Making Your Garage Storage Functional and Efficient

Have you dreamed of a garage that you can actually park in, rather than a garage that is so full of stuff that you can barely walk through? Or are you simply dreaming for a garage that you can walk through without averting your eyes from the mess? This year, get your garage organized and together with these simple steps…

1. Start by throwing anything in your garage away that is broken, too old to function or you simply do not want.  You will be surprised and how much of the clutter you are able to cut out of your garage when you simply go through with a trash bag.
2. Promptly get rid of any pest problems that you may have in your garage will ensure that you can continue cleaning without any fears.
3. Buy the right tools to ensure that you are able to organize your garage quickly.  You will want to find the organizational tools necessary to store everything that you need to keep in your garage. Do not be afraid to spend some money on the tools that will keep your garage organized.
4. Start organizing sections of your garage so you do not become overwhelmed by the project.  Make a plan and stick with it so that you can be sure you are able to have an organized garage in no time!

If you take time to plan and work in your garage you will be able to have the garage that you have always dreamed of.

Getting Rid of Common Stains in Clothes

Hi everyone! Today we’re gonna be discussing some helpful tips to get stains out of your clothes so that you don’t have to take them to the dry cleaners! Sometimes no matter how careful you are, stains happen.

Ink is one of the common stains that can set in and permanently stay. In order to knock out this stain early, spray it with hairspray (because it has glycerin in it) and then mix in some detergent with very little water. Rub it in, make suds, and rinse it out!

Grass stains are another common compliant. Any parent of active kids will immediately recognize these offenders, especially during the summer. In order to knock out these stains, apply a pre-wash treatment of your choice to the area and let it sit for a while. Then use a toothbrush or comparable tool to work liquid into the area, and then do a quick wash with an enzyme detergent. This process should break down the organic components of the stain and get rid of it.

Mud is also a common issue. In order to treat this stain, let the mud dry completely. Scrape off as much as you can, and then apply a gentle detergent. Rinse that out, then use a vinegar solution to treat the rest of the area. Once you have followed these steps, machine wash the item and it should be taken care of!

By using these simple tips for common stains, you can get them out quick and keep your clothes in good condition, increasing their vibrancy and their longevity. Let us know if you’ve got any clever tips to add!

Tips and Tricks for Painting like a Pro

One of the best ways to change things up ion your house and add new energy is to repaint! There are a variety of reasons as to why a new coat of paint serves to make things brighter, but the simple answer is that it just feels great!

Here are some tips and tricks for painting like a pro:

1. First of all, make sure to properly tape off the sockets and everywhere that you don’t want paint to go. Most commonly, you will be taping around fixtures and on wall lines, baseboards , and ceilings. Being meticulous with this effort will pay off later.
2. Covering the ground with plastic drop cloths is recommended. For a cheap price, you can buy enough of these to completely cover the ground of the area you will be working in. They are fairly durable and they are very versatile for meeting any needs.
3. It is highly advised that you do a couple of layers of primer on the walls before painting. Even if the paint is a primer and a paint combined into one, it will stick better if there is a solid base, and it will look more consistent as well.
4. Roll consistently! Going in an up and down motion wherever possible adds a smooth texture to the process and makes getting it right much easier.
5. Two coats of paint are usually sufficient to get the coverage and color that you need.
6. After the job is done and everything has dried, remove all of the tape you painstakingly placed. Once that is done, you can use a fine brush and the remaining paint in the pan to do fine detail work to get spots that may have been missed.

Repainting and adding new life to an area is a great way to prepare for the holidays! Adding new color to areas makes everything feel fresh and invigorating, and it is a great addition to have when you are entertaining!

Bringing Spring into Your Winter Wonderland

During the winter months, it’s pretty common for the blues to sink in because of the season. It’s cold outside and it gets dark early, so sometimes it’s hard to feel cheery. However, there is a fairly easy way to brighten things up while being a fun hobby as well!

Growing flowers indoors is a great way to brighten things up and make for a pretty setting. Getting the flowers to bloom can be tricky, because the growing conditions are not the same as they would be outside.

In order to get flowers to bloom, you usually will need to set up a planter in the house, usually made buy using a cup or container that is watertight. These planters should have layers of pebbles and soil, with every bulb having slightly different requirements. We recommend Googling your exact flower to know what to do with it. Once you have planted, douse the bulbs with water and let them react to what they have, and they will bloom!

The flowers will bloom in about six to eight weeks, letting you sit back and appreciate the results. If you have a series of them, you can have a constantly rotating series of flowers that you can grow and work on and enjoy!

Anyone have any awesome ideas for bringing spring to winter? Any experts in forcing blooms? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

Finding a Place for Every Little Thing

One of the issues we all run into from time to time is the buildup of stuff around the house that we simply don’t know what to do with. Most of the time, these items aren’t something that is pressing or important, but at the same time isn’t junk either.

Such a neutral zone makes it so that there isn’t really a good place for these items, and they tend to make clutter when they are unattended to. However, with planning and organization, it is possible to get your house into much better shape without having to be drastic by clearing things out.

Here are some simple things that you can do to help with clutter around the house.

1. Keep it simple. By keeping a living space simple and serviceable in nature, it becomes much harder for anything to accumulate in the area. This doesn’t mean having to get rid of a lot of things, but is rather about the use of space itself.
2. Have some place where things can go. By making an effort to have a dedicated space for everything in a room, it becomes much easier to keep in tidy. In such a situation, it becomes less about “cleaning” and more about putting things in their right place.
3. Consolidate items by area. By designating items to have a purpose in a single location, they will usually be kept there and will be found more easily and used more often.
4. Let some things go. This last tip is hard for some, but identifying things that are never used and getting rid of them is sometimes the best way to simplify. We know it’s painful, but it is worth it!

By making an effort to simplify and organize, your house can be transformed into great example of space and its proper use.

Successfully Finishing Your Deep Cleaning

When you want to do some deep cleaning, you have to make sure that you understand how you are going to involve your children.  As you get your children involved you will be able to clean quickly and your children will appreciate the deep cleaning more when they have a hand in it.

1. Team up with your children so they do not feel isolated. You should be sure that you are in the same room with them and help them through their cleaning so they do not feel abandoned throughout the cleaning.  Your child can be scrubbing the tub while you scrub the toilet. They will be able to see that you are cleaning as well and they may learn a lot about cleaning from you.
2. Make a list to ensure that your child can see everything that they need to do throughout the day. Your child can check things off on the list rather than having to listen to you nag him or her throughout the day.
3. Let your children choose the music they want to listen to throughout the time that they are cleaning.  Dance around with your children and make the cleaning light-hearted rather than depressing.
4. Once your children are teenagers they can then start to work on their own and accomplish bigger jobs on their own.
5. Give a reward at the end of the day. Make sure that your children know what the reward is and be sure that you always follow through with the reward.

Always remember that if you do not want to do your deep cleaning on your own you can hire someone to come in and do your deep cleaning for you so that you know it is done quickly and efficiently.

Making Your Cleaning Bearable and Doable

 When you are trying to make cleaning a habit you want to be sure that you understand how you can be wise about establishing your cleaning methods.  There are a lot of people that have a hard time understanding how they will be smart about cleaning.

As you develop this habit a great way to start is to…

1. Make sure that you make a schedule
2. Dedicate twenty minutes every day for cleaning
3. Reward yourself

You want to be sure that you take the time that you need to understand how you can create a regular schedule to ensure that, if it is followed, your home will always be clean. While you are cleaning for twenty minute each day you should be able to get through some of the chores that you have laid out for the day.

Although cleaning can be miserable, you should be sure you find a way to make it fun.  Plug in your iPod, take before and after pictures or give yourself a really great reward when you finish cleaning for the day or even for the week.

Make sure that you understand how you can clean so that you are always proud of your home.  If the cleaning should ever become too overwhelming you should make sure that you find someone to hire that will do your cleaning for you.