How to clean sterling silver

Sterling silver is a precious metal. It has a beauty that is unmistakable. It has cleaning challenges that are quite different than the care of other types of precious metals. You may think that you don’t have any sterling silver that needs cleaning. Chances are you are wrong.

You may not own a sterling silver tray but sterling silver jewelry is very much in style and the process of removing tarnish is the same for jewelry as it is for larger pieces. Knowing how to clean sterling silver is important.

It is very evident when you need to clean your sterling. Tarnish is a dull black residue that greatly affects the looks and beauty of your sterling silver.

What is tarnish?

Tarnish is a dull oxidation that takes away the beauty of your silver. It will look gray or black either all over or in spots. You will want to throw away your silver but don’t do it. There are several ways to remove the ugly tarnish and restore your sterling silver to shining beauty.

Silver polish

Polish for sterling silver is for sale in your local grocery store. This is applied with a rag and allowed to dry on the surface. You then buff it off of the item with another clean cloth. If there is an intricate design you can take the silver polish on a toothbrush and rub it right into the design. This requires a little elbow grease and you can get any residue off by
washing and wiping the items.

Silver polishing cloth

Specially treated silver polishing clothes are sold on Amazon that you can buy for just a few dollars. Most of them cost about $7. You just wipe the sterling silver items with the cloth which is made of cotton flannel and you will be amazed at how black it will become. You can use this cloth until it is totally black. This works especially well on items that do not have an intricate design.

Natural choice

There are other options to clean some of your sterling silver. This method works particularly well for flatware and trays. Purchase a disposable aluminum pan, boil some water and cover the items in your pan. Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda in some boiling water and pour into the pan. It works like magic, your tarnish will be lifted off of the silver by the interaction between the aluminum, the baking soda and the silver oxide (tarnish). Be sure that all the pieces are touching the aluminum or nothing will happen.

Avoid the tarnish

After you have cleaned your sterling silver you want to try to retard the tarnish from coming back. There are anti-tarnish strips that you can place in your cabinet and there are jewelry boxes that are treated to make sure that if it is going to tarnish, at least it may take a while. Store your pieces in individual zip-lock bags or Tupperware containers. Humidity can accelerate tarnish so you want to keep your pieces as dry as possible.

You cannot stop tarnish completely but the beauty of silver is worth the extra work.

Home improvement that appeal to potential buyers

Selling your home in a weak market can be very difficult. In order to have the best chance for success, it is important that your house makes a good impression on buyers. To make your house appealing you may have to do some home improvement. Deciding which home improvements will appeal to buyers and help sell the house quicker is very important. 

If you have watched any of the home improvement shows you will already know that bathrooms and kitchens are what sell homes.

In the kitchen, depending on how much you want o spend, the counter tops are a big deal. Most home buyers these days expect to see granite, marble or quartz counter top. Adding these to your kitchen will certainly appeal to most buyers. When it comes to choosing the color, choose a neutral tone that will have a wider appeal. 

Paint walls a neutral color. Another improvement that buyers expect in the kitchen is updated appliances. They should be energy star and stainless steel is the most popular finish with buyers. If you can’t afford stainless at least make sure that all the appliances match.

Bathroom home improvements are also very popular. Master bathrooms need to have updated fixtures and double sinks are a trend that most renovators are following. Large soaking or jetted tubs and a separate tile shower are also very appealing to buyers. 

Hardwood floors are in vogue and you have a lot of options. You can go with bamboo which will appeal to any buyers who are looking for green options and the new laminates are also appealing at a certain price point.

Buyers will be checking to see if the windows are newer and are energy efficient. When you are considering home improvements to sell your home, updating the windows is something that should give you a positive return on your investment.

Not all the home improvements that appeal to buyers are inside the home. There are some things that you can improve on the exterior that will also help you to sell your home. There are areas where a fenced in back yard is a big selling point especially with families who have small children and/or pets. 

Decks are also a big selling point and patios have a lot of buyer appeal. While curb appeal may not technically be a home improvement project it is a very important aspect of house appeal as far as a buyer is concerned. You can’t get someone to buy your home unless you can get them in the door and if your home has no curb appeal they might not even want to stop and look.

There are many home improvements that will make your home more appealing to buyers. You probably can’t afford to do them all. Do the ones that will give you the most bang for your buck. You have to know what your competition is in the area and the things that other houses in the neighborhood have to offer. You want to make your house stand out.

  

Best colors for your arts and crafts livingroom

The Arts and Crafts Movement began in England in the 1830s as the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation. It was a rebellion of sorts against the idea of getting away from the natural scheme of things and dividing the labor among many laborers instead of skilled craftsmen. Arts and Crafts colors take their cue from nature and are in keeping with the Arts and Crafts aesthetic.

Among those who were in the forefront of this movement were Augustus Pugin, William Morris and John Ruskin. They were all concerned about the effect of industrialization on the English way of life. William Morris took what Ruskin and Pugin taught and applied it to his own ideas of decorating, and the style known as Arts and Crafts was born. The style expanded to furniture, pottery, wallpaper and many other items of decor. The Arts and Crafts movement waned in England after Morris' death in 1895, but after that time it flourished in America with furniture designers such as Stickley.

America combined the best of the British Arts and Crafts Movement with its own twists. Stickley's most popular chair design was known as a Morris Chair and while it looked handcrafted, it was factory made. The workers in the Stickley Factories were craftsmen but in modern terms. Mission style became something that the average person could afford to own.

When choosing colors for an Arts and Crafts living room, looking at a few of William Morris' designs is a great place to start. Companies are available that produce complete lines of paint based on Morris' designs. In these paints, the names are indicative of the feel they are trying to create. As stated earlier, colors are taken from nature so their paint choices have names like pear, dove, bay leaf, thistle, and heather. Take your cues from Mother Nature.

Colors to avoid when trying to create an Arts and Craft living room are bright primary colors and pastels. It is perfectly acceptable to use dusty colors such as dusty rose but stay away from the baby colors of pink, blue and yellow.

Choosing a piece or two of Arts and Craft pottery is a good way to come up with your color inspiration. If you like wine or eggplant, Van Briggle Pottery is of the period and comes in shades of burgundy as well as some muted greens. Other pottery of the period includes Roseville, Weller and McCoy. There are many lovely and peacefully earthy colors to be found in these collectibles.

Basically with Arts and Crafts colors, you will be bringing the outdoors inside, so keep that in mind when choosing your color palette. A return to a simpler time and a respect for the beauty of handcrafted items are the hallmarks of this style.

Poisonus plants you may not have known about

Everyone has heard about certain mushrooms being poisonous, only an expert should ever try to pick wild mushrooms. Did you know that many other much more common plants have parts of them that can also be poisonous if ingested? If you are a homeowner or a pet owner, it is important that you know what is poisonous. Here are just a few of them.

Rhubarb

Who doesn’t love that tart flavor that you get from the stem of the rhubarb plant when it is cooked together with strawberries into a pie or a crisp? Be very careful how you dispose of the leaves and blades, however, they are poisonous. While as adults we would know better than to chew on the leaves, your small children or pets might not be quite as aware of the danger.

Potatoes

This delightfully starchy tuber is a staple on tables around the world. There is nothing about the potato itself that is dangerous unless it is green. This can happen if you keep the potatoes too long, don't eat old potatoes or ones with sprouts, toss them away from where family pets might get at them too.

Poinsettia

These flowering plants which are so common during the Christmas season are a color addition to any home. The leaves, however,  are highly poisonous. Place the plants where your pets can't get to them.

Mistletoe

At Christmas time it is a tradition to kiss under the mistletoe. If you plan to use real mistletoe, be sure to remove the berries and throw them away, they are poisonous. If they are on display in your home, the red berries could be a temptation to a toddler or they could just fall off of your kissing ball onto the floor where they would tempt pets and children. Better to remove the possibility by using artificial mistletoe or at the very least, artificial berries.

Daffodils

At Eastertime, we often see daffodils in the store, ready to be brought home to add a little touch of spring after the long winter. The flowers are beautiful and a welcome addition to your home. After the have finished flowering, it is important that you get the bulbs into the ground as quickly as possible. The bulbs of the daffodil are poisonous.

Oak trees

From tiny acorns grow the might oak. Who would have thought that those adorable acorns are poisonous? The leaves of the oak tree are also poisonous. The best thing to do is when the acorns start to fall is to rake or sweep them up immediately and place them into a garbage receptacle. Their shape could be a temptation to any small children playing and from the hands to the mouth is a very short trip.

These are just a few of the poisonous plants and flowers that surround us. You need to be vigilant and you need to be informed.

Easy ways to bring spring to your home

In the spring, your thoughts turn to giving your home a new look. It is time to banish the heavy and dark colors of winter and open the windows to light and bright hues. How can you get a fresh new look without spending a fortune? Here are a few suggestions for easy spring changes that won't put a big dent in your budget.

First, clean is very attractive. Just clean up any clutter lingering around and add a reed diffuser or a plug-in scented oil to add a wonderful clean spring smell. Smell is a great way to bring in the illusion of spring. Flowers are one of the signs of spring in your yard. Why not bring that look into your home with fresh bulbs or if you prefer, silk flowers.

Letting the sunshine in is a sure way to give your home a spring look. This may require that you give your windows a good cleaning and then update the window treatments. Add some new blinds, add valances or lighten up the heavy winter drapes with sheers or lightweight curtains.

In the bathroom, choose a new bright and different shower curtain. Replace any dull or worn towels or mats and if you are tired of the lighting, a new modern fixture can change the whole look of the room and give it the feeling of a spring renovation.

In the kitchen, get two or three new dish towels, a set of colorful pastel bowls and a couple of new place mats. Fill the bowls with fresh fruit, snacks, or anything that you may already have. You can use the place mats as the base for the bowl. It brings the eyes right to it and takes your mind and any guest’s minds off the fact that your cupboards may be old and your counter top not the best.

In the bedroom go light and bright and fresh. This can mean putting away the heavy winter comforters and bringing in some white or light colored bedspreads with new  throw pillows.

Get a new welcome mat for your door and if you can, paint your door a bright new color. It will make it seem as if you are in a whole new place. If you can and enjoy painting, a fresh coat of paint on just one wall in any room is the cheapest and most dramatic change that you can make.

One way to bring in spring anywhere in your home is with paint. Even if you just paint some woodwork or one wall, it makes everything seem new and fresh and isn't that what spring is all about?

Spring is the season of rebirth and you can make any room in your home seem fresh and new with just a few simple and easy changes. Getting the stale winter smell out is the first step and can make one of the biggest impacts. Use these tips to bring a spring look to your home.

Spring cleaning checklist

Do you dread the thought of starting spring cleaning? The only thing you dread more is that stale winter smell that has permeated your home. The best thing to do is just make a checklist of the things that have to be done, the things that should be done and all the things that we would love to actually do if this was an alternate universe.

Time is the real enemy of spring cleaning. In your busy life,  how are you going to find the time to do some extra cleaning? Of course you are not going to find that extra time, you are going to have to do your spring cleaning in the usual time that you do your weekly cleaning. Okay so now it is time to make the checklist. This is important because you need to make sure that you have any supplies that you need to purchase to complete your spring cleaning.

Checklist

General cleaning that applies to all rooms

• All ceiling or wall lighting needs to be taken down and cleaned, this can be chandeliers, globes, ceiling fans etc.
• All curtains and blinds need to be cleaned. If dry cleaning is necessary get all the curtains and bedding together and make one trip to the dry cleaners or use Dryell at home.
• All carpets need to be steam cleaned. If you do not own one, rent a steamer at your local grocery or hardware store.
• All closets should be organized. Get rid of items that are broken or not being used. Sort the clothes by season and store off-season items elsewhere if possible.
• All rooms need to be de-cluttered.
• Windows need to be washed, inside and out. Depending on your windows this may require a tall ladder.
• Dust and wipe down all the doors, ceiling, and walls. Look for any touch ups that need to be done to the paint or repairs that need to be made.
• Clean any mirrors that you have around the house. Use a spray of vinegar and water.

Now to the specifics  

Bedrooms

• Turn the mattress and vacuum the box spring. Move the furniture and clean under and behind every piece.
• Parlor/ living room/ family room
• Move the furniture and clean under and behind. Take the couch and chair cushions off, clean under them and flip the cushions.

Kitchen

• Wipe down the kitchen cabinets.
• Clean the cupboard under the sink, yes we all have chemicals we would rather not think about under there, get rid of them if they are old.
• Check the dates on everything in the pantry. Organize, use plastic storage container that seal and keep thing fresh longer.
• Clean everything off the counters and disinfect everything. Run some bleach down the drain.
• Clean the oven, inside the fridge and freezer and throw out anything past its peak. Put in a fresh box of baking soda.
• Clean the kitchen drawers, yes even the junk drawer.
• If you have timeline the kitchen shelves and drawers it makes future cleaning much easier.

Bathrooms

• Clean out the medicine cabinet and throw out any outdated medicine.
• This is one room that usually gets a weekly cleaning so it should need very little spring cleaning.

Entrances

• Wipe down your exterior doors, clean the glass in your storm door, sweep your stoop and shake your mat.

If you are someone who considers the exterior fair game as well you can clean your flower beds, powerwash the exterior walkways, deck, fencing, driveway, mailbox, outdoor lighting, furniture and the house itself. 

Place some reed diffusers with lovely spring scents around your house, sit back, open the windows, take a deep breath and relax, it's over for now. Make note to self, get checklist ready for fall cleaning.

Spring cleaning your kitchen

Spring is the time of year when most people start thinking about cleaning. The kitchen is one of the big spring cleaning jobs that needs to be tackled. This is the only room in the house where grease is an issue and grease is one of the hardest things to clean.

The best way to start spring cleaning the kitchen is to do an assessment of what needs to be done. Take a walk around and use your eyes and your hands. If the cabinets feel tacky then they will need to be washed. Open the cabinets and take something out from a top shelf, is it dusty or dingy? This will likely be another job to add to the list.

Open your freezer and fridge, if there are unidentified items in either or both, they need to be cleaned. Depending on the type of stove you have and the oven, there are things that need to be taken apart and cleaned. Clear the counter top of clutter and then cleaned with whatever method is appropriate for the material of the counter tops. 

The last stop is the pantry, check a few dates, check the shelves for any spills and yes look for any little bugs. If there are windows in your kitchen and most kitchens have several of them, these will need to have the window treatments washed and the windows cleaned.

Now that you have evaluated your kitchen it is time to assemble the tools you will need to tackle this task. Lining the shelves requires some lining paper and you may need to get a special cleaner for your wooden cabinets. You will need a ladder, a rag or a sponge and when it comes to emptying the top cabinets a helper is always a good idea.

Start by taking apart your stove and soaking any removable parts. Turn the oven on to self-clean if you have a self-cleaning oven or spray the oven with cleaner and close the door to let it do its work

Start from the top, if you don’t have a soffit this is the time to wipe down the top of your upper cabinets. Remove everything from one cabinet at a time and place anything in the cabinet that is dishwasher safe in the dishwasher. If you have delicate glassware you can lay a towel in the sink and wash them by hand. While the items are out of the cabinets, wash down the shelves and re-line them. Wipe down the cabinet doors inside and out. This whole process may take more than one day if you have a huge kitchen with lots of cabinets.

Once the oven has self-cleaned, it is time to wipe down the interior. If you don’t have a self-cleaning oven the cleaner will have done its job and again you just need to wipe down the oven. Put the burners back together. If your microwave hasn’t been cleaned in a while give it a once over. Scrub the counter tops and dispose of any clutter that has accumulated. 

The pantry is another big job. All the items have to be date checked and items that are past expiration need to be thrown out. This is also a good time to donate any items that you are not going to use but still have shelf-life, to the local food pantry.

Wash the windows inside and out and change the window treatments. Using a long Swiffer or lambswool duster, wipe down your walls and door jams. If there are spots use a Mr. Clean sponge to get the dirt off easily.

The freezer and the fridge are the last things before you give your floor a good once over. Move the stove and the fridge so that you can clean underneath and behind. Remove all the items from the fridge and freezer and wash the shelves, drawers, and baskets. Only replace items that are necessary. Wipe off any jars or containers that are going back into the fridge. Throw out any old ice cubes and make fresh ones.

Clean your kitchen floor. It may not really need it if it is part of your regular cleaning but it is a good idea to do it anyway. Change the batteries in your smoke detector. Clean your toaster, coffeepot and any other small appliances that your may have on your counter. Remove your light fixture and wash the globe or whatever cover it has. Look around you. Anything else before you can finally feel confident that you have completed the spring cleaning of your kitchen?

Take a deep breath, you should get a big whiff of clean and the satisfaction of having a job well done. Add a reed diffuser or a glade scented oil burner in a food scent and your kitchen will smell even better than it looks. Use these spring cleaning tips for the kitchen to get you started on your cleaning journey.

Adding spring color to your wardrobe

Spring is around the corner and it is time to start considering adding spring color into your wardrobe. While you can always wear a pastel dress, skirt or even jeans, not everyone is comfortable with that much of a light color. Pastels are the colors associated with spring and with Easter. 

These are the lighter versions of blue, yellow, green, lavender and pink. All of these colors work really well with black and white, and as such, they are the perfect colors to add a pop of springtime into your accessories.

Purse

Purses come in a wide variety of colors, styles and price points. Some of the major designers have incorporated the pastel trend into their spring bag collections. If price is no object, Neiman Marcus offers a several great Balenciaga bags in the very pretty pastel colors of rose and citron. Depending on size, they run around $2,000. If, however, money is an object, there are plenty of great pastel bags available at all of the major big box stores as well as the off-price retailers such as Stein Mart and TJMaxx.

Shoes

Pastel shoes, sandals, espadrilles and sneakers are a great addition to any woman’s wardrobe. Zappos is a great place to check out some of latest pastel shoes being offered. There are some very beautiful Stuart Weitzman high heels done in a great pastel combination of colors. There are more options offered on the Stuart Weitzman shoe site, including really pretty flats and, of course, more spike heels. These shoes run around $400 and may be a bit more than most people want to spend, but that’s okay, affordable retailers such as Sears offer a wide selection of pastel footwear including a great pair of pastel pink Converse sneakers. 

Jewelry

Costume jewelry is a great way to add the pastel color trends to your wardrobe. Chunky necklaces, cuff bracelets, and trendy earrings can all add that great spring/summer look. These are available in an acrylic material which is a very inexpensive option. It doesn’t have to be chunky if that isn’t your style, pearls are available in a variety of pastel colors.

Scarves

Scarves are always a great fashion accessory and you can find everything from the very inexpensive to designer brands. They can be worn as a belt, wrapped around a purse handle or just worn in a variety of ways at the neck. If you want to be very fashion-forward, forget the accessories and go for a pair of pastel jeans. They are available in styles to fit every figure and in all the favorite pastel colors.

These are just a few of the ways of adding spring color trends into your wardrobe. Pastel colors are flattering to just about everyone and can be worn as just a pop of color with black and white or as the dominant color of the outfit.

Cleaning brushes and combs

Many things in our homes need cleaning on a regular basis. One thing that is important for the health of your hair is clean brushes and combs. When you brush your hair, oils are released by your scalp, this helps to make your hair look shiny and healthy. It can also over time, coat your hair brush and comb. They need to be cleaned regularly to remove the oil.

The first step in cleaning your bushes and combs is to remove the hair that has been trapped between the bristles or wrapped around the teeth. You can use a comb to help get the hair out of the brushes or you can just try to pull it out with your fingers.

Depending on what your brushes are made of, the cleaning methods are a little different. The old standby that our mothers used was ammonia and water. This works well on plastic but can be harsh on boars hair. So take a good look at your brushes and comb and decide what it is made of. If you paid $2 at the discount store they are most likely plastic and frankly you probably should just toss it and buy a new one.

If you want to clean it, fill the bathroom sink with water and add 2 tablespoons of ammonia to the water and place the brushes and combs in there and go ahead and clean the bathroom. By the time you are done with your cleaning, the combs and brushes will be clean. Be sure to rinse well and if you don’t like the ammonia smell, there is a lemon version.

If you are doing a load of dishes in the dishwasher and you remember that you haven’t cleaned your hairbrushes and combs in a while, clean out the hair and place them into the silverware basket. Run the dishwasher through the regular hot water cycle. It is quick and easy.

With your more expensive brushes, washing it by hand with shampoo is a good way to go. Pour shampoo directly onto the bristles and if you have a second brush you can use it to scrub the first brush. If you don’t have a second brush you are going to have to provide the agitation motion yourself with your hand or a facecloth.

You can then soak in warm water to clean. If however, you have wooden handles on your brushes you will not want to soak them. In this case just run them under warm water until all the shampoo is removed.

You hairbrushes and combs are vital to the looks and health of your hair. It is a good idea for you to keep them clean so that they can provide the best possible service.

Build a patio with concrete pavers

Outdoor tiles come in a variety of styles and textures. This allows you to build a patio with concrete pavers that is as unique and individual as your indoor flooring. If you think that you are going to have a concrete looking patio, think again. You can get pavers that look like real stone, have patterns and are impressed designs, all available in a variety of colors.

The first step is to measure the area you want to pave and determine how many pavers you will need. Take the length and the width and multiply to get the square footage. If you decide not to have a square patio or to have one with curved edges you need to add an extra 10 percent to the measurements to allow for those edges.

Pavers come in a variety of sizes as well so if the style that you pick is 12 by 12 you will have an easy time figuring out how many you need. If not it won’t be so easy. Pavers should be interlocking so installation is quite easy, think of this as a weekend project.

Building a patio is similar to laying tile indoors. The basic principles are similar. You will need to prepare the ground before you can put the pavers in. Most of the work in your project will be in the preparation. You want your patio to be secure, level and with good drainage. These are all issues that are addressed as you are getting your patio ready for its transformation.

You have to determine how much of a base you want under your pavers. The weather in your area will be a determining factor in how deep you go. For most areas a four-inch base is adequate. Crushed stone is the ideal base; it is what is used on most roads. You need to determine at what height you want your patio to be.

Figure in the height of the paved and add four inches to that. This is how deep your foundation needs to be. Placing a two by four along the edge and running a plum line will help keep the depth consistent.

The base has to be laid down in layers, then wet and compact the layers. You may have to rent a compactor if you don’t own one. Once the base is set you have to secure it so that it won’t wash away, you will want to have edge restraints. The final layer before the pavers is sand and then you are ready to make your design.

This is your chance to go crazy, be creative. Once you have done all the hard work you might as well have the fun of creating something that will make all your friends envious. You will need to have a cutter to trim any tiles that don’t fit perfectly. Just start laying them down and making sure they interlock tightly.

Use your compactor to press the pavers into the base and then use sand as you would use grout indoors to fill in any spaces between the pavers. Sweep it all over your new patio until there are no gaps.

The only thing left to do now is to bring out your new patio furniture, invite over some friends and throw a party. You should be good for more than twenty years, choosing concrete pavers for your patio will turn out to be a very wise choice.

Tools you need for spring cleaning

Spring cleaning involves a lot of work. Making spring cleaning easier with the right tools needs to be high on your list. All it takes is a few basics and soon your home will be just as sparkling and clean as you could want. 

Broom

A broom is a simple tool but it will be a big help. It can be used indoors or out but let’s start indoors. Begin by wrapping the head of the broom in a pillow case. You are going to be looking up for this part of the cleaning. Grab your trusty broom, pick a room and clean the corners of the room where the ceiling meets the walls. Go along all the edges and get rid of any dust and cobwebs.

Head outdoors and clean off the sidewalk, driveway, patio, and /or deck. Most of us have a few leftover fall leaves and debris that need to be cleared away. 

Vacuum cleaner

The vacuum cleaner will be the workhorse of your spring cleaning. A canister is a good choice for this particular job but if you have an upright, it needs to include a hose. Remove the head from the hose and start vacuuming along the lower edges of the room. Any dust or cobwebs that were knocked down in the cleaning with the broom will be removed with the vacuum. It is time to move your furniture away from the walls and clean underneath. If it is carpet vacuum, if it is tile, wood, or another smooth surface, use the broom to sweep everything into the center of the room and then vacuum.

You can also use the vacuum to clean mattresses and box springs, inside closets, under the cushions of couches and chairs and anywhere you usually skip with regular cleanings.

Washing machine

This is probably not one of the tools you considered but when you do spring cleaning, you will want to launder drapes, bedding and anything else that is washable. If you are cleaning a closet you may also wash some clothing before storing it away until next year. Throw rugs can also be thrown into the washer for a quick freshening up. 

Carpet cleaner

Spring is the perfect time to clean your carpets if you have them. Rent a steam cleaner. If you own a machine, use it to get the carpets back to like-new condition. Look for any heavily soiled areas or stains and pre-treat those areas.  

Squeegee

The final tool that you need is a squeegee. Nothing makes your house look cleaner than sparkling windows and mirrors. Get your bucket of water or spray bottle of cleaner and some rags or paper towels and get going. Spray the window, wipe any spots with your rag and then use the squeegee to dry the window wiping the excess water with a rag.

With these five tools, you should be able to give your house a thorough spring cleaning quite easily. The list, of course, is flexible and you may have other tools that you prefer. The important thing is that your house is clean and you are set until fall.

Knowing your heirloom tomatoes

An heirloom is something that is passed down in a family. It is a valuable possession or has a lot of sentimental value. An heirloom is defined as it relates to fruits and vegetables as “a vegetable or fruit that is open-pollinated and is not grown widely for commercial purposes. An heirloom tomato often exhibits a distinctive characteristic such as superior flavor or unusual coloration.”

Heirlooms grown by my grandson Alex

In some cases, the seeds for heirloom tomatoes have been passed down through families for several generations. Usually, the variety has to be a minimum of 50 years old to be considered an heirloom or have been in circulation since before 1940.

For most people, the grocery store where you do your grocery shopping may not have any heirloom tomatoes. They are available at farmers markets or you can buy seeds and grow your own. How can you tell if the tomato that you are looking at is an heirloom? You can’t really; you have to trust the retailer. But one thing is most likely; an heirloom tomato will look different than the average varieties that you are used to buying.

Over the last 50 years, many small farms have been lost to large farms and some of the wonderful heirloom tomatoes that they produced were lost with them. The tomatoes that are sold commercially in supermarkets are hybrids. They were created to appeal to buyers visually. They all pretty much look alike; have a similar size and shape. The taste will be consistent if not too exciting. This is what distributors think that people want.

Heirloom tomatoes are usually oddly shaped, strange colored and generally not as visually appealing as the hybrid variety. What they offer that is vastly superior is taste. Heirloom tomatoes taste like what a tomato should taste like.

If you want to grow your own heirloom tomatoes, there are many places where you can buy the seeds that you will need. You can try a farmers market, your local greenhouse or you can use the Internet. A wide selection of varieties are available to choose from and ideally, several varieties will be perfect for growing in your area. Some of the most popular include the following.

Brandywine

This is considered to be the best known of the heirloom tomatoes by BHG. They believe that it is one of the best tasting and it is a large and attractive fruit. It is over 100 years old and therefore a true heirloom. The pink fleshed tomato is a good one for sandwiches and seeds are readily available.

Gold Rush Currant

If you are looking for a small yellowish-orange tomato, this is the perfect heirloom for you. The tomatoes grow in clusters and it takes about 80 days for the fruit to mature.

Green Zebra

When it comes to unique looking tomatoes, these will add a lot of interest to any dish that they are used in. Imagine a tomato sandwich with a striped green tomato?

There are some amazing purple tomatoes and some shapes that look like nothing you have ever seen before unless you are an expert on heirloom tomatoes. Don’t let their unusual shapes and colors scare you off, the taste and variety are well worth experimenting with.

Cleaning a glass vase

A glass vase is a work of art, especially if it is hand blown. When it comes to displaying an arrangement of flowers, few vases are as pretty and as versatile as a glass vase. In order to keep your glass sparkling clean, you will need to know how to clean the glass. Cleaning a glass vase is not all that difficult, it just requires the right cleaners and the right equipment.

There are several different reasons why you may want to clean your glass vase or vases. You may have just used it to hold some pretty flowers and the water may have left a ring around the inside of the vase. If you haven’t used your vase in a while you may need to clean it because you plan to use it or you are just doing a general cleaning.

With a glass vase, if there is a large dirty build up, soaking may seem like the obvious way to clean it. You can soak a glass vase but you must be sure that it does not have any additional embellishment. If it has decorative work or hand painting, you may destroy the art if you soak your vase. Avoid full immersion if the vase has been decorated.

If you decide to soak, place a hand towel in the bottom of your sink and lay your vase down gently. Slowly add warm water and dish washing soap. If you want to be greener, you can add white vinegar to the water. Allow to soak for several minutes.

Using a soft cloth wipe down the vase and use a bottle brush to clean inside. If there are any stubborn stains let the vase soak for a few minutes and try to clean again. Rinse with warm water and dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towel.

If you can’t soak the exterior, you can fill the vase with water and soak the interior. Use a damp cloth to gently wash the bottom and the rim of the vase. Use a light duster to wipe any dust or dirt on the embellished part of the vase. You may want to test a spot if you want to use more water on any of it.

When you are finished, hold the vase up to the light and look for any smudges or marks that have not been removed. Be prepared to add a little more scrubbing if there are still spots. If everything looks sparkling clean, then you ready to add some water and your flowers and display your work of art.

Spring cleaning your windows

Spring cleaning your windows is a rite of passage. It says goodbye to the cold dark winter and hello to the bright and sunny spring and summer. Spring is a time of rebirth and everyone enjoys looking out their windows and seeing the signs of that rebirth. Giving your windows a thorough cleaning helps make that view clean and dust free.

Window cleaning is one of those tasks that you either love or hate. Those who love doing it probably do it twice a year, in the fall and the spring. For the ones who hate this job, luckily there are plenty of cleaners to help make that task easier and quicker. If you desperately hate it, you can always hire someone to do it for you but clean them you must, one way or another.

If you are looking to stay green all you really need is some white vinegar, water, a spray bottle and some newspaper. Newspaper is one of the best ways to dry your windows, it will leave you with a lint and streak free shine. It is also a great way to recycle newspaper.

Start at the top of the window and spray along the top so that the drips will flow down on the area that has not been cleaned yet. You can clean in a circular motion or you can wipe horizontally. If the windows are very dirty it may take more than one round of spray and wipe. You will need to do the inside and the outside of the window. How you will do the outside will be determined by the type of windows that you have and which floor your window is located on.

If your home is in a high rise apartment no doubt management will take care of the outside of the windows for you. At home on a first or second floor, if you have tip in windows then the exterior is quite easy to clean. If you have track windows you can use a ladder either inside or out to reach the outside. If the windows are high, Windex has a spray that you can attach to your garden hose and it will hit the windows that are hard to reach any other way.

If you are not going green then just plain Windex and a paper towel or a lint free rag will do an equally good job. Beyond just the glass it is also important to wash the window frame and the sill as these can get quite grimy over the winter as well.

Sparkling clean windows are very uplifting. They make your home seemed brighter and even if that is the only spring cleaning that you do, chances are no one will notice. The feeling of satisfaction that you will feel when your task is completed makes it one that is worth tackling every spring.

Housekeeping safety tips

Home is where the “heart” is. Everyone needs to feel safe and secure in their home. Unfortunately, this is a myth, most accidents occur in the home. How can you make sure that your house is safe and accident-free? Here are a few housekeeping safety tips to help you accomplish this most important of tasks.

Never store anything where it can be reached by children or pets

It isn’t just the cleaning supplies that you use that can be toxic; it is also the weed killers, the ant cups, and the air-freshener. The list is endless. Take the time to look at the labels of all the things you use routinely to see if they pose a health hazard. You will be surprised at what can cause damage if it is ingested or gets into eyes.

Move everything to a high shelf or if possible out of the house and be sure to store in accordance with the package directions. Many items need to be stored in cool, dry places. There is a danger of combustion when some items are stored too close to a heat source.

Never mix chemicals

Always read the package to find out if the cleaning solutions contain ammonia or bleach, these two-in-particular produce a lethal chlorine gas when they are combined. Make sure that there is proper ventilation when you are using cleaning solutions.

Keep walkways and stairs in your home clear and clutter free

Don’t use your stairs to store items, not only can this cause falling accidents but in case of fire or emergency, you don’t want to worry about navigating an obstacle course.

Chimney and furnace

Have your chimney and furnace cleaned yearly to avoid fires and keep flammable items away from heat-sources. Part of your yearly maintenance should be to replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This is one of the most important safety tips. Your family’s lives may depend on it.

Cords and wires

Make sure that the cord on your vacuum; carpet cleaner or steam cleaner is in good repair. You don’t want to get an electrical shock and especially when you are using water with electricity. Never leave the cleaners plugged in when not in use. Cords are a trip hazard and pets just love to chew them.

Ladder

If you are using a ladder to reach higher places it should be well secured and in good repair. If you have high ceilings or places that need a ladder to clean, inside the house consider getting an extra long handle so that you can dust and clean while standing safely on the floor.

Use wax sparingly

Be careful when using wax on wooden stairs and floors, they also can become very slippery and falls are one of the main causes of injuries in the home. While a fall won’t usually hurt a healthy adult, for small children and the elderly it can be quite traumatic.

Breakage is a part of life

Who hasn’t dropped a dish or a glass and had shards everywhere? This needs to be handled immediately and carefully. All glass need to be carefully swept up and disposed of and them the area needs to be vacuumed and finally washed to remove any tiny pieces that may remain.

Bathroom slippage

When cleaning the tub or shower be sure to check if the cleaner has made the surface slippery. If it has you may want to put in a slip-proof mat or strips. Bathroom accidents are among the most common.

Using chemicals safely

In an ideal world we would all use biodegradable, organic gentle cleaners but in real-life there are some jobs that call for something stronger. If you are using a solvent that is harsh be sure to use gloves to protect your skin. Not only can they dry your hands but they can cause rashes and burns.

All of us want to feel safe in our homes. With a little prevention, you can be sure that you will avoid many the potential household hazards.

Overview of available decking material

Decks are a very good investment when it comes to adding value to your home. If you have decided to add one or to replace or enlarge your existing deck, there are a variety of materials for you to choose from. There are some differences in price and in durability making it very important that you consider all the different options of available decking material.

Wood

Choosing to use wood isn't as simple a choice as it may sound. There are many types of wood with many types of finishes. One thing that you want to consider first is if you want to use pretreated wood. Pretreated wood will stand up better to the elements and will also not be food for termites. Southern pine is one of the preferred choices for decking. If you want to go a step up you can choose cedar or redwood which respond well to the elements.

If you can afford it, there are exotic woods that are attractive and durable.

Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the newest entries into the deck building industry. Bamboo is one of the world's fastest renewable woods and durable as well as beautiful. It is insect and mold resistant and the good news is that it is just about the same price as any other wooden decking material except mahogany.

Even if your wood is pretreated it is going to require maintenance. You need to stain or paint the wood so that water is not absorbed. Yearly applications will keep it looking fresh and new. In between, you can use a pressure washer to remove any dirt or stains.

Composite

Composite decking has gained popularity in recent years as much for its cost as for its durability. Composite decking material is made from a combination of plastic and wood products. With composite decks,you don't have to stain or paint them and you won't get any slivers. Composite decking like decking wood comes in a variety of brands and prices. The price for composite decking like Trex can run about 50 percent more than a good medium quality wood deck, it is approx. the price of a mahogany deck.

Aluminum

Aluminum is a good choice for a pool deck as it stays cool in the sun and is not slippery. They are built with drainage so that you don't have to worry about water building up on the deck. They are not however as attractive as wooden or composite decking.

Wooden tiles

If you are building a deck that is going to be at ground level, there are wooden decking tiles that are interlocking and can be put together the same way that kids put together an interlocking puzzle. This allows you to create a wooden deck with a design.

These are just some of the materials that are available to create or enlarge the deck on your home. You can use this article point as a starting point for your research.

Once you have decided that you are going to add a deck to your home you have a lot of decisions to make. It isn't just about the design you choose it is going to be about the material. Talk to your contractor or if you're are going to DIY talk to the people in the know at the local lumber yard, Home Depot, Lowe's or hardware store. Do your research so that you can make an informed choice.