Notepad Corner

Photo credits: flooringamerica.com So you just had hardwood flooring installed throughout your house. The beautiful natural luster of this stunning flooring option is sure to bring years of enjoyment, and a lifetime of beauty, but there are a few tips to take into consideration to take care of your new hardwood flooring. Many people are often confused as to the best practices to follow when cleaning their hardwood flooring. Below is our easy guide to caring for your brand new hardwood floors , or old hardwood floors alike. Hardwood flooring looks best when clean. Dry mopping is perhaps the best way to keep your floors clean. Never use a cleaner on your hardwood flooring unless it was specifically mentioned by the flooring manufacturer or the professional installers who handled your flooring installation. Never use water on your hardwood floor, as it can ruin the finish and damage the wood. Never use abrasive cleaners on your floor like steel wool. Wax is also nev

Windows are the eyes of the house and they connect the dweller to the outside world. Hence, windows should be treated with curtains and valances. The window coverings can make or break the entire look of your window. There are a lot of coverings for the windows but are they in harmony with the window design? Photo credits: swagsgalore.com If your window has come of age and renovating it is beyond your budget, you can cover the flaws by hanging layered curtain valances. A layered valance is a type of window covering with two fabrics layered on top of another giving the window an attractive look. What makes layered valances interesting is they are versatile because they can jive with any type of window design whether they are Gothic, Spanish or Italian. The layers give a romantic feel to a bedroom, cozy atmosphere to the living room and relaxing feel in the kitchen. Layered curtain valances are available online with different shades of blue, green and red. For rustic appe

We all want a spotless home, yet due to busy schedules most of us cannot afford to spend bulk of our time cleaning each and every corner of the house on a daily basis. However, we can maintain a spick and span abode by having a system. The key is take care of cleaning jobs as they come up, instead of  putting them off until weekends which is usually the scheduled cleaning day. image credit: AKARAKINGDOMS - freedigitalphotos.net Here are some suggested cleaning short cuts that take less time to accomplish. Dusting – wiping out dust using a micro fiber cloth can take away dirt in an instant. The static charge of this cloth attracts dirt and dust so dusting chores on shelves, appliances and furniture will be easier without using spray or chemicals. Micro fiber cloth is also safe to use as they are not abrasive, thus won’t scratch surfaces.  You can use it damp or dry. Change trash bags or vacuum bag – less than a minute is all you need to change your vacuum bag and

The kitchen is the heart of every home.  Being the busiest part of the house, it is essential to keep it clean and organized. Most homemakers prefer to have enough available supply of food and other cooking essentials to make the daily family meal preparation with ease. While it is necessary to maintain kitchen cleanliness, it is also a must to choose the best methods on how to keep and preserve food freshness when storing. Unsafe food stocking can give way to growth of bacteria, virus and threat of food poisoning which will harm the family’s health. Choosing the highest quality kitchen containers for food storage can help preserve pantry food supplies and help reduce kitchen waste by preserving leftovers and unused food for later use.  Storing food in specially designed containers can keep food fresh for a longer time. image via  http://flic.kr/p/675gbz Aside from the pantry or kitchen cupboards, the refrigerator plays an important role in keeping and preserving f

Let us know if this scenario sounds familiar. The real estate called and you have just over two days to makeover your rental, transforming a cluttered, lived in ‘home’ into a photogenic property, securing another few months of suburban living. You panic a little (or a lot), hitting the local supermarket and splashing out on new sponges and harsh chemicals packaged in purple plastic; sure, a few drops burn your knees into oblivion and your eyes pearl with tears in your mission against bathroom scum, armed with bleach and spray solutions, but beauty is pain, or something like that. The reality? Everyday people just like you unknowingly place themselves in risky situations, rushing from one job to another, making amateur mistakes and exposing their bodies to harm. Cleaning is deadly, and no, we’re not just talking about the pile of underwear threatening to catalyse a new form of bacteria; corrosive, flammable, toxic, noxious, each word is a justified descriptor of the chemical yo

The aircon or air conditioning unit is one of the most indispensable appliances in the house. The convenience it brings especially during the summer season requires a hefty price in the budget too. In most households, the air conditioning unit consumes more electricity than any other appliance. Budget conscious homemakers like me is always looking for ways on how to cut cost on electric bill. The electric bill is one of the utilities we pay on a monthly basis, proper aircon management can cut back on electricity cost. Here are some tips on proper air condition management. The simplest way to save is to run the AC less often during the cold season and rainy days. Open the windows to allow the cool air to get in and use the electric fan instead.

Weekends Projects will keep you and your children busy especially during the rainy days when you cannot get out for a picnic or other outdoor family activities. Involving children in easy home projects will keep your home clean and beautiful at the same time you can teach your children learn about homemaking instead of just letting them sit and click the mouse of the computer all day long. Here are suggested weekend projects for you and your children. Rearranging furniture Experiment with new layouts.  Ask your children ideas on where to place or rearrange furnitures in their bedroom or in the living room. Decorate your children’s bedroom Brighten up your children’s room, add a splash of color using non allergenic and odorless paint on the wall. Put on glow in the dark stars and moon on the ceiling, change the curtains or window blinds according to their preferred color or add a character to a plain wall by making a collage of their favorite photos.  Deco

Frequent cooking such as baking, roasting and food spills can build up grease and charred food into your stove, oven or microwave. Charred food when accumulated turn into carbon, the reason why there is a strong burning smell when cooking and eventually can taint your food which can be harmful to your health. Cleaning your cooking appliances regularly using the green cleaning solution of baking soda and water, instead of the harsh commercial oven cleaner chemicals is best recommended. Here are tips on how to clean your cooking appliances: Remove the oven grills and burners on the stovetop and wash in soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and drip dry.  Clean the stovetop, interior and exterior walls of the oven using the water and baking soda solution to remove cooked-on food spatters and scatters.   Unclog burner holes using an old toothbrush. Clean under and behind the cooking range too. For convection oven, read manual and follow instructions carefully if it

Not every homeowner can afford an immediate home makeover primarily because of budget limits, but that should not stop you from planning and probably starting micro projects to spruce up your home. When your home feels a little dull and drafty, here are three makeovers that you can do and afford to give your home the face lift it deserve. Color Your Walls White – that’s basically what most of your walls look like. It can sometimes become stark, lifeless and non-inspirational. Give your home a noticeable upgrade by changing your wall colors to something entirely different. If you’re used to seeing white or beige, try midnight blue or a fresh mint green! But go easy on it and try it out first on a small section of your wall before going up ahead. De-clutter Storage Spaces Sometimes, a home only needs a good de-cluttering to renew its vibe. Schedule a day for organizing, sorting and de-cluttering out all drawers, shelves, boxes and storage spaces to remove all you don

The pantry typically positioned in the kitchen is a closet or a small store room in which food, kitchen utensils and similar items were kept. To save time and money, most of us usually buy canned goods, condiments, milk and other food supply for our family in bulk which is good for a week or a month’s supply. Before doing the grocery shopping, it is advised to check on the supplies left in the pantry and list down what is needed to be bought to keep on the budget. 

Beddings and comforters can easily collect dust and grow dirty. If you prefer having white sheets for your beddings, stylish and contemporary duvet covers can work as the perfect slip covers to keep them clean. Duvet covers are usually filled with natural stuffing such as dawn, feathers and wool. Aside from keeping comforters clean, these covers are also used for brightening up gloomy rooms with their fashionable prints and designs. You can find duvets in beautiful patterns, vivid and vibrant colors that easily suit your taste or your room’s overall décor. Just like normal beddings, duvet covers also come in different sizes to accommodate your comforters and for you to slip in comfortably underneath them.  

Rugs are one of the easiest and the simplest items that you can use to change your home’s feel and look. With a couple of accent rugs to furnish corners or to highlight important pieces of furniture, you can improve your home’s interior effortlessly. Depending on the quality and kind of rugs that you want, the prices can greatly vary so you must always think thoroughly before you buy an accent rug. For accent furniture, small rugs which make them look even more “accented” should look good in its place. You should find something that will match or contrast with the floor. If you have a patterned carpet, accent rugs should be a solid color, and if your carpet is plain, then a patterned rug would look good here. Choose accent rugs that do not contrast a lot with your home’s color scheme otherwise it will only become an eyesore. Cream rugs will complement brown carpeting while plain orange or black rug will match nicely with red patterned carpet. Accent rugs are basically u

It is essential to put order in your refrigerator to maintain not only the freshness of the food and other items you store in it but to keep your family’s health safe too.    When cooking for a family meal, it is a must to have the freshest ingredients as it contributes to the making of a fine and healthy dish. Thus proper storage should be observed to avoid food to spoil and to get rid of bad smells and contamination. Here are suggestions on how to keep food fresh in your refrigerator. Always wash eggs before storing it in its designed area. Salmonella is a bacteria we can get from raw unwashed eggs. Butter and other fats should be kept in covered containers or in their original containers once opened. 

Keeping a clean kitchen means having a healthy kitchen and a healthy kitchen is one that doesn’t get you sick from cooking in it.  It is one of the simplest things to do but it is also one of the things that is overlooked, failing to keep a clean kitchen can result in contamination of food, leading to illness.  This can be prevented, and while sometimes it can be as simple as a little bit of cleaning spray and a wipe down, sometimes it can be a little bit more complicated than that. Cross Contamination Cross contamination is probably the biggest cause of foodborne illness in restaurants and kitchens worldwide.  Cross contamination occurs when one food item comes into indirect contact with another food item.  An example of this would be someone slicing raw chicken on a cutting board that then puts the chicken away and begins cutting lettuce on the same board with the same knife.  Bacteria from the chicken has now come into contact with the lettuce from the board and the knif

In the United States, Electric Choice Programs are available in the District of Columbia and seventeen states. These programs allow customers to choose their electricity supplier. The power of choice gives customers the opportunity to compare rates, which encourages electric retail suppliers to offer competitive rates. Overview of Electric Choice Programs When you choose an Electric Choice Program to deliver your electricity, many things do not change. For instance, the way your electricity is delivered, who you call regarding problems or electric emergencies and the way you receive your bill will all remain the same. Benefits of Choosing an Electric Choice Program The benefits of choosing an Electric Choice Program is that it allows you to compare rates of licensed electric generation suppliers in your area. With this information, customers can do their research and find the supplier that is offering the best price in their area. Where to Find a List of Licensed

Fancy a quick makeover of your bathroom? Here are some ideas that can be done in a weekend to give a real lift and freshen it up without having to completely remodeling . photo credits:  denoxa.com Clear out the clutter First place to start if you are looking to jazz up the look of your bathroom and better still, a clear out won’t cost you anything but you will notice a great improvement instantly. Start by clearing everything that you possibly can out of the bathroom by removing all the items from your cupboards and vanity unit so that you end up with as much empty space as possible, just as though you were moving in rather than clearing up. Try to be ruthless when you start putting items back by getting rid of what you don’t really need or use anymore and sort out the medicine cabinet into organized sections. Even if you end up putting a fair amount of your stuff back, at least you will have freshened it all up and created a neater and tidier look than before you sta

Reliability is always a factor consumers appreciate in any product or investment. It isn’t any wonder how high-performance, reliability, distinctive features and affordability make Rangemaster   the number one go-to in cooking appliances. Rangemaster knows what consumers want in superior cooking appliances. Years and years of attention to detail have allowed Rangemaster to become and remain Britain’s most loved cooking appliance brand. Easily, this placement has evolved into an international appreciation for home cooks and professional chefs as well. Looking at the Rangemaster Classic 90 , Rangemaster’s traditional cooking appliance offering gorgeously traditional style and high-end features, offers exciting cooking experiences during every use. One look at this truly beautiful oven is really all it takes to desire this high-end appliance in your kitchen. 

Ants are found just about everywhere on earth, and one of the most dangerous types is fire ants. In many places a careless encounter can be fatal, and homeowners should never attempt to control them. The red fire ant is a small brown pest that can be difficult to distinguish from their other cousins, that is, unless you are stung. Fire ants are named because of their painful sting. Some use their stingers in defense of the nest and others use them to subdue their prey. Is there a Benefit to Ants? Fire ants are very effective predators; in fact, when eliminated from farms, farmers usually notice an increase in other crop pests. The nuisance is high but when weighted against other issues, many people find them a benefit. Fire ants prey on cockroaches, larvae of flies and other pests. Today, German law even protects red ants so that they can defend the nation's forests. One of the ants' greatest benefits to us is their fondness for mosquito eggs; some species of

Have you noticed that when you step inside a luxurious hotel or function room, flooring most of the time are carpeted? Isn’t it an indication of fabulous and expensive place? Probably it is, because by merely walking on it, you can already feel the comfort that soothes your tired and cold feet. Carpets aside from its beautifying purpose also trap 50% of dust in the air, thus, preventing it from being inhaled. However, do not just let your carpet stay on the floor without cleaning it on a regular basis. Dusts will accumulate tremendously over a week’s time and carpet could become your worst allergen. It is strongly advised to undergo regular carpet cleaning to maintain its beauty and protective property.

The pleasure of having a home that can be heated whenever you like is well worth experiencing, especially if you’re worried about keeping warm during those cold, depressing winter nights. Although you might want that privilege, you may wonder how this can be achieved. Wood burning stoves might sound like the stuff of costume dramas, but many modern stoves such as those seen on leedsstovecentre.co.uk look contemporary, burn fuel efficiently and make a great centrepiece in any living room or lounge.