Pet Cleanup Tips

Pets are cute, cuddly and can be adorable for most of the time.  But there are times when your pets are not so adorable, especially if leave some nasty “surprises” on the floor or worst in your furniture.   Your pets mostly can leave you with the three nasty P’s, the Pee, Poop and Puke.  Here are simple ways on how to clean the three “surprise P’s your pet might leave somewhere in your home.

The Pee

Animal urine, especially from cat has a very foul odor and they tend to linger.  And if you don’t clean it immediately, you pet might it as “territory” and he will use that spot again and again.  To clean that nasty Pee, first wipe out the liquid with white toweling, then blot the spot with a solution of 1 tablespoon ammonia and a half-cup water.  Blot the spot again with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of clear or white dish detergent and 1 cup of water.
To get rid of smell use an enzyme-based pet odor removes, they can be bought in pet stores and vet offices.  If the pee had stayed in the spot for more than 24 hours, use 1/3 cup of vinegar and 2/3 cup of water instead of the ammonia mix.

The Poop

Among the three P, the poop is the easiest one to deal with.  Simply scoop it up and blot the area with the dish detergent solution used in cleaning up pee.  If the stain remains try to use ammonia and vinegar mixture.  Clean the area with soap and water, and treat with an enzyme cleaner.

The Puke

To deal with puke, scrape up the mess, and then blot with the detergent solution.  Use ammonia solution to get rid of the stain and the enzyme based pet-odor remover if necessary.  For some dog food that contains red dye can leave stain on a carpet and rugs.  Use a red-dye remover, if the stain is stubborn call the pro.

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Keep Your Stainless Kitchen Gear Gleaming

There’s nothing more beautiful than the spotless, gleaming stainless in our kitchen.  But with the daily wear and tear, the gleaming stainless equipment we haul from the showroom not so long time ago lost its luster.  So, here are some practical tips in keeping your stainless gleaming and spotless.

Stainless Cookware

The Cookware

The Problem:  Stains

The Fix:  Excessive heat can cause permanent bluish stains in the stainless steel.  To prevent this, avoid turning the heat too high when you are using stainless steel pot or pan.  If you are using a gas burner, make sure that the bottom surface completely covers the flame so it doesn’t crawl up the side.

Stainless Counter

The Countertops

The Problem: Water Spots

The Fix:  If you have stainless countertops, believe it or not, water is your worst enemy.  Water can easily leave spots to it, so make sure to wipe the countertops with a clean, dry towel every time it gets wet.  If the water mark stays, apply undiluted liquid dish detergent or clean the area with a soft cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Stainless Flatware

The Flatware

The Problem: Pitting

The Fix:  Acids and salts in food can pit stainless flatware, so rinse surface as soon as possible after use.  Then machine-wash or hand-wash with detergent and hot water.

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Garage Door Crushing Danger

The video shown above is just an example of crushing accident that might occur when you are using faulty garage door. Automatic garage door be a cause a fatal accident.  According to statistics from 1996 to 2005, there are 23 recorded accidents resulting to death of children below 15 years old due to the crushing automatic garage door.

Don’t risk the safety of your family with a faulty garage-door opener.  Make sure that your garage-door opener, especially the automatic one, has an electric eye that causes a closing garage to reverse if an object gets in its path.  To check it that garage-door is perfectly working, place a block of wood under you garage door.  If the garage door will reverse itself as it detects the block of wood, then your garage is 95% safe from crushing.

But if the garage door will fail on this crush test, it is time to replace the garage-door opener with a new, safer one and make sure that it is properly working.  You may also use the services of professional garage door installer and repair for fast and proper installation.

Remember that it is always better to be safe than sorry.  There’s nothing more important than the safety of our family.

Kitchen Mini Makeover: Spice up Cabinets

This is the third post for the Kitchen Mini Makeover series. The Kitchen Mini Makeover topic aims to help you to have a low-cost but high impact makeover tricks on your kitchen. On previous posts on Kitchen Mini Makeover, I have discussed about the lighting effect on the kitchen and the floor redo. On this post we will discuss about perking up your cabinets. We will help you spice up those boring and bland cabinets.

Mini Makeover Trick: For a fresh look, spending as little as few dollars, replace cabinet knobs, drawer pulls, and hinges, if they show.

What To Buy: Understated metals such as stainless steel and brushed nickel are in. So swap out your cabinets to date.
If you’ve got cabinets with no hardware, add some knobs or pulls. Just make sure that they are coordinated with the style of your cabinet or drawer. As a rule, the more contemporary the cabinet, the simpler and sleeker the hardware should be. A traditional cabinet goes well with vintage-style hardware. For more beautiful effect, try installing light-reflecting glass knobs on the upper unit and metals on the bases. Ceramic knobs can look pretty with anything. You can include some cute knobs, like apple-shaped knobs or chili pepper pulls, but use them sparingly. Reserved them on special piece, like a hutch.

Tip: Try knobs before buying them. Pick out three favorites, purchase on of each, screw them into your cabinets, and live with them before you commit.

Cost: You can spice up your cabinet hardware for a little as a few dollars, depending on the style and materials chosen.

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Car Locksmith At Your Service

If you have recently lockout yourself out of your car, do not distress and be embarrassed. According to some study, anybody who owns a car (that is 10 out of 10) has locked themselves out from their vehicle at least once in their lifetime. Meaning, if you have not yet lockout yourself from your car, prepare to experience this embarrassing moment.

Locking out of a car is a common mistake most of us mortals do. You might leave the key in the ignition or you lost your key while you are out of your car or worse the key break off in the keyhole. This situation can be more “sweeter” if it starts to rain or snow. Freezing yourself in the snow or drenching in the rain is not a comfortable option. The simple solution to get yourself out of it is to call and auto locksmith.

Auto locksmith are locksmith who are skilled in skilled in unlocking car doors when keys are locked inside, misplaced or stolen, as well as changing locks when necessary. Most of them are like mobile locksmith in which you can call and travel to location where they are needed. Commonly, auto locksmiths are also knowledgeable with keyless entry systems and able to service, reprogram or override them in automobiles that do not use exterior keys.

It is a brilliant idea to keep the number of a professional car locksmith on your mobile phone or planner. You will never know, when you lockout yourself from your car. It always pays to be ready. These locksmiths come, when called for, at any time of the day. Professional and competent locksmiths would only spend a few minutes on your car and repair its lock. Rookies might take a slightly longer time. However, professionally trained locksmiths would work much faster. Choose a locksmith based on reputation and experience.

Tips in Getting The Perfect Lawn

Summer is the best time to work for the picture perfect lawn that you are dreaming for. Read on and this article will help you in getting lawn in shape. Here are the four simple steps you can do so you can be rolling in the picture perfect green yard for the next few months.

1. Cut It Right. Grass should generally end up 2 to 3 inches high after you mow. If you give it a tight crew cut you’ll remove too much of the nutrients-producing leaf surface. To maintain the height, you will have to cut your grass every 5 to 10 days.

2. Feed It Right. All lawns should be fertilized in the spring. Measure your lawn and apply 5 pounds of 20-0-0 (those numbers represents for the proportion of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous in the mix) per 1,000 square feet. Lawns in northern areas will need another two hits in the fall, one month apart. If you live in southern part of the country, fertilize again in July and August. If all those chemicals make you queasy, consider using organic fertilizer. Fertilizer with pesticides is good at killing bugs, but they are hazardous to your family and pets. Always remember that organic fertilizers have smaller amounts of nutrients, which would mean you will have to use them more often. Sprinkle some on whenever your lawn starts to fade.

3. Buy a Rain Gauge. Too little water encourages annoying crab grass while too much water spreads diseases. Most lawns need roughly 1 inch of water per week on its growing season. A rain gauge is the best way to judge how much water your lawn is getting.

4. Hire The Best Lawn Service. If you are too busy or just not interested in doing it yourself, hiring the lawn service is your best choice. Ask friends or neighbors who use lawn service for referral.

Tips in Insulating Garage Door

Insulated Garage Door

Did you know that you can save as much as 30% of your heating and air-conditioning bill with a proper insulation? Thermal insulation is applied to reduce the flow of heat between hot and cold regions. Home-heating and air-conditioning costs can be reduced dramatically by proper installation of thermal insulator. And one of the best places in your home to start installing insulation is your garage door.

Insulating your garage doors doesn’t really require a scientist, all you need to know is some dose common sense and right tools. Here are some valuable tips on how to put garage door insulation.

1. Remove the cars and large objects from the garage to create more space on the garage flooring before insulating a garage door. This is because in a packed condition, insulation in compressed state, therefore there is a big tendency that it will spread out across a large area. You need a large space for the expansion of the insulation material.

2. Take the measurements of the garage door panels so that you can ascertain the quantity of insulation required. You can choose to either polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam sheets as insulator.

3. Cut the material as indicated in the measurement. You can use putty knife to tuck the foam along the panels of the garage door.

4. Cover up the foam with the help of aluminum foil tape. For polystyrene foam, which is stiffer that polyurethane foam. You have to cut them and attached to the door panels with glue. Fix the foam with panel brackets to secure then further.

Note: Keep yourself protected when insulation the garage doors. Insulation, when comes in contact with skin can cause severe itching. Wear proper clothing that covers your entire body, use protective gear such as goggles, masks, gloves and work boots for your safety.

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Tips In Choosing Reliable Locksmith

Have you experienced of getting into office in rush and suddenly you realized that your keys are still on your dresser. And the worst thing is that you remember that it was the last of your “spare” keys. Well, if that kind of situation arises you have 3 options to make. First, is to force an entry by breaking your lock or your door. Second option is to humiliate yourself and climb through your windows hoping that you left one of it unlock. And the last and most likely option to work, is to call an emergency locksmith and let them do the hard work.

In similar situation described above or in other way, most of us will find ourselves needing services of a locksmith. It could be simple job like repairing a jammed garage door lock or an important job of installing an entire security in a building. In whatever importance, a locksmith will have a complete access to your home, building, car or business which leaves you vulnerable if the job is not done right.

Here are 10 practical tips on how to choose a trustworthy, professional and reliable locksmith:

1.  Ask your neighbors or friends for a referral. If you can’t get personal referral check some community organization that rate service businesses, or look for the referral of trade association like Associated Locksmiths of America.

2.  Look for a locksmith that has been in the business for several years. Locksmith that had been around for sometime is more reliable and trustworthy.

3.  Look for locksmith that are insured and bonded. By this way, you can make sure they are capable of paying, in case of damage and losses they may incur in your property or faulty of work.

4.  Ensure the locksmith has all required business licenses and permits. If they have license, verify the authenticity of license.

5.  Ask if the company does or has done business under any other names. As much as possible avoid company that changes name. They are likely to have a bad reputation in the past.

6.  Ask for recent references and check them.

7.  Ask about certifications and professional affiliations. Trade associations keep their members informed of the latest industry developments. Members must often meet rigorous standards and some associations even require that their members pass a skills test. While this doesn’t guarantee proficiency, it does improve the odds.

8.  Get a written estimate. Give as many details as possible to get a more accurate quote. Ask if any additional charges will apply and about any discounts for which you may qualify.

9.  Contact the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) to make sure there are no unresolved complaints. Also check with the local chamber of commerce, police department, and office of consumer affairs.

10.  Ask what information will be kept on file after the work is done and why. Make sure all keys are turned over to you and that household locks are not set to accept a master key.

Hope this will help you in finding the perfect locksmith that could lock and unlock your properties and valuables.

Things You Need To Know Before Buying a Carpet

A carpet in your living room could surely improve the looks and the mood.  Have you ever experience falling asleep in the plush comfort of a Persian carpet? Or enjoy the intricate and artistic pattern of an oriental carpet?  There is no doubt that a well-chosen carpet is an asset to your home.   But buying a carpet requires a lot of patience and care.

Shopping for a carpet is seems like choosing a husband; it requires patience, care, and trust.  Your decision should not only be based upon the look and the feel, you should know it inside and out before deciding if it is really the one.   It is actually called an intelligent decision.

To make an intelligent decision when purchasing carpet, you need to know some carpet stuffs like fiber type, carpet pile, face weight of fibers, fiber density, twist and tuft bind, and durability rating.   Without knowing these features you are doomed to divorce your carpet sooner than you think.

Fibers Type

There are four primary fiber used in carpeting.  They are nylon, polyester, Olefin fiber and wool.  Among the four fibers nylon is probably the most widely used, it is tough and resilient.  Carpet made of nylon fiber is the best choice for a high-traffic room used every day.  Nylon is resistant to dust and soil.

Polyester is the softest fiber available in carpeting.  It is the best choice for a room used for entertaining guests and bedroom which are not heavily trafficked.  Polyester fiber accepts coloration very well, that is why polyester-made carpets are usually have vibrant colors and designs.

Olefin fibers are a very strong fiber. It is extremely stain resistant, as often the color dyes are actually heated and fused into the actual fiber.

Wool is most luxurious but the most expensive carpeting available.  It is a natural fiber that accepts color well, but it also stains easily.

What is a Locksmith and What They Do?

Locksmith at your service

The locksmith was known as a person who made and worked with locks.  Locksmiths are the artisans who are skilled in the art of making and breaking locks.  Based on history, locksmith as profession is an offspring of blacksmith.   Blacksmiths were laborers who worked by hand with metal and steel, most often creating weapons and armors for soldiers and horses and horseshoes for their horses.

As the years progressed, the need for someone to shape simple metal locks and keys became inevitable. Higher crime rates were a major factor in the invention of locks – people needed a device to secure their homes and their personal belongings. Thus, the service of a locksmith evolved into a larger industry.

These modern days, locksmiths provide services like creating and breaking locks and keys for everything from your garage door to your safety deposit box.

What does a locksmith do?

Key cutting. Have you lost your keys? Or need a duplicate key for your existing one?  Your friendly neighborhood locksmiths will the key cutting for you.  They can create keys to replace your lost one or make a duplicate of it.

Fitting new locks. When it comes to home security, it is better to be safe than sorry. The locksmith will fit high quality locks that will protect your home and meet insurance requirements, and will also fit door bolts to give you extra locking points, hinge bolts to protect the hinge side of your door, and window bolts to give your windows extra strength, all of which mean that extra little bit of security.

Locksmiths also provide brand new locks and customized locks according to your specifications.

Lock Repairs. Locks, just like anything else can suffer damage from day-to-day wear and tear.  Locksmiths will repair lock mechanisms that have suffered wear and tear over time, and can even repair old locks that cannot be removed owing to heritage rules, renovating them and bringing them up to date whilst ensuring that they retain their essential character. Locksmiths can also repair locks that have been damaged in other ways. If you’ve experienced a burglary, locksmiths can often repair the damage, fixing the locks (or fitting new ones) and even providing un-repairable items such as split doors and damaged frames.

Emergency Services. Have you ever experienced locking yourself out? This is a quite embarrassing experience but it happens to many of us (yeah, I have experienced it too…), and this situation calls a 911 locksmith.  Locksmiths can also provide an emergency service such as this.   A professional locksmith will be able to break the lock on your door without causing any damage to the door itself, and will then fit a replacement lock for you.

I’ll tell you, calling a locksmith in situation like this is much cheaper than breaking your door.  And it saves you in suffering more embarrassment and humiliation of having to climb back inside through a window.

Other services. Aside from the usual locks and keys on your doors and windows, locksmith also provides services like creating special locks for safes, padlocks, garage doors lock.  Locksmiths don’t just deal in locks, they can also provide advice on home security and insurance, and will install security measures such as alarm systems, bars and grilles, CCTV, and secure access systems for communal doors in multi-occupancy buildings.