January 5th, 2012
House Painting – Doesn’t this sound a little expensive? Oh no! You are mistaken. As far as bedecking on a budget is concerned, paint is pretty much the way to go since you’ll get spectacular results with minimal investment. Well, nothing changes nor updates the interior look of your home more than an unsullied coat of paint. In fact, it can work wonders. In this section you’ll get to know the ideas of painting your house interior and exterior and many more ways to decorate your house. Painting changes the entire look of your house and makes it more beautiful and colorful. A small room seems to be larger and a dark room looks vivid with a bright coat of paint. Not just the four walls, but you can paint just about anything in your house to create a fresh look. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting DIY house painting ideas.
Spray painting
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Spray painting is considered as a home decorator’s friend. Spray painting is much easier and faster than hand painting and it is cost effective too with a flawless finishing. The advantage of using spray paint is that it doesn’t look like spray painted, rather gives a dazzling finish. The least difficult part in spray painting is to find a place and the rest would become quite easy. Most of the people feel that spray painting doesn’t last for a long time as it will scratch, chip off easily. But by the usage of right amount of paint and the quality makes it look brighter with an unblemished outlook. Moreover brush is not used in spray painting which makes your work simple and easy. Then first step prior to start with spray painting is sanding. Many people avoid this step due to laziness and this becomes a huge draw back to painting. As a result it doesn’t adhere to the wall. Quick sanding using medium grit sandpaper will give the best result.
Spray Painting
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Next step is priming. People hardly understand how crucial it is to do priming. Priming is mostly done with a help of a quality primer which allows the paint to stick well and in addition to that it makes the work look professional too. At no cost primer should be done. Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X Primer is the most common primer used due to its thickness, so only fewer amounts of it is required. Once the primer dries the color can be applied immediately. Here paint should be sprayed ten inches from the surface and should be sprayed evenly to make it look smooth. Make sure that all the sides are well coated including the underside. After painting allow it to dry completely. For extra durability, use a spray over poly coating.
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December 22nd, 2011
A potted plant does more than just look good. Bringing the outer indoors with an abundant of flora and blossoms is a simple way just to drawl the home. In this editorial tips are given in choosing the easiest plants to grow inside your home and also to make the environment a healthier one. The psychosomatic and substantial pleasure that plants bring to people helps to make a long standing relationship. Green represents new life, makes our spirit to feel fresh with great quality. Most people spend eight hours or even more at their workplace with deprived aeration, where no open windows are provided and thus recurring home where again proper ventilation is not provided. The indoor air contributes to poor quality compared to the pollution outside. As a result, we face problems like dizziness, headache, fatigue irritated eyes, skin and much more.
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Therefore with the help of potted plants in indoors the above problems can be cured. Initially potted plants clean the indoor air by riveting detrimental substance from the environment. It filters the dust ad remains. Plants remove dioxide and monoxide and it replaces with energizing oxygen. The increase of humidity levels inside the home is yet another benefit that flora offers. Potted plants make the environment cool with fresh air around. The main advantage of using indoor plants is that, it reduces the stress and has a psychological effect. Now what kind of house plant is to be grown is a common question asked. House plants are the easiest to grow. These houseplants are originated from tropical regions which cannot survive the northern winters. Basic requirements like moisture, light and soil to live in is only needed to plant indoor. Each and every plant requires different amounts of light and water to live and it becomes quite difficult to destroy a houseplant if no water touches the roots for weeks.
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Philodendrons tolerate is a good choice for planting indoor. The dark green flora gives a graceful appearance and makes it to be a perfect indoor choice. The one which offers a gorgeous contrast in a group of potted plants is none other than Peace Lily with its mammoth green leafs. Dracaena plant can survive in hazily lit areas which makes it an ideal plant indoor. Boston ferns give a melancholy gaze with its lacy fronds draping down. Ficus are decorative indoor plants which come in a variety with distinct needs and care should be taken in growing a ficus plant. English ivy, Chrysanthemums, Corn stalk plant, Snake plant, Chinese evergreens, Spider plant and Gerbera daisies are some of the other plants which can be planted indoor.
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June 27th, 2011
An event that requires a lot of planning and organizing is a party, especially when it is take place in your home. More the number of people you will be inviting, greater will be the list of the things to do. Hence, using a party planning checklist will keep you stress free and help you organize everything effectively. Who says you cannot enjoy at your own party? With a few tips, you can make your house party remembered by all.
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The most important thing to remember before having a party is to select a date and time for the event. It is wise to select a date on which most people can attend, like weekends so your party will be a hit. And see to that the sufficient time should be allotted for it so everybody has fun before they leave. Another crucial element of a party is the food. Estimate the amount of food each person would eat and multiply it with the number of people who have accepted your invitation. Order or make food for at least 10 more people than expected so there wouldn’t be a shortage. Select a good menu which will be liked by many and do not forget to include some greens for the vegetarians.
Make a guest list so that all your friends and colleagues are invited. Set an RSVP date so you’d know how many have accepted your invitation. Estimate and hire tables and chairs for the event. Never forget to include sources of entertainment for your party guests. Everybody will be happy to sit awhile and chat, but not for long. Kids and teens will become impatient, so use music, games, movies or speeches to keep the crowd entertained.
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Organize the hosting duties by listing who should do what during the event. If you have kids at home, letting them take care of greeting and hanging coats will keep them busy while you’re taking care of more important things. Handover bartending and serving duties to others or hire helping hands to do these jobs as well as arranging tables and chairs, if your budget permits it.
Clean your house and arrange your furniture so there is enough room for everyone. Listen to the weather forecasts before planning a garden or backyard party- You don’t want the rain to ruin your day! More importantly, keep breakable and valued family heirlooms beyond the reach of children. Follow these and enjoy a lovely house party!
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May 27th, 2011
Every parent worries about their child’s safety, more so when the child is outside the house. But is your home safe for your child? Have you taken enough precautions to keep your children protected against silly mishaps that could mayhem in their lives as well as yours? Many accidents are serious, but preventable. Read on, to learn some interesting tips that could be life-savers.
Before your child starts crawling, start child-proofing your home. Check and re-check to make sure you haven’t missed a thing. It starts with moving breakables to higher spaces that are out of the child’s reach. It also includes locking and relocating some articles that could be dangerous.
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Children who have just begun to crawl are really active and we cannot imagine what they would see and get hold of. Not only that, but they are extremely curious to touch and taste every thing they see, so first of all, all the poisonous stuff like cleaning fluids, insect repellents and detergents must be removed from lower storage places. These lower cabinets must have child-resistant locks on them so they are child-safe. Phone and other electrical cords should be tied together and put out of reach. Some personal and household items like make-up, spices and toothpaste could cause problems too. These must also be bundled up. Moreover, installing toilet lids and doing away with table cloths are good measures to keep trouble around your child as far away as possible.
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Remove houseplants that are toxic to children. Installing gates at the top and bottom of staircases is a good forethought too. Small spaces that might not cross our minds like edges of tables, electrical sockets must have covers. To do away with things that no matter how hard you try, your child finds, put them in a room and lock it securely. Water is another major cause of accidents in children, so keep the water spillage to a minimum and immediately clean up. No bucket or tub is to be filled with water and kept near a child as it would take only a couple of inches of water to drown a baby.
Even after all these precautions, the children might try and injure themselves, so keep contacts of your doctor, hospital or ambulance, allergies and other specifications near the phone and a first aid kit handy. Most importantly- stay alert and monitor your child’s activities all the time.
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April 27th, 2011
When you live in a tiny apartment that doesn’t have enough space for a garden, you choose potted plants. Other than this reason, why do we need to have plants in containers? Well, there are many – The most important, is freedom to move the plants around. When we want to move them around to form beautiful and colorful formations it is great to have them in pots. Some plants which bloom for a short period could be kept in attractive containers so they look elegant. You can take your plant with you when you’re moving to another apartment too!
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Some plants that burgeon and invade the entire garden should be contained in pots, like mints. Seasonal flowering plants and fruit shrubs can be planted and kept in pots, so they can be removed later. Arranging and growing the plants according to your mood is possible if you have terracotta pots at home. Research shows that plants in pots grow quicker and healthier. When the position of the sun changes, you can move your plant accordingly so it is placed in the sun all the time. Some plants that do not require too much sunlight can be moved indoors so your living room or balcony looks great.
Having potted plants will keep your plant’s growth restricted. You can easily trim the branches and pinch off the spent blooms. It helps you to keep a close eye on the watering and fertilizer requirements of the plant. But, the plants kept in pots will dry out sooner and require watering and fertilizer more frequently. Analyze the soil to see if it is dry or not and change your watering schedule to keep it moist. Over-watering a plant will sometimes kill it.
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Choose beautiful containers for your plant, so that their diameters are approximately 1/3rd to ½ of the plant’s length. You can also arrange the plants according to your mood or the colors. Brighter flowering plants can be placed among dull ones to make your garden look more refreshing. You can use pretty plants in pots to decorate large spaces in your house, like a terrace or patio which will otherwise be bare. Lovely plants with flowers add a cheerful look to your home and keeping them in pots brings you great advantages.
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March 27th, 2011
However fashionable your wardrobe is, unless the clothes are fresh and crisp they do not look good. All attractive clothes look revolting when they are creased and wrinkled. So, the toughest part of maintaining your wardrobe is keeping it fresh. It can be achieved in some simple ways, like avoiding stuffing them into drawers and closets. Saving space wisely will help us save time when we are looking for clothes without wrinkles and the time we take to iron them. It is relatively easier to find clothes that are fresh than those that match your favorite sweater.
To achieve this, it is important to keep your storage space tidy and organized. You must get rid of old clothes that are either out of style or don’t fit you anymore. It is heart breaking to throw away your favorite dresses, but donating them to charity might make you feel better. Getting rid of stained clothing that will never see the sunshine outside your house is one way of clearing up the mountain of fabric in your closet. Also, doing away with pieces of clothing that you’ve received as gifts but never used is also a good idea.
Besides trying to keep your wardrobe organized, you must also be a smart shopper so that you do not add to the clutter that you have already cleaned. Another smart move is to invest in good wrinkle resistant clothes that make them look almost perfect. Polyester and spandex are the kinds that are the most resistant to wrinkles.
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To keep lint off clothes, especially black, because black colored clothes attract more lint that any other color garments, you must take simple and easy to follow precautions. Make sure you clean your washing machine before the next wash to rid of the residual lint of the previous load. Adding half a cup of water and two cups of white vinegar or cider vinegar to the tub of the washing machine and letting it agitate for a few seconds will do the trick.
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Separately washing the bath towels and wash cloths will not produce much lint. The lint produced by cotton clothes will stick to the polyester clothes. So, washing these two kinds of fabric separately will keep your garments lint free. Also, turn your shirts and pants inside out to keep them from collecting lint.
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February 27th, 2011
Mirrors are essential to every household, thanks to their aesthetic and functional properties. Have you spent crazy minutes trying to clean a mirror and never succeeded, making it look worse than it was already? Mirrors are very difficult to clean and removing the white spots and stains on it is a Herculean task. It is a very vital article in your home that you use to groom yourself and dress up, but also used as a decorative item. If trying to make the mirror spotless is your dream then read on to learn how to realize it.
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Some companies or individuals try to market expensive products that claim to clean mirrors. These may contain harsh chemicals that might damage the mirror’s surface and make it lose its shine. However, keeping your dressing and bathroom mirrors clean is a simple and inexpensive job. While buying the mirror, you must make sure that they do not contain ammonia or vinegar. Do not make the edges wet as they damage them and cause ‘black edges’ to be formed which makes the mirror look ugly. Using lint free cloth or newspapers will make the cleaning process more effective.
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Here are some simple ways to clean mirrors:
Using a cloth dipped in warm water and wrung thoroughly to clean the mirror and immediately using a dry cloth to wipe is a good way to clean.
Taking one cup of vinegar and three cups of water and using the mixture as a cleaning solution will be effective.
Another alternative is using one cup alcohol with four cups of water.
Put the cleaning solution in a spray bottle, that is available in your local drug store and spray it across the mirror and wipe with a newspaper.
Wipe away the liquid entirely so it doesn’t leave drip marks later.
A fabric softner sheet can also be used to wipe the soap foam away.
While using framed mirrors, see to that the water doesn’t seep into the edges by holding a newspaper against the frame on the inside edge.
Ensure that you wipe the entire mirror in the same direction as the joints so the cleaning fluid doesn’t get collected at the joints.
Using these simple suggestions to clean the mirrors and glass objects in your home will make them spotless and long lasting.
Posted in Bathroom, Cleaning Tips | No Comments »
January 27th, 2011
Interested in giving your child a fantasy bedroom? Well, here are few tips to make your kid’s room a sensible and attractive atmosphere. Attractive colors in and around the room gives an active mind to the kid. Placing the cot along the window side might give a pleasant feel for the kids who love counting the stars before falling asleep. Small potted plants can be kept in a stand outside the window. This might create an interest for the kid in gardening.
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Posters and portraits of famous cartoon characters, cars, dolls or any good thing of the child’s interest can be placed on the wall. Instead of painting the room multi-colored, it can even be given a simple color the child likes. The bed and pillow covers should give a bright contrast to the color of the room. The style of the chairs and tables should be both attractive as well as comfortable. These furniture should be safe to handle, with nails and fittings properly made. The electrical fittings should be proper and safely installed. Lighting should reflect the theme of the room and should not be too bright or too dull. Shelves shall be kept little lower and the locks should be simple for the kid to cope up with. Writing table and chair should be of the kids height and comfortable to sit and write.
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Night lamps, fan designs, carpet, curtains, artificial flower pots, toy boxes should also match the theme. Give your kids a freedom to express their ideas. Door locks is one of the most important thing to be given attention. There should be ease of handling. In case of kids below 5 years, it’s better to have the lock out of reach for the kid.
Proper ventilation should be ensured. Installing safety alarms and intercoms is mandatory. It should be on a reachable place. The room should be cleaned periodically to keep the place dust free and prevent allergies. It’s better to avoid placing delicate and valuable materials that are easily breakable. A jug of water should be kept in the shelf safely. A dustbin shall be placed at the corner of the room. A board shall be hanged on the wall to bear the reminder notes. Stick some funny yet thought provoking proverbs of phrases on the places visible to the kid. Try changing the quotes once in a month. Decorate the room with fun and creative way.
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October 27th, 2010
A lively bathroom helps people to relax and shrug their worries off and be stress free. To begin with, the choice of wall color can create wonders. The choice of a bathroom fitting that match the color of tiles and side walls is essential. Usage of Contemporary lighting elements gives an elegant and luxury look. The flooring should be non-slippery, non-porous and clean. As far as possible try to avoid placing the bath tub and toilet very close to each other. Some mild portraits with little artwork can be placed in the room. Maintain the habit of cleaning the bathroom after every use. Spray water throughout the surface and lather the place with some mild soap powder. Rinse it after a few minutes. This will help to maintain freshness all time. While cleaning avoid using coarse cleaners and steel wool cleaning pads to prevent scratching. Use a gentle and effective floor cleaner which effectively kills germs without causing damage to the fittings.
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Bathroom mirrors form the most important part of the interior. Large sized plain mirrors are usually preferred due to ease of cleaning and simplicity. Maintaining the mirror dirt free is essential to avoid blurring of image. Hence clean it at least once in three days. Porcelain, fiber glass and steel bath tubs are generally used. Do not use acid or alkaline cleaners over these delicate structures. They may not have resistance to acidic particles as they may erode the surface of the fittings making it rough and unpleasant to touch. Never forget to remove hairs from the drains to avoid clogging. Use commercial rust removers periodically to maintain the fittings clean. Shower curtains and the bath mats are also an essential part of bathrooms. Once in a week clean rinse the curtains and mats. Use a disinfectant spray to get rid of mildew.
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While cleaning toilets avoid mixing up the chlorine bleach with ammonia-base products. Be cautious while using chemical base toilet-bowl cleaners. Use gloves, mask and long handled brush. Use vinegar to remove hard water strains from the bathroom tiles. Use a pleasant and mild smelling sanitizer after every use and flush properly. Maintain the flush water tank always filled. Use of solid air fresheners maintain keeps the air fresh to breathe. Towel and cloths hanger should be kept at a place away from the taps and water flowing areas. Cased soap stands are preferred. By doing all these, you will be able to breathe your bathroom fresh.
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September 27th, 2010
Here comes a few tips to have an amazing experience in your pool at a low cost. Solar Pool heating is one of the efficient ways of heating the swimming pool. It is highly efficient, cost effective. We can even say it saves environment from Green house gases. The system doesn’t need any expensive additional fittings and the pipe which is used for filtering the pool water can be used to circulate the water through the solar collectors. Solar pool collectors are used to warm up the pools as the water circulates over an unglazed, plastic or flat plate collector. A filter is used to remove the debris from the pool water before the water is pumped through the pool collector. ‘The pool cover’ is yet another simplest way to keep your pool water clean and warm. It reduces the heating costs considerably.
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A heating system without a pool cover is like using an air conditioner in a room with open windows. The room is cooled yet the cost goes higher due to more energy consumption. When a pool cover case is not used it results in the emission of CO2 about 6 tons more than the usual. Solar rings are the potential substitute for a full pool cover. A number of attractive designs are available for the use to choose from. These solar rings are of several meters in diameter and can be used to cover nearly 80% of the pool area. They sit on the water surface and uses solar energy to warm up the pool water. They use renewable energy source and reduce the cost of heating system. Automatic control panels are optional in a pool heating system. In this system a control valve is present which allows the user to know the temperature of the pool water. The heating will be cut off when the pool reaches a certain temperature. It is essential to check the pool’s chemistry frequently and checking the pH will allows the complete potential utilization of the chlorine present in the pool.
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A low alkalinity makes it difficult to maintain the pH while high alkalinity creates scales or cloudy formations over the water surface. A pool wizard can be used to keep the pool clean and healthy. It does not need any plumbing or electrical requirements, it’s a drop and go equipment which maintains the pool water clean and blue. Hope these simple and efficient mechanisms will help to maintain your pool highly hygienic and environmental friendly. Experience a fresh, warm and a relaxed swimming in your pool at low cost.
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