
Monthly: Clean windows and mirrors, clean and disinfect garbage disposal, clean oven, clean cupboards etc.
Yearly: polish wood surfaces and silverware, clean curtains

The last thing to do when creating your cleaning schedule is type it up and print it. Place your printed copy in a conspicuous place in your home where you spend a good bit of time as a reminder. This may be on a bulletin board, on your refrigerator, or anywhere else that you think you will see your chore list every day. Create an interval between different jobs rather than doing all of them in a short time so that you don’t get burned out on cleaning.

Minimizing Home Allergens

Fri, 09 May 2014 15:01:10 GMT

Even though staying indoors can protect an allergic person from the surroundings that trigger such an allergic reaction, it doesn’t get rid of the problem completely. Tiny particles which are not visible to the naked eye like pet dander and dust mites sometimes prompt allergic reactions. These could include asthma or other problems related to respiration. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to help you stay away from exposure to allergens. To make the most of your cleaning efforts whilst minimizing allergens, consider the following simple tips:

Dust hard surfaces often using a special dry duster or moist cloths designed to trap dust and lock it.
Vacuum your floors often. Even though cleaning can at times cause allergic reactions, vacuuming the floors, once or two times every week will help reduce the surface dust and the allergens. Ensure your vacuum has air filler with high efficiency to help capture the dust.
Use a licensed specialized carpet cleaning service for the deep cleaning of the carpet in order to get rid of spills, dust and stains that the regular vacuuming doesn’t eliminate.
Protect yourself from the allergens while doing house chores by putting on a mask. After you are done cleaning, consider staying out of your home for a couple of hours in order to avoid the allergens released in the air.
Reduce pet dander. In case you are allergic, don’t keep animal pets with fur or feathers, for example dogs, cats and birds, in your house. Animal dead skin and saliva also referred to as pet dander may cause allergic reactions. In case you have a pet already, try to keep it away from your bedroom.
Shut out pollen. Check your windows for film or pollen on the sill or frame. Prevent pollen from getting inside your house by keeping your doors and windows shut. You can use your air filter and frequently clean it, or run your air conditioner and remember to change the filter frequently.

Many people worldwide suffer from allergic reactions. In case you are one of these people, be proactive and get rid of these allergens in your house so that you can breathe much more easily. Remember, a clean home is a healthy home!

Keeping Those Dust mites out of Our Homes

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:56:04 GMT

Warmth and humidity homes microscopic creatures called dust mites. Though non-parasitic they feed on human and animal skin flakes shed on daily basis.

Basic measure to get rid of dust mites are:

Exposure to lethal temperature of near 105C (221F) – in a household clothes dryer for ten minutes, can eradicate the existing mites.
DOT powder (disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) can also be used for this purpose.
Prevention is surely better than cure and by following these basic preventive strategies dust mites can be reduced at a remarkable level if not completely eliminated. Careful insight into the kitchen and bedroom of your dwellings works wonder as they are known to offer the most stable conditions for them to flourish:
Air conditioner's cooling effect thickens the dry air providing dust mites an ideal atmosphere to thrive on. Therefore it is advisable to maintain its humidity level relatively low or below 50%. A dehumidifier can be planted to sucking in the dampness around.
Cleanliness is paramount to get rid of any form of dirt or dust. Safeguarding your beddings with dust-proof or allergen impermeable covers easily available in some departmental stores or specialty supply mail order companies will ease your great extent.
Also upholstered furniture, fabric curtains and wall to wall carpet aids in suitable upbringing of these eight legged tiny mites. Their removal and replacement with flat bare surface that are easier to vacuum is beneficial for long time.
Follow a weekly/bi-weekly washing regimen using hot water for all your beddings including blankets and curtains. Non washable stuff can be frozen overnight to kill mites.
It is suggestive to buy less or no feathered/woolen bedding as they offer maximum room to these nasty mites. They can be replaced with synthetics ones.
Mite allergens often get stirred up by dry mop, it is advisable to use damp rags instead.
HEPA filter or double layered micro-filtered bags in vacuum cleaners efficiently traps allergens. Wear a mask to avoid inhaling allergens.

How to Create More Space in Your Home

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:08:56 GMT

Housekeeping can be really difficult, especially when the house gets disorganized and clutter is overwhelming. The more clutter, the more effort it takes to get the house clean, especially if your storage is not well organized. The house must be properly organized with every item having a designated storage place, and items that are similar can be stored together, making it easy to organize your house. Every drawer should be designated for specific group of items so that individuals cleaning the house will not waste time deciding where to store items as every item is assigned to a specific drawer.

Categories that should be included:

Drawers for Lost and Found items

This is a drawer meant for items that lack a category and random items that family members may leave laying around. This way, if someone is missing their items, they can check the drawer first and might be able to save some time looking. These drawers help reduce the clutter in the house, making your home look more organized and appealing to stay in. Cleaning the house also becomes easier as one does not have to move clutter around.

Puzzles Bag

Children love puzzles, but if you have one you know how easily they can get lost. Storing them in boxes does not always work as boxes flatten and get torn more often. Sandwich bags and tote can form a good storage for puzzles. Pictures from the boxes can then be cut and inserted with the puzzle, then each bag can be placed in a small tote, taking up less space and allowing you to be more organized.

Closets for Seasonal Clothes

Most people stick their clothes in one closet, making it full most of the time. This makes access to clothes difficult, especially when you are in a hurry. Why keep all your winter clothes in the same closet with the summer clothes in a summer season? They will just be lying there without being used and making it difficult to obtain the right clothes for the moment. You can buy plastic, vacuum-sealed bags and store away all those seasonal clothes that you don't need. You can then change this from time to time depending on the season, and you will see how much more space you will be enjoying in your closet.

Of course, getting and staying organized requires constant maintenance. If your hands are full, The Maids New Hampshire can help!

How To Remove Stains In Your Carpet

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:51:07 GMT

Not all the stain that get to your carpet can be removed in the same manner, some of the stains can ruin the textile, fiber or even the color of your carpet.

It is very important to distinguish the stains, and use different methods to be able to remove the stains without messing up your carpet

Here are several methods of removing stains on your carpet without ruining it

Removing beverage stains

When your carpet is stained with substances like beer, tea or coffee, spray the stain with a detergent solution, Blot the stain with a dry white cloth, after sometime, spray the stain with vinegar, blotting with a dry cloth.

Use the detergent again following the above procedures, again with warm water repeat the above procedures until the carpet is clear.

Removing pet stains

This can be a challenger specially if you keep your pet in the house, but this should be very easy.

Clean up the initial mess from the carpet; use any thing that can carry the pet’s mess, if the mess is still moist, you can us the blot method to clear the mess just like the above stains.

If the mess is already dry, use white vinegar with a mix of warm water, allow the mixture to soak the mess for a few minutes, then us the blot technique.

This should remove the stain and the odor from your carpet.

Removing Ink and blood stains

These types of stains need to be handled with a lot of care; a slight misuse of detergent or wrong material may result to destruction of the fabric.

Damp a clean white cloth on high concentration of alcohol content such as the Isopropyl, dab the wet cloth on the stained part of the carpet,

Let the alcohol stand for few minutes; use any vacuum cleaning liquid to remove the dissolved moisture.

Other substances that you can use include hairsprays, nail polish, vinegar or white wine.

When using all of the above chemicals, make sure you rinse the carpet with warm water, conduct the cleaning business in a safe environment.

Cleaning your Washing Machine-The Key Element Towards Maintaining a Safe and Clean Household Appliance

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 14:36:45 GMT

A washing machine is certainly an appliance that is quite a benefit to every household. However, over time this item will encounter a need for some cleaning maintenance in order to keep it operating smoothly. This will help to eliminate bad odors as well and staying in good condition. Here are some basic tips on cleaning your washing machine to keep it well functioning.

First you will need to wipe down the exterior of the machine with a solution made of vinegar or you can use any other kind of cleaning substance as long as it’s safe. You will want to use 2 cups of lemon or even vinegar and pour it into the tub of the washing machine and run it through a complete cycle with the use of the hottest temperature setting, as this is an effective means towards removing foul odors.

Inspect and scrub the area in and around the lid of the door so to remove any buildup of detergent or mildew. Then you will need to take out the dispensers for fabric softener and bleach and wash them out inside of the sink.

A good idea so to avoid any risk of getting mildewing inside the washing machine it will be a good idea to leave the lip open until it is completely dry. One other important issue with regards to maintaining a clean washing machine is to check on the washer hoses and make sure that it is securely in place.

Always be certain to use the same type of cleaning solution, and the best and most effective choice for this kind of household chore is with the use of lemon juice or vinegar.

These are the most common and safest means for cleaning your washing machine and providing the entire household with an appliance that will be beneficial to everyone member of the home.

BENEFITS OF AROMATHERAPY USE AT HOME

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 15:28:24 GMT

Aromatherapy is a healing therapy that uses the essential oils of plants to treat countless of diseases. Aromatherapy has increased in popularity as a form of home medicine. Your first experience with aromatherapy might have been at a health center. However, what you may have not realized is that you can use aromatherapy at your home to enhance the healing process of your family members and their overall feeling of wellness through inhalation. If any of your family member is down with influenza, light an aromatherapy diffuser to prevent mutual contagion. Some of the places suitable for use of aromatherapy products are: living room, bedroom, study room, kitchen, bathroom and any other enclosed spaces. Here are some of the major benefits you should expect if you are planning to start using aromatherapy.

Reduced Bladder Infections

Bladder infections are more common in women than men. Essential oils such as chamomile, sandalwood, juniper berry and tea tree provided by aromatherapy takes care of this infection. Bladder infection can be treated by aromatherapy by taking an aromatherapy bath scented with essential oils. Another way of treating it is by applying the essential oils over the compressed blunder. Such aromatherapy treatments techniques should be administered correctly.

Treat Nausea and Stomach Problems

Aromatherapy can quickly relieve you from digestive issues such as stomach pain, intestinal gas, nausea and belching. It can also be helpful for your young kids who have difficulties swallowing medicine. Aromatherapy also relieves stress and anxiety. Nausea and queasy stomach are often caused stress and anxiety.

Improved mood

Aromatherapy essential oils such as rosemary can boost your moods. Rosemary is capable of reducing the stress hormone cortisol in your body thus leading to overall mood and performance improvement.

Better Sleep at Night

Aromatherapy is the best way to treat sleep disorders. Aromatherapy can effectively induce calm, relaxation and a deep sleep. This is possible because the essential oils of aromatherapy stimulates the limbic system in your brain that controls your emotions and moods.

Uses for Vinegar in the Home

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:20:54 GMT

Vinegar is such a useful substance; it should be sitting on the most special shelf in your pantry. There are endless uses for it, mostly as a cleaning agent. Really its only limitation is that it should NOT be mixed with any other household chemicals, namely bleach or any other chlorine-containing substances. Chlorine (the main ingredient in bleach) will chemically react with bleach and produce chlorine gas, which is a poisonous and lethal green-tinted gas. So, keep that in mind while you read through this article on household uses of vinegar.

1. Get Rid of Smoke Odor

Did you just burn that steak or chicken that you left on the pan? Or perhaps your cigar-loving father visited and enjoyed a few cigars in your kitchen or family room. You can remove that smell very easily by using white or cider vinegar. Simply get a shallow bowl and fill up one half to three-quarters of the way full with vinegar. Place the bowl at the center of the odor and within a day the odor should be gone. Another way to get rid of fresh smoke is by wetting a cloth with white or cider vinegar and waving it around the area of the odor.

2. Remove Candle Wax

If you have dried candle wax on surfaces, simply take a blow drier and warm the wax as hot as you can get it. Then dry up as much as you can with a paper towel. Soak another paper towel in 50/50 water/vinegar solution and wipe the reminisce of the candle wax. Finally, wipe the rest up clean with a paper towel.

3. Get Rid of Grease Stains

Grease stains can be a real pain, and the cleaning agents that specialize in grease removal can be quite expensive. So, as an alternative, use white vinegar. Soak a cloth in 50/50 water/vinegar solution and wipe down the surface with the grease stains. Once the vinegar evaporates, the surface will be clean and deodorized.

4. Get Rid of Rust

Did you just find those tools you’d been looking for years? Or how about those ice skates that have sat in the basement for years? Use this trick to remove rust from those tools and ice skates. Simply fill the appropriate size container with white vinegar, and soak the rusty parts in the vinegar for a few days. Eventually the rust will be removed. It’s not the quickest method of rust removal, but it’s very effective and cheap.

5. Clean Lawn Mower Blades

Those lawn mower blades can get especially dirty. Particularly after cutting wet grass. Before you put your mower back in the garage or the shed, get rid of the grass and grass stains by soaking a cloth in white vinegar and rubbing down the blades. This will remove grass, grass stains, and any unwanted insects that may have gotten caught in your mower. This will also increase the life of your lawn mower.

These are just a few of the many tricks that you can use vinegar with. It is a great alternative to expensive name-brand cleaning agents.

Cloudy Glassware

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 15:32:42 GMT

As much as you might love the convenience of a dishwasher, your dishwasher might be leaving your glasses looking so cloudy, such that you might feel ashamed some times to use them for guests. There are a couple of reasons why that happens.

First, if your dishwasher has a double compartment for placing detergent, then don’t place detergent on both compartments. The detergent may be too much hence causing the water to be hard and form deposits on your cutlery and glass.

If the problem persists again, try using the some rinse booster to rinse the glasses and anything in the dish washer. Alternatively, you can use vinegar to rinse it first then hot water to complete the rinsing circle. From personal experiences, this is usually the most common problem that I have encountered.

Now, some times, the water you use in your dishwasher might have some extent of hardness. The hardness leads to mineral deposit on cutlery and glasses. To solve this problem, try using water softeners to soften the water before washing your dishes. Soft water will prevent instances of mineral deposits that leave the glasses cloudy.

Some of the times, the problem might arise from clogged dishwasher drain. As small bits of food and grime from the dishes mixed with water are being passed through the screen, gunk might accumulate over time, causing the dishwasher cycle to be full of dirty water. You should check the filter screens and the drain to make sure there are no food particles or gunk whatsoever frequently. By doing this the water in the dishwasher will be clean at all times.

One other problem that might be causing the cloudy glass appearance is the fact that cold water is used in place of hot water. The water used in the dishwasher should be 125-145 Fahrenheit for effective cleaning of dishes. As you know, warming water improves its cleaning properties and removes water hardness.

The solution to this problem is in any of these, so trust me; your problem is as good as over.

Keeping Hair Out of the Sink in the Bathroom

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:05:47 GMT

The bathroom room sink is designed for draining the dirty water in the bathroom, but over a period of time other dirt and residues in the bathroom will also get deposited in the sink. If the dirt particles are small in size like detergent particles, mud and dust, they will get drained away along with the dirty water into the SWR system. However, larger residues like human hair will get deposited in the drains, as they not washed away easily. These hair strands can impede the flow of water in the drain, clogging the drains. This articles look at the options available for keeping hair out of the sink in the bathroom.

Before trying to find the ways to keep hair out of the sink in the bathroom, it is essential to understand the reason why and how the hair enters the sink in the bathroom. Most of the hair that accumulates in the sink is not intentional, it accumulates over a period of time. A person suffering from hair loss, will have his or her hair falling all the time, and there is little he or she can do to prevent the falling hair from accumulating in the bathroom. Another common reason for hair fall is while taking a bath, especially for women who have longer hair. During the bath, some hair strands may fall off due to the pressure applied to the hair. During a hair cut, some hair may fall on the body, and this hair when washed off can accumulate in the drain.

Keeping hair out of the sink in the bathroom involves reducing or preventing hair fall in the bathroom. This can be done by combing the hair before entering the bathroom. When the hair is being combed, any lose strands of hair will fall off and can be thrown in the dustbin, and this will prevent hair fall in the bathroom. Do not apply much pressure on the hair while washing the hair to reduce the hair loss. While having a haircut, keep the body fully covered to prevent hair falling on the body.

However, despite taking all precautions, there will always be some hair accumulating in the sink in the bathroom, and it is advisable to remove this hair at the earliest to prevent clogging. Periodically checking the sink for clogging and removing the hair manually is one way to remove the hair. There are special filters available, which trap all larger dirt particles, and these could be used to trap the human hair. Additionally there are drain cleaning chemicals available, which react with the water in the sink to form solvents which dissolve the hair and other sediments in the sink. These chemicals should be used periodically to keep the sink free of hair.

How I Keep my Dog without Keeping His Scent

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 14:59:33 GMT

My husband thought it was a great idea to get the kids a dog. With the kids on his side, I was outnumbered. We have had Booker for a year now and he has broken my resolve. I love our overgrown puppy. What I don't love is his smell.

Even when clean, dogs have that scent they give off. You know the one. It isn't always bad, like when he's wet or has morning breath. It is overwhelming though. When we have guests over I worry what they think.

I tried brushing him more often, and that helps. Frequent brushing means that the fur he sheds goes into the garbage instead of being strewn about the house.

Brushing is not an absolute though. He will still shed, and that cannot be prevented. Dog hair has a scent that I don't want to inhale more than I have to.

The answer I found was so simple that I did it as soon as I got off the computer. I didn't have to run to the store, because I already owned the ultimate deodorizer.

Baking soda is the answer.

All I had to do was sprinkle it onto the carpet, and vacuum. For an added benefit, I poured lavender oil onto a tissue, vacuumed the tissue, and vacuumed the carpets. They smell like lavender! Not like lavender perfume splashed over an icky scent that you still kind of get the hint of when you sniffle... No. It smells like pure lavender. It's beautiful.

For the curtains, blankets, and couch cushions, I did have to go to the store. I bought apple cider vinegar. I added it to the washing machine when I did the laundry and my fabrics came out smelling like new. Also like apples, which was nice.

I get to keep my house, and my dog, with a fix so simple I cannot believe I waited a year to discover it.

How to Keep Your Children Safe from Medicines

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 15:50:34 GMT

Kids have a way of getting their hands on almost everything in the house. However, there are some things that you should not allow them to get their hands on. One of these things is medicine. This is because medicine can seriously harm them when used in the wrong way. Pharmaceutical companies have made an effort to protect children by using child resistant packaging. Unfortunately, you cannot depend on this packaging alone. Below are some tips for keeping medicines safely out of your children’s hands:

Educate your children on the dangers of medicines

With children 2 or older, it is important to explain the dangers of medicines. Make sure they know that the medicines can make them very sick if they try to take it on their own. Let them know it is important for mom, dad, or any other responsible adult who cares for them to give any medicines.

Store all the medicine in your house in a locked cabinet

If possible, use a high cabinet where the children cannot reach. To keep your children safe from medicine, you have to ensure that all medication in your house is stored under lock and key. Don’t forget to the cabinet locked at all times, and to keep the key in a safe place.

Never leave any medicine out of the cabinet

If you have children, you should never leave medicine out of the cabinet, even for short periods of time. A second is enough for a child to swallow a pill that can harm him/her. After taking your medicine at any given time, make sure that you return the remaining medicine back to the cabinet.

Discard all your medicine carefully

If you want to discard medicine that is past the expiration date, make sure that you do it very carefully. Don’t just throw the medicine away in your normal garbage bin. Kids can easily find it there. Discard your medicine in places where you are sure that you children cannot get to it.

And if you live in the North Hampton area and would like the assistance of a professional maid service , The Maids of New Hampshire would be happy to help.

Are You a Household Gardener?

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:49:23 GMT

Household Gardener

If you love plants, and springtime finds you outdoors digging and weeding, then many might call you a “gardener.” Once you transfer your affinity for the living green to the inside of your home, gardening merges with housekeeping and caring for indoor plants has become a part of your household duties.

Showing plants appreciation

Plants add dimension to your home – they occupy space, add color, and enhance your décor. For all they provide, they do ask for your attention to keep them healthy and attractive.

1. Plants need water

Some plants like to feel their roots moist all the time, but they do not want to feel wet. Others need a little drying-out time, so do not water them too often.

2. Plants need light

There are fussy types of plants in many homes. Some plants prefer a south window, while others wilt with too much sunlight. Many plants prefer either southeast or northwest exposure to get the right amount.

3. Plants need food

Healthy soil is their mainstay and should be free from gnats and mites. Plants require fertilizer to keep them growing healthy. Frequent applications help, but you should allow rest time.

Plants and your housekeeping schedule

From the above requirements, you may note that plants are not like other items in your home, which may need dusting occasionally. Plants require regular attention.

Look over your calendar, pencil in convenient times to water and fertilize your plants.
If you have several plants, it may not be possible to care for them all on the same day. You might decide on certain rooms for certain days to simplify the scheduling.
Assign children an after-school responsibility if possible.

Protect floor and furniture

Plants require water, but your wooden floors may not. Flooring, carpeting, tile, and furniture like desks or tables may need protection from moisture that can accumulate under potted plants. There are pot-holding items that can lessen possible damage. Watering your plants in areas such as a laundry tub may prevent accidental spills.

Housekeeping duties often stretch beyond the usual and include special jobs to make your home pleasingly comfortable for you and your family.

Renew Your Room with Fresh Carpet

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:33:10 GMT

Carpet contributes to visual appeal. No matter what size or type of room it is. Colors can make a world of difference. Nevertheless, your old carpet may not look so good no matter how much housekeeping you do and the cleaning methods you try. The room itself looks great, but that old carpet takes away from your hard work towards a great looking room.

Carpet comes in many different colors. Therefore, there is a good chance you will find what suits your needs and blends well within the room. All the fixtures and furniture in the room contribute to the color scheme so be sure to pay attention to that.

The most common carpet colors include blue tones, gray tones, and tan tones. These particular colors seem to blend well in many rooms so they are an easy choice for many people. However, you will discover that there are many colors like green tones, red tones, mixed tones, etc.

When you think of carpet coloration, consider any changes you are planning to make to things like furniture or trim. You don’t want to install a certain colored carpet only to find that it won’t match with your potential upgrades within the room.

Having a new carpet installed will not only add excitement to the room, but also make those cleaning efforts more worthwhile. It’s time to go shopping.

How Do House Cleaning Services Improve Your Life?

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:24:11 GMT

Straight and to the point, house cleaning services provide thorough, effective cleaning results with a dedication to a sanitary home too. They give you more time for the more important things in your life and complete a thorough cleaning effort on each and every visit.

When you clean, it is often done in spurts. Even if you had an entire day, you would have other obligations to tend to, not to mention many interruptions or distractions to handle.

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, you can stress out if you don’t have any free time to recuperate, regain your energy, and refresh your mind. It often leads to that overwhelmed feeling when you just don’t seem to get a break. You lose focus too, because you can’t get your mind under control if you go non-stop.

Accidents like spills or kids arguing can take you away from cleaning in an immediate sort of way. So can a phone call, a text, or someone knocking on your door. Who knows where any of these interruptions will go? Housekeeping services don’t have those distractions to deal with, mainly because the cleaning is their job, unlike you where you may have to go to work every day and your home carries many distractions for you.

With your tight schedule of events and distractions, you could really use some time to regain your mental state, rather than flying around at random and hoping for progress. If you can’t think about a particular situation, you won’t be able to move forward with a straight head.

Get your head back in the game of life and let the maids do the cleaning for you. For a small expense, you really get a great opportunity to improve your life, while benefiting from a wonderfully looking home that is healthier. Spend more time with your family while you have the time to use. Go out and have fun to relieve the anxieties of life. It is worth it, just like your electric service. Both are not mandatory, but are surely beneficial to everyday living.

Figuring Out Curtain and Drapery Materials and Fabrics

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 14:27:56 GMT

When comparing products with fabrics and materials, it can be confusing. For instance, shopping for curtains often leads to confusion between two similar items because each manufacturer describes their product differently. These two different words often get used to describe the products. People will describe a shirt as a fabric, but it is actually made from a fabric. In truth, the shirt is made from cotton. Is this confusing yet? A fabric is actually what you have once you spun and weaved a material together. In fact, it can have several different materials within it. No matter what is woven together, it becomes a fabric. That shirt began as cotton material. It got spun and weaved together to become a fabric. From there, the fabric was sewn to form a shirt.

Fabrics often have their own name determined by specific materials used. This can cause confusion between product descriptions. In addition other fabrics are named based on design or style. For instance, a calico fabric is made from cotton material and has small flower patterns in the background with contrast. When it comes to damask fabric, it is not only made from cotton, but also has small raised dots on one side. A satin fabric is named from just materials, which can be silk, nylon, polyester, or a combination of them. Also, chenille fabric is made from chenille yarn, which is made from cotton, acrylic, rayon, and olefin materials.

With materials, they determine the overall quality of the fabric, as well as the look and dependability. Silk material adds design and visual appeal while wool adds strength and insulation advantages. On top of that, polyester provides strength and shrink resistant advantages while nylon provides strength and resistance to abrasions.

Aside from house cleaning , many often say that curtains make the biggest difference in a room's visual appeal. No matter what personality or style a room has, curtains have a huge impact. As a result, factors like fabric, color, materials, durability, and design become properties of any curtain. In searching for curtains to suit your needs, it can be rather overwhelming and confusing. To make shopping easier, it is a good idea to learn about fabrics and materials in order to find the best match based on your needs and budget.

Boost Your Cleaning Results with New Interior Moulding

Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:19:03 GMT

Spending all that time house cleaning certainly pays off, but imagine how much better your rooms would look with fresh, new moulding. Moulding, also known as molding or trim, is prone to damage, cracks, breakage, coming loose, disappearing, and sometimes fading. Therefore the visual appeal from your hard work gets dampened by the unsightly views of damaged moulding. Just like a rusted bike with a brand new seat. It just doesn’t work as good at making the bike look awesome. It may be time to replace your interior moulding.

Moulding is made from numerous materials, such as pine, oak, polyurethane, composite, etc. Wood moulding adds the awesome touch of wood grain looks to bring that natural look to any room. Polyurethane and composite are very durable and clean easier. Most are primed to allow for painting to your choice of color.

Aside from materials, finishes are available. Moulding comes in unfinished, finished, and primed options. Unfinished moulding provides the advantage of being able to be painted or stained to your likings. Finished trim makes it easier by already being finished and ready to install. Primed moulding allows you to paint whatever color or colors you like with whatever paint you prefer.

Lastly, moulding comes in various designs. You can find standard moulding that is almost flat, but has a slight curve to it from top to bottom. The bottom is thicker than the top. However, you will find more expensive options like circular patterns, square patterns, line patterns, and even wavy patterns. You may even find a combination pattern made of two or more of these patterns.

Understanding the main elements of moulding will give you the power to find exactly what you need . You may be familiar with some elements already or you may even know all about them. But no matter, anything you didn’t know will certainly help you better at finding the perfect moulding and making your cleaning efforts more worthwhile, just like the bike if you removed the rust.

Lessen Allergy Symptoms at Your Residence through Providing More Desirable Air Quality

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 13:14:38 GMT

You have a fabulously looking house, especially since you work hard at the house cleaning to keep it healthy. But the quality of air is something that you don't exactly get to clean . Nevertheless, you can help reduce allergens and air pollutants with various filtration techniques and make your home that much healthier.

Homes are noted as one of the top locations for illness and allergies. Most of this is due to the air and the pollutants within it. Closed windows can contribute significantly as well and stimulate illness and allergies. In fact, allergies kick in for most people too at that time. The furnace blows the pollutants around and they also get shuffled around in the air with every person and every movement.

Using air purifiers is a big way to help cut back on those air pollutants and irritants. Choose from floor models and table models with many features like fan speed, oscillation, etc. The more expensive the model, the more filtration and cleaner air you usually get.

The second bit of advice involves windows. Open your windows if possible and place fans in some of them. By doing so, you are sending the pollutants outside and bringing fresh air in. You will have to clean the screens from time to time, but you won't mind when you see the results on your screens!

Your vacuum cleans well, right? When you think about it, what exactly is it cleaning? It picks up dirt and debris really well, but what does it do with the air? Cheap models simply shuffle the particles back into the air. HEPA filtered vacuum cleaners help a little more, but a lot of cheaper models let the air escape before going through the filter. Higher suction power may be beneficial with carpet, but can also kick around contaminants if not good enough.

Every home will always have some amount of air pollutants within it. Nevertheless, there are certain steps you can take to control it and make it a comfortable environment.

Explore Home Brightening Cost Savings

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 13:10:04 GMT

Everyday living like house cleaning , hobby work, newspaper reading, etc. involve the need for home lighting and incandescent bulbs have been used for decades to satisfy that need. Incandescent lighting options have increased over time with color tone options and bulb type, yet still consume a lot of energy. With the many options available with incandescent light bulbs, you can find a bulb for just about any purpose. Alongside the incandescent lighting types, color tone output evolved to create a certain atmospheric mood in any room. We are not referring to colors like red and blue, but color tones that generate a brighter white output, a yellower output, etc.

It would be wise to replace those lights with any of these two options mentioned below.

Fluorescent lights consume a lot less energy than those old fashioned incandescent bulbs.

L.E.D. lamps save even more than fluorescent lights, but are limited on options today.

Fluorescent light bulbs only consume 13 or 15 watts when compared to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. This can help save money on your electric bill, while also lasting several years. Because there are many options available, A 15 watt daylight fluorescent replaces those 60 watt daylight incandescent bulbs in your bathroom.

Your electric use will lower and be reflected on your monthly electric bills with L.E.D. lighting too. Energy usage is significantly reduced with L.E.D.s and they even last a long time too. There is a good amount of selection available, but these still continues to grow.

Paint a Bath Room with Color Design and Style

Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:03:58 GMT

The colors of any room or space tend to make the greatest difference, both in comfortableness and style. With those two variables, your bathroom isn't any different.

Your house cleaning efforts never seem to end, yet you want to have people around, relatives and buddies to be impressed, and you prefer to get pleasure from getting up every day, right? An attractive, colorful washroom offers all those comforts, as well as actually representing your persona.

Color blending is really important regardless of how you rework your bathroom.

Wall color choices can be exciting, but make sure it will fit well with all the fixtures and accessories currently in the room . Use your imagination and come up with different color mixes that seem to work well together.

Your bathroom walls can actually have various colors while still blending well with everything else in the room. There is no limit to the number of colors you can choose either. All that matters is that the final product makes you happy.

You can create a great looking bathroom that satisfies your desires when you add color. Choose from whatever suits you, whether you like bright colors, dark colors, earth-tone colors, or any other color style.

Color options are also one of the first things to consider when planning a remodel, aside from budget. The color selection(s) have a huge influence over the finished paint project in any bathing room, so be sure you will be happy with the end results.

Color Your Bathroom with New Fixtures and Accessories

Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:59:25 GMT

Your bathroom may already sparkle with all the cleaning you do, but why not upgrade with some color and make it look better than ever?

Your tub/shower, your bathroom sink, your bathroom cabinets, your light fixtures, the toilet, and even the towel rack all can work in harmony to create a place worth brightening your mornings or adding value to your home.

It is important to take all the time you need so that you end up with a room you're satisfied with.

Restroom sinks include a wide selection of types, including differences in design, color, type, and style . While deciding on color choice, make sure it will blend well with the room's overall design. For classical desires, consider choosing a pedestal type sink. For country-style bathrooms, think about going with cabinet style sinks if there is enough room.

What about a modern-style look or a trendy one? In this case, consider going with a wall mount style sink. Are you limited on space in your restroom? Think about using a wall-mount sink to get some extra space, which also comes in a huge selection of colorful styles.

The existing shower and/or tub you possess can still be in good condition. If that's the case, plan your colorful washroom layout around it. If that doesn't suit your needs, consider a new tub/shower surround.

If replacing the tub/shower is desired or needed, choose a color that blends in with your future bathroom color scheme. You can also design your color scheme around a new tub or shower if needed. It just depends on your particular situation.

Add Life to your own External Living Area

Sun, 25 Aug 2013 12:54:00 GMT

Considering the frequent housekeeping you do, the house may very well actually seem magnificent, but making your outside livable space sparkle is an enhancement anybody will enjoy. With some clever thinking and some nifty tricks, you can make your outside living more exciting. Highly inexpensive, budget-friendly upgrades are widely available without spending a bunch of money.

Bring some fashion to corners, wall areas, and even walkways with potted plants . Potted plants can have an enormous, colorful impact on visual appeal within your overall living space. Flowers provide a color-changing opportunity to add new excitement from time to time and the pots can be moved around with ease to switch the space up a little. You will get excited being able to switch things around from time to time and keep it fresh! In this case, change is definitely good!

In addition to color advantages, they are excellent choices for disguising unappealing items or areas, such as wall outlets, drain pipes, watering systems, and even gutters.

Your outdoor furniture takes on a significant role in your own artistic patio. It's possible that you love and like what you currently have in your patio. You can just get it to almost new condition at a small fraction of the cost. Paint can be chosen in many types and surely, you'll discover what you need for use on your patio furniture. Consider getting new seat covers as well.

Pick out seat covers with spectacular patterns or simply select exciting colors.

Grassy locations with higher traffic often get ruined. Consider installing paving stones or a walkway to prevent those dead spots and flattened sections of grass. Mud zones can help be prevented with an addition like this.

With these budget-friendly tactics, you'll be well on your way to a great looking outdoor area than everyone will enjoy!

Find out how to get Rid of Hand Towel Smells

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 12:49:20 GMT

You work hard at housekeeping , making your home look great and making it smell good. However, some things just refuse to cooperate and tend to slow you down. Ask yourself why your linens just will not smell refreshing, though they are most often really clean? The Washing detergent often eradicates most odors, but isn't going to consistently get them all. Some odors will be really tough to stop. Some odors just refuse to disappear, regardless how tough you fight them. Will you toss in the towel and purchase new bathroom towels? Imagine if you just didn't take note of the odor and you put them away? Can you imagine a visitor discovering them? That might be a real humiliating scenario.

You may have attempted to wash them more than once before tossing in the dryer, but it didn't seem to eliminate the problem, right? Regardless of how many times you wash those towels, no matter what type they are ; the residues that get left behind build up. Every time they get washed, regardless of getting dried or not, the residue continues to build up. This buildup leads to missed areas that do not get cleaned, due to the wash water not being able to penetrate deep inside the towels.

You can easily push this problem aside. There's an approach to the problem that brings your rest room towels back to being almost new.

Step number 1 begins with hot water and 1 cup of vinegar inside the clothes washer. Only insert vinegar inside the appliance and leave the laundry detergent all alone because it will affect the actual result. Upon completion of round 1, repeat that step, but use a half cup of baking soda instead of vinegar. Once again, avoid using a cleaning agent or fabric softener. After that cycle finishes, put them in the clothes dryer and the process is finished. At this point, you should now have dry towels that smell refreshing!

If you don't have terrific smelling bathroom towels, the washer might need refreshed. Refer to the user guidelines for your washing machine. There are various washing machine fresheners available that eliminate odors in your washer. When refreshing your washer, be sure to follow those manufacturer's guidelines. Also follow the freshener's instructions. This is not like a normal load.

Decorating on the Bright Side

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 12:42:54 GMT

Looking to incorporate more bright colors into your home design? It’s not uncommon to be unsure where to start when it comes to using bright colors—for many homeowners, they are a little intimidating.

The key to bright colors is balance and thoughtfulness. Check out these ideas to help you get started :

Mimic Nature. If you are afraid of mismatching colors, this technique won’t fail you! Think about a beach—what colors do you see at the beach? Take those colors and use them for your decorating.

Try using these colors for a great beach room: light blue or light turquoise, sandy tan, and clean whites.

Brighten Up a Calm Color. If you have a solid, calm color on the wall, juxtapose it with brightly colored patterns on furniture and fabric. The great thing about this is that you can test how you like the pattern against the color by getting a test fabric and holding it up against the wall!

For a little guidance, take a look at a color wheel and find complimentary colors; it will help you eyeball how well the colors go together.

Bold Color on the Wall. Most often, homeowners will put a neutral or calmer color on the wall, then incorporate colors through furniture and accessories. However, you can reverse that for a completely different look.

Choose a bold, bright color for the walls, then fill the space with neutral furniture. The contrasts will make the room pop and feel energetic.

If you haven’t already, do you think you will try bright colors in your home décor?

How to Clean Your Child’s Favorite Toys

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 12:33:30 GMT

Toys get a lot of abuse: they get played with, dragged through the dirt, and touched by sticky popsicle fingers. It's probably not usually part of your house cleaning , so when you’re looking at an army of dirty toys, where do you start?

These tips should give you a few great ideas for tackling some of the toys your child loves :

Action Figures

That mud puddle your child’s superhero action figure swam in this morning probably wasn’t the cleanest, but you can be the superhero when you clean it back to it’s original glory. Here’s how:

Soak the action figure in lukewarm water and dishsoap for 5 minutes.
Remove the action figure and rinse under cold water.
Dry the toy by patting with a towel.

Soon, that hero will be back on the front lines!

Stuffed Animals

For many kids, stuffed animals are a go-to. Unfortunately, this means they see a lot of dirt! Thankfully, they are easy to clean:

Cover the tip of a vacuum hose with pantyhose and vacuum the loose dirt off of the animal.
“Bathe” the toy with a wash cloth dipped in warm water and dishsoap.
Rinse with a clean, damp cloth and air dry.
If the fur is matted, you can brush it with a pet brush

Keep their best stuffed friend in great shape—you will both be happy you did!

Barbies

Barbies are iconic, and they see everything from the bathtub to the playground in a single day. How can you clean them—especially that hair?

Wash the Barbie’s hair with dishsoap and warm water, then rinse well, dry, and brush.
Gently scrub with a cotton ball or cotton swab to reach the smaller, more detailed places on the Barbie.

How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:24:36 GMT

Hardwood floors can be difficult when it comes to house cleaning . You don’t want to do anything to damage them, but getting them cleaner and looking good again is important. You can’t always hire professional hardwood floor cleaners, so what do you do when it’s up to you?

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to making your hardwood floor cleaner :

Step #1: Sweep. Use a soft broom to sweep up particles that could be missed or spread around while you’re cleaning the floor. If you’re also cleaning counters, you should finish them before moving onto the floor so you don’t risk adding more dirt and particles after you’ve swept!

Step #2: Move furniture. If you’re really going to get a good clean on the floor, you’re going to want to move the furniture out of the way. You can always work with the furniture in the room, especially if it’s just maintenance cleaning, but if you’re going for a thorough clean, move the furniture out.

Step #3: Clean! Use hardwood floor cleaner, or the easiest and most effective solution: 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. Avoid polishes that will leave a waxy residue on your floor (they attract dust!) and avoid harsh chemicals that will damage the floor and its seal.

Wipe it clean with a soft mop or cloth like a terry cloth mophead or towel and clean in the direction of the grain.

Step #4: Dry. It’s never a good idea to leave moisture on wood, so when you’re done cleaning, dry up the excess water with a dry mophead or towel.

This should make your floor look much, much better. If your floor is still looking a little too rough, it might be time to call a professional carpet cleaner or floor refinisher.

Using Turquoise in Design

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:18:59 GMT

Some of the most popular colors in designing, housekeeping , and homemaking right now are green and blue. If these aren’t colors your normally decorate with, you might not be sure how to pair them well to make them look great in a space.

One good color that can be used in a lot of different ways (and is therefore very decorator-friendly) is turquoise. It’s rich vibrancy combined with the cool burst of color make for a balanced space.

1. Combine with neutrals for an anchored appearance. Turquoise is a color that can be both rich and lofty, so it needs a neutral to make it anchored. You can go light and airy with white or you can opt for a more rich tone with browns, but you can’t go wrong with either one—pick the neutral you like the best and most suits the look you’re going for.

2. Lots of light. The amount and type of light in a room changes the way it’s perceived. Light against lighter colors makes a room look bigger—the reflection changes the way your eyes determine the size of the room, and this has a huge impact!

Also, light can intensify the colors in the room, and control over the amount of light can enhance the way you use your space—invest in lots of natural light, great light fixtures, and dimmer switches to make your room complete and versatile.

3. Combine vibrant accents. So you have a neutral base and you have your turquoise, but what about other colors? It’s okay to add more colors to the mix as great accent colors. There are some bright colors that will look great alongside turquoise, especially a rich purple.

What do you think, would you use turquoise in your house? How would you use it?

Getting Your Closet Organized in a Day

Fri, 31 May 2013 12:08:02 GMT

If you take a look in your closet and see it overflowing, you might be tempted to just ignore it completely, but the sooner you get to it, the better you’ll feel. Also, once it’s clean, housekeeping in your bedroom will be a lot easier!

The good news is that if you do it right, you can organize your closet in one day without too much effort.

Critical Thinking: As you go through your closet, be extremely critical. Judge everything. Is that shirt or dress something you’re going to wear? Have you worn it in the past year? Do you really love it? If the answer to any of these is no, let it go. It will make your closet cleaner, and you can donate it so that someone else who might like it can use it.

Separate Seasons: Separating out seasonal clothes will cut the amount of clothes in your closet in half instantly. As you sort through, set off-season clothes you plan to keep to the side. Then, when the closet is completely clear, store those items away.

When it’s time for the seasons to change again, pull out the clothes you were storing and swap them out for last season’s clothes.

Put Like Items Together. One of the key points of organizing is to categorize. Categorizing—however you do it that works for you—will help you find anything you need in your closet any time. It will also keep your closet looking nice and organized, taking the stress away from getting dressed in the morning.

How Labeling Can Help You Stay Organized

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:59:33 GMT

Labeling has gotten a bad reputation as being a little overzealous in the organization department, but actually, it’s a fantastic tool for keeping things neat, tidy, and clear. They can also make house cleaning a lot easier, especially with kids.

Here are a few ideas inspired by Becky at Organizing Made Fun to get you started :

Invest in a Basic Label Maker. These aren’t the manual label makers of the past—now you can get handheld label makers that print with the clarity and definition of a computer, including the ability to define label size and change fonts.

Having a hand-held label maker means that you can mark things as you work. Organizing your kitchen? Print a quick label for the sugar and salt containers so no one gets confused! In the bathroom and bedroom, mark plastic trays and containers so you can see what’s in them in a glance.

Sticker Labels. For a more decorative approach, sticker labels are a fun alternative. These can be purchased in craft stores or online, and they often come with colorful or distinct borders.

Find sticker labels that are easy to write on or put through the printer so that you can fully customize them. These are great for helping kids know which containers are for which toys or for marking seating or cups at parties.

Pre-made Labels. Are you looking for calendar labels or labels for your spices? You can find many pre-made labels online that allow you to just print them and stick them, not a bad idea especially if you need a lot of a particular kind of label.

Are you a labeler? Would you consider becoming one?

Have You Ever Thought of Polka Dots?

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:23 GMT

Part of housekeeping is decorating, and part of decorating is experimentation, but would you put polka dots as a main design feature in one of your rooms? If you’re like most homeowners, you’re probably vigorously shaking your head right now! Surprisingly, though; when done well, polka dots can look beautiful, no matter what room you use them in!

The key is in knowing how to use them properly. Here are a few design tips for using polka dots from Pure Inspiration :

Feature them on an area rug. It’s the right amount of polka dots for any room, and it’s still a significant part of the design. If you want it to be a bold statement, choose a rug with bigger polka dots, but keep the colors a little more muted. For something more sophisticated, use neutral or lightly colored smaller polka dots.
Polka dot an accent wall. If you want your room to have a fun, light-hearted feel, go ahead and put polka dots on an accent wall. To keep it looking sophisticated, don’t overwhelm the room. If the dots are small keep them spread out, and use consistent colors.
Polka dotted bedding. Bedding is one of those things you can afford to be creative with, so go ahead and try it! Choose some bedding with polka dot accents and use it as an attention getter in your bedroom.

Here’s a tip for matching patterns like polka dots with other patterns you may already have in your room: match the background colors. When you match the background colors of two patterns, they will fit together more nicely and look as though they both belong to the room!

What’s Your Tip of the Day?

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:51:29 GMT

If you were asked to give one cleaning tip for the day, what would it be? What’s your favorite trick for cleaning? A few bloggers weighed in at Frock Files with their own favorite tips . How many do you use?

Because keeping a clean house is a constant part of life, there’s never enough tips—anything that makes it better and more efficient is welcome!

Cleaning Services. There’s a dual effect when it comes to cleaning services according to Melissa of LuLu the Baker. In addition to keeping her house clean and allowing her just to focus on maintenance, it forces her family to pick things up so they aren’t leaving things all over the floor for people to step on!

Get Your Children Involved. When everyone in your family is involved in keeping it clean, it will be naturally more efficient and also less overwhelming. If there’s only one person cleaning up everyone’s mess, you’re going to get burned out quickly! Instead, offer fun incentives like games and music to help get your kids motivated to clean.

Spread Out the Work. Saving all of the cleaning for one day will make for one really long house cleaning day! Instead, assign tasks to different days, making a schedule for yourself that evenly distributes your chores throughout the week

Clean As You Go. “Don’t put things down, put them away,” quotes Tan of Squirrely Minds. When you put things in their home immediately rather than leaving it for later, the house naturally stays clean. You also prevent that moment of realizing that there’s a lot of cleaning to do!

Making a Day of It

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:44:53 GMT

Want to get the family involved in house cleaning , but know they'll bolt the minute you say the word? Impact Thrift Stores posted a great plan for getting everyone—even the kids—on board with some cleaning.

Anytime you want to get kids involved, there's going to have to be a fun factor, and by turning the cleaning into an event with games and prizes is definitely a way to do it.

Here are a few favorite ideas from their recommendations:

Create a Team. If you let each child create a team for themselves with a name and a color, they'll be more motivated to compete. Help them come up with a name that suits their personality and a short cheer they can use to chant for their “team.”

Give Each Team a Goal. The important thing here is to pick a goal that is attainable, keeping in mind the age and capabilities of each child. This way, they get to experience the victory, which will motivate them the next time you need to clean!

Award a Prize. While this can be an actual prize, it doesn't have to be! It could be that you will cook their favorite dinner for them one night next week, that they get to pick the TV show the whole family watches together, or that they get one extra book at bedtime. Pick something they'll really enjoy to keep them moving!

Play a Game. Create a game that encourages everyone to get involved. Some of the ones they suggested included:

Dust Bunny Round-Up: a race to see who can dirty a white sock first by dusting in their assigned room.
Kitchen Cabinet CSI: Open your kitchen cabinets and ask them to investigate. How many expired items are hiding in there? What about vegetables? Snacks? Not only will they help you root out all of your expired items, they'll also be inadvertently organizing!
Story Time: Have each family member bring an item that they found while cleaning and tell a story about it. What has that doll been up to all this time?

When you make cleaning fun for your kids, not only are they more likely to get involved, but you will also probably have fun!

Creating a Personal Family Organizer

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:24:53 GMT

When everyone has somewhere else to be, your family's schedule can feel like it's out of control. How do you keep up with all of the appointments, games, meetings, parties, and school events? This handy housekeeping idea from Organized Home is great: create a planner for your family .

One binder for all of your family's schedules, phone numbers, shopping lists—it's a great way to keep everyone on the same page.

Calendars & Schedules. The first thing you want to add is a master calendar and a collection of all of the schedules of your family members. It will be much easier to juggle everything when you can all look at the same calendar and check the same schedules for what's coming up.

Phone Numbers & Other Contacts. From the doctor's office to the school secretary, there are so many phone numbers that are nice to have on hand for everyone. Make a list of the important phone numbers (include emails, too!) and keep them in the family planner for easy access.

Shopping Lists. Don't you hate coming back from the grocery store only to realize that there was something you could have picked up for a family member if you had known they needed it? Make a central shopping list where everyone can add the things they need.

Chore Chart. If you split up household tasks, having the scheduled somewhere central can help make sure everyone—especially your kids—remember when it's their turn to do their chores. For older kids, make a list of all of the things that need to be done in a week and ask them to pick a few and cross them off when they've finished.

There are many more things you can add—anything that's important for everyone in your family to know is fair game!

Keeping the Bathroom Clean: Clean As You Go

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:18:34 GMT

What's your cleaning style? Are you someone who spaces the house cleaning out, or do you wait and do one big cleaning? Blogger Leo Babauta of Zen Habits takes a look at keeping clean by cleaning as you go, especially in the bathroom.

If cleaning gets you stressed out, take a step back and see if this will help you out!

Check Your Frequency

If you handle things as you notice them, clutter and dirt won't get out of control. If your eyes or your nose tells you that the bathroom needs cleaning, it probably does!

It's best to do this a few times a week, though; so put your powers of observation to work and look for the areas that need attention every day.

Quick Toilet Cleaning

When the toilet bowl looks like it's forming a ring, go ahead and grab your toilet brush, spray down your toilet with your favorite cleaner, and give it a quick scrub.

Alternatively, one of our favorite hints is to drop a couple of denture tablets in before you leave the house or overnight, then flushing—it will take dirt with it!

Hit the Showers

The best time to clean the showers is while you're there anyway! Right before your shower, spray it down, then rinse it clean before you get in.

To be extra safe (especially in kids' bathrooms!), use an all-natural cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.

Everything and the Sink!

One of the places in your bathroom that gets dirtiest the fastest is actually the sink. Dirty hands, toothpaste, spilled makeup, soap, or cologne—it all ends up there!

As soon as you notice the sink or counter looking a little worse for wear, just grab your spray bottle and do a quick spray and wipe. It will only take a second and keep your sink area looking nice and clean.

Take the Floor

The floor doesn't usually need cleaning as often, but once a week you'll want to give it a quick sweep and a mop or scrub.

Cleaning The Light Fixtures in Your House

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:40:13 GMT

Most homeowners don't think about cleaning light fixtures too often, but they definitely need it—lights attract dust and insects, so adding it to your house cleaning once a month will go a long way in making them look better. How you clean it will depend on the light itself, so here are a few tips:

Cleaning a Lamp: With the light turned off, dust the base and the bulb with a microfiber cloth (careful if the lamp's been on, the bulb might be hot!). For the lampshade, use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to gently vacuum the dirt off.

If your lampshade is exceptionally dirty or stained and made of cloth, you can hand wash it with laundry detergent to make it look brand new.

Cleaning a Standard Globe or Sconce-Style Light: This type is the easiest to clean because if you have a dishwasher, you can put the glass globe or sconce on the top rack of your dishwasher and run it through a regular cycle to get it clean and disinfected.

If you don't have a dishwasher, hand wash it like you would a dish. In either case, make sure they've dried completely before reattaching, and don't forget to dust the lightbulb!

Cleaning a Chandelier: The most important part about cleaning a chandelier is using a drop cloth underneath to catch the dust that's going to fall. After that, take a small brush and push the dust off of the main structure of the chandelier.

A little window cleaner on a microfiber cloth will take care of the glass pieces that make it shine, and when you're done, it will definitely sparkle.

Cleaning light fixtures may sound like a chore, but it's not as bad as you think it is, and you'll feel great looking up at your clean lights!

Three Laundry Tips to Ignore

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:25:48 GMT

It seems like everyone has advice for everything, and that includes cooking, house cleaning , and laundry. Which tips can you believe? Which are too good to be true or just wrong? Good Housekeeping took a look at some laundry myths , and here are three tips you can definitely ignore:

1. Soak the fabric in salt water to set the dye?Nope! Clothes are pre-treated and dyes are set during production. By the time it gets to you, it's as set as it's going to be. The best thing you can do to keep colors from running is to wash according to the care instructions. Certain types of fabrics and clothes will last longer when cared for properly, anyway. If you have a piece of clothing that always bleeds, wash it alone or spray it with fabric softener. Hopefully, you'll be enjoying colorful clothes without creating polka-dotted whites!

2. Heat on cool to prevent shrinkage? False. Here's something you might not have known: it's not the heat in the dryer that shrinks clothing, it's actually over-drying. When all of the moisture is taken out of clothes, they begin to shrink. Some dryers have settings to detect this and shut off on their own, but if you don't have one, then stick to small loads and check dryness frequently, removing clothes as soon as they're dry.

3. Use more detergent to get clothes cleaner? No, it's the opposite! Too much detergent causes too many suds, which can trap dirt and redistribute it. This can leave a gross film on your clothes and on your clothes washer. Follow the directions for detergent, and measure it out each time.

Work smart with these exposed myths!

Distraction is the Enemy of House Cleaning

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:18:27 GMT

Have you ever gotten distracted from one cleaning task by another ? It happens often—start in the living room, end in the bedroom, and every room is only half clean! It can be frustrating to try to clean when you find yourself distracted from the living room by the dishes in the sink, or distracted from the dishes in the sink by the dirty clothes in the bathroom.

Maid services use focus through tasks. This makes the process much more efficient, and you can do this, too! Rather than deciding, “I'm going to clean the house,” make a list of the things you want to accomplish most, and then stick to those tasks.

How to Start Your List

Start with the things that matter the most to you. Can't stand dirty dishes? Tackle them first. Hate the dirty clothes in the kids' rooms? Throw them in the wash to clean while you work elsewhere. Find what's important to you so that when you're done, you feel the most satisfaction possible!

If you need some ideas on how to make your list, here's a sample. Sub in the things that are most important to you or reorder them to fit your priorities:

Wash all of the dishes.
Pick up and take out trash in every room.
Put clothes away in every room.
Put papers away, throw away junk.
Clean the sink, floor, and shower in the bathroom.
Vacuum the living room and dining room carpet.

The more specific your tasks, the better.

Staying on Task

It will still be tempting to stop what you're doing to take care of something else that comes to your attention, but there are things you can do to fight the distraction:

Set a timer for yourself. Clean for an hour, then take a 15 minute break.
Write your list down and scratch through each task you finish. Celebrate the little victories!
Do an inspection at the end of each task to see if it's really complete—did you get all the dishes washed? Every bit of trash picked up? Don't mark it off until it's completely finished.

When you fight the distraction, you'll be thrilled with the results!

Cabin as Inspiration for Home Decorating

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:33:01 GMT

Have you ever been to a cabin that made you feel relaxed and free from every day stress? What if your home felt like that? Some homeowners have tried to capture that design in their homes, and the result is a modern home with the familiar cabin feeling.

Apartment Therapy featured some of these mountain cabin-inspired homes, and from their homes come five tips to help you achieve some of the aspects of the look:

Open, Outdoor Spaces. Big, sweeping porches with picnic tables or rocking chairs immediately bring thoughts of picnics and late nights on the porch, chatting outside under the stars. These open, fresh-air spaces suit the style perfectly.

If you don't have room for a large porch, maximize what you do have. A wooden picnic table makes a nice touch on any porch and will draw you and your family outside more often!

Natural Wood. You favorite cabin is likely clearly wood, inside and out. The natural tones and patterns in the wood make it more rustic, which is exactly what you want. You don't have to stick to the common-colored woods, either; you can choose really light or dark woods to give the space a different look.

If you don't have natural wood in your walls but want to bring in that flair, look for furniture pieces that are rustic in their design. Bring in some natural wood tables and chairs to provide that pop of wood inside.

Houseplants. Bringing the outside in makes for a much more natural-feeling house. Plants also provide a natural air filter, clearing the air and making it smell fresher without much work on your part.

Not a natural gardener? That's okay! Many houseplants are extremely easy to care for. If you're just starting out, try a spider plant: it will grow nearly anywhere and only needs water every two weeks!

Light. Natural light is a natural mood-enhancer and will make your cabin-inspired design feel more vibrant throughout.

Try sheer curtains in a light color that let light through in a filtered way. The effect is often soft, natural, and beautiful!

Tips for a Clean, Comfortable Bed

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:03:00 GMT

The day you wash your sheets is a good day for sleeping, isn't it? The bed feels so much more fresh and comfortable. Keeping the bed clean will make every night great for sleeping, and there's more than you can do than wash the sheets! Here are a few great tips for having the cleanest, most comfortable bed possible:

The Pillows

There's nothing like a fresh, fluffed pillow when you're ready to sleep! Thankfully, you only need to wash your pillows a few times a year, and the washing is easier than you think. Put two pillows in a washing machine (especially if you have a top loader: put one one each side of the agitator to keep the machine balanced) and wash on a gentle cycle.

Once they're clean, use this fantastic tip from Martha Stewart Living to get them dry : put the pillows in the dryer along with two tennis balls each tied up in a separate sock. The tennis balls provide balance to keep the pillow stuffing from getting matted or clumped.

The Sheets & Blankets

Ideally, you want to wash these once a week, but that can be a tall order for a busy household! Alternatively, keep at least one set of extra sheets so that you can pull the old ones off and put the new ones on immediately. Toss them in the dryer or iron them for an even crisper, fresher feeling.

You can wash blankets a little less frequently, but once every two to three weeks is probably best.

The Bed Itself

Over time, your mattress absorbs and attracts quite a bit of grime, dirt, and dust. There's not a lot to cleaning the bed, though; and you'll be grateful you did!

Sprinkle baking soda liberally across the mattress and allow to sit for a few hours. The baking soda absorbs excess moisture, odors, and small particles, leaving behind a much fresher bed. After it has sat, just vacuum the entire mattress to get the baking soda out and pick up that last bit of dirt.

Cleaning Through the Day: Morning

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:54:43 GMT

One of the most effective ways to keep a house clean is to make it habit to clean as you go. Putting things away as you finish with them, wiping up spills, and throwing away trash make a big difference over time. It might take some work to turn that into a habit, though; if you aren't used to it.

Get started by dividing tasks up throughout the day to help keep you going as you clean and develop your habits . When things are too overwhelming and time slips away, don't hesitate to call in the cleaning services to help!

In the Morning

Keep reading for three things you should do in the morning to start your day of house cleaning off well.

Make your bed. A made bed completely changes the perception of a bedroom. Even if you still have clutter hanging around, making the bed will make a difference in how clean the room feels, so start there. It takes 5 minutes, and it doesn't have to be perfect!

Spray down the shower. If you take a shower in the morning, keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water nearby, and spray down the walls when you're done with your shower. The vinegar disinfects, cuts through dirt, and prevents mildew. Next time you go to clean the shower, it will be easier!

Put away toiletries, clothes, and makeup. This is where the habit forming really starts to take place. Before you leave in the morning, make it a point to put your clothes away, put your toiletries in their proper places, and store your makeup. It will only take a few extra minutes, and you'll be proud to come home to a clean room.

Beautiful Design Without Sacrificing Comfort

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 09:48:05 GMT

Let's be honest for a minute: sometimes the furniture and accessories recommended by designers is a little less than comfortable. Maybe the dining room chairs look fantastic, but if you can't sit in them for more than five minutes, they aren't serving their purpose. If you have to polish your couch during your housekeeping , it might be a bit uncomfortable!

You don't have to give up design for comfort, though. By playing it smart and finding the comfortable elements that fit into your space, you can have both.

Can I Sit There?

The best thing you can do for yourself is sit in any furniture you might buy. Try to imagine sitting there for 10 minutes, 20, an hour—at what point is it going to get uncomfortable? The good news is, there are plenty of great-looking pieces that won't make you feel like you're being tortured. Some things to try:

A soft, comfortable chair like the one in the image above.
Upholstered dining room chairs.
Dining room chairs with slightly reclined backs.
Couches or sectionals with rolled arms.
A futon with cushioned arms.

Touchable Surfaces

People are generally sensitive to sensory input—simply put, we like to touch things! As you decide on designs and accessories for your house, keep that in mind. You can make your room more interesting with textures, but keep the harder textures to walls and functional furniture, like coffee tables and shelves.

For comfort, look for softer textures. It will be worth it when your company not only comments on how marvelous your house looks, but also says, “Oh, wow, that's comfy!” Here are a few ideas for bringing softness to your living room or dining room:

Soft, plush rugs (only if you don't have young kids or pets!).
Comfortable throws.
Fluffy, nice-to-touch throw pillows.
Smooth placemats.

Lighting

Finally, don't forget the lighting. Bright light can be exhausting on your eyes, but so can a dark room. Hook your lights up to dimmer switches, or replace overhead lights with softer lamps and candles with enough light to see easily but not too much.

Not Just for Snack: Three Foods That Clean Up

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:38:29 GMT

When was the last time you looked at your dinner plate and wondered what you could use for house cleaning ? If you're like most, probably not anytime lately! We understandably tend to separate food and cleaning supplies, but every once in a while, they are the same.

The next three foods pull double-duty as house cleaners. Would you ever think to try these?

White Bread to Erase Crayon Marks

There go the kids, leaving their mark in frustratingly stubborn crayon on the wall in your dining room. If you scrub, there's a chance you'll peel some of the paint, but none of your normal cleaners does a thing for it.

Go to the kitchen and grab a slice of white sandwich bread and squeeze it into a ball. Take it back to the wall and use it like an eraser on the marks. You might have to use a little elbow grease, but it will take the marks off without scratching, chipping, or peeling your paint.

Cereal Cleans the Coffee Grinder

The coffee in your coffee grinder is perfectly ground, and you make a pot of fantastic coffee—except it tastes like...cilantro, and you suddenly remember that you used the grinder to chop herbs last night.

The key to this is using the right kind of cereal: crunchy, dense, whole-grain cereal is your best bet. Take a handful of the preferred finger food of 1-year-olds and drop it in the coffee grinder, run it for 30 seconds, and dump out the cereal. It will take smells and flavors with it!

Sports Drinks in Your Toilet Bowl

Believe it or not, the same drink advertised to rehydrate and provide electrolytes to sports players also cleans your toilet. Just pour the drink in, let it sit for 10-20 minutes, then take a toilet brush to it. Your toilet will be clean—and perhaps ready to run a marathon!

Your maid services can tackle your toilet bowl and most of the other surfaces in your house, too; so if time is running away from you, give us a call!

Overrun by Groceries: Organizing the Pantry

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:30:13 GMT

Time for dinner! Do you know where to find the rice? Flour? What about brown sugar or can of soup? If you need to go digging to find them, it’s time to get in there and take on one of the larger housekeeping tasks: organizing your pantry.

Here are our favorite tips for getting your pantry under control, and you can see some great examples of these pantry organization in action over at homemaking blog Clean & Scentsible.

Group Like Items

Want to know where to find the flour? Put it with the other baking goods. When it’s time to make cookies or cakes, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips. Likewise, put your soups together and keep your snacks together in their own place.

Use & Label Clear Containers

Never guess what’s in the unmarked mystery container in your pantry again! Use clear containers you can easily see through, and then label each one. Then, when you open the pantry, you can see everything you need at a glance without thinking twice.

Use Larger Baskets or Plastic Bins

Once you’ve got all of your containers labeled and like items grouped together, look at your smaller groups. Can any of them fit inside a basket or a plastic container? You can use the larger containers to keep the smaller things together and at your fingertips.

Enjoy Your Pantry!

The first thing you’re going to want to do when you get your pantry cleared out is cook something! Just make sure you put everything back when you’re done cooking—getting into the habit of house cleaning when you’re done with each task will keep everything clean—including your pantry!

Three Great Tips for Decorating in Red

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:21:44 GMT

Red is a bold, decisive color, especially in home décor. When it comes to red, some homeowners are afraid to use it at all, while others tend to go overboard. Inspired by the decorating experts at HGTV , here are three favorite tips for decorating with the color red:

Tip #1: Use a signature red piece. Homeowners who are afraid of red aren’t completely wrong: because red is such a bright, strong color, it is entirely possible to overwhelm a room with red.

If you want to stay classic with just a pop of red or if you aren’t quite over your timidity, choose one bright, signature red piece to pop against a more-neutral, clean room. This could be a painting, vase, statue, pillow, or area rug, and it will bring attention without being too much.

Tip #2: Balance red furniture. If you’re the kind of decorator who likes to jump in with both feet, red furniture can be a tempting choice. However, before you invest in that cherry red loveseat, make sure the room you plan to put it in can handle its strength. A larger room, one with high ceilings, neutral walls, and plenty of windows for natural light is the best choice.

Tip #3: Consider using red light fixtures. Light fixtures are a great way to bring a little red into the room. Find lampshades, pendants, or chandeliers in red tones that will warm up any room, especially when the lights come on in the evening. Keep the rest of the room clean with crisp colors to really make the light fixtures stand out.

Red is a beautiful color for decorating, and with these tips, you don’t need to be afraid of using it!

Breathe Easy: How to Make Your Home Smell Fantastic

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:14:02 GMT

There’s nothing like opening the door to your house and being greeted with a great smell. Whether you prefer a clean, fresh smell or a lovely scent, that moment in the half-open door instantly relaxes you.

If your house hasn’t been smelling too fresh lately, it’s time to make that moment happen for you! The first step is a real house cleaning . If you don’t have time for a thorough cleaning, that’s okay—call local cleaning services for some help.

Here are some more tips for making your house smell great:

Complete Clean

If you don’t hire someone to help you out with the cleaning, then your first step is to hit every nook and cranny, keeping in mind that bad odors adore moisture and fabric. Take out every bit of trash, then clean the bathrooms, kitchen (including the fridge), and make sure every room has been vacuumed.

Power of Fresh Fabric

Foul odors may cling to fabric, but so do good ones! Wash all of your whites: towels, rags, bed sheets, pillowcases, blankets—all of it. That freshness is going to permeate your house and make every room smell cleaner. As an additional benefit, how wonderful is it to climb into a bed with clean sheets or to step out of the shower to a dryer-warm towel?

Aromatic Air

The quickest way to freshness in your home is to open a window whenever weather permits. When spring starts to move in and you have warm days, throw open every window. This will increase air circulation, chase bad odors out, and invite new, fresh smells in. Perfect!

Savvy Smells

Whichever type of scent you like, there’s a way to achieve it. If you just want the air to smell—well, like air—vinegar and water in a spray bottle will do the job. Yes, for about 30 minutes, your house will smell like vinegar, but then it will evaporate and take bad smells with it.

Throw lemons in the garbage disposal or boil some in water in the microwave for a great smell and a quick way to clean the disposal or microwave. Put baking soda in areas likely to attract smells, as the baking soda will absorb the odors and leave nothing behind.

If you do like bolder scents, scented candles, potpourri, and infusers are going to do more for you than an aerosol spray, so look for one you really love, and enjoy a wonderful smell every day.

A Basket for Every Room: Ideas to Keep You Organized

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:03:51 GMT

Are you always looking for a new place to put something? Baskets have become a stylish way to promote house cleaning by keeping things in your home organized. They come in a multitude of sizes, colors, and shapes. They come with covers, in shelves, and with or without handles, so it’s safe to say there’s a basket out there just right for you.

Here are some ideas for how to use a basket in every room in your house for added organization without sacrificing order:

The Kitchen

Baskets in the kitchen are especially useful in cabinets. Use small baskets to hold medicines or spices; larger baskets can hold plastic storage containers or baking pans. If you are an avid coffee or tea drinker, you can also use one to store all of the accessories for making yourself a cup every morning.

The Family Room

Baskets are perfect for the family room and have a multitude of functions. If you often subscribe to magazines or newspapers you keep in the room to read, a basket is a great way to keep these things together while still in reach. Keep it near your favorite reading chair so you will have it in reach—and so you will be more likely to put it back when you’re done!

A basket in the family room can also be great for storing craft items if you knit, crochet, cross stitch, or are an occasional seamstress.

Movie lover in your family? You can easily find a basket for that DVD collection that keeps the mess at bay but the movies close at hand.

The Dining Room

Keep baskets in the dining room to hold things like tablecloths, placemats, and napkins. If you frequently decorate, you might use baskets to hold onto decorative items and centerpieces, and if you work or craft on your dining room table, you can keep a basket nearby with your supplies.

The Bathroom

Baskets look beautiful in bathrooms, and can be extremely handy for holding rolls of toilet paper, extra towels and rags, or magazines and books. Under the sink, plastic baskets are great for storing cleaning supplies, and in the medicine cabinet and drawers, it’s much easier to organize your small items with narrow plastic or lined baskets.

Housekeeping and style in one easy step—what’s not to love?

An Unwelcome Discovery: How to Clean Mold

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 08:53:09 GMT

Mold can appear anywhere there’s sustained moisture and can remain hidden easily. When you discover a patch of mold, don’t panic, but do get to work pretty quickly. Mold can spread and can be dangerous to anyone with a weak immune system like children or the elderly.

Even if you do regular housekeeping , you could miss the mold, so every once in a while take a look behind appliances and furniture. If you find a large amount of mold, you’re likely going to need a professional to help tackle it, but if it’s just a small amount, you can pretty easily treat it yourself with the following steps.

Step 1: Isolate the area. To minimize spreading the mold spores throughout the house, do what you can to get the mold patch by itself. If there are vents nearby, you might want to tape them off or turn off your heating and air system while you clean.

Step 2: Wet the area thoroughly with vinegar, then let soak. It might seem counter productive to add moisture to mold, but it actually is another way to keep the mold from spreading. Dry mold spores spread easily when touched, but wet mold doesn’t. Vinegar kills the mold and disinfects, so it’s the safest solution.

Step 3: Wipe the mold. It should wipe off pretty easily, but re-moisten and scrub if you need to.

Step 4: Allow to dry completely. Turn on fans if you have them to facilitate air circulation, and let the area get completely dry.

Step 5: Prevent future mold. The last step is to determine the source of the mold and get rid of it. Check for leaking windows, air conditioning or heating leaks, or any source of moisture near the spot and fix it so you don’t have any more mold issues.

Keeping your house clean alone or with the help of maid services and frequently inspecting for new mold growth will keep your home safe and healthy.

Using Party Stations: DIY Entertaining

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 08:47:31 GMT

Expecting a house full of people for a party? There are so many things to plan already that making things as easy as possible is definitely preferred. First, outsource your cleaning to a housekeeping service , especially one that does same-day house cleaning to get you completely party ready.

Then, try this neat idea for serving your guests—or rather, letting them serve themselves in a creative and easy-to-arrange station system!

Four Station Ideas

Stations are small areas built around a theme. At kids’ parties, for instance, you might have a game station, a piñata station, and a snack station. At adult parties, though; you can use the station system in a much more sophisticated way.

For each station, you’ll want an appropriately-sized table, a table cloth, and complementary serving dishes and utensils. You can keep all of the stations the same for a more elegant look, or style them to be similar but different for some more casual charm.

Here are four station ideas for serving food to get you started:

1. Hors d’oeuvres. Set up your hors d’oeuvres on this table with small plates and napkins for serving. Arrange around a centerpiece or use the food itself as the centerpiece on a stacking tray.

2. Entrée. This is buffet-style, up-classed. Arrange the food in differing tiers of dishes. Try to think of the food as decoration, and make it as eye-catching as it is satisfying!

3. Dessert. Thankfully, desserts are often beautiful in their own right! If you’re serving small petit four style desserts, provide small plates and let your guests choose their own combination. If you’re serving pie or cake, cut them beforehand and put them on plates from which your guests can choose.

4. Drinks. You can actually split this into two or three stations: for instance, you might have a bar, a soda bar, and a coffee bar. You can have a lot of fun with these areas, providing mix-your-own drinks or providing a wide variety of flavor additions for coffee or hot chocolate.

You can also add stations for activities if you’re looking for a relaxed party, like a game station with a deck of cards and a couple of board games or a memory station with a Polaroid camera and easy-to-use frames.

Whatever you choose, stations are a great way to set up a party!

Making Cleaning a Family Event

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:40:17 GMT

If you tend to do the house cleaning alone, you know that it takes a considerable amount of time. Boredom and distraction tend to make it take even longer, until the work has taken up a big chunk of your time.

If it’s taking too much time, hiring a maid service is probably a good idea. You need to have time for yourself, your family, and your friends, too. Another way to shorten the time, though; is to get the whole family involved. A team of helpers can clean a room in no time!

How to Encourage Everyone to Help

Make it fun! It is possible to make cleaning a little more fun by including a game, music, and general silliness (especially with your children). Race against the clock to see how long it takes to clean the room or turn on some music and sing your favorite songs at the top of your lungs. Whatever your family finds fun, find a way to work that into the cleaning.

Assign the right tasks to the right people. Split up the jobs in each room, and then assign them appropriately. Picking up trash or toys is a great job for little hands, while decluttering a table or desk is probably best left to the grown-ups.

Show your appreciation. Rewards work! Tell everyone how grateful you are that they helped, and point out what a great job they did. Talk about how clean the house is, and how much you like it when you work together as a team. When they feel they’ve really contributed, your family is more likely to help without complaining in the future.

When everyone get involved, cleaning will be faster and easier for all of you, and you’ll have a nice, clean house to enjoy.

Last Minute Gifts: The Art of Gift Baskets

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:29:56 GMT

Choosing gifts can put the pressure on, especially if you want to get something that will impress. Anything you can do to take the stress off is a welcome relief! When you have a hard time finding an idea, a gift basket built around a theme is a charming and much-loved gift.

If you are struggling to find that last present, here are some great gift basket ideas to help you finish out your shopping with flair.

Basket #1: The House Cleaning Basket

Fill this basket with beautiful new kitchen rags and towels and some scented candles, then place a maid service gift certificate inside the basket before you tie it up. Once your recipient’s house is sparkling clean from their maids visit, they will have the nice new towels, rags, and candles to decorate and keep their home looking and smelling great!

Basket #2: The Coffee Basket

Coffee lover in your life? This one is guaranteed to please! A couple of nice coffee cups, some of the best coffee you can find, some coffee cake or biscotti, and a gift card to their favorite café or bistro will be a pleasant surprise and be useful to them for the rest of the winter.

Basket #3: The Sweet Tooth Basket

It’s hard to miss with this one, and couldn’t be simpler. Put some homemade or bakery-quality cookies, nice chocolates, some hot chocolate or coffee mix, and a gift card to a sweet shop or bakery-style restaurant for an extra sweet touch.

This is just a starter list—think about your recipient and what they like, and build a basket around that. Anyone can give a gift card, but tucking one inside a basket of treats is a festive, fun, and much-appreciated way to give a gift!

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Tips for Decorating an Apartment

Adding Color

Wall Space

Lighting

What You Should Know About Yellow Jackets before Taking Steps to Destroy Them

These wasps are ground dwelling.

They are small (10 to 16mm long).

These organisms are helpful to the environment.

These wasps are also defensive when they feel that their nests are in danger.

People respond to yellow jacket stings differently.

Repairing Dents and Chipped Wood Surfaces

Repairing Dents

Repairing Chipped Wood Surface

How to Organized Your Home Library Books in the Best Way Possible

1. Re-Your Books

2. Shelve Your Books

Organize Your Garage Using Simple Techniques

1. Utilize the small spaces

2. Install cabinets

3. Hang up things

Little Known Cleaning Secrets

Grease on Clothes

Coffee Maker

Carpet Burns

Homemade Cleaning Solutions for Your Bathtub

Cleaning the Tub

Bathtub Grout

DIY

Cleaning a Dirty Stove Top without Spending a Single Dollar

H20

Grease﻿

Creases

Weekly

The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk!

The 5-mile Walk will take place at Boston’s DCR Hatch Shell along the beautiful Charles River Esplanade on Sunday, October 5th!

Get Compacted and Save Space

Place some items in a lost and found drawer.

Putting away some seasonal clothes.

Place all the puzzles in a bag.

The Uses and Disadvantages of Chlorine Bleach

The Downside of Chlorine Bleach

Uses of the Bleach

The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk!

THE MAIDS OF NEW ENGLAND IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER WALK.

Renew the Beauty of Your Outdoor Furniture

A New Coat of Paint

A New Color Selection

Removal of Stickers and Their Residue from Various Surfaces

Glass Surfaces

Wooden Surfaces

Plastic Surfaces

Metallic Surfaces

Cleaning with at Home Made Products

Wax for Floors

Furniture Polishing﻿

Homemade Bleach

Microwave Cleaner

Glass Cleaner

Top Uses of Storage Bins

Here are the top 10 uses for household storage bins:

1. A detailed storage system:

2. Security of numerous materials and parts:

3. Protection of electronic digital components:

4. Different portions to arrange:

5. Easy access:

6. Handling of food:

7. Storage for children’s items:

8. Organization of house:

Keeping Valued Papers Safe

Lamination

Fire Protection

Sealed Bags

Digital Protection

Reducing Your Energy Bills with Simple Weatherization Tips

Air Filter Whistle:

Portable Heater:﻿﻿

Blinds:

Air Handler Control:

Homemade Cleaning Agents Recipes

Grease

Furniture Polishing

Portable Heater:

Handle Uses

Method #4: Using Digital Protection