Sprucing Up Your House for the Holidays
BWS Design • December 5, 2016
Now that the holiday season is upon us, many families will be welcoming guests into their homes. If you’re like most people, you probably worry about your home being clean and welcoming enough for holiday guests. But if you put in the needed time to clean and prepare your home for guests before they arrive, you can enjoy them more, knowing they’re comfortable and relaxed. Here are a few tips for sprucing up your home for holiday guests.
The Kitchen
Because the kitchen is where your guests will probably be gathering to socialize and munch on holiday goodies, it’s crucial that this room looks and smells as fresh and clean as possible.
- To clean sinks, use a soft rag or nylon sponge, along with mild soap or an all-purpose glass cleaner. Don’t use abrasive cleaners, bleach or ammonia on stainless steel because this can compromise the finish.
- Get rid of any unpleasant kitchen odors, such as those coming from your garbage disposal. One way to freshen a garbage disposal is by chopping up a lemon, including the rind, and then throwing it down your disposal.
- To sharpen disposal blades, throw in a few small ice cubes. Be sure your kitchen garbage container smells good, so hose it down. Then, once it’s dry, spray it with an air freshener.
- To clean oven and stove-tops, use water and baking soda to scrub off caked-in goo.
Guest Rooms
- Adorn beds with decorative quilts or comforters, along with fluffy pillows.
- Consider installing lightweight sheers or woven blinds that can usher in morning sunlight.
- Launder bedspreads and shake dirt out of throw rugs.
- Include interesting magazines and reading material on bed-stands.
- If possible, set up a TV on the dresser for guests who stay up late.
- Remove any clutter.
Windows and Window Coverings
- To clean windows, use a commercial product or a water and vinegar solution. After spraying the windows, wipe them with a clean rubber-bladed squeegee. Work from the top to the bottom, making sure the squeegee is angled toward the base of the window.
- Clean window screens so that all grime is removed. Rather than taking down your screens and hosing them down, you can simply use a dust-brush attachment from your vacuum cleaner to remove dust. The quickest and most effective method is going side to side and top to bottom.
- Although cleaning curtains manually entails more work than just tossing them into a washer, hand-washing them reduces the likelihood of shrinkage, and it’s the best option for delicate fabrics.
- On the other hand, don’t wash heavy fabrics by hand as it’s harder to remove the water.
- Steam clean curtains made of exceptionally heavy materials.
- If you don’t have time to dry clean your curtains or drapes, you could still freshen them up by spraying them with fabric refresh spray. After gently shaking the fabric, stand back a few feet and spray the drapes. Then, shake the fabric once more.
Bathrooms
- Prepare guest bathrooms by making sure there are plenty of clean hand and bath towels, so your guests don’t have to ask for them. You don’t want them to use your old, ratty-looking, everyday towels.
- Remove all film and soil, using an all-purpose bathroom cleaner. Stubborn deposits can be removed with a soft-scrub cleaning product
- Launder shower and window curtains.
- To get rid of deposits on shower floors and eliminate bathtub rings, use abrasive scrubbing pads. It helps to use an old toothbrush to remove stubborn deposits that have built up around faucets and tub fixtures.
- Using a disinfecting spray to sanitize toilets, spray the seat, toilet rims and bowel exterior. Then, use a fresh cleaning cloth to wipe your toilet clean and dry.
Considerations and Warnings
- For best results, clean your windows on a cloudy day because direct sunlight can cause the cleaner to dry too rapidly, which can leave streaks on windows.
- To clean baseboards, use a sponge that’s been dipped into a solution of dish soap and warm water. Vinegar also works well in scrubbing away blemishes.
- Homemade bathroom cleaners do a better job of keeping your bathrooms shiny and clean without subjecting them to harsh chemicals.
- Dust all light fixtures and remove cobwebs from ceilings.
One of the main household items that guests notice is window coverings. Regardless of how well you try to clean old drapes and blinds, sometimes you just need to replace your window coverings. Don’t hesitate to call Just Blinds. We have a wide range of high quality window treatments for every room in your home. Please contact us and learn more about our various products.
Expert Advice by Just Blinds
Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world. Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.
We all know and understand the concept of installing outdoor shades on a patio. It is the classic way to create a cool and comfortable space for yourself and your friends to spend some quality time together outdoors. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is limiting to think that the patio is the only part of one's property where outdoor shades are appropriate. There are some surprising and unexpected places where homeowners have taken to installing outdoor shades recently. We want to take a look at some of these to provide you with ideas for your next home improvement project. 1) Balconies Some homes are built quite close together, and some homeowners naturally feel like they would like to do more to protect their privacy. Although their neighbors might not intentionally be looking through their balconies, it is easy for the human eye to drift. Thus, some city-dwelling homeowners have made the choice to install outdoor shades in this area. On top of keeping prying eyes off of your property, outdoor shades also block the sun rays from your balcony as well creating a more comfortable space to spend some time. 2) Outdoor Kitchens One of the most delightful social experiences that someone can have is to invite over a large group of friends for a meal cooked outside. It gives everyone the opportunity to share stories, laughes, and a bit of food all at the same time. Of course, this is best done in an outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor kitchen is a space where you should feel comfortable and have the ability to entertain a large group of people all at the same time. This means looking at installing outdoor shades to provide an extra layer of protection from the heat of the sun. Thus, this has become another area where homeowners are quickly installing outdoor shades. 3) Poolside Lounges Now we are really talking! Who doesn't love to kick back with their favorite cold beverage and spend some time relaxing next to the pool? That is what you can enjoy more completely when you set up a poolside lounge with outdoor shades. Poolside lounges are meant to be a place where you can spend several hours at a time. However, it can get pretty hot while doing so if you don't put some outdoor shades in place. Get those shades up so you can let all of your worries melt away as you take in the smell of pool water and sunscreen. 4) Garden Areas Do you enjoy a little gardening in your downtime? You might like it even more after setting up outdoor shades that protect you from the excessive heat of the sun. Gardening is labor-intensive work and can take several hours of diligent labor to do it properly. However, you don't want to overextend yourself and end up getting physically overworked. Keeping some of the sun away is an excellent way to ensure that you don't overdo it. Just make sure that you check up on the sunlight needs of the various plants that you intend to put into your garden before installing outdoor shades. 5) Exterior Windows Did you know that it is possible to reduce your energy bills by installing outdoor shades? It's true! If you place outdoor shades on the exterior windows of your home, you can reduce the strain placed on your air conditioning by naturally reducing the overall temperature within your living space. This means less money out of your pocket and more money for working on your next project. There are many interesting places where homeowners are installing outdoor shades these days. For more creative ideas on what you can do with yours, reach out and contact us now.