Over the years, I have owned about a half dozen different homes. What's the first thing on my priority list when I move into a house with no garage? Build one! ...Usually before the last of the boxes is unpacked from the move. Living in the snowbelt makes it almost mandatory for me to have a garage to protect the family vehicles as well as other motorized tools and equipment. As Jay Leno would likely confirm, there's no such thing as too large of a garage! Did You … [Read more...]
Earlier, I wrote about the life expectancy of home components -- things like appliances, doors, flooring, faucets and fixtures. That got me wondering about the shelf life of other common things within our house -- like cleaning products and electronics. So I set out to see what I could find about how long other things last... How Long Household Products & Cleaners Last Here's what Real Simple says about the shelf life of common household products like cleaners and … [Read more...]
Every now and then, you may need a little help with home repairs and maintenance issues. You've probably heard about handymen who come to your home to fix things that you may not have the knowledge or ability to do yourself. For the record, not all handymen are carpenters, electricians, or plumbers. Some confine their efforts to yard work, clearing brush, mowing grass, and general outdoor maintenance instead of indoor home repairs. Regardless, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a … [Read more...]
When we moved into our new house recently, I was faced with the challenge of finding a way to keep all of these hardwood floors as beautiful and clean as they were the day we moved in. I have to be honest. We had hardwood floor in the kitchen and dining room of our old house, and we did not do a good job with those floors. We used harsh floor cleaners and waxy polishes, without thinking twice. After the first year, they never looked good again. They were also a softer oak floor (not laminate … [Read more...]
Some of the times when you might want to give your home a deep cleaning include:Prior to movingBefore guests come for an overnight stayAt the start of each season (fall, spring, winter, summer)Before putting your house up for saleThat said, sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what to do and where to start.Here are a few tips to help you deep clean your home -- inside and out. … [Read more...]
In my profession of cleaning houses for a living, I have cleaned hard wood floors time and time again. And I'm always trying new things to save time.Some of the things that I've tried when cleaning hardwood floors include:string mopssponge mopscleaning the floors by handAll of these ways work, but they can take a lot of time!Plus, using a string mop or a sponge mop requires that you lug around a bucket of water, and you have to repeatedly rinse the mop. Cleaning hardwood floors by hand means … [Read more...]
What's on your to-do list these days? Does it include one or more projects around the house that you might be able to hire a professional to do for you instead? I've already told you about my recent carpet cleaning experience (...where I wish we would have called a professional to clean the carpets for us instead of spending 2 days doing it ourselves!). We learned a valuable lesson there. In addition to paying to rent the carpet cleaner machine (and the carpet cleaning solution), three … [Read more...]
Trying to choose a good cleaner can be a hassle because the store shelves are full of so many different cleaners, and a lot of them basically do the same thing. Personally, I clean about 200 homes in a year's time -- not including my own home. So I use a lot of cleaning products. I have tried a variety of different cleaning products, but I usually stick to the ones that I think are the best. These household cleaners work the best, in my opinion: … [Read more...]
According to The Family Handyman (February 2006), the top upgrades and remodeling projects for bathrooms are: 1. Whirlpool tubs. "Water-jet" tubs ($800 to $8,000) provide a more powerful water stream. "Air-jet" tubs ($1,200 to $20,000) massage by blasting air through tiny holes. When it comes to whirlpool tubs, some people prefer the tingle of air massage; others find it too gentle. Air-jet tubs are often louder and incoming air cools the water faster. Did you know?... When you look at prices … [Read more...]
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