Home Improvement

Cleaning and Maintaining your Vacuum Cleaner or Sweeper

2008-01-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Even the vacuum cleaner, which does a fair share of cleaning, needs to be cleaned sometimes. Here are a few basic guidelines.

The cleaning appliances used in many homes often are brought out once a week for an hour or so and then parked in the cupboard until the next use. But even cleaning utensils need to be cleaned to keep them working well so they last a long time.

If you've never cleaned your vacuum cleaner, sometimes called a sweeper, it's time you learned the basics. You can always take it in for a professional tune-up and cleaning, but here are the things you can do on your own before taking that step:

1. Check over the sweeper every month or two. First, make sure it is unplugged. Then visually inspect it from top to bottom to look for cracks, tears, chips, or other evidence of breakage or damage. Minor problems like a worn bag can be addressed when you have it replaced. But a frayed cord will need prompt attention to reduce the risk of personal shock or electric fire. If you note several problem areas, make a written list to help you remember everything and not leave something out when you take it to a professional for service.

2. Then gently turn it over so that bottom of the sweeper where the brushes are located are face up. Use a comb, preferably with wire teeth, to gently pull away some of the hair or debris that may be sticking to the sweeper's rotating brushes. Gently turn the brush as you look for pet or human hair, carpet strands, or price tag strings, Christmas decorating icicles, etc. Remove these to keep the brushes moving swiftly and without impediment.

3. Open the bag or canister, depending on the type of sweeper you have, and remove the container that holds the dirt. If this is a paper bag, discard it intact, wrapping it in a piece of newspaper or small garbage bag. Be careful not to spill any of the overflow, if the container has it, or to scatter debris as you discard the accumulated dust. If you have allergies, you may want to wear a dust mask.

4. If the canister that collects dust is not disposable, but made of plastic instead, wash it thoroughly, using hot water and mild detergent to get rid of buildup and to kill bacteria. If you have an indoor cat or dog that goes outdoors sometimes, you may have fleas or flea eggs in your carpet that the sweeper has picked up, and you want to get rid of these before they spread to other parts of the house when you use the same vacuum in those areas.

5. Wipe off the other sweeper parts. Return the dust canister after wiping out the inside of the sweeper bag or plastic midsection. Then use a damp cloth with a drop or two of detergent that has formed a light lather to wipe off the plug, cord, handle, switches, and mouth of the sweeper, along with any attachments you have been using. Rinse your cleaning cloth with clear water and re-wipe all parts to remove soap residue. Let all the cleaned parts air dry before reassembling the unit and storing it in the closet.

Keeping your sweeper clean will reduce the amount of dust pollution, insects, and germs that can be spread from one carpeted area to another. It will also help the unit to last longer and work more effectively. Just don't use a lot of water or leave it damp, which can cause mold or mildew.

Source: essortment.com

Future Home Appliances

2007-12-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

We all dream about the next generation products, the products made to make our life much easier. Here some of the most interesting appliances for the future.

1. Transparent Toaster- allows you to see the bread while it is toasting so you just have to take it out when the color is right. This idea is based on a transparent heating glass technology.

2. Laser Scissors- Cutting a straight line has never been easier. Just aim the pin-point laser and follow the line. The scissor blades are stainless steel and cut very clean with a micro serrated edge.

3. "THE THING" - Infant Pillow- The Zaky is an ergonomic infant pillow designed by a mom to mimic the size, weight, touch, and feel of her hand and forearm to help her baby with comfort, support, protection, and development. The Zaky can help calm your baby and help your baby sleep better through the night.

4. Modern ladder- very interesting ladder.

5. Smart cup- you can put 2-3 of your favorite cookies. You don’t need extra plates. It’s made for right handed and left handed.

6. Butter Cutter- controls your portion as an important part of staying healthy. This ingenious butter cutter delivers one standard pat with each click of the handle.

7. DayClock- uniquely designed to keep track of weekly events like your golf day, card night, movie night, and so much more.

8. Penguin Tea Timer- Place your tea cup under the beak and set it to the desired time. As you turn the timer dial, the beak lowers the tea into the hot water. When time is up, a bell sounds and the penguin automatically lifts his beak, removing the tea bag from the water.9. Toilet Seat up- Merely step on the pedal to activate the lifting mechanism.
When finished, remove your foot from the pedal and the seat gently comes to a rest where it started.

10. Lock Cup- Are you tired of others stealing your coffee cup? Well now there’s a solution. The Lock - Cup has a hole which prevents most people from using it unless you have the lock.

11. Dry Food/Cereal Dispenser- Tired of all that cereal box clutter on your countertops? This system effectively stores and dispenses your cereal while keeping it fresh! The tap also controls portion size.View Deals on Kitchen Appliances

Home Decor - Decorative Lighting Tips

2007-12-18T05:43:00.000-08:00

Lights are an integral part of Home Decor. The home lighting system, from the conventional bulbs to the modern decorative lamps, has undergone tremendous changes. Today instead of a single bulb in a room and the same lighting for all the rooms, people prefer to have special light effects for each room. Lighting is an important part of home decoration and your room can look entirely different with changing lighting systems. A ceiling medallion, chandeliers or spot lighting will make your rooms more attractive and trendy.

The proper selection of decorative lights and lamps for different rooms and placing them in the most appropriate position like down-lighting or up-lighting can make simplest of rooms look much more inviting and dramatic. Using decorative lighting will enhancing the beauty and character of the house. Earlier the lighting was done from the functional point of view. Today homeowners want their lighting fixtures both interior and exterior to make a statement, especially the interior lighting. They select interior lighting fixtures to match the rest of the decor. Decorative home lighting fixtures come in different shapes, sizes, finishes and materials.

Here are few tips to make your home lighting more decorative and impressive:

When selecting the lightings for your home always consider the colour, purpose and design of the room where the light is to be fitted.
Planning about the lights and fixtures before you purchase them will help you to choose the perfect light fitting for you.
Plan a budget and decide by how much, you are willing to exceed that budget, for something you really want.
If you are looking for something specific and cannot find it, then you can get it specially made to order.
While buying decorative lighting fixtures do not forget the practical purpose of lighting the room.
There are lights meant for just decorative purpose and lighting purpose. You should be aware of the use of the particular light you purchase.
When selecting lights for outdoor purpose make sure that they come with enclosed fixture for more safety.
Light falling directly on the room may produce irritating glare, therefore reflecting models are more advisable.

View the Best Deals on Home Decor

Sale Stalking

2007-12-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

Stalking Online Home & Garden Sales, Deals, Bargains and Offers
Annaslinens.com: Visit annaslines.com each day starting Monday December 3rd- Friday December 14th and an exclusive offer will be revealed for you.

Validity/Status: Ends 12/14/07

Category/Products: All small appliances, Kitchen & dining, Home décor, Beds, Kitchen appliances, Curtains, Curtain rods, Kitchen products.
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Validity/Status: Ongoing

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calendars in stock.

Validity/Status: 1)Ongoing
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3)25th Dec.2007

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Validity/Status: 15 Dec. 2007

Category/Products:House numbers, Home appliances, Bags, Bottles
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Category/Products:Kitchen, Bath, Garden, décor, outdoor
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Bedding Basics

2007-12-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

You spend nearly one third of your life in bed, so purchasing the right bedding for your nighttime sojourn is crutial. From goose down comforters and pillows to Pima cotton sheets, percale sheets, and mattress pads, bed-in-a-bag sets the choice is endless. Here you'll find everything you need to get the good night's sleep of your dreams!!

Get to Know Bedding Basics

Every bed needs basic bedding, such as bed linens, including sheets, pillows, blankets, a decorative cover such as a bedspread, comforter, quilt, or duvet cover, and a mattress pad. Before you buy, determine what size bed linens fit your mattress. Standard mattress sizes include:

Bed Linens	Mattress Size
Twin	39" x 75"
Twin extra long	39" x 80"
Full or Double	54" x 75"
Queen	60" x 80"
Standard King or Eastern King	76" x 80"
California King or Western King	72" x 84"

Discover all-in-one bedding solutions

At the bare minimum you need to dress your bed with sheets. Standard sheet sets include a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and two standard- or king-sized pillowcases. Bedding designers, from Martha Stewart to IKEA, also provide full bed-in-a-bag bedding sets. The bed-in-a-bag generally includes a sheet set , matching comforter or duvet cover, bed skirt, and pillow shams. With the bed-in-a-bag, your bed linen shopping trip can be over in one fell swoop.

Choose your bed cover

The comforter, bedspread, quilt, or duvet cover you choose fo

r your bed will likely become the focal point of your bedroom décor. Good quality bedspreads and comforters are made with matelasse, cotton chintz, chenille, or even velvet. These fabrics tend to have a tight weave and thick threads that increase the durability and opulence of the cover.

A duvet cover, which can be used to give new life to an old and faded comforter, is like a big pillowcase for your comforter. Secured at the top with ties, Velcro, or button closures, duvet covers are easy to remove and launder.

Buy extra blankets

Blankets can add an extra layer of warmth and style to your bedding

set. For the cold winter months, place a fleece blanket, cotton blanket, chenille blanket, down blanket, or vellux blanket between your sheets. Or, spice things up in the bedroom by throwing a cashmere blanket or afghan across your bed and raise your style quotient any time of year.

Add pizzazz with pillows

Pile pillows on your bed and cover them with decorative pillow
shams and complementary pillowcases to create interest. Add additional standard-size pillows, king-size pillows, 26" square Euro pillows, decorative pillows, and accent pillows, such as bolsters or neck roll pillows, to instantly make your bed and bedroom look more luxurious and inviting. You can stick with a bedding color scheme while mixing different fabrics and textures or introduce a new color or pattern. Stripes, polka dots, and florals can all help you achieve a cohesive look.

Hide your box spring

Bed skirts or dust ruffles hide a bed’s box spring and can bring another degree of color and texture to your bedding set. To get the right fit, know your mattress length, width, and drop measurement. The drop measurement, distance from the floor to the top of the box spring, determines the length of the skirt. A standard drop measurement is about 15 inches.

Look for bed skirts with higher thread counts that will better conceal your box springs. Bed skirts come in both gathered and box, or tailored styles and have two basic designs. One design places the bed skirt between the mattress and box spring and the other design uses snap strips or hook and loop fasteners (Velcro).

Source: eBay.com