1.) All-Purpose Cleaner

The best use for this chemical is an all-purpose cleaner. It always comes in handy for a wide variety of messes.

2.) Drain Buildup Prevention

Slow draining sinks and bathtubs are a pain. Stay ahead of the problem with a little preventive maintenance every month. Drop a couple cups of vinegar down each drain to remove buildup and gunk.

3.) Clog Fix

Forgot about regular drain cleaning? Use a combo of baking soda, vinegar, and water to clear a clog, but make sure you drop the baking soda down first.

4.) Microwave Cleaning Trick

Burned-on stains are very difficult to remove in a microwave. Bring a bowl of water and vinegar to a boil and let set for several minutes in the microwave. The vapors should loosen up the stains.

5.) Garbage Disposal Odor Remover

Bits of food get stuck below the blades of garbage disposals and odors ensue. Grind up ice cubes made from water, vinegar, and lemon peels to sharpen the blades and leave a good scent.

6.) Toilet Cleaning

Wouldn’t it be great to keep a toilet clean much longer? Try using this trick to get rid of bacteria buildup on the inside of the toilet rim.

7.) Faucet Aerator Buildup

Mineral deposits from hard water messes up the flow from faucets. As a part of monthly home maintenance, take off the aerator and soak it in vinegar.

8.) Shine Up Chrome

You might as well clean up the chrome fixtures while attending to the faucet aerator. All you have to do is give the surfaces a good scrubbing with a rag and vinegar.

9.) Shower Head Cleaner

Like the faucet, minerals disrupt water flower for shower heads. To remove this buildup fill a plastic baggy with vinegar and attach to the shower head with a rubber band. Leave it over night and rinse with water the next day.

10.) Remove Watermarks from the Coffee Pot

Scrub the glass with equal parts of water and vinegar to remove any water spots created from mineral buildups.

Decide What Works for Your Family

There is no one type of cleaning schedule that will work for every family. You need to design your cleaning schedule based on your own routine. Some people, for example, will decide to clean certain things on certain days. Others will dedicate one entire day to doing all their cleaning. Many others don’t have a schedule and simply “go with the flow.” You will probably try out several different types of schedules before you find what makes the most sense for you.

Use Your Time Efficiently

Obviously, it’s important to use your time as efficiently as possible. No matter what cleaning schedules you decide on, make sure it is maximizing your time and making efficient use of it. For example, clean your kitchen and living room every Thursday so they’re clean for weekend visitors. When you wash the bathroom floors, wash all of the floors in your house so you don’t have to pull out the mop an extra time. Multi-tasking is also very useful for a cleaning schedule.

Use a Cleaning App

If you have a smartphone or tablet, it can even help you clean your house. There are lots of apps that help people organize their schedules and tasks. You can include your cleaning goals on your regular calendar, or you can download an app that’s specifically designed for making a cleaning schedule. Some suggestions are Cleaning Checklist, Chore Checklist, Clean Freak Cleaning Schedule, Routinely, and HoneyDew. Just as with your cleaning schedule itself, you should try out a few different apps until you find the one that’s most helpful to you.

Post It on the Wall

Once you’ve figured out a schedule that works for your family, create a large poster that shows a calendar and the tasks that are supposed to be done each day, or create a poster that lists each day of the week and the tasks that should be done on them. Keep it in your kitchen, and it will be a quick reminder and inspiration for you to do your chores. This is also very helpful for children who have cleaning tasks. You can also use a framed chalkboard to check off tasks and add notes each week.

Don’t Stress About It

Finally, it’s very important not to stress over your cleaning schedule. A cleaning schedule is supposed to make things easier for you, not add extra pressure or be a source of stress. Remember that your schedule is only a guideline, and nothing bad will happen if you don’t follow it exactly. As with anything in life, you have to be adaptable. If a cleaning schedule is causing more stress than the cleaning itself, scrap it and just go with the flow.

Photo credit Flickr

Door mats are more than just an outdoor carpet to wipe your feet on.  They’re the first thing people see when they come to your home, and can set the tone for a visitor entering your abode.  There are plenty of cool doormats for sale out there, but you can add you own personal touch at the front door with a bespoke, home-made custom doormat.

Hopefully this guide will give you the means to get started on a custom “Welcome” to your home.  I’ve also squeezed in a few pictures of my favorite doormats to give you some inspiration.

1.       Get a doormat

Go to your front door and look down.  If you’ve found a doormat, step one is complete.  If there’s nothing there, it’s time to get to the shops.  Ideally, you want something plain, without an existing design and in a solid, light color.  Doormats come in all shapes, sizes and materials, so make sure you’ve got one appropriate for the space at your front door and take measurements in advance.  Material is also important, it’s no good having something that looks pretty, but won’t actually clean shoes.

Photo credit: Flickr

2.       Start designing

Don’t get carried away with the paint and sparkles just yet.  Take some time out to decide exactly how you want your doormat to look, and sketch it out on paper first.  Cutting some paper to the same size of the doormat will give you a good idea of what your finished design will look like.

Photo credit: Flickr

3.       Prepare your design

Now you’ve indulged your creative side and your design is ready, it’s time to transfer it onto your doormat.  You want to draw it directly onto the mat with something that can easily be erased.  I prefer chalk so you can just scuff it off with your hand if you make a mistake.  More adventurous or artistically talented types might want to make a stencil. This is particularly crucial if you’re using text, or the design is particularly elaborate and can’t easily be drawn on freehand.

Photo credit: Flickr

4.       Brushes out

Now here comes the tricky part, painting the design onto your doormat.  I’ve found acrylic paint to be the best because it’s thick and dries fast.  Take your time, rushing is only going to lead to mistakes and end up turning your perfect design into a kids coloring book.  Depending on the material of your doormat you’ll need to layer up the paint.  Make sure you give each layer some time to dry before applying the next.  You’ll also need to ensure that you have some smaller fine paintbrushes if you plan on putting any fine detail into your design.

Photo credit: Flickr

5.       Stick it outside

After leaving your doormat to dry for an hour or two, it’s time to introduce your doormat to its new home at the front door.  Once this step is complete, call up some friends and don’t answer the door so they have time to bask in your creativity.

Now that you know how to customize your doormat, here are a few tutorials that I found useful.  They’re a bit different to my approach, but just go with what’s best for you.

How to Create a Monogrammed Doormat

A nice simple design to get you started.

DIY Keyboard Doormat

This is an original and quirky design, and I like the clever way the doormat has been reshaped to suit the design.

Custom Doormat Tutorial

This design is very advanced and elaborate, and makes use of stencils.  The end result is fantastic though, and shows that a bit of preparation can go a long way.

By Alisha Webb. Alisha is British writer working out of Barcelona and a content developer for TurtleMat  – UK supplier of washable mats.

It is all about convenience these days and Kwikset is expanding this even further with a Bluetooth-enabled lock. This lock is activated by an app for iPhone and uses complex encryption to ensure security against hackers. If you don’t have an iPhone, don’t worry! A special key fob can be used. And, as a backup, a traditional key can still be used.

Downsides

The Kwikset is going to retail at $249, which is very steep compared to the standard lock, albeit you’re getting some pretty fancy features. On top of the hardware costs you may need to fork over a few dollars for installation. This extra cost burden shouldn’t be a problem for handy homeowners.

The lock also relies on an internal battery that will eventually. Kevo has indicated it should hold up for at least a year from normal use.

If you don’t have an iPhone, it is definitely not as convenient without the smart-phone app for your house. And if you do have an iPhone, having the Bluetooth constantly on drains the battery faster.

What better month to fire up the classic charcoal vs gas grilling debate than National Barbecue Month, which is every May. Some prefer the “smokiness” of classic charcoal fires, but other like the convenience of gas for a fuel. Either way, most everyone likes to enjoy a little grilling during the spring and summer. It sure is a nice break from the kitchen!

Convenience

Without a doubt gas wins the convenience factor. It is so easy to turn on the  nozzle and ignite the flame. Electronic ignition is even better. The only drawback for gas is forgetting to fill the tank and having it run out during a cookout. The obvious solution is to buy a second tank, but it does add to the cost factor.

Charcoal clearly loses here because it not only takes more effort to get the fire going but it also takes longer. Not to mention there is cleanup required after.

Taste

Gas doesn’t have much to say on taste. It doesn’t hurt the taste, but also doesn’t add value. Charcoal does have the possibility to add some flavor. In particular, steak lovers can tell the difference. This can be a big factor if you love steak with a little smoky flavor.

Cost

Upfront a gas grill is going to cost much more. It makes sense since more equipment is needed to store, deliver, and ignite the fuel. Charcoal just needs a pit and an ash dump.

However, charcoal does cost more per cooking session. Gas costs about a 1/10 as much. Depending on how often your grill out, this could cancel out the high upfront cost of a gas unit.

Ultimately the decision is going to come down to each individuals personal preference. There really is not wrong or right answer, so make sure the unit suites you. Either way, make sure to honor National Barbecue Month and enjoy any nice weather!

Love talking about all things home related? Hometalk is a online community for home lovers to share, discuss, and inspire.

Share and Discuss

At the heart of Hometalk is the ability for professionals, bloggers, and homeowners to post projects for others to see. It is a great way to get feedback, inspire other users, and give DIY tips. These projects range from home decor to furniture revivals to cleaning tricks. There are projects and tips on almost anything you can think of for a house!

The discussion for each post is one of the best parts. The feedback from professionals has always been great for the growth of ideas and prevention of mistakes. Everyday homeowners add various questions, which is a great way to get perspective on the different aspects of a project.

Save and Plan

Want to save someone else’s project for your own house? The board feature makes this easy by allowing users can “clip” a post. You can create various boards, like “cleaning tips” or “DIY decor.” to keep the posts organized.

Search and Follow

It is easy to find the right post for a repair or your next project. The search function is the easiest way to find a specific post. The categories index is a good way to sort out a broader spectrum. Lastly, you can follow other users’ boards and posts if you find their projects particularly helpful.

Check out Hometalk and be sure to follow HomeSpot HQ  

Soffit Bone

The soffit bone’s connected to the… fascia bone?  This was a flipped house that we actually inspected twice within a five-month period.  The first inspection was for a potential investor when the property was still bank owned, and the second inspection was for a first-time home buyer after the property had been flipped.  We found obvious signs of animal infestation both times.

Odd Chandelier Locations

These chandeliers must have been on sale at the local home improvement store.  We found the exact same chandelier in two different houses, on opposite sides of town, on the same day.  The part that made this really weird was that one chandelier was hanging above the washer and dryer in an unfinished basement, and the other was hanging from the rafters in an attic.  To each their own.

Hidden Electrical Hazards

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: dropped ceilings were invented to hide electrical hazards. Of course, we say this tongue-in-cheek, but we find a ridiculous amount of electrical hazards above dropped ceilings.  Ironically, the device that was plugged in to the extension cord shown above was an old plug-in smoke alarm.  For the record, smoke alarms should be replaced at least once every ten years.

Corner Toilets are Expensive

Standard toilets can be purchased for under $100, but corner toilets can cost over three times as much. Someone decided a hole in the wall would be no big deal and went with the $100 toilet.

Not-so-fresh Furnace Filter

Here’s a small piece of free advice to home sellers: if you’re going to replace your furnace filter the morning of the home inspection, go ahead and hide the old filter if it has a thick layer of cat hair and dust on it.

One of the biggest trends in home decor has been upcylcing old and useless items that would otherwise become trash. Glass bottles don’t exactly fall into this category since they can be recycled, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be repurposed for home decor!

An easy way to upcycle glass bottles is to use them as flower vases, but you can only go so far with the bottle staying intact. Being able to cut them in half, or even just opening the mouth a little, can open up a bunch of possibilities.

Cutting Glass

Sound intimidating? It is actually a very easy DIY project that can be accomplished with everyday household items. But, please note that caution should be exercised. The glass will most likely break into sharp edges and fire is needed to heat the glass.

Materials Needed

Gather the following items:

• -Glass bottle(s)
• -Bucket of cold water much larger than the bottle
• -Yarn
• -Nail polish remover or acetone (flammable!)
• -Lighter

Steps

Grab the bottle and wrap the yarn around the spot where the cut will be made. Tie the yarn into a secure knot and trim off any excess.

Pull the yarn off and dip it into a cup of acetone. Put the yarn back in place.

Now hold the bottle from the end where the yarn wasn’t slipped over. This is important because the acetone on the other end will start on fire during this step. Grab a lighter and light the candle. Cautiously light the yarn on fire by rotating the bottle over the candle. Keep spinning the bottle to make sure the fire heats up the bottle evenly.

As soon as the fire is gone, dip the bottle into the cold water. The rapid contraction from the hot to cold transition should split the bottle into two pieces. Use sandpaper to smooth the sharp edges. Be VERY careful not to cut yourself.

The glass might be cut half, but there is still work to do! Grab some sandpaper and smooth the sharp edges. Make sure to sand both the outside and inside edge.

Finished Project

There are endless possibilities for the end product. Here are a few ideas:

• Flower vase
• Pen and pencil holder
• Candle holder
• Organizer for knick knacks
• Planter

Posts Continued

Need to keep a door from closing? Put a couple rubber bands from one door knob to the other. This can be very handy when moving a lot of items through an exterior door without having to keep the door constantly open. Here are some more ways to use rubber bands around the house.

Are some rooms much colder or hotter than others in the house? The article on air balancing serves as a good starter guide for the average homeowner to fix the problem. One thing I wanted to add is noting the location of the thermostat. The house temperature is taken from this point, it can bias the rest of the house. Try to account for any bias in setting of the thermostat.

After a couple more weeks of using the SimpliSafe security system, I’ve been able to get a little more insight on the system. First off, it is very simple to arm and shut off. This can be accomplished with the keypad, key fobs, or the app on my smart phone. Also, the web interface makes it easy to manage the system. You can check events (e.g. alarms triggered), changed settings, and even set up guest pin numbers. Lastly, I may have accidentally triggered the alarm. The call center responded right away and did a good job of quickly assessing the situation.

The last post I wanted to touch on featured wall stickers for giving character to light switches, outlets, and green practices. The sticker below is for the baseboards and is sure to give visitors giggles.

Top Posts from April

Based off of page views, here are the top new blog posts from April:

• 1.) SimpliSafe Security System Review – Sick of high cost security systems with long-term contracts? SimpliSafe is a good alternative as a DIY security solution.
• 2.) DIY Magazine Frames - Aubrey, from the DIY Dazzle Youtube channel, shows how to make a photo frame from recycled magazines and cereal boxes.
• 3.) Finding a Way to Repurpose Things - A great post from Claire Berard at the Rustic Pig on how to repurpose everyday things.

Basement Flooding During Spring

The risk of basement flooding during spring is often a concern due to snowfall, snowmelt, and rain. Late-winter snow, which is wetter than normal, followed by warm rain, can melt packs of snow to release even more water at a rapid pace. If the ground remains frozen or some parts have not yet thawed, then all of that water can’t be absorbed. Each of these things contributes to increased flood risks for cities, counties, and possibly your home.

Water Protection Methods

There are a number of waterproofing methods that address different types of water problems for year-round protection. A popular system used for basement waterproofing is a sump pump. Sump pumps are often used as part of an interior drainage system to keep intruding water at bay. Basements are commonly prone to leaks through floors and walls in addition to flooding. If you have experienced unwanted water entry before or have noticed a damp, musty atmosphere in your basement, then a sump pump may be a good option for you.

How Sump Pumps Work

A sump pump is as its name suggests a small pump that’s typically installed in the lowest part of a basement or crawlspace, in a designated sump pit. When the pit fills with water, the sump pump turns on automatically to move liquid out. A pipe runs from the sump pump to outside of your home, where water is able to drain safely away from the home’s foundation. Sump pumps run on existing electricity and are recommended to be used with a GFCI outlet since water is involved. The ultimate goal of a sump pump is to collect any water that seeps into your basement to prevent flooding and associated water damage.

Water Damage Protection

Even a little bit of water inside your home can cause damage, whether it’s a puddle on the floor or moisture in the air. Displaced water can damage personal belongings, ruin furniture, provoke mold to grow, attract insects, and create an overall unhealthy environment for you and your family. It’s best to address any water problems at the first sign of accumulation and to prevent water from spreading. Many homeowners experience some type of water problem in their basement and may find that damage has occurred over time.