How to repair your cracked tiles

Whether the cracked tile is at your bathroom or your living room, this surely doesn’t look good in your house. Water and other liquid can seep inside the crack and may even cause more damages to the other tiles as well.

You must carefully take out the cracked tile by chiseling it out. Make sure that you don’t do damage to the other tiles surrounding it. Once it is free from the old adhesive and grout that was used to put the tile before, you may now start pouring in the new grout as well as adhesive and press the crack-free tile. Let it sit for 24 hours and don’t let anyone step on it or wet it just yet.

Don’t forget to put a sealant in the surrounding areas of the new tile so that the water would not easily soak in it.

Tags: diy crack tile repair, diy home improvement tips, repairing cracked tiles

How to put tiles in your bathroom

Tiles are important in a bathroom because it can be easily cleaned, water resistant, and add an aesthetic value to the bathroom at the same time. But do you know that you can actually save thousands of dollars by installing these tiles yourself?

First of all, clear the bathroom with all the debris that remained from the construction of your bathroom.
Then carefully, lay out the tiles like the way you want to see it once it’s done. Only place the full tiles then start measuring the tiles that need to be trimmed.

There are now pre-mixed cements that you can use immediately just by adding water. Use it to put the tiles in place. See to it that the spaces in between these tiles are the same and the tiles must be aligned unless you have other design in mind.

Tags: bathroom tiles, DIY bathroom tiles

Maintaining a clean bed mattress

Unless you want bed bugs feasting all over your body, it is important that you pay attention to your mattress and clean it every now and then. Use a vacuum in order to take away the dust particles that are accumulated in the outer portions of your mattress. But of course, you must also clean the inner part of the mattress as well. How to do it? Take a wet rag then scrub it to your bed mattress. Let it air dry first then prepare it for vacuuming. Make sure that the mattress is totally dry. If there is moisture left inside, it can be a breeding ground for germs and other bacteria which may cause skin allergies to those who will be using it.

Tags: bed mattress, cleaning bed mattress, prevent bed bugs

Eliminate the stench in your new home

New homes have a distinct smell which cannot be pleasing to your sense of smell. It can be from the lifestyle of the previous owner or scent that they left when they had a party before they left the house. No matter what the smell is, it could really stink and it sucks if you would live with this smell the whole time.

You must see to it that you wash everything such as the doors, windows, floors, walls, and other parts of the house.

Clean and shampoo the carpet carefully. If the carpet already looks hopeless, just remove it and replace it with a new one if you wish.

Repaint the walls with a new primer.

Open all the windows so that the air could circulate in the house.

Tags: getting rid of home odor, home stench

Inexpensive toxic cleaning products for home cleaning

Of course commercial home cleaning products are also made up of toxic materials, which is why it is effective in taking out even the hardest stains in your home. But why buy these expensive materials when you can use these toxic materials as is. Just make sure that you have masks when using these toxic liquids to prevent difficulty in breathing or other accidents that these items may cause.

1. Ammonia – this works best for ovens and other surfaces with hard stains. However, you should not mix it with bleach and rinse it with hot soapy water to avoid the scent from lingering in your home.

2. Chlorine bleach – mix it with water to clean floors, showers, and areas in your home where molds build.

3. Rubbing alcohol – use this type of alcohol in windows, ceramic tiles, and even in your dirty candle collection.

Tags: effective home cleaning products, inexpensive cleaning products, toxic cleaning products

Non toxic cleaning products for your home Part II

But wait! There’s more! You have more options when it comes to home cleaning products and you can find all of these in your kitchen. This is best since it is all natural and no chemicals that may harm your family’s health.

Salt and lime juice can be mixed together to create an effective cleaning product. This is usually used to take away the rusts in the kitchen, bathroom, or even in some of your tools that are already rusted.

White vinegar can be an all-purpose cleaner. But because of the acid, it must be mixed with water so it would not ruin the façade of your furniture, sink, and others. It is also not advisable to be used on marbles and granites because it can damage the stone’s color due to the high level of acid.

Tags: cleaning products, homemade cleaning products, natural cleaning products

Non toxic cleaning products for your home Part I

There is no need to buy those home cleaning products from the latest infomercials. There are effective products that you can use to clean your home without using your credit card and calling companies offering various expensive products.

Baking soda can be used in cleaning surfaces and making it look like new. Try to leave the baking soda for at least 20 minutes then wipe it off afterwards. It can also be used as a deodorizer for your carpet and even in your refrigerator to get rid of that food stench.

Borax or sodium borate is best used to clean walls or any surface that has paint. You can simply mix it with water or vinegar. If you want to deodorize your wall at the same time, you can also mix a few spoons of baking soda.
If you want to have sparkly clean windows, clean your carpet, or just want to polish your furniture, then go for cornstarch. It is a powder type home cleaner that is not just cheap but effective at the same time.

Tags: cleaning products, homemade cleaning products, natural cleaning products

Got pets? Have a clean and flea-free home with these tips

Pet fleas are inevitable no matter how you clean your pet. But this does not mean that you can no longer have a home that is free from these fleas.

Spreading flea powder around the house may result to allergic reactions especially to the kids. Rather than putting flea powder in various parts of the house (sofa, carpet, etc.) put the powder inside the vacuum bag so it could kill the fleas that would be caught in the vacuum when you clean.

The bedding of your pet is where fleas are rampant. Clean it weekly and place it in a hot dryer to kill the fleas. Afterwards, put cedar chips – a natural flea repellant.

Flea traps can be done by putting a lamp in the middle of a shallow pan. The pan must be wide as well so you could put soapy water. The fleas will be attracted to the light and they will drown in the soapy water.

Tags: anti flea tips, clean house

How to remove water stains

If the water you are using is abundant in minerals, it may build up in your sink, tiles, glass, and others. This would give your home an old and grimy look.

Thankfully, there are different products that you can use so you could get rid of the water stains without spending a lot.

For hundreds of years, vinegar is considered as one of the most effective cleaning tools because of its natural acid. This can be used in cleaning hard water stains as well.

You can also use the hydrogen peroxide which can be easily availed in stores in taking those hard water stains. Some people use sprays to apply hydrogen peroxide to the affected part of the house and leave it for a few minutes.

There are also some who just wipe the hydrogen peroxide to the sink or other parts of the house and rub it until they remove the water stains.

But if you think that these inexpensive products don’t seem to work, you can always opt for products specially made for removing water stains.

Tags: diy home improvement tips, hard water stains, water stain removal

Overhead showers, a convenient way to take a bath

Showers are important in a bathroom unless you still want to deal with buckets and pail dippers. Depending on the type of the shower that you want to have, you have to prepare at least a thousand dollars or two just for this part of the house. However, overhead showers give you the convenience that you need especially if you are living in a house with kids and other adults.

Rather than filing up a tub just to complete your bath, showers can actually help you clean your body, rinse, and simple enjoy the luxury of bathing even if you are in a rush. If you think you can properly install thisve type of showers, then simply follow the manual and do the job yourself. As simple as it may seem, it would cost you about 5,000 bucks just to hire a contractor to install it for you.

Tags: bathroom shower