ohbrooke

One-Rag Bathroom Cleaning

I have a pattern when cleaning the bathroom that involves only one rag. I think we could all use a few cleaning tips to keep us more efficient. Do you have easy cleaning tips?

Here’s the procedure:

1. Clean the windows with window cleaner.

2. Fill the sink(s) up with hot water and a little Lysol Disenfectant. Using the same rag, Wipe down the countertop, cabinets, faucets, and lastly the sink.

3. Use the same rag with the disenfectant and clean the base, lid, and tank of the toilet.

By using the one rag instead of those disposable wipes to clean the bathroom, you are creating less waste for the environment. It also helps cut down on the number of products you keep.

Return on Home Improvements

Remodeling magazine’s report on average return on home improvements is as follows:

Deep Cleaning

Cleaning a house after a tenant moves out or in preparation for putting your house on the market can be tough. You never know what you are going to come across or if you can clean it or not. I found a good resource for Cleaning Tips, and here are a few of my favorites:

Sinks
“Once a month, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar down the drain. Wait an hour and flush with warm water. The combination fizzles away most of the buildup. Works for shower, tub and kitchen sink drains as well.”

Mildew
“Keep ahead of mildew so it doesn’t become a problem. Every six months spray your bathroom ceiling with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Peroxide is a safe bleach and won’t harm the environment or your lungs. Find larger quantities of peroxide at beauty or medical supply stores.”

Removing Candle Wax from Cloth
“Once wax has dried onto a tablecloth, cloth napkin, or placemat, several steps are required to remove it properly and completely. The first thing to do is to apply an ice cube or ice pack to the wax. This will make the wax brittle, allowing you to scrape off what you can. Use a credit card or a thin butter knife to gently scrape away as much of the wax as you can. Never use a regular dull knife that has serrated edges since this may damage the cloth.

Once you have carefully removed as much of the wax as you can, it will be necessary to get your iron and a few clean paper bags. Place one paper bag underneath the cloth while you set the iron to heat on a medium to medium high level, depending on the fabric. Place a second paper bag on top of the wax.

Gently iron the area until the wax has been transferred to the paper bag. Throw the paper bag with the wax residue into the trash once it has cooled. Repeat the process with another paper bag until all of the wax has been removed”

Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets
“Painted wood, metal, laminated plastic or wood-grain vinyl surfaces can be cleaned with detergent and warm water solution. Rinse with a cloth or sponge dampened in clean water. Using a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the surface dry prevents streaking. Painted, plastic, and metal surfaces, may be cleaned occasionally with a creamy liquid wax, which leaves a protective coating that retards soiling. If the finish is hard and in good condition, this extra step may not be needed.”

Cleaning Tile

• “Loosen Up – Before cleaning bathroom tile, run a hot shower for five minutes to steam dirt loose.
• Brighter Bathroom – Wash dull tile with a solution of vinegar and water, then polish with a soft towel.
• Grout Grunge – To keep white grout joints clean, wash with a solution of one to two tablespoons chlorine bleach in one quart of water. Dry thoroughly, then apply an acrylic sealer or three coats of lemon oil. Let dry one hour between coats. Never use bleach on colored grout.
• Mildew Miracle – Remove mildew and make tiles sparkle by sponging them off with a solution of ammonia and water.
• Soot Solution – Remove soot from fireplace tiles with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then rinse.”

Spring Kitchens

My favorite kitchen designs and how you can mimic them…

Bright and colorful – paint your lower cabinets a dark blue, and your upper cabinets in a complimentary teal color, and change out your faucets. You can easily change these items for just a couple hundred dollars and make a big difference!

Modern and Simple – Hillsdale home in Dublin and El Dorado Hills, Ca., and Salt Lake City, Ut. has quite a selection of durable sideboards (including the one above) that might make a great island. Combine that with rustic bowls from Williams and Sonoma.

Streamlined – Ikea has a very similar line of kitchen cabinetry

Cozy and Textured – the picture boards on the sides can be made with foam core, ribbon and fabric.

French Country – I love the rectangle tiles of the backsplash and walls. It adds a very vintage feel.

Fun and Cool – Design Within Reach has a similar chair(above) that adds to this room’s casual look.

Find more great kitchen ideas at HowStuffWorks.

Helpful Moving Checklist

Realtor Magazine has a great moving checklist, which will come in handy because moving can be stressful and overwhelming. Refering to the experts will help keep things under control.

Moving List

• Provide the post office with your forwarding address two to four weeks ahead of the move.
• Notify your credit card companies, magazine subscriptions, and bank of your change of address.
• Create a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notified about your move.
• Arrange to disconnect utilities and have them connected at your new home.
• Cancel the newspaper, or change the address so it will arrive at your new home.
• Check insurance coverage for the items you’re moving. Usually movers only cover what they pack.
• Clean out appliances and prepare them for moving, if applicable.
• Note the weight of the goods you’ll have moved, since long-distance moves are usually billed according to weight. Watch for movers that use excessive padding to add weight.
• Check with your condo or co-op about any restrictions on using the elevator or particular exits for moving.
• Have a “first open” box with the things you’ll need most, such as toilet paper, soap, trash bags, scissors, hammer, screwdriver, pencils and paper, cups and plates, water, snacks, and toothpaste.

Plus, if you’re moving out of town, be sure to:

• Get copies of medical and dental records and prescriptions for your family and your pets.
• Get copies of children’s school records for transfer.
• Ask friends for introductions to anyone they know in your new neighborhood.
• Consider special car needs for pets when traveling.
• Let a friend or relative know your route.
• Empty your safety deposit box.
• Put plants in boxes with holes for air circulation if you’re moving in cold weather.

Free and Powerful Home Marketing Tool

If you’re listing your home for sale or for rent, Postlets.com is a great and easy-to-use resource. I have used this site personally, and it makes your listings look professional and organized.

This free site lets you create an online flyer for your home, including princing information, descriptions, photos, maps, and more. With your newly designed flyer, you can link to it from your website, email it to friends, easily upload it to a craigslist, ebay or zillow.. there are limitless things you can do.

Additional features include: (taken from the Postlets website)

• A DEDICATED WEBPAGE
  Every postlet comes with a dedicated, search-optimized landing page and a unique URL. Postlets come in ten stylish themes complete with integrated maps and other nifty tools. They also have built-in lead capture forms so you can use them in all of your marketing campaigns.

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  AUTOMATIC SYNDICATION TO SEARCH ENGINES
  You essentially get several classified ads when you use Postlets. You build your ad just once, we automatically submit your listing to several classifieds search engines to maximize your reach across the web. See our current list of syndication partners.

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  HTML CODE, WIDGETS FOR MORE EXPOSURE
  Included with each postlet is the HTML code to post your formatted ad on craigslist, LiveDeal, eBay and other sites that accept and process HTML. Postlets also offers widgets that you can use on blogs and your own website.

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  SHOWCASE ALL YOUR LISTINGS
  But wait, there’s more! You also get a personalized website so you can showcase all of your postlets in one place. You’ll be able to customize your personal Gallery with a company logo and an “about me” page where you can describe your services and upload a personal photo.

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  SO SIMPLE, A MONKEY CAN USE IT*
  By presenting lists of standard features in dropdown menus and checkboxes and stepping you through with simple-to-use forms, Postlets makes it fast and easy for just about anyone to create a classified ad like a pro.

  * Monkey would require basic computer skills and something to sell

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  IT’S FREE!
  That’s right, you get all this for the low, low price of � zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. So how can we make money? Really, we’re not Harvard MBAs, please tell us if you know the answer.

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  WANT A PREMIUM SINGLE-PROPERTY WEBSITE?
  Real estate and rentals listings can now be upgraded to Postlets PLUS, our premium listing product. Think of it as standard Postlets after an extreme makeover.

It’s Spring — Rearrange the furniture!

Anyone in my family can tell you that from a young age, I was constantly rearranging my furniture. Trying to swap desks with a sister or create new curtains out of any fabric I already had. I usually find that this helps me to think out-of-the-box because, after all, necessity is the mother of invention. For instance, I had a great metal basket holding my makeup in my bedroom. When I decided that metal basket would be great to hold the remotes on top of the coffee table, I was in need of a replacement. I turned to my cake tray (like the one in the picture above) and it became an even better display of the beautiful bottles and makeup brushes.

Last week, I decided to pull my bohemian curtains from my bedroom and put them in the living room. It was a perfect fit. The colors in the living room were an even better match, and it was my favorite kind of transformation: FREE!

Here are some other quick tips when rearranging the furniture:

Switch Places
Try flip-flopping your room. Switch places with your couch and armchairs and see how that changes the space. Try putting the T.V. on the opposite wall. You may find that it opens the walkway, or makes the room look bigger. What’s the worst that could happen? You could just put it back!

New Art
Try your art and pictures in different rooms. Try grouping them together to form a focal wall of pictures. Hang a floating shelf and rest your pictures on the shelf. Above is a picture of a woman mapping out her picture arrangements. You can get how-to instructions here.

Kitchen Display
Take a door or two off your kitchen cabinets and display your colorful bowls, plates and glasses.

Clean the tabletops
Opening up the surface area on the furniture will go a long ways. By doing this you can open up new ways to organize your rooms. Ikea is a great resource for organizing in style. The picture above is how one woman, Julie, decided her office could be: colorful, tidy, and organized. You can see what she did with the rest of her house at the knot.

Be Careful What you Say to Your Sister!

Last summer, my sister Shelley helped Mike Collins write a book called, “The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone.” The book’s main theme is that Open Innovation creates opportunities for people to make money from the things they already know and that you don’t have to have fancy degrees or years of schooling to be an expert on something. In addition to people already prospering in the Open Innovation environment, Mike wanted to profile three people who have the potential to take advantage of this new world but who aren’t already doing so. He selected his own brother (Steve Collins), one of Shelley’s friends (Kelly Hales), and me.

In going through the personal inventory exercise that is part of the book, I came to realize that I have a great deal of practical and personal experience working with homes—buying, selling, renting, refinancing, decorating, painting, and so forth. This insight came by way of working on home make-over shows like Fresh Coat, Design Remix, and Color Splash. It also came from my own experience in just trying to buy, fix up, and sell a home. I’m always interested in home design, and finding ways to decorate your home or apartment creatively.

The book is out this week and Shelley just handed me an advance copy (You can purchase yours here). Because Shelley was so involved in the book, it’s a bit of a family affair. My sister Shannon is also featured in the book as well as my brother BJ’s new business (www.myplace2sell.com). A few of Shelley’s other friends get mentioned as well.

Common Mistakes for New Homebuyers

Anyone who has owned a home can tell you that it can be a strenuous learning experience. Sometimes the excitement of owning your own home can cause you to lose sight of what you really need out of a home, and worse yet — break your budget. Below are a list of some of the ways I have seen first-time home buyers make their first mistakes.

1. Setting the Budget
When analyzing how much you can really afford for a house, stay within your means. I have seen couples buy a house for the maximum amount that they would be able to afford, because to them, the payoff is worth it. These same couples are struggling to make their mortgage every month. Peace of mind, knowing that you are living well within your means will cause less stress for you in the long run. Think about the families today who purchased their home for the very top dollar that they could afford within the last few years. With the housing market crash, many have lost their homes to the bank causing extreme financial hardship. Those who bought at a comfortable price for their income, are definitely feeling the hurt, but will most likely be able to stick it out until the market gets better. We should be able to take a big lesson-learned from the mistakes of these past homebuyers. Be sure to take disasters like this into consideration, as well as your property taxes, homeowners insurance, and HOA’s when setting your top-dollar budget.

2. Budget Breakers
Finding your dream home for $500,000 may seem to be an unbelievable deal. However, if your budget for a house is $400,000, it isn’t the deal for you. Many first time homebuyers get so desperate to own a home that they forget to think rationally. Definitely set your budget ahead of time and make a vow not to break it. Going over your budget will only lead to more learning experiences when you are in over your head.

3. Renovating and Keeping the Home’s Value
Often times new homebuyers purchase a fixer-upper and dig right in to make it the home of their dreams. This is a realistic approach, but if you don’t watch, the money will add up fast. Many families immediately start tearing down walls and ripping up flooring while the credit card bill multiplies. It can be very exciting to create your dream home. Just be sure to take your time, and pay for it as you go. Racking up debt won’t allow you enjoy your new home. And don’t let the costs get away from you. Track what you are spending and make sure that it will increase the home’s value. If you merge two smaller bathrooms into one, this may be more comfortable for you, but think how it will affect your resale value? Will a 3 bedroom/1 bath sell as well as a 3 bedroom/2 bath? Definitely not. It is your home, but consider the possibility that you may need to move due to an emergency, or a new job, and you’ll want to protect your investment and get top-dollar back when you sell your home.

4. Overlooking Flaws
Sometimes finding homes within your price range can be a tall order. Because of this, we often overlook some pretty large flaws, just to be able to own our own property. For example, my husband and I bought a beautiful mid-century home in Sacramento. The flaws in this home were fixable: one bathroom had a blue toilet, sink and shower, and the other had a pink toilet, sink and shower. At the time, we thought it would be no problem to renovate these eyesores, but it proved to be a costly and exhausting endeavor. More severely, some people purchase homes with flaws that they cannot fix. 3 story home? It may be beautiful inside and roomy, but do you really want to chase your three kids up two flights of stairs? Decide what things are important to you before you go house hunting, so you aren’t distracted by the desire of owning real estate.

5. Thinking Too Big
Why does your first house need to be 2,400 square feet? Chances are good that your first home is not the home you are going to end up in. Keeping all of these common mistakes in mind, your first home will be a stepping stone. Something you will most likely grow out of, and learn the things about yourself that you can carry with you on the next home. Start small, learn and grow from there.

Do you have something to add? A learning experience you or someone around you has encountered? Post a comment to add to the list!

Endless Possibilities – Fabric Wallpaper

I have heard about starched fabric used as wallpaper in apartments, and I think this is such a great solution! I haven’t tried this yet, but I will definitely post when I do. The fabric clings to the walls with water and starch and dries in place. When you are ready to move, you pick up a corner of the fabric and peel the fabric off. Since there is no adhesive in the mix, there is no damage to the walls. And, it’s a NO-SEW project! The edges of the fabric do not fray with the starch mixture!

Here are instructions I found on the ever-reliable HGTV.com:

Materials
fabric (Ponderosa) Jo-Ann, Etc.
liquid starch
roller and paint tray
scissors
long level
pencil
wallpaper brush
utility knife
flat blades

Steps

Note:When selecting fabric for a starched wall treatment, make sure it is heavy enough to handle the pulling and stretching it will take yet light enough to hold onto the walls. Cotton decorator fabrics meant for draperies and light upholstery are perfect.

1. If necessary, paint the walls (latex satin is a good choice) and let dry.
2. To start, draw a vertical level line on the wall where you want the first panel to end, making sure the panel starts about one inch around the previous corner. Cut several panels of fabric in lengths about four to six inches longer than the height of the wall.
3. Fill a paint tray with starch and use a paint roller to fill in the area where the first panel will be located. Press the first panel in place on the wall, and then smooth it out with your hands. Once the panel is flat, roll over the fabric with a starch-filled roller to saturate it and help adhere it to the wall. Press the fabric in place with your hands or brush over it with a wallpaper brush to smooth out any wrinkles. Cut the excess off at the top and the bottom using a flat blade and a utility knife (have plenty of blades to change them after nearly every cut). Once the panel is trimmed, use a damp sponge to wipe off any excess starch. This will allow it to dry faster and without any residue.
4. For the second panel, measure the space that needs to be covered and cut the fabric accordingly, leaving excess around all edges to cut off. Roll the wall with starch, and then take the edge and turn it under. Place it over the edge of the first panel to create the look of a seam. Smooth out the fabric, cutting slits in the corners for the fabric to hug the edges of the trim. Smooth up to the ceiling and baseboards as well and trim as needed.
5. For a light switch, be sure to turn off the power at the breaker first. Feel where the edges of the box are located, and make a slit in the center of the fabric. Use scissors to work out to the edges of the box and cut off the excess. Wipe off the panel with a sponge and continue around the room in this fashion until you overlap the first corner and the project is complete.

Thinking About Painting Your Apartment?

Are you thinking about painting your apartment? Here are a few things to consider before beginning the task…

1. Are you allowed? Many apartment complexes or independently owned properties allow the tenant to paint the walls as long as they are repainted when vacated, or if it isn’t repainted, money will be withheld from the deposit. Check your rental agreement thoroughly or ask your property management company if this is okay.

2. If you get a green light, what is it worth? Are you going to live there for 6 months or 6 years? You may have to gauge if a short-term stay is worth the time and money to paint. If you have never painted before, don’t underestimate the effort and costs that go into painting a room. There are many other ways to add color to a rental.

3. Getting Help. It may sound expensive, but always consider all options. A professional will get the project done quickly and less messy. It may be worth it to hire out to get a quality look and save a little time.

More tips on painting your apartment are available at soyouwanna.com.

Get Tips From The Experts – home staging

Lin Hill from Realtor Magazine wrote an article about home staging to maximize your home’s appeal. Here are her main three points:

1. Depersonalizing the space by removing family photos, taking everything off the refrigerator, and stripping the kids’ rooms of posters and baseball trophies.

2. Clearing high-traffic areas of excess furnishings to maximize feelings of space and comfort.

3. Highlighting the key features in every room–such as fireplaces or French doors–by making sure they’re not obscured by plants or furnishings.

See the rest of her article here.

Paint Sheens

I often get asked which paint sheen is best for certain projects. This is sometimes confusing because many companies have their own labels for their different paint sheens. Common naming conventions include semi-gloss, eggshell, and flat. Here is a quick guide to helping you select the best sheen:

Flat: This sheen has a matte finish that does not reflect light. Because of this, it is often good to distract from imperfections in the surface. However, it’s rough texture traps dirt and is not known for its washability. Washing scuffs off this surface often results in minor paint removal. This is my favorite sheen right now – especially on a flat-surfaced wall, because I think it looks modern.

Eggshell: Like the shell of an egg, it has a tiny bit of a sheen when you look at it at an angle. Because of this, is slightly more washable than flat.

Satin: This has a bit more shine than Eggshell. This can be a great finish for furniture so it has a little gloss and protection to it. It is the best of both worlds because it has a great surface and is scrubable.

Semi-Gloss: Somewhat less attractive, but great for cleaning. This type of paint is ideal for a rental because of its ability to be scrubbed clean. For the same reason, it is great for heavily used areas were fingerprints and scuffs are often found. This finish is more durable, making it better served in rooms with high-moisture like laundry rooms, kitchens and bathrooms.

Bob Vila’s website has great advice for choosing the right sheen here.

New Flooring

Design Talk says that the two best investments before selling a home are paint and flooring. These two home aspects help to make the home feel more welcoming. Many sellers offer the new buyer a carpet allowance so they can buy carpet after the home is purchased. This is a great offer, however, if you replace the carpet before buyers come to look at your home, it will look cleaner, and more inviting and may entice more potential buyers who didn’t see the home’s potential before. Some do-it-yourself flooring stores include: Flor, Floors Only, and Armstrong.

Speaking of my sister…

Shannon Kaye, host of DIY’s Fresh Coat, always has great design tips and tricks. Her specialty is interior decorative painting. Click here for episode guide and project ideas. Also see her personal portfolio on her website: www.shannonkaye.com. Below is one of her custom finishes.