Hardwood floor adds a certain level of charm and grace to the house. It might be look like it’s difficult to maintain them, but the elegance they bring to your house is worth the trouble. Contrary to popular belief, it is neither difficult nor time-consuming to clean your hardwood floors. In the recent years, surface-sealed hardwood floors have gained popularity as they are easier to maintain. These hardwood floors are usually sealed with urethane, polyurethane or polyacrylic and are stain resistant. Here’s how you can clean the hardwood floors. Basic, daily cleaning Dust your floors with a microfiber mop to prevent surface damage. You can decide on a dusting schedule for each area, depending on how often the place is used. The high traffic areas in your house, like the kitchen, living room or entrances should ideally be dusted on a daily basis. For the other rooms, dusting on alternate days or twice a week would suffice. When you’re mopping If you dust your Harwood floor regularly, there is little requirement for routine mopping. Once or twice in a week should be enough. The cleaning process is fairly simple. Begin with dusting the floor to rid it of dust and gains, which might damage the surface of your hardwood floor.

Most of the house cleaners bought at stores contains harsh chemicals that can cause skin and eye irritations. Some of the chemicals can also cause asthma, cancer and birth defects. As per EPA some of the hazardous chemicals included in the household cleaners are carcinogenic chemicals, endocrine, volatile organic compounds, PBT-persistent bio accumulative and toxic chemicals among others. Look for house cleaning ideas that are safe for you and the environment as well. You do not have to buy cleaners that are loaded with harmful chemicals to clean the house. Look for natural ingredients that not only clean tough stains, but are good for your hands and the environment as well. Chemicals can cause havoc to our local rivers and disturb the aquatic life as well. Natural home cleaners can clean the dirt effectively, kill germs, and leave a pleasant, natural fragrance. Plus, these elements are safe for you and your family as well. Here are a few natural house cleaning ingredients that you can use. Borax Borax is versatile and works as a multipurpose cleaner. Add a tiny amount of borax on a damp cloth and clean the floors, tiles, fixtures and porcelain sinks and get rid of stubborn marks, yellow stains and dark patches on the corners.

Nothing makes a home warm and cozy like a fireplace. If you live in a cold region, then you can easily understand how crucial they are for residential and commercial buildings. Though HVAC and other heating machines have become increasingly popular among most people, the charm of a fireplace is still unbeatable. Adding a fireplace to your property will improve its market value as well. So if you want to make any investment in your home, then opting for a fireplace won’t disappoint you. Consult your building authority before installing the fireplace, as some may have restrictions. The cost of installing a fireplace can range from $400 to $10,000; choose one that fits your budget and requirement well. There are readymade units available as well as brick-lined hearths or custom mantels. For those who do not want to spend too much on fireplaces can opt for a free-standing gel fuel or electric fireplace. The best thing about electric fireplaces is that it eliminates the installation cost. Costs of a wood-burning fireplace Wood burning fireplace has always been a popular choice due to its elegance and style. Installing a wood burning fireplace will require skilled masons and a high budget. So if you are ready to spend about $10,000, this is the right choice for you.

A wooden fireplace is all one can ask for to stay warm and cozy. However, just like any other part of the house, your heating system needs maintenance too. For instance, if the chimney connecting to the device is blocked by debris, it can have a detrimental effect not only on the temperature of the house but also on the health of the homeowners. There are numerous tips that can help the fire place to burn with maximum efficiency. Some of them are mentioned below. Inspection of the chimney The chimney is made from steel and has to be cleaned regularly. It should be 12 inches high and any error in configuration needs to be rectified. In addition, wear and tear are of the bricks have to be monitored regularly so that it works with greater efficiency. In case of worn out bricks, replace them with high quality cement bricks to withstand the rising temperature. Preparation for cleaning Before cleaning, you should always put on the respirator because the ensuing particles can pollute the air in the vicinity. Due to the deposition of combustible material in the chimney, it is important to take utmost care in its complete removal. In order to maintain the whole system, one should also chisel out the defective mortar in the heater.

Keep your home warm and cozy during the chilly winter season with a fireplace. Whether it is a blizzard, snow or rain, keeping the home warm and safe is your topmost priority in the winter and a fireplace can help you in creating the perfect temperature. Fireplaces may seem responsible for accidents and injuries, but in fact, it is not the fireplace that is responsible for the accident, but it is the negligence on the part of users. Alternatives like portable space heaters and kerosene heater are also dangerous, but that does not mean that one will stop using them. Rather, learn about the safety tips, the do’s and don’ts of using a fireplace and stay away from danger. Maintaining your fireplace The only way to enjoy a fireplace properly is to take care of it regularly. They are not hard to maintain, but with a little care, one can enjoy safe and cozy heat during spine-chilling winters. Don’t let the ashes of wood burning fire pit create a mess in your yard. Remove it regularly and keep the fire pit clean for the next use. Covers for firepits and fireplaces will also protect you. Some easy fire safety tips Here we are sharing some more outdoor fireplace safety tips to protect you and your family from accidents.

Smart home decorating initiatives and ideas can freshen up your home. It enlightens up the room, bringing in positive vibes and serenity. You ought to try one of these space saving fixes for a beautiful and instant update: Drop clothes: Look for drop cloths of drapery fabric and get them at as low as $9 for a 4′ by 12’panel. Hang them as high as you can. Transformed closet: Cover the doors with pegboard and turn your closet into a simple craft room. Display an excellent collection on a dining room table. Add an antique in the bathroom because it adds an authentic touch to the house. Think up, not out: Add extra shelves that slide open and stack your items in them. Paint an inexpensive piece of furniture white. Cover the walls with different sort of plates. Use Turkish runners in the hallways. Label the canisters to end up kitchen’s confusion in a creative and meaningful manner. Have creative wall-mounting lights. Move seating away from the walls. Paint only the lower or the upper half of the wall. Double your space with mirrors to add an illusion. Be it with the bed sheet and pillow cover combination or chairs and tables, a mismatch always looks good, if your color choice is correct.

A lot of us spend quite a lot of time and effort in decorating the interiors of our homes. But, have you ever thought of painting it outside? Seems rather out of the ordinary doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to be anymore. If you do not like painting the outside of your house in just a plain color or two, don’t worry. Here are some great exterior paint color ideas where you can learn how to design the exterior of your house with great paint shades. The first exterior paint color ideas is painting the exterior by giving an illusion of bricks. Instead of a plain rustic red, why don’t you transform it into rectangular boxes? Your house looks even warmer and rustic and gives the good old country look to it! Add in a chimney, paint a brick design on it too, and you have your picture perfect house. The color of the bricks’ can also be white or several shades of brown at the same time. The next design is based of on trees. Can you guess which part? A popular exterior paint design is wood. Wood inspired paint designs gives a sense of living in the wilderness, even if the house is in the city.

A clean home paves the way for an improved quality of life. Moreover, with the advent of improved and easy-to-use home cleaning products, cleaning is no more a hassle. However, for people who find cleaning a tedious domestic chore, the following points highlight how a clean house can help to lead a peaceful life in every aspect Psychological benefits Statistics conclude that 78.34% of the US homeowners, including those who clean their home daily, are unaware of the psychological benefits of home cleaning. An untidy home radiates a depressing atmosphere in the area and leads to stress on its inhabitants. An organized home, on the contrary, reduces stress and helps to lead a peaceful life. Physical improvements The activity of cleaning a house is just as beneficial as a clean house itself. Cleaning exercises an individual’s body and helps him or her to think in an organized manner. In many mental illness treatment centers, patients are handed over home cleaning products and asked to clean a specific area, just to keep them busy and soothe their nerves. Medical benefits The medical benefits of a clean home are known to everyone, but are widely ignored. A clean home prevents the breeding of mosquitoes, flies, bacteria and other germs.

It is very important that you clean your house properly to preserve the good health of your family. However, it is always better to make use of home cleaning products that do not contain any harsh chemicals and are safe for use. You can buy them easily from your nearest grocery stores. There are non-toxic cleaning products also available, which are made using organic ingredients. Use of non-toxic products The organic, non-toxic cleaning products are not harmful as they do not contain any harsh chemicals and are environment-friendly. It is difficult to complete the task of household cleaning along with taking care of the environment around your house. This is why there are many bathroom cleaners available that are natural and eco-friendly. There are many companies that offer reliable and fast home cleaning services and make use of effective home cleaning products. House cleaning services Maintaining the cleanliness of your house is very important. The house cleaning services made available by professionals involve cleaning of bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and even general areas. The main cleaning services that are carried out for bedrooms include cleaning of ceiling fan, mirrors and the floors, dusting, vacuuming of mattress, and removing dust accumulated on book shelves.

Furniture adds to your abode’s aesthetic appeal and provides the much-needed comfort and functionality for optimal use. However, you need to consider a number of points when it comes to purchasing furniture for your home, as if you go wrong, you will have to regret a lot for it. Here are some important things that you must consider to make an ideal furniture choice. Make a budget Furniture pieces in your home should be a source of happiness and joy, which is not possible if you don’t pre-consider your budget while choosing furniture pieces for your home. It is but natural to fall for aesthetically appealing furniture pieces that are way beyond your spending capacity. You need to be prudent enough so that you end up making informed furniture decisions. Rather than picking up an expensive piece and getting yourself in debt, you can choose from a variety of quality and competitively priced furniture pieces that Sauder furniture puts up in its inventory clearance sale. Comfort You need to learn the art of balancing your sense of comfort and style, as it plays an integral role in making a furniture choice ideal. For example, you like a furniture piece that is too stylish and beautiful but does not provide the desired comfort.

These 32-inch televisions are compact and good for small homes if you don’t have much space in your living room for a big screen this can be your right choice. Some brands come out with smart features but the choice is very limited in small screen, these small TV’s usually have the basic specifications with a medium picture quality. Listed below are a few brands with 32-inch screens. TCL S305 BUDGET 32INCH LED: The TCL Roku can be a budget small screen that’s quite affordable with decent picture quality and a few smart features. Whereas the sound quality is a little less and picture settings are limited. The design is basic and the ends are a bit thick hence it’s not recommended for wall mounting. Place it on a wide table with the provided plastic feet and have a space for the plug-in as the inputs are given at the back. This 32 inch TV is good for a dark room, when set in a bright room the picture quality is less due to the maximum brightness from outside. It has a simple OS to navigate and has access to all the popular apps through the Roku store this can be also connected to a Roku smartphone or tablet.