Spring cleaning has started. It’s time to get the dirt from the winter off and start clean. I’ve found 5 all natural cleaners I can’t live without while cleaning the house. These cleaners are much safer for us and our environment. I don’t have to spray the cleaner and run of out of the room. My house smells clean and fresh with no artificial smells.

1. Natural glass cleaner
• Biodegradable ingredients • Non-alkaline
• No phosphates or ammonia
• Contains natural ingredients (like white distilled vinegar) instead of caustic chemicals
• Uses a concentrated formula, so there is less waste going to recycle centers. The concentrated, biodegradable formula is effective on a multitude of surfaces, including:

• Glass • Windows • Aluminum • Stainless steel
• Chrome • Mirrors • Appliances

2. Natural floor/rug cleaner.
• Versatile cleaner replaces need for other, more dangerous cleaners
• No chlorine, ammonia or other caustic chemicals
• No toxic or unpleasant fumes—even when mixed with other EcoSense cleaners

Mixes Well With Others

Unlike many grocery store cleaners, you don’t have to worry about toxic fumes or dangerous reactions when you mix EcoSense cleaners with one another—in fact, it’s encouraged! A mix will tackle even the grimiest barbecue grills, and for taking out greasy stains on clothes.
• No-wax floors • Oven tops • Ventilation hoods
• Lawn mowers • Bicycle parts • Cement pads
• Barbecue grills • Car engines • Garage floors
• Decks • Outdoor furniture
3. Natural disinfectant.
When used as directed it effectively eliminates 99.99% of:

• Salmonella choleraesuis • Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB)
• Trichophyton mentagrophytes • HIV-1 (the AIDS virus)
(athlete’s foot fungus)

It’s effective on hard, nonporous surfaces, including:

• Countertops • Sinks • Garbage cans • Toilet seats
• Pet habitats • Prostheses & orthotics • Sports equipment
• Children’s toys • Changing tables • High chairs
• Food preparation surfaces
• Any other surface where bacteria or unpleasant odors are a concern

The patented broad-spectrum, disinfectant formula is EPA-approved for use in a wide variety of residential, commercial, and medical facilities, including:

• Day cares • Schools • Nurseries • Hospitals
• Nursing home • Food storage areas • Zoos & kennels
• Veterinary offices • Kitchens • Restaurants & bars
• Cafeterias • Fitness gyms and Spas • Hotels & motels
• Medical and dental offices • Health professional, chiropractic, &
physiotherapy clinics

4. Natural all purpose cleaner
• No chlorine bleach, ammonia or other caustic chemicals
• No abrasive cleaners that can pit or scratch surfaces
• Leaves behind no sticky residues, is effective on a lot more than just kitchen counters. Put its natural cleansing power to work on

• Countertops • Appliances • Pots & pans
• Lamps • Crafts • Cabinets
• Car interiors • Light fixtures • Artificial plants
• Computers • Walls • Whiteboards

5. Natural all purpose cleaner enhancer
• Biodegradable
• All-Natural
• Contains no caustic chemicals
• Is packaged in a recyclable bottle
Full-strength contains 10% Tree Tea Oil taking advantage of our Oils natural solvent, penetrating, non-caustic and aromatic properties.
• Gum in hair • Permanent Marker • Road Tar
• Tree sap • Crayon • Paint and fingernail polish
• Grease • Pet accidents
Use in a 5:1 water solution for:
• Deodorizing Garbage Cans • Eliminating moldy odors
• Freshening the bathroom • Removing smoke or pet odor from air and furniture • Treating pet accidents
Look at a typical household cleaner and you’re bound to find some rather shocking warnings

“Use in well-ventilated area”
“Avoid direct contact with product”
“Excessive inhalation can cause headache, drowsiness, nausea and lack of coordination.”

With warnings like these, it’s no wonder Poison Control Centers across the nation field over 200,000 calls each year involving household cleaning substances. Ours contains no caustic chemicals and can be mixed with other EcoSense cleaners without fear of formation of harmful gases.

Household chemicals can affect more than just the person using them. According to the EPA, household chemicals and other factors can make the air within a home more seriously polluted than the air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.(1)

Many common household cleaners can contain ammonia, phosphates, chlorine and other known offenders. Ecosense contains no ammonia, no phosphates, no chlorine and is made from all natural, biodegradable products.

If you have a large bathroom, choosing accessories requires a bit more detail. If the spacing is permitting, or large you want to consider possible construction, such as back-to-back small areas and larger spacing. Plumbing is essential as well, especially the lines. If you are choosing bathroom accessories for a small bathroom combined with a large bath, make sure that you consider such notion as outlined, since it will save you expenses.

If you have a bathtub and shower installed in the center room, you may want to consider storage, vanity, accessible storage space, etc. A wire-over tub basket will provide you additional spacing as well.

How to choose storage:
When choosing storage the purpose is to free up clutter. When considering storage you want to focus on the items in the room. For instance, if you store medications, cosmetics, linens, grooming items, appliances, etc, you want to consider storage for these items. If you have a medicine cabinet, it can help free up space, since you can store cosmetics and medicines in the storage area. Hairdryers and curling irons can clutter your bathroom countertop. Perhaps you want to consider bathroom accessories, such as hooks. Install the hooks and hang the appliances up away from your countertop. The wire-over baskets install on your tubs, which are great storage spacing for soap, bath toys, sponges, wash towels, etc. In the shower, you may want to install the wire-over to store your shampoo, shaving lotions, razors, conditioners, and so forth.

If you store your towels, linens, etc, in the bathroom, you may want to consider bathroom accessories, such as handy baskets. In addition, you can add extra shelves to store your accessories.

If you have a large family bath, consider installing dual vanity cabinets. Some vanity cabinets enable you to install 3-way mirrors, which is ideally for family rooms.

How should I choose storage for cleaning supplies?
If you have a large bathroom, you may want to install sink shelves if you do not have any installed already. If you have installed sink shelves, i.e. the cabinets beneath the sink you may want to purchase handy bathroom baskets, racks, or wired shelves. The bathroom accessories make nice hangers, which can clear up clutter and add more space to your cabinets.

If you have small children in the home, you may benefit from choosing bathroom accessories, which enable you to lock down the items that could put your child at risk. Animals also can benefit from the lock down bathroom accessories. I recommend you go online to search for such bathroom accessories.

At what time you finishing choosing your storage you may want to add flowers, baskets, etc to the run. The bathroom accessories will enhance the atmosphere.
In addition, you can choose bathroom remodel designs, add poppy motif, slipcovers for your furniture, and combine the accessories with flowery shower curtains and so on.

The sky is the limit today. You can choose a wide selection of bathroom accessories online, or else visit your local dollar general stores. Many dollar stores are open in many states, which you can purchase items, such as baskets, storage shelves, wire-over items, and more.

Additional bathroom accessories include fabric tips, such as skirted sink covers. If you have a flowery room, you may want to add white and green gingham fabrics to create a skirt. You can find books at the library to walk you through the steps of creating your own bathroom accessories, which will save you money. Popper borders make nice borders for your bathroom; as well, you can purchase bathroom accessories to offset the room. Try flowers and vase.

Simon Harris writes on fireplaces at: http://www.fireplace-expert.com.

See previous post: Carpet a Stairway

Begin the installation by nailing fastening strips at each riser-tread corner; wear work gloves. Measure the width of the stairway and subtract the part that will be covered by the carpet runner; divide by 2. This is the number of inches at each side of the stairs that won’t be covered. Measure in this distance from one side of the stairway at the base of each riser and the inside of each tread; mark each of these points with chalk or pencil. Then measure in the same way from the other side of the stairs. Measure each stair across from mark to mark to make sure you’ve measured accurately; the carpet runner will be centered on these marks.

Cut the strips to the width of the runner with a small handsaw. On each stair, nail a strip centered on the riser, teeth pointing down, 3/4 inch above the surface of the tread below it; use a 3/4-inch-thick piece of scrap wood to hold the strip in place as you nail it. Nail another strip centered on the tread, teeth pointing in to the riser above it, 5/8 inch out from the riser. You’ll end up with an open V of fastening strips at the back of each stair, straight or wedge shaped, with one strip near the floor at the bottom of the lowest riser and one at the back of the top tread. Don’t nail a strip onto the top riser.

After nailing the fastening strips, measure and mark the carpet padding. Measure the padding to the width of the carpet runner, less about ¼ inch so that it will be very slightly recessed under the carpet edge at each side. With a heavy scissors, cut a strip of padding to fit over each stair tread, long enough to wrap from the tread fastening strip around the tread and down about 2 or 3 inches onto the tread below it. Make a paper pattern to cut the padding for each wedge-shaped step; the padding must cover the tread, round the edge, and wrap over onto the riser below it.

Install the padding with staples. Center a trimmed piece of padding, waffle-patterned side up, on each tread, with its end butted against the fastening strip at the back of the tread. Staple the end of the padding to the tread, using a staple gun to set staples diagonally every 2 inches along the fastening strip. Stretch the other end of the padding out over the tread and down onto the riser below it; holding it evenly stretched, staple it into place. Use the paper pattern to cut padding for wedge-shaped stairs, and fasten the padding the same way.

Finally, unroll the carpet runner and drape it over the stairway, with the nap or pile leaning out and down from top to bottom. Winding stairways are treated as straight flights interrupted by wedge-shaped steps; lay the carpeting out over the bottom straight flight and up to the first wedge step. Pull the carpet runner into place from the bottom up, making sure that the nap or pile lies in the right direction (down) and that the carpet is positioned straight over the fastening strips and between the chalked centering marks on the stairs. Even a small skew at the bottom can magnify noticeably by the top of the stairway, so adjust the runner carefully.

Start fastening the carpeting at the bottom of the first riser. Position the end of the runner directly over the bottom fastening strip so that about 3/4 inch of carpet is turned up along the floor. Trim any uneven edges from the end of the runner with a sharp utility knife.

Push the point of an awl into the carpet at one side and use the awl to push the end of the carpet onto the fastening strip, leaving about 3/8 inch of loose carpet below the newly fastened edge. Smooth the carpet firmly into place along the strip, working across with the awl until the entire end has been fastened.

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See also great posts:

Vegetable culture
Get out more dirt
Home landscaping

Christmas is an extremely busy time of year. By the time you get you shopping done, gifts wrapped and your cookies and cakes baked, it’s likely you don’t have the energy left to put into extravagant decorating. Although less than energetic, you still want your home decorated for Christmas. After all, Christmas is just not the same without lights and decorations.

Decorating your home for Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. There are many things you can do and items you can use to dress up your home for this wonderful season. One suggestion when decorating your home for Christmas is using ribbon. If you have a decorating theme for Christmas, regarding color, choose ribbon to correspond with your theme. You can tie ribbons to all sorts of items in your home such as chair backs, wreathes, basket handles, stair railings and even doorknobs. Ribbons and bows are very festive. A good idea is to choose ribbon which can be easily untied and retied. This way you can reuse the ribbon another Christmas season.

Using holiday tableware is nice when decorating your home for Christmas. Search your home for anything Christmas, plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, any piece of tableware that has a Christmas theme. Make sure to use these items each and every meal, every day throughout the Christmas season. Another good idea is to buy a few pieces each year. In time you’ll have enough tableware to serve the entire community.

Lighting is important when decorating your home for Christmas. During the month of December turn off your lights. Make use of your candles in every room of your home. Place candles on the dining table, on the coffee and end tables in the living room and perhaps place a nice scented pillar candle in the bathroom. Don’t just put them there for decorations but also make sure to light them each night. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light it and enjoy it. A fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere which is nice when guests are visiting.

Decorating your home for Christmas should always include a Christmas tree. After decorating the tree with your homemade ornaments and strung popcorn, use the leftover branches to make arrangements for your home. Put the greens in a basket or bowl, add pinecones, bows and ornaments. Use the branches to make swags to hang over doors throughout your home. Take the evergreen sprigs and place them around your home, on windows, on a bookcase shelf or on a ledge. Evergreen branches and sprigs certainly reflect Christmas. Not only do they look nice but they spread a lovely aroma throughout the home.

Christmas is a time for celebrating. It’s a time to pull out all the stops. Snow is always nice for Christmas. When decorating your home for Christmas, why not use snow, artificial snow to add a sparkle to your home. Sprinkle it on the dining table, the hutch or the fireplace. Use ornaments which reflect light and hang them around your home, from doors or even indoor trees and plants. This will definitely look dazzling at night as the candle light flickers off the ornaments. Decorating your home for Christmas shouldn’t be a dreadful task but a delightful experience. One thing to remember when decorating your home for Christmas is not to over-think your plan. Keep it simple because simplicity is elegant and beautiful.

Decorating a log cabin or even a cottage, usually takes in the country theme. Keeping with the various aspects of nature and its simplicity and freshness, a log cabin ought to provide peace and tranquility. Most log cabins are in the forest or country areas. Using a country style would mean bringing the beauty of the outside, inside. Decorating a log cabin or a cottage shouldn’t be too difficult using the country theme since the ideas and color schemes sitting right outside the window.

Using nature as an example when decorating a log cabin, using natural wood for flooring and furniture would definitely fit. Birch, pine or cedar would certainly compliment any space especially a log cabin or cottage. To keep the natural look of the wood, you could choose to leave it in its original form or using stain would give the wood a rustic look. Whether you are choosing authenticity or a newer look, wood is surely the best choice when decorating a log cabin.

You may decide to bring old furniture from home to your log cabin or cottage. Using slip covers for the couch or chairs can help make the furniture look new. If decorating a log cabin, you may choose to paint the furniture. This too will give it a fresh new appearance. When choosing colors for slip covers or paint, you might consider warm colors in light to medium shades. Yellows, browns or terracotta add warmth to a space. When you’re decorating a log cabin, the emphasis is generally focused on warmth and cosiness. A log cabin doesn’t require paint for the walls, however if you’re decorating a cottage, you might pick similar colors for your walls.

Fabrics to use when decorating a log cabin should probably include bold colors and nature themes. Floral patterns are also nice in a cottage or log cabin setting. You could use these fabrics in window coverings, bedspreads or throws and slip covers. To keep with the theme of nature, you could choose accessories taken from the outdoors such as dried flowers or pieces of old wood made into candle holders. People tend to gather things from the outdoors while on a hike or stroll along the river. These items can be used as accessories as well as mementos.

When decorating a log cabin or cottage, one factor which isn’t really important is your budget. This type of decorating can incorporate items from home or even those picked up at a flea market or garage sale. Handmade trinkets and decorations are also nice when decorating a log cabin. As long as the accessories help to achieve the overall goal of warmth and an atmosphere that is welcoming, any items chosen are fine. A log cabin or cottage is a place designed for relaxation. When decorating a log cabin or cottage, this should be kept in mind. Whatever makes you happy and helps create a space you enjoy and feel comfortable in, go with it. Just remember to have fun.

By the time you choose a style or theme or for decorate your home, there are quite many to choose from and country

home decorating is to be the most popular decorating themes. Maybe it`s the most popular caused by the invite atmosphere and entire friendly feeling. The country home decorating -because of its warm environment, is enjoyed by the people who live there and all those who visit also.

Like any home decorating projects, the home owner should first decide which one they want to use the country home decorate. Some of us will choose to use this theme throughout their whole home. Other will decide to use country home decorating focuse on two or just one room such as living room and kitchen room.

Some homeowners may decide to carry the country decorating theme through the entire living space. This because this style is meant for people who enjoy simplicity and the nature.Country home decorating combines colors which are clean and bright with country furniture and accessories. When choosing colors for country home decorating, light to medium shades of white, yellow, pink, green or brown are good choices. Colors should reflect a rustic feeling. To add to the painted walls, a homeowner or decorator may decide to use stencils with country character such as flowers or plants, fruits or vegetables. Wallpaper boarders are also often used in country home decorating. It is fine to use these additions but the rule of thumb is – to make sure the patterns do not clash.

In keeping with a rustic and simple theme, country home decorating uses wood – natural wood. When deciding on a material for a country floor, natural wood is a nice choice. Of course using natural wood throughout a large area can be costly. If looking for a less-expensive way to give floors a country look, a light shade of carpet might be considered or laminate flooring. These options would also work well with the country home decorating theme. Other suggestions for country floors are flagstone or tile. Some homeowners, if they’re really creative, decorate their floors with stencils and create patterns. Another great way to jazz up a space is to use area rugs. In keeping with the country home decorating theme, those with an authentic look create a warm and cozy feeling. Hooked, quilted and braided rugs make beautiful additions to a country floor.

When choosing furniture to compliment country home decorating, light wood or wicker is suggested. Again, these materials reflect the beauty of nature. If a homeowner or decorator decides fabric would accent their furniture, such as cushions or slip covers, floral patterns or checkered fabrics add to the authentic look.

Accessorizing a space always adds to its beauty. When buying accessories to fit in with a country home decorating theme, it is good to keep in mind the type of atmosphere you are trying to create, a warm and inviting space. Simplicity goes a long way in country home decorating. It is recommended to never use too many decorations and choose accessories that family and friends will enjoy. Photos in simple wooden frames, plain mirrors, plants and scented candles dress up country home decorating. Window treatments should also be simple. Lace or shutters give a cozy country feel. Country home decorating can be interesting and fun. Perhaps the main detail to keep in mind is simplicity. Try not to over-decorate, remember too many patterns will clash. Too many decorations will eliminate the amount of space in a room. Country home decorating creates a relaxing and friendly environment, meant to be warm and cozy.