How to Clean Area Rugs

For most people, area rugs are a significant home interior design investment, as they help to add colour and warmth to the room. However, if these rugs are not maintained, they will lose their lustre and they will no longer serve their owner well. There are a number of domestic cleaning Brisbane tips that can help an individual to properly maintain their area rug, and by so doing, increase its lifespan.

1.   Vacuum regularly to remove dirt

The best way to maintain a clean area rug is to vacuum it regularly. This is because dirt and dust may stick to the fibres of area rugs. If left to accumulate, the rug will become filthy and harder to clean. However, by vacuuming once a week, the owner will be able to attack the dirt before it becomes too much. This is the best way of domestically cleaning an area rug without incurring too much cost.

2.   Use brushes to remove pet hair

Individuals who have pets will have to put in extra effort in order to clean their area rugs. This is because vacuuming does not completely remove any pet hair that may be stuck in the rug’s fibres. The owner should therefore take a brush and attempt to remove the pet hair by brushing the rug in the direction of its nap.

3.   Remove stains on the area rug as soon as possible.

When the rug gets stains, time is of the essence. This is because the longer the stain stays on the area rug, the harder it will be to remove it. In case of staining, the owner should attempt to remove it by blotting a piece of cotton cloth on the area. Water is best for removing stains, though vinegar and baking soda can also be used for tough spots.

4.   Deep clean occasionally

An area rug should be thoroughly cleaned at least once in every eighteen months. Deep cleaning does not have to be expensive, as there are a number of companies that offer the cheapest carpet cleaning Brisbane services. There are a number of rug-safe cleaning solutions that can thoroughly clean the rug without damaging it. Most of these companies are familiar with such solutions, and the owner should only work with a reputable company in order to ensure that their area rug is not damaged.

5.   Consider the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions

Area rugs are made from different materials and most manufacturers advice owners on how to properly deep clean area rugs. Woven or braided rugs will be cleaned differently from handmade and oriental rugs. Area rugs that are made from grass, sisal, rush or coir will also be cleaned differently from area rugs that are made from hair-on-hides, sheepskin or fur. It is important to always follow the guidelines from the manufacturer in order to ensure that the area rug is not damaged.

Area rugs require quite a bit of maintenance in order for them to look good for longer. Area rug owners who follow these tips will be able to properly clean their rug so that it can continue to be the perfect interior design accessory in their home.

About the Author

Mark Long loves to read, research and write on a wide range of topics, from sports and cars, to interior design and home decor. He frequently advices his clients on a number of home decor issues, including domestic cleaning Brisbane and cheapest carpet cleaning Brisbane.

Tips from JDL Strategies: Push for Financial Progress with Property Investing

Financial success is not about playing it safe. You don’t make millions by salting away a small portion of your salary monthly. If you’d been unwise in the past and have riddled your credit score with debt, you can still take care of your obligations while doing something to improve your investment portfolio. To significantly alter your financial picture, you need to make a bold, but well-calculated move. Even if you’re still paying off loans, you can budget your income in such a way that will allow you to make a smart investment.

If you truly want to side with caution, you can invest in properties. It may involve a large amount of money, but it also means that you don’t have to put in much time and effort to make it earn unless you decide to purchase a fixer-upper that you want to turn into a DIY project. Even then, you can choose to make it a weekend and after-work affair.

Investing in properties basically means that you can keep your day job and the salary it provides. You don’t have to sacrifice your regular income while you wait for your venture to take off. With a property investment, you can start earning right away; that’s the beauty in being a landlord and receiving residual income. And in case you’d taken out another loan to finance that investment, you can simply make the property itself pay off that loan. As you build your financial portfolio with property investments, you methodically work on eliminating your debt. It’s all a matter of system. You can better figure out the minute details by working with a financial expert.

If you’re about to invest in your first property, the following are some tips from JDL Strategies:

1. Establish clear goals. Are you building wealth or setting up a retirement fund? Do you intend to earn from the investment through regular but smaller residual income or do you want to resell it for an immediate and more significant one-time profit?

2.   Work out a budget. You need to figure out everything from your own income and expenses to your mortgage and other related expenses, to your monthly rental income and the savings you can get each time.

3.   Research. You need to stay on top of the property situation in your area and the entire country so you can figure out how much to charge for rent, where the strong demand lies, etc.

Being riddled with financial obligations doesn’t mean that you can’t make investments. You can actually invest to help advance your wealth building project. With a well-thought out system and the invaluable guidance of a financial advisor, you can definitely move forward, minimise debts and be more financially stable in the process.

About the author: Kenneth Lawrence is a passionate "handyman". His craft involves DIY concepts and he likes to share guidelines and tips about stuff on home improvement. He writes and reads almost anything that can hone his skills and increase his knowledge about DIY concepts. He uses helpful website like www.jdlstrategies.com.au when writing his articles.

Some Retro Gift Ideas for Your Dad

This Father’s Day, on 16^th June, you may still be stuck wondering what to gift your dad. Try to invest in a gift that will not break the bank, but is guaranteed to bring a smile to the recipient’s face.

Some dads are fixated on the retro style of the sixties, seventies and eighties. For those dads who are nostalgic of their wonder years, here are some retro themed ideas as Father’s Day gift:

·     Retro sweets: If your dad loves liquorices, gift him liquorices hamper. Online stores also offer Retro style Sweet hampers filled with all the goodies your dad loved as a child and growing up. Retro sweet jars come with a choice of sweet options like jelly beans, coconut tobacco, wine gums, black jacks, Icy cups etc. You can sit back, and just order this retro style gift online.

·       Die cast cars: All boys remember their first cars with affection. If you can find out what was your Dad’s first car or his first favorite brand of car, you can create an excellent gift. You can get them a 1/8 or 1/16 scale version of the car cast in die. The good news about die cast cars is that there is a model to fit any budget from manufacturers like Replicarz, Maisto, Action and Burago.

·       Retro radios: The AM/FM radio from Crosley Audiophile provides great sound quality and has an additional input, which can serve as an Mp3 player’s or computer’s speaker. Some models are available within $50. Thus, these devices may be the poor man’s version of the Bose Wave radio. But if you want the original retro thing, there are many sites that sell high end radio kits and vintage radios.

·   Vinyl record player: Many audiophiles are of the opinion that vinyl record players provide ‘warmer’ sounds. Other music lovers enjoy the bigger covers and great artwork that come with vinyl records. If your dad has a secret collection of vinyl records, but no instrument to play them on, gift him a turntable.  Maybe they went out of style, but they are back in vogue and have a cool image.

·  Retro game consoles: Those were the days of super Nintendo entertainment units, Atari 2600 or Sega genesis.  The good news for retro lovers is that these retro games are back in vogue in a big way. Some of these games and their systems have been incorporated into units like the Atari flashback 4 which can be plugged and played in a computer.

·      Film cameras: This is the era of digital cameras. But some dads are nostalgic about film cameras. Despite the surge of digital photography, there is a vibrant niche for film photography. Enthusiasts for film cameras can enjoy the use of film cameras at a fraction of the cost of these cameras in retro era. Dads will enjoy taking pictures with film cameras. For Dads who are nostalgic about Polaroid pictures, gift the Polaroid cameras. There are some dads who are crazy about vintage effects of Instagram and they can recreate the photos with similar effect today with a cool lomography camera.

These are some retro themed gift ideas for your dad.

Author’s bio: He is associated with expressgiftservice.co.uk. He is a member of the online marketing team. He contributes articles on gifts and gift hampers. He has degree in business management.

Inside Post Office

A corner of the post office in my city. Lots of orange touches and a little yellow.

 

Mandarin Orange Monday

Monday Mellow Yellows

Getting Quality Ceramic Tiles at Reliable Lubbock Tile Store

Busy home kitchen needs strong and beautiful flooring that easy to clean as well as water, heat and stain resistant. Kitchen is an important part of a home which can be dirty and wet frequently. For this reason, though homeowners face different floor cover options in today’s market, tile flooring especially ceramic tile is still a very preferred choice for kitchen floor setup.

Are you wondering why ceramic floor tiles often used in kitchens? For your information, ceramic is produced from clay mixed up with water and other small amount of sediment materials; then the oven firing will complete the process to create a final ceramic product. This creation process caused ceramic tile to be able to endure most of the hardness that often occurs in the kitchen, such as various stains, oil, heat and water penetration.   

Installing high quality ceramic for your kitchen floor will never become a wrong decision. Ceramic is one of the most durable tile flooring options that you can have in affordable prices. With proper installation and cleaning, your ceramic kitchen tiled floor will look good for many years.

Unglazed ceramic tiles are still prone to water and stain. For kitchen floor, choose only ceramic tile that has been sealed to guard its material surface. Each glazed ceramic tile has solid protective layer on the surface to stand any possible damaging stain in the kitchen and penetrating water. Splashing water can’t go through ceramic tile surface; your kitchen floor will be free from mold and mildew as any living organism is not able to grow up inside the material.

Ceramic has also heat and fire resistance quality.  When accident that related with fire happens in your kitchen, the ceramic flooring will prevent the fire to further spread. Any hot kitchen tool and equipment will not damage the ceramic tiled floor.

As nothing is perfect, ceramic tile flooring has some disadvantages to consider. The grout lines between the tiles aren’t resistant to water. Therefore it should be sealed as well to protect the grout lines from water, stain and growing mold. In spite of its strong material, any crack may occur when a hard impact hits a piece of ceramic tile. To repair your kitchen floor, removing broken tiles and installing new pieces must be done right away. Fortunately, it’s not a difficult process.     

Let’s say that you are ready to purchase ceramic tiles for your new kitchen floor. If you are a Lubbock resident, you can visit a reliable Lubbock tile store nearby like Carpet One Lubbock, TX that provides you with today’s quality tiles in various shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, textures, accent trims and finishes.  Searching for ceramic tiles at the right tile store gives you opportunity to obtain unique, high quality yet affordable products which backed with special warranties and comprehensive service. Those professionals guarantee you to have new striking floor!