Home Sweet Home

Archive for January, 2011

When invited to a formal dinner, or to a party where you will be among strangers and thus constrained to be in your best behavior, just keep in mind three general rules:

• Be thoughtful and considerate of others.
• Handle your table equipment correctly.
• Eat quietly, neither attracting attention or being offensive to others.

When dinner is announced, wait for the other guests to approach the table instead of rushing to the table ahead of them. When there are older or more important guests, allow them to precede you at the table. Be seated only after everyone has gathered around the table, and sit down from the left side of the chair. Everyone should sit down at the table at the same time.

Once seated, keep your hands on your lap and your elbows close to your sides so as not to interfere with someone next to you. Put the napkin on your lap – open it entirely if the napkin is lunch-sized or in half if dinner-sized. Be observant of the needs of others and see that food passed to them. Do not serve yourself first unless the hostess asks you to do so. Never reach or grab for food. Request pleasantly what you want.

Keep your share of the conversation going, but avoid talking about unpleasant or objectionable topics. Keep in mind Mother’s rule: Chew with your mouth closed, and don not talk until your mouth is empty. Eat all the food taken on a fork or a spoon at one time. Never withdraw some of it. Make sure that your mouth is empty when you drink water or beverages. This keeps cup and glass rims free from food marks.

Break, do not cut, bread or rolls into small pieces before buttering. Butter each small piece just before it is eaten. Hold the napkin before your mouth to screen the removal of objects from the mouth. Use your fingertips; a toothpick should not be used except in private.

Never hold either knife or fork in your hand while you drink from a glass. You may hold a piece of silver in your hand while talking as long you don’t wave it around to make a point. Do not rest any part of the silver on the table after it has been used, not even the handle. Remember to make a good impression by following these dining table etiquette tips.

No other floor covering can surpass the beauty of stone flooring whether it is made from marble, granite, limestone, slate or the artificially made terrazzo. They all have a natural beauty that exudes richness. The alternatives; carpets, linoleum, laminates, wood and ceramic tiles are often cheaper and most people know how to care for them and maintain them. However they eventually wear out or otherwise become damaged and have to be replaced. Natural stone flooring should last for several lifetimes if properly cared for and maintained and provides you with that luxury feeling.

However few people know how to care for their natural stone surfaces in order to get the best out of them. The stone seller will give advice and the builder or tiler who lays your flooring will quite often know very little about the product. Some natural stone wholesalers will also lay the stones for you and if you can get one of these firms then you are in a better position, as these know how to treat the product they are installing for you.

Never use a chemical product to produce a shine on the stone. If you want to cover your stone in a polish then you are better of getting a man made product. Stone produces its own shine by being ground down until it is perfectly flat. Once the crystals in the stone are flat they reflect the maximum amount of light uniformly producing the high gloss finish associated with marble and granites. It is not an artificially applied polish that can periodically be buffed to restore the shine.

What removes the shine from the stone? Most stones except granite are relatively soft and can be easily scratched by small particles of dirt. The more the dirt builds up the more they scratch as they are walked over. These scratches disturb the flat surface of the stone and light reflection ceases to be uniform so the shine gradually disappears. The only way of restoring it is to have the stone reground flat a straightforward but time consuming process.

By following a good care and maintenance programme this situation can be delayed for many years. Dust mopping the floor regularly rather than vacuuming it. How regular this is done depends on the no of people going over the floor. In high usage entrances to buildings it should be done two or three times a day. In a domestic lounge once per week may be sufficient. It should also be wet mopped every so often using a neutral soap solution, stone soap being the best. Never use detergents of other chemical cleaners on the stone. The stone soap will help to maintain and enhance the natural colours of the stone. Every two or three years, again depending upon usage have the stones repolished. If this is done as the shine just begins to fade then regrinding becomes unnecessary. The repolishing can be done quite quickly and relatively cheaply.

If the flooring has spillage marks or deep scratches then get these attended to as quickly as possible. Regular maintenance using the correct techniques and products will ultimately preserve your flooring and reduce need for very costly refurbishment.

You would think that with daily showering your shower curtains would stay clean all by themselves. Unfortunately all the soap, shampoo and other products you use in the shower mean that curtains often start looking dirty after a short time. Due to the damp atmosphere of the shower and bathroom, you may also experience a build up of the dreaded mildew.

Here’s how to care for plastic shower curtains to keep them looking like new

1. Take Down the Curtain

Remove the shower curtain from the rod or rail and take out the hooks from the eyelets.

2. Machine Wash if possible

If it is not too dirty and is machine washable pop the curtain in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with some mild detergent. If you do this regularly you will find that your shower curtain stays nice and clean and you never have to worry about mildew and other nasties.

One tip I read is to wash your shower curtain with a towel or two – which will soak up the moisture during the spin cycle of the washing machine and you won’t have to worry about getting water all over the place when you take your shower curtain out of the machine.

Rehang the curtain over the bath tub and open out fully to dry.

3. Extra Cleaning

If your shower curtain is not machine washable or has passed the point where a quick machine wash is enough to get it clean then lay it down on a flat surface (preferably a hard surface outside).

Wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands (and old clothing) make a mixture of one quart warm water to one cup of bleach. Scrub the curtain using the mixture and a sponge one one side being careful not to get the mixture onto any surrounding plants.

Rinse the curtain thoroughly and then turn it over before repeating on the other side.

Dry your curtain and assess the results.

4. Use the Bath Tub if necessary

If you have no outside areas to work in you may find that you can get your curtain clean in the bath tub. Fill it with hot water and add detergent and a little bleach then soak your shower curtain in it for around 2 hours before rinsing.

5. Drastic Measures

Sometimes mildew has passed the point where it will come out easily. If this is the case and you know you will need to buy a new curtain if it doesn’t come out, try spraying the mildew with undiluted bleach (remember to wear your rubber gloves and follow instructions on the bottle!) and see if that has an effect.

6. Regular Cleaning

If all else fails you are better buying a new curtain, make sure it is machine-washable and get into a habit of washing it regularly this time!

When it comes to redecorating a bedroom, the idea for the theme is often the easiest part. Wild themes offer a huge selection of accessories from lamps to wall hangings, throw rugs to curtain sets. The look of the new room can be perfectly completed with the right animal print bedding. Why settle for cartoon prints when realistic animal print bedding is affordable, easy to create and looks great.

Finding the Right Wild Animal

The first choice will be the animal you wish to use as the center for your new bedroom. A tiger has a completely different color scheme than a zebra, but both are fantastic choices for bringing the jungle into the home d

Travertine kitchen countertops offer a wide variety of colors ranging from coral reds to shades of tan and many others. Travertine is a type of stone belonging to the same family as marble and limestone so it is not the hardest type of stone on the market. It does have the same beauty and versatility as marble but with more of a natural look. Travertine is available in either slabs or as tiles and if you go for tiles those will vary in size from small mosaic type tiles to large 36″ squares.

Travertine is formed when spring water comes up through layers of limestone and then evaporates. During the formation of travertine it is essentially limestone mixed with other minerals and the result is travertine stone. During the formation of travertine gas bubbles are trapped and when the gas escapes it forms crystals which also gives it its natural porosity and texture.

Travertine has a very uneven texture the gives it a natural rugged look. If you are looking for a more polished surface you would need to order the travertine filled and polished which will give it a high gloss shine type of finish. Another finish is called tumbled which will give the surface a more weathered aged look then the polished or matte finish.

Pros:

-Beautiful look and feel

-Wide range of colors available

-When sealed properly it will resist stains and scratching (minor scratches can be buffed out)

-Cost as compared to other types of stone

Cons:

-Not resistant at all to acids

-Requires more regular maintenance then other types of stone

Travertine kitchen countertops are on the low side of the price range, in relation to other types of stone at least, and will range from $5-15 dollars per square foot plus installation. Installation cost is also a lot lower than most other types of stone and will be around the same cost as most laminates. If you go for the tile travertine you can attempt it as a do-it-yourself project but if you opt for the slab it would be recommended to have it professionally done. If you want the look and feel of stone but can’t afford the cost travertine kitchen countertops are perfect choices for your family.

When you’re finally having your heat pump installed, you should always turn to a professional heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to do the job for you. He will not only help you pick the right size of heat pump and ensure that it is installed properly, he will also provide ongoing maintenance, respond promptly in emergencies and mediate with the home pumps manufacturer for parts under the warranty. Thus, you should select your contractor with care to ensure that these vital tasks are performed efficiently.

The best way to find an HVAC contractor is through referrals. Ask your friends about contractors that they may have used. You can also work with online companies that match contractors with potential clients. Once you’ve settled on a few, call them up for an appointment, interview them and ask for references. Also ask them to show you their license and proof of insurance. Make sure that they know one of their current clients referred you to them, so they would work harder to satisfy you. Check their references to make sure they are legitimate, and ask them if they are satisfied with the work the contractor did for them.

Most importantly, ensure that you are comfortable with the contractor so you won’t hesitate to ask questions. Request a load calculation from them to determine the size of the heat pump you need to install. And while price is an important consideration, don’t make it the deal breaker. Finally, if they were referred by a matching service and you are happy with their performance, don’t forget to e-mail the company and tell them so, so that the contractor can be referred to future home heat pumps installation jobs.