Photo: window-blinds.net
Window blinds are an extremely popular decorating option. But for blinds to look their best, they require regular care and maintenance, and some very definite “dos and don’ts” govern their cleaning.
Sure, some cleaning methods can be used on all types of blinds, but there are in fact different ways to clean blinds depending on their construction. Following are some general cleaning tips as well as techniques for cleaning blinds of made of various materials:
Photo: Pottery Barn
Brass brings a warm, burnished glow to household items, ranging from switch plates, door knockers, and lamps to bathroom fixtures, furniture, and even kitchen utensils.
Brass is a strong, corrosion-resistant, and relatively inexpensive alloy made from a combination of zinc and copper, and on account of its bright, golden color, the material has long been a favorite material for home furnishings and decorative accents.
Like any metal, brass can become dull and tarnished over time. However, with only a little bit of knowledge—and some elbow grease, too—you can keep your brass accents polished and shining. In fact, many common cleaning products are already in your kitchen cabinets!
Bamboo Palm. Photo: houstoninteriorplants.com
As winter draws to a close, things are getting a bit stuffy in our house. Like many energy-conscious consumers, we’ve done a great job of insulating and sealing our home to keep the heat in and drafts out. An unintended consequence of our cocooning? Lessened air exchange throughout the house, which has compromised indoor air quality to an extent.
While it’s still far too cold in the Northeast to open the windows and enjoy fresh air, there is an easy air purifying solution for every one of us with houseplants.
Related: 5 (Nearly) Kill-Proof Houseplants
Photo: Armstrong
Vinyl tile and laminate flooring is attractive, durable, and long-lasting, even under a home’s highest-traffic conditions, but the product is certainly not indestructible. Fortunately, cleaning vinyl flooring is a fairly straightforward and inexpensive process, and with proper care, it’s easy to maintain the material’s eye-catching appearance.
Harbor Breeze bathroom fan in brushed nickel with light from Lowes.
Indoor air quality can be problematic at any time of year, but it is especially a concern during the winter months when all of the windows are sealed up tight…and nowhere is this more evident than in the bathroom. Stale air, humidity, mold, mildew and—to put it delicately—foul odors can wreak havoc with your indoor environment. The solution: install a bathroom exhaust fan.
Photo: Paragon
Interested in adding another layer of insulation and security to your home? Look no further than the storm door, an old-fashioned favorite that offers both aesthetic and functional appeal.
While it’s true that energy-insulating advances in conventional entry doors have made storm doors unnecessary in most new homes, there are still many older homes that can benefit from the extra layer of protection that a storm door provides.
Photo: ClosetMaid
Sliding closet doors are a common installation in American homes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best option. If you’re looking for a space-saving alternative, one that will enhance the look of your closets and provide easier access to their interior space, then consider installing bi-fold closet doors.
Interior Storm Windows, Installed. Photo: Indow Windows
Homeowners seeking ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce heating and cooling costs now have an interesting alternative to costly replacement windows—interior storm windows.
In 2010, Portland, OR-based Indow Windows began manufacturing its acrylic window inserts as an alternative to conventional double-hung replacement windows. Founder and CEO Sam Pardue developed the product in direct response to a personal need: “I wanted to find a better window insulation solution for my own home,” he explains, noting that even expensive wood replacement windows didn’t look as good as the windows he already had.
Related: Know Your Window Styles
Photo: hankeyandbrown.com
Baby, its cold outside—and the last thing you want to do is return home to a frosty house. The smart time to examine and evaluate your furnace is before the unit fails, not when a problem arises and the mercury outside and even indoors is dipping down to sub-zero levels!
Start Here. So how do you know when furnace replacement is in order? Since your furnace was probably in place when you moved in, the first thing to do is find out the age of your unit. This may be as simple as looking at the original owner’s manual or calling the manufacturer with the unit’s model number, but with individual cases, some additional sleuthing may be required.
Have a picture of your furnace? Ask the Bob Vila Forum for help identifying the unit’s age!
Photo: whatishomeimprovement.com
Tile is beautiful, durable, and generally easy to clean, but cleaning grout? That’s a different story.
Because of its (typically) light coloring and porous composition, grout is prone to staining. In a tiled entry or mudroom, dirt and grime are the usual culprits, while in the kitchen, spills are more likely to blame. Soap, mold, and mildew meanwhile make it difficult to maintain clean grout in bathrooms. Fortunately, cleaning grout effectively is possible using only common household products and a bit of elbow grease.
With any cleaning project, it’s always best to start off with the mildest cleaning solution. When in doubt about a cleanser, test it in a hidden spot—behind or under an appliance, for example.
The following suggestions for cleaning grout are ranked from the mildest to the strongest:
