Category: Cleaning Tips

How to Survive a Scary Movie

October 23, 2023

Since we’ve previously discussed how to confirm whether your home is active with the paranormal, we thought it might be valuable to go over some additional Halloween-time survival strategies. When watching a scary movie, it’s easy to become frustrated by the classic mistakes and gaffes that the characters make as they bungle their way into the killer’s hands. Although it’s reasonable to assume that the stress and terror of running for your life can keep you from making practical decisions, choices made by horror movie protagonists can be baffling. In the inevitable case that you end up cornered by a masked, knife-wielding stranger straight out of a slasher movie, you don’t want to fall for the same old slip-ups. To be better prepared, we consulted some of the best minds in home maintenance, organization, and personal fitness for their tips on surviving a scary movie. How To Tell That You’re In A Scary MovieNaturally, the first step for surviving a scary movie is to confirm that you are, in fact, living in a scary movie yourself. Although it may seem painfully obvious to audience goers that the characters shouldn’t investigate that noise in the attic, or search their creepy, unfinished

How to Tell if Your House is Haunted

October 9, 2023

October has officially arrived and, as we march closer and closer to the spookiest day of the year, it’s natural for our minds to focus in on the strange and obscure. If this was your first year in your new home, you may have noticed some of its more interesting quirks or “features.” Some houses seem to groan when the wind hits them just right, others might creak whenever the mood is right. These are just “house noises” that you’re slowly growing accustomed to…right? Many odd occurrences in the home can be explained away with a little bit of investigation, but when attempts at rationality come up short, it can be difficult to brush off the unexplained. As we all know, the Halloween season is best known as one time each year that the barrier between the material world and the spiritual world is its thinnest. In other words, if you have your suspicions that your house just might be haunted, you better figure it out now. To aid you in your investigation, we’ve placed our best paranormal researchers on the job to identify the surefire evidence that proves your house is haunted. Reader beware: only proceed if you want

Tricky and Easily Overlooked Areas of the Home That You Should Clean Today

September 25, 2023

Managing to keep an entire home clean is no easy task. Between doing the laundry, vacuuming the rugs, cleaning the dishes, and taking out the trash, there are plenty of hours in the day already dedicated to housekeeping. Naturally, things fall through the cracks, and certain items in the home are naturally overlooked. The problem is that certain items that might have been easily cleaned in the past can prove a much more difficult task if neglected for too long. If you are interested in being proactive about keeping your home clean, consider taking another look at these often-ignored home items. Spend Some Extra Time in the KitchenDo people spend a lot of time cleaning their kitchen? Of course they do. Do people still overlook a few areas in their kitchen due to inconvenience or lack of awareness? Absolutely! Kitchens can become one of the grimiest, dirtiest areas in a house if homeowners aren’t consistent about their cleaning habits due to the many kinds of messes and spills that are bound to happen while cooking. It’s when only the surface areas are taken care of that problems begin to pile up. Starting with the dishwasher, some may think that this

Home Organization Tips for Back To School Season

September 11, 2023

Regardless of the amount of preparation dedicated in advance, heading back to school tends to come as a shock. For families with more than one kid, systems of organization that worked perfectly fine during the summer can unravel quickly once hectic mornings and packed after-school schedules dominate daylight hours. No one wants their home to feel chaotic, and nothing builds up that feeling like disorganized clutter. The best way to combat the seismic shift that accompanies heading back to school is to discover a new rhythm that works for the entire family. Consistency, ease of use, and setting appropriate expectations that the family can keep up in the long term – accomplishing each of these are the keys to developing an efficient home. To avoid that seemingly inevitable shift that turns your home into a disaster zone through the course of the school year, consider adding these organizational tips to your arsenal! Establish a Doable RoutineIn life, some people can find a fondness for spontaneity, taking life by the horns, and pursuing each odd opportunity. For kids, though, this sort of lifestyle will likely create a sense of uncertainty that affects many aspects of their lives. Trying to leave in

Spiders, Silverfish, and Termites: DIY Solutions for Ridding Your Home of Infestation

August 7, 2023

Many are quick to point out the bad wrap that insects tend to get. Bugs are a part of the diverse and fascinating ecology that lies just outside of our homes, after all, and their roles in pollination and sanitation cannot be overstated. Yes, some have found that the prevailing stigma associated with our many-legged friends to be a tad judgmental and unfair, given their thankless efforts. However, others will contend that while these truths are all well and good, bugs can stay outside of my house and far away from me, thank you very much. Homes can become infested by a wide range of the creepy and crawly-variety. For homeowners who would like to deal with their bug problems now rather than later and would rather not pay a hefty pest control bill, here are a few DIY solutions for dealing with bugs. How to Annihilate AntsAnts are one of the most common home invaders throughout the United States, and they come in many different varieties, from the common pavement ant to the dreaded carpenter ant. Ants aren’t commonly known to bite people like some other bugs (though they can). However, they are known to contaminate food and carry

5 Traits That Make The Perfect Home Office

March 27, 2023

A major benefit from the recent changes to the modern workplace has been the newfound flexibility in where people can do their work. Whether that means spending time at the office or remoting in from a coffee shop across the country, learning how to maximize productivity while capitalizing on opportunities this freedom affords has been an ongoing process for employers and workers alike. Home offices are coming back into style in a big way, as remote or hybrid workers have searched for ways to increase their at-home productivity. If you are looking to adapt a room in your home to improve your remote working conditions or you’re interested in a revamp of your current workspace, here are a few traits that will make your home office first-class! 1. Select the Right SpaceThe first and most important aspect you must consider when setting up your home office is the location. Homes are full of distractions, especially if there are kids running around. Ideally, locate an area that is separated from the majority of natural traffic and noise so that you have the opportunity to focus on your work. Additionally, do what you can to separate yourself from home leisure items as

Why Hardwood Floors Are Awesome (And How To Keep Them That Way)

February 20, 2023

Finding the perfect look for your home can take a lot of experimentation before everything comes together. Maybe a new shade of paint is the missing ingredient for your living room, or perhaps it’s a new set of countertops that would result in the kitchen of your dreams. While there are many changes that can radically alter the look of a room, there is almost no change as impactful as switching to hardwood floors. For many new homeowners, installing hardwood floors is at the top of their to-do list. While carpet can provide a feeling of warmth and comfort for a family, any new occupants may see old carpeted areas as a den of decades-old germs and allergens ready to strike. If you haven’t made the switch already, here are a few benefits of hardwood floors, along with some strategies to maintain them. Advantages of Hardwood FlooringFor any style or color scheme, hardwood flooring is extremely versatile. While interior design can boil down to a matter of taste, nothing matches the dynamic that hardwood floors can bring to a room—and designers swear by them! While certain woods lend themselves well to certain styles, stains and refinishing options can make your

How To Reclaim Your Junk Room

January 9, 2023

Every homeowner has a problem room. Whether it is their garage, their attic space, or their basement, the increasing pace of life has demanded we develop a go-to area for things that don’t have a designated space at the moment. We’ll get to it later, for now, let’s just store it in the closet, or the spare bedroom. This phenomenon has come to be known as the dreaded “junk room.” Quickly, a junk room’s original intent has been stretched beyond recognition and you’ve got a mess on your hands. The anxiety that you get from thinking about that task is natural, and probably a little too familiar. Don’t worry though! Rather than focusing on the difficulty of the task, imagine how satisfying it will be to reclaim the space. Now is the time to commit yourself to reorganizing your disaster space. Lay Out Your Plan Depending on the size of the job on your hands, the planning stage becomes increasingly important. See past the mess and envision the potential of the space in front of you. Do you want to revert the space into something similar to its original intention, or do you want to reinvent it? You don’t need

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Add To Your 2023 Resolutions

January 2, 2023

Every new year, people rack their brains about what their New Year’s Resolution should be. Should I make it a goal to lose weight this year? Should I spend more time with my family? Maybe read more? Get more organized? Personal resolutions are great, and this time period is a great opportunity to make moves toward self improvement. However, it seems that too many people are missing an opportunity to make a resolution related to almost definitely their most valuable fiscal investment: their home. This year, resolve to take better care of your home by practicing good home maintenance! Your home works hard to take good care of you, return the favor by starting with these simple steps. Know Your Home An easy way to start off with home maintenance is to make sure you set aside between 1% and 4% of your home’s value for home maintenance. Some call this the “Home Maintenance Rule of Thumb,” this is meant to be an easy-to-follow budgeting strategy to make sure home maintenance tasks aren’t neglected. These smaller maintenance tasks will save you money in the long run, as you avoid the more costly breakdowns that can occur without regular maintenance. With

How to Clean Your Dryer Vent in 3 Easy Steps

July 18, 2022

A hidden fire hazard that’s often overlooked is the threat posed by clogged dryer vents. In fact, clogged dryer vents are the cause of 17,000 house fires each year. However, these fires are completely preventable by clearing your dryer’s ventilation systems on a regular basis as doing so not only helps to prevent fires but improves the efficiency of your dryer as well. Luckily, the process of cleaning your dryer vent is an easy one that does not require the assistance of a professional. Supply Checklist Before we begin, you’ll want to make sure that you have all necessary supplies on hand. All you’ll need is a vacuum cleaner, preferably one with a hose extension piece, and a cleaning brush. For starters, you’ll want to move your dryer away from the wall to locate the dryer vent. This is usually located near the bottom of the machine either in the back or side of the appliance. From there you’ll want to identify the short exhaust pipe to the machine. Finally, you’ll want to ensure that you unplug the appliance for safety purposes. Now that everything is in position, you’re ready to clean the dryer vent. Cleaning Your Machine You can