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Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019
Summer Home_Oval Cocktail Table: If you can invest in furniture that has storage units such as this one, then you’re doubling its purpose which is great for your simplistic living in the long run.
Why are a lot of people talking about simplifying their lives these days? We are all in an era where home life, work and other commitments all beg to take center stage in our lives. But we all know that we have to have time to breathe, be creative, and to love and be loved.
Simplification of one’s life means you have to be ruthless in cleaning up a few stuff. And this is not just about cleaning out closets or drawers but also other aspects of your life. But, of course, it is always easier to begin with the things that we see. Even when you’re overwhelmed by the idea, just go on.
It’s time to simplify your life in 10 days.
Get a Trash Bag
Look in every room of your home to search for trash. You will soon realize that your home actually has a lot of things that you and your family do not even use anymore. There are also going to be stuffs that are lying around such as empty boxes, expired coupons, empty bottles of shampoo, even dead plants.
Putting these trash in a black bag and bringing them out is a great decluttering motivator. By the time that you see the rooms that get cleaned, you will surely be inspired to do more.
Once you’re ready to begin, you can even do a second round. This time, you can search for more items to donate such as books which you will never read again anyway.
Stop Impulse Buying
Since you’ve just cleaned out the clutter, then it’s also time to stop those things that could begin another wave of cleanup project. If there have been companies that are sending you mails or catalogs, then request that you would be taken off their mailing list.
And when you feel like you’re reverting to your impulse buying routine, then you have to understand where this need is coming from. At the very center of your brain is the amygdala which is there specifically to warn us to keep us safe. This is also responsible for you to get on a habit that will drive you to do anything such as getting instant relief when you’re feeling stressed.
Feeling this way is pretty normal, Psychology Today says that there is nothing wrong with you at all. This just means that this part of your brain is perfectly working. The downside to this is that you tend to shop for things that you don’t need when you do impulse buying.
When you recognize that this is happening to you, it’s time to step back and to try focusing on the things that are important. Called the SOS technique, you can keep practicing this until it becomes a habit.
Be On Top of Your Laundry Tasks
A load a day keeps the mountains of laundry away.
You can begin a new habit of throwing just a load every morning and, pretty soon, it won’t even feel like you’re doing a chore anymore.
Embrace the Silence
If you want to feel happier then this means building and maintaining relationships with the people that you love. Turn off all gadgets or even the TV when it’s family time.
Don’t post everything that happens to you and your family. Your relationships tend to lose intimacy when you do it this way.
Digital Cleanup
Cleaning up your home also includes cleaning out your computer. Delete every unnecessary file then empty your trash bin. Be sure to complete the updates then restart your computers.
As much as you can, upload your important digital files to the cloud. You could use Dropbox or Artifact Uprising for this purpose.
Tags: decluttering, home cleanup, home organization, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on How to Simplify Your Life in 10 Days
Monday, January 14th, 2019
Stanley Furniture Bedroom Upholstered Bed Queen 007-23-52: Regularly clean the bedroom to enjoy a relaxing night’s sleep each and every time.
Do you still see junk mail and bills piling up on the kitchen counter? Let’s not begin to describe the strewn clothes in bedrooms and the kids’ toys left on the floor. Hey, no rush but it’s going to be February soon so why not start decluttering now?
You probably already know that clutter could lead to stress and anxiety. Each task that should have been easy would become a lot more complicated all because there is mess that’s competing for your attention. The opposite of this, of course, brings about tranquility.
The link between a homeowner’s mind and his living space is, more often than not, circular. This means that when a person is feeling depressed or anxious, he could end up not cleaning up. And where there’s clutter, there will also always be anxiety. Until this cycle is broken, a house will never become a home.
If you want to take on the decluttering project, then you’ll have to divide your house by zone. Here are areas that you need to focus on –
Laundry Room Cleanup
No one wants to spend time inside this room but you have to when you’re…well, running out of clothes to wear.
In this room, you need to sort the cleaning products and set up an uncomplicated makeover. For no more than $100, you can already freshen up the laundry room.
Begin by storing stuff inside baskets. These baskets should, preferably, fit inside the shelves. Next, make sure that all the laundry essentials are well within your reach. Store the stronger liquids such as the softener and the detergent in clear dispensers. This will help you keep tab on how much cleaning agents you still have.
You can also paint the laundry room with a more soothing color such as eggshell white, pastels or this year’s Pantone Color – Living Coral.
The Pantry Cleanse
Cleaning up the pantry becomes even more necessary if you have limited space to cram your foodstuff in. Your goal is not just to overhaul this part of the kitchen but more of bringing order in that area.
Don’t forget to label stuff in your pantry. Labeling will help you maintain a system that puts everything in its proper place. If you can’t do this, you can hire someone like the character of Drew Barrymore in the movie Blended (her character is a closet organizer). If, however, you like to do it yourself, then you can buy organizing and cleanup tools to start.
Use canisters and baskets. These will help you store fresh food longer.
Disinfect the Bathroom
It could get tricky to clean up this room. First, it is filled with many different products especially when each family member has a different set of toiletries.
Remove the beauty and health products that you no longer use (or worse, are already empty). Check the storage area under the bathroom sink and clean up the drawers, shelves, and vanity.
It shouldn’t take a day to clean this room (you can do this in two hours tops).
Clean the Bedroom
If you want to enjoy quality sleep, then be ready to clean the bedrooms. Scientific studies show that anxiety and depression could result from the lack of good sleep. These conditions could even get worse (think of heart diseases and diabetes).
Begin your cleanup here by giving away the clothes that you no longer want. Don’t let that bursting closet bother you any longer. Add more drawers or shelves if necessary.
The stuff that you only use on certain seasons should be stored. Fold and file into drawers and shelves.
Tags: decluttering, home cleanup, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101 | Comments Off on Out with the Old, In with the New: Declutter These Zones in Your Home
Monday, September 12th, 2016
Hooker Furniture Living Room Chadwick Entertainment Console asks for low maintenance with its sleek and open-shelf concept.
If you belong to the group of people whose school and work schedules leave very little time for mundane tasks, then you probably hate maintenance or house cleaning, too. The great news is that the interior design industry knows all about your dilemma. There are now a lot of easy care design elements that you can invest in. The question now is – are any of these right for you?
Easy-Clean Paint
There are now cans upon cans of paint that can be easily cleaned and washed. They are available for walls and trim. These are also best for families that have small kids and pets.
Low-Maintenance Flooring
In the past ten years or so, tiles, hardwood and natural stone have become quite popular and there’s no surprise there. Carpeting has taken a backseat because these materials have proven to be more durable, easier to maintain, and not difficult to clean.
There are many eco-friendly options for floors nowadays like reclaimed wood and bamboo.
Stained concrete that has a protective sealer would also be wonderful, maintenance-wise. This comes with the least amount of seams plus a nonporous seal will make mopping and sweeping much easier.
Other probable flooring options include vinyl and laminate tiles.
Furniture with Trimmed Surfaces
The nooks and crannies of many shelves and cabinets are natural homes for dust particles. If you want a low-maintenance type of cabinet or shelf, then find the ones that have little trim. The less drawers and nooks there are, the less dust, the least amount of cleaning.
Simple math there.
Patterned Countertops
The bathroom and kitchen tiles and Formica countertops require added care compared to all other countertop materials. Did you know that countertops that come with patterns are better at hiding rings and crumbs as compared to solid-colored ones?
It’s true, try ‘em.
1586-80110-BLK1 Flirt Rectangle Cocktail Table has a smooth and simple design which is not just easy to clean but also easy on the eye.
Under Mount Sink
Rather than resorting to the usual raised models, try having the under mount sink this time. Its upkeep is a lot easier which means you won’t have to worry about puddles, grout, cracks, mildew, and stains.
Grout-Free Bathrooms
There have been major innovations in bathroom design and fixtures. Most of these are now easier to care for. An example is the wall-mounted toilet as well as motion sensitive faucets. These days, you can mop right beneath the toilet (no more mopping around the fixture); the faucets also help in keeping soapy and dirty hands off (you have the sensors to thank for this). Shower interiors also come in solid materials that are remarkably grout-free.
No wonder that these are now the most popular options in the market these days.
Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting fixtures are your best choice if you don’t want the usual dust magnets – table lamps. If you really can’t let go of lamps, then consider having them minus the fabric shades. Any other material can be easily wiped clean.
Shutters and Blinds
These are your best choices for window treatments since all you’ll ever need to clean them is a feather duster or a handheld vacuum cleaner. Heavy draperies come with fabrics which can easily hold odors, attract dust and pet hair.
Less Furnishings
Less is more in the case of easy maintenance. Either that or you can invest in pieces that are slimmer and unupholstered. Leather is also a lot easier to clean than fabric, it’s just more prone to cracking so make sure that you invest in a great leather cleaner.
Basket for Slippers
Place this right by the entrance so that you and your visitors could place your dirty shoes outside and should wear the slippers as soon as you reach the entryway.
These are wonderful ideas that you could use in your home if you want to do less maintenance. See how each would cut down your cleaning time by more than half!
Tags: easy-clean home, easy-clean tips, home cleaning, home cleanup, low-maintenance home, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, tips
Posted in Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101 | No Comments »
Friday, August 26th, 2016
Accessories Uttermost Silvia Silver Wall Shelf 04033 can hold bathroom accessories.
Bathroom cleanliness is quite important to homes and more so to facilities. Unsanitary restrooms could be home to germs that can bring about allergies and a host of other diseases. This is the very reason why the bathroom should be cleaned every single day.
Repeat customers could be the cause of unsanitary bathrooms. Effects of unsanitary bathrooms could extend to employee productivity as it has been proven that unclean bathrooms can cause lower productivity. As a result, various aspects of the business can be affected by something that is as simple as a bathroom cleanup.
Germs can bring about allergies and a whole host of diseases. Begin cleaning from the vents and ceilings. Have them dusted for cobwebs. Make sure the dust from those areas reach the floor.
Next, have the mirrors and other wall pieces dusted, cleaned then polished. Make sure the hand dryers are disinfected, too. Use a disinfectant to clean partition doors. After these, move on to toilet bowl disinfecting. Disinfect the inner and outer parts of the bowl. Don’t forget the base.
Be sure to empty out the trash receptacles of paper towels and sanitary pads. Remove gum and other stuck dirt on the floor. Mop the floor and use a disinfecting solution.
Lastly, wipe hand plates, door handles, and kick plates.
These tips should help you clean the bathroom like a pro or at least know how to check right after a professional commercial cleanup.
Maitland-Smith Bathroom Cast Brass Fish Tissue Holder 1254-350 makes tissue dispensing a lot more exciting.
Clean the Stained Bathtub
There are two things that you need to remember when cleaning a stained bathtub in hotels and other such areas – first, you have to know which stain removal technique you would use and; second, find out which products would be right for the tub.
The most common bathtub materials are enameled metal, acrylic and porcelain. If your bathtub looks like plastic, then it is most probably acrylic. If it looks non-plastic, it is porcelain, iron or steel.
To be able to tell the difference between porcelain and enamel, all you have to do is to stick a magnet on the side of the tub. If the magnet sticks, then it is enamel.
If you are removing stain from a porcelain tub, you might want to buy a pumice stick. This can scour the surface and could get rid of stains on porcelain toilet bowls. This scouring stick costs just $2.
Removing the stain from enameled tubs can be a bit more difficult. Pumice stick should not be used in such cases because they can leave permanent scratches. This is also true with anything that is acidic so say no to vinegar and bleach.
Abrasive powders may be used but be sure to test a part of the tub before you go all out on your cleanup. Use such powders sparingly, though. For tougher stains, make a paste with the powder then allow it to sit for half an hour before you rinse away.
If you want to be on the safe side, use the ever reliable hydrogen peroxide. It is cheap and it can make the bathtub look sparkly clean.
‘Out to clean an acrylic tub? Then know that this type is more prone to fading, scratching and cracking. Since this is so, avoid anything that’s abrasive. Use cream cleaners, again, allowing it to sit for half an hour before the actual cleanup.
Mildewy Walls and Flooring
Another serious, dirt problem in the bathroom is mildew. You can work like crazy each day, cleaning and scrubbing, but if it still stinks, then you have to look for the culprit. More often than not, it is mildew.
Find an anti-mildew solution then gently scrub the area. It helps if you let the solution sit for a few minutes before rinsing it off.
Tags: bathroom interiors, bathroom style, cleaning mold and mildew, designing commercial bathrooms, home cleaning, home cleanup, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, spa bathroom, spa-like bathroom, tips
Posted in Bathroom Design, Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | No Comments »
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