Staging our Green-Cleaned Home
When staging your home for sale there's no second chance to make a first impression! Cleanliness sells! You can make your own cleaning products, get rid of toxic products, and avoid toxic exposure while preparing your home to attract an enthusiastic buyer.
Fortunately there are now quite a few non-toxic cleaning products available to us in our search for safe solutions for a healthier life. But we must also beware of unsubstantiated green claims. Try making some of your own cleaners. It's simple to do and will probably remind you of what your grandma used.
Here's your basic shopping list:
- white vinegar - great for cutting grease because of its acidity; use for windows and mirrors and on laminate or wood floors
- lemon juice - another edible, grease-cutting acid and it also smells fresh
- baking soda - open a box in your fridge to absorb odors; besides deodorizing, it also can be used to soften water and to scour
- washing soda - like baking soda but it also disinfects
- Borax - cleans, deodorizes, disinfects
- Castile soap - find the one made exclusively from vegetable oils
- orange drink crystals - great for scrubbing toilet bowls, bathtubs and sinks
- soap flakes - their molecules attract dirt on one end but are water soluble on the other end
Your shopping list will save you dozens of dollars and the gentle earth will thank you!
At the same time do your best to avoid cleaning products that contain:
- clichlorine or common household bleach
- EDTA or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- ethylene glycol
- formaldehyde
- nitrilotriacetic acid or NTA
- nonylphenol ethoxylate or NPE
- phosphates
- silica
Be especially vigilant with degreasers, moth balls, oven cleaners, spot removers, cleaning fluids,paint thinners, and paint strippers.
Recipe for Furniture Polish
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
shake up in a squirt bottle and apply with a soft cloth
Recipe for Fabric Softener
1 cup of vinegar in rinse cycle
Bar Cabinets
"Martini...shaken not stirred" 007
Can you imagine a 5 o'clock mini-bar in the entertainment area of your home? If you are often the "host with the most" consider a Cosmopolitan Bar equiped with a sink! Perhaps you have a home-based business but need to meet with clients in a professional but relaxed atmosphere. This addition to your home or office would definitely lend ambiance to your late afternoon, pre-dinner rendez-vous.
Bar cabinets come as elaborate as a white leather showcase bar to as simplistic as a one-piece free-standing screen. You can wrap your room in a bunching cabinet, bar included, for a library appearance - very posh!
Choose a wood bar and enjoy the natural beauty of walnut or mahogany. The materials available and designs conceived are as ample as martini recipes! Sip cocktails while telling tales around your own bar cabinet, be it exotic or rustic, traditional or hip! Enjoy fresh, healthy, virgin blender drinks with your elbows on the bar after your workout!
Cheers!
Patio Perfect
Outdoor spaces are extensions of indoor places! At the same time, when you step outdoors there should be a definite shift in ambiance. When creating the perfect patio, embrace the elements to contribute to a sensual indoor-outdoor vibe. Some great ideas include:
adding a portable wall fountain or even a bird bath - water is so relaxing and has the added benefit of attracting beautiful creatures
bringing in a firepit or a fireplace - fire is warming in the cool evening air and sets a blissful tone
lighting with metal lanterns - practical and romantic after-sunset glow
accessorizing with potted plants - color, scent, texture, and density enhance your lush lounge
Think outside the box! Avoid right angles and go for curves when designing seating and dividing up the space. Have a dining area and a sit/chat area. Arrange things so that the focus is on the view. No view? Focus on the firepit or the wall fountain! Better yet, paint your own mural of a view you delight in.
Be sure your outdoor furniture reads lounge, not living room. Your patio decor should encourage relaxed living. Try woven rugs, tapestry pillows, bamboo blinds, swaths of fabric over your sun umbrella, and soft-to-the-skin blankets. All have their roles in sun and shade.
Final touches: seashell salt and pepper shakers, rattan-wrapped glasses, steel ice-buckets...let your imagination go! Invite summer in and you'll be glad you did!
