This holiday cleaning tips post is brought to you by Swiffer® as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post.

If your home is like mine, trying to keep the floors clean can be a challenging job. In my home the kitchen tile floor has always been one of those rooms that I can’t seem to keep clean for than a day after I clean it! Between food dropped from cooking, my kids always missing the trash can and the food stains around it, or just the general wear of foot traffic, the kitchen floor is my biggest pain. So I was excited to get the chance to use the new SteamBoost Steam Mop from Swiffer.

We have been using Swiffer wet mops for years – you know the one that is the handle rectangle mop and then you connect the disposable wet wipes to the mop? What I never liked was that sometimes the amount of elbow grease needed to get up stains was awful. So the idea of steam to pull up dirt and grime is what I’m looking forward to.

Here are a few features of the SteamBoost Steam Mop from Swiffer

• The Swiffer BISSELL® SteamBoost is a steam mop that deeply penetrates dirt and helps remove messes mops can leave behind. Fill it with water, attach a Steam Pad and plug it in. No other cleaning solutions are needed.
• The special Steam Pads have a steam-activated, dirt-dissolving cleaning solution that pulls dirt from surfaces and locks it away. SteamBoost is light, easy to use and safe on tile, finished wood and laminate floors.*

See how I used the SteamBoost Steam Mop

1. Sweep up loose debris and dirt from your resilient floor first.

2. Place a wipe on the bottom of the SteamBoost mop and attach in the four corners

3. Pour water into the reservoir and then plug in. Squeeze the trigger handle to release the steam. The blue indicator light will come on in the front.

4. I found it most helpful to apply the steam as you clean up the tough spots, but I think just the wipe cleaned up my occasional dirty spots easy too! Behind my trash can was cleaned with little effort, Yay!

Here’s a few of my favorite holiday cleaning tips:

1. Walk through your home with a visitor’s eye, making notes of any imperfections you may be used to but guests may notice, such as houseplants with dead leaves.
2. Have your family help with household chores to make it easy on everyone.
3. Clean your home the day BEFORE a party or festivity so your home is rid of cleaning products smell.
4. Straighten bedrooms; remove clutter and donate items that are cluttering your home.
5. Clean bathrooms and kitchen floors with steam to ensure dirt is removed thoroughly
6. Clean range or stove top, surfaces, and grates.
7. Clean out the refrigerator, making room for party foods; dust top of refrigerator.
8. Wipe down all large and small appliances and kitchen cabinets
9. Wash throw rugs; set aside so they are nice and fluffy for party day.
10. Vacuum your home the day of the party to ensure all small dirt items are removed from your carpet.

This sponsored post was brought to you by Swiffer®. For a limited time, get a $15 prepaid card when you purchase a SteamBoost Steam Mop Starter Kit between 11/24/13 and 12/31/13. Swiffer BISSELL® SteamBoost combines a dirt-dissolving cleaning solution with the power of steam for a deep clean that gets messes mops can leave behind. Also be sure to like Swiffer on Facebook and follow @swiffer on Twitter.

For more Holiday ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

In our efforts to be green we also tend to think about our ‘quality’ of life. But even the most cared-for home needs routine deep cleaning. The areas not usually cleaned during your routine cleaning, can sit for seasons collecting dust, dirt, and grime. Here are a few tips for those days of making the inside of your home immaculate.

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I have a few tips that will help you get your home truly clean in no time.

First use inexpensive non-toxic products

Cleaning your home with natural products will provide a deep clean that is free of toxins left behind that may be putting your family’s health at risk. These will have your home smelling fresh and not like the artificial overpowering scent of chemical laden disinfectants. Natural ingredients pose no risk to your family and require no warning labels.
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I am a fan of prevention in any scenario. My first tip is to eliminate clutter before you start. It will not only make it much easier to clean your home if there is less stuff, it will make it easier to maintain the hard work that you’ve done. It will also allow you clearly see the amount of things that are not being used, but that can benefit someone else.

Now that you’re armed with that vinegar mixture, lemon juice, baking soda, and other natural dirt busters the next few tips will help you make the most effective use of your time while deep cleaning.

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Break your cleaning into manageable pieces.

If at all possible spread the cleaning over several days. When you don’t feel the need to see the completed picture all at once, it will allow you to really concentrate on the areas at hand that day. Focusing on one room at a time allows you to de-clutter and thoroughly clean before moving to the next.

Another well known- tip is to clean the high areas first to avoid having to repeat cleaning of lower items. It’s better to work from the top to the bottom. You don’t want to have a perfectly polished table only to have to clean it again because of falling dirt. Creating a plan of cleaning top to bottom, back to front, and left to right promotes maximum efficiency also. Make every move count.

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Another solution for deep cleaning is to try to clean regularly.

Instead of that routine speed cleaning, decide to do one thing now that will reduce the amount of time that it take doing it when deep cleaning. You can do things like dust the floorboards during one weekly cleaning session. Take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to clean and enjoy the windows. If you stay on top of things like this regularly, when you set aside that dreaded “spring- cleaning,” time, you’ll find that you need a little less elbow grease cleaning thins that are just a little dirty as opposed to if they have caked on dirt from seasons of neglect.

With kids, packed schedules, and the rapid speed of life, I also recommend (if you have the need and means) hiring a service, such as the house cleaning services Grand Rapids MI. You can hire companies like these who are eco-friendly, leave for a few hours, and return to a sparkling, dust and toxin free environment.

Try these tips and find a few more to help you deep clean your home efficiently and naturally.

For more home renovation ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

In April of this year when I attended the Sandra Lee event in NYC to introduce her great line of kitchen houseware products I found many awesome products on our visit. The other bloggers and myself went to a New Jersey Sears to see all of Sandra’s products but we also had cooking demonstratons by other housewares representatives and Hamilton Beach was my favorite.

Hamilton Beach has always been a main staple in my home from when I was in college and getting my first can opener, blender and other small home appliances, they have always had good quality products that are affordable. I was most impressed with Hamilton Beach’s answer to a great cup of coffee for the morning person and for those who may snooze in later but still want coffee waiting on them!

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The Scoop 2-Way Brewer was sent to me last week from Hamilton Beach and my family loved it. While I’m not a huge coffee drinker, my oldest college-bound son is and my mother is a coffee coniseur for sure! She especially loved the mini basket brewing area for the single cup coffee side.

It was a treat to be able to use a well thought out product that has a programmable timer and great tasting coffee at the same time. I encourage you to give it a try! Here’s a link to the .pdffor all the specifics on HB_TheScoop 2-Way Brewer49980

Here are the Good Thinking® Features:

Two Ways to Brew

Perfect for both personal use and for entertaining this unique coffeemaker brews either a single cup or a full pot. When you need a single cup on the go, choose the one cup option. Brew right into the included travel mug or into your own mug. For the days you want to enjoy cup after cup of coffee, choose the 12 cup full pot option. Now you can brew into a traditional carafe or into a single cup, the choice is yours.

Scoop and Brew 

It’s that simple with the unique scoop that measures and filters your favorite ground coffee.

Coffee Variety

Like the convenience of pods? No worries, you can use your favorite brand of pod coffee and brew either one or two pods for a personal cup experience. And with the brew
strength selector you can choose regular or bold brew settings for both sides of the coffee maker.

Brew in Advance

Whichever way you decide to brew, this fully programmable coffee maker lets you program the brew time up to 24 hours in advance. It also has a two hour auto shutoff.

Thanks Hamilton Beach, what a great way to satisfy everyone in the home.. no matter when you wake up!

For more kitchen ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Note: A promotional product was given to me for a product review.

Once thought of as near extinct, bed bugs surprised the entire world by making a huge comeback and wreaking havoc in an increasing number of bedrooms in hotels and homes across the country.

The problem with these pesky and miniscule crawlers is that they can run undetected in even the most guarded and luxurious of hotel rooms leaving you with more than just beautiful memories to take home.

Bed bugs are creatures of the night that prey on your blood as you lay soundly asleep. With their saliva acting as a natural anesthetic, they are silent pests that would leave you bit to pieces without even knowing it.

Image via: My Foot Print Store

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Bed bugs can spread from home to home at an alarming rate and while you can take all the necessary precautions to keep them off, these cunning creatures can leave hundreds of eggs behind and the whole cycle begins. Thankfully, a new breed of repellents that are safe and effective are likewise taking over the market. Manufactured with natural ingredients coming from herbs and plants that are known to be toxic to pests but completely safe to humans, these natural bed bug products will help you re-gain back control over your home.

Here we round up 3 of the best and most trusted names in bed bug extermination.

1. Best Yet

Rated by far as one of the most effective in controlling bed bugs, Best Yet Insect Spray is probably just that, the best defense against these cunning crawlers. Manufactured by CedarCide Industries, Best Yet has a lasting effect in managing both adult bugs and the larvae they leave behind.

Primary created with melted quartz rock and cedar oil, Best Yet is extra powerful in hunting down even the most persistent of unwanted guests but as they are made from natural resources, you can rest assured that it won’t harm the rest of your household.

The active ingredients in Best Yet Bug Sprays can work well on almost any surfaces, from your mattresses to hardwood floors. What’s more this natural pesticide can also eliminate other unwanted visitors in your home such mosquitoes, ticks, lice, flies and mites.

2. Bed Bug Patrol

If you want them down quick and easy then Bed Bug Patrol is the right product for you. Guaranteed to kill these pesky blood suckers in minutes, this fast acting pesticide is chemical free and eco-friendly. Crafted from essential plant extracts, the formula contains a potent combination of Mentha Piperita, Euginia Carophylla, and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate that will leave pests gasping for their last breath.

Image via: Pottery Barn

3. Kleen Green

Specifically designed to eliminate bed bugs, Kleen Green utilizes the potency of natural enzymes to bring down the reign of these bed-infesting pests. As opposed to poisons that targets an insect’s nervous system, Kleen Green causes insects to die instantly without giving their body enough time to resist it.

While it may not boast of long term effects, Kleen Green prides itself with being the safest and most cost-effective. Together these three make up the triumvirate of the best natural products to put a stop to bed bug infestation.

Carla is a writer for Bedbugs.org. You can find more information on natural bedbugs spray by visiting us anytime.

For more bedroom & living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Today, Lisa showcases her highlights of what she saw at this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry show which I couldn’t attend, as I was in NYC for the Sandra Lee event. So I was excited to hear that Lisa wanted to share some of her great finds with my readers!

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A couple of weeks ago while attending the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) I nearly tripped over myself as my body was cruising the aisles and my eyes felt the magnetic pull of a new product at the Formica booth.  As a designer my search for innovative, new and cool was complete but unexpected, in a booth about laminate countertops.

Solid granite or stone countertops are not inexpensive and can be too costly for many homes and downright inappropriate for others.  However, with the new Ideal Edge from Formica the look is now available at a fraction of the cost.

Ideal Edge eliminates the dreaded brown line so often the key identifier of a laminate countertop.  Plus, contractors can finally achieve an attractive finished edge on all sides.  By using either the Ogee or Bullnose edge, laminate has just been elevated to a whole new level.

But wait there’s more…

Homeowners have often balked when contractors use a mitered corner. So Formica also introduced 5 new colors to their 180FX line of laminates, available only through contractors, (seen in the first pic and below) which mimic the visual graining and life of a full granite slab.  Yep, this means they come in sizes up to 5’ x 12’.

Dolce Vita 180FX Bullnose

Visually one can’t tell the difference unless you are up close and personal and looking for it.  These new options bring laminate into the current century and allow homeowners options beyond what was once unaffordable.

Blanca Luna 180FX Bullnose

Silver Travertine with Ogee edge

Formica has provided stylish and upscale options for the homeowner on a limited budget looking to update their kitchen or bath for their own use or resale.  Now one can do a respectable remodel at a fraction of the cost.

This new Formica gives granite a run for its money without running away with yours!

Other than the first and third image, all images are courtesy of Formica Corporation.

Lisa M. Smith is an interior designer, color maven and artist shares the design world with you. Interiors involve textures and layers, so does her blog – The Decor Girl.  Join her there where she talks about color, interiors, architecture, art, cars, fashion, travel and what ever else seems interesting at the moment. You can follow Lisa on Twitter – @TheDecorGirl

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Many people have not been kind to Mother Nature and now she is fighting back. The temperatures are climbing, the glaciers are melting and the weather patterns are fluctuating. As the world’s population of 7 billion people generate tons of trash on a daily basis, space is running out in landfills to accommodate these. However, more and more individuals are now going green and are conscious of their activities’ impact to the environment.

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Lately, numerous families have begun to adopt the reduce, reuse and recycle initiative. These three Rs are environment-friendly ways to lessen a person’s carbon footprint. It aims to reduce the trash generated, reuse still usable albeit old items and to recycle different kinds of materials so they can be made into other useful things. Recycling in particular, is extremely useful because it is also lessens the need to use natural resources for manufacturing purposes.

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Recyclable Items

Recycling refers to the processing of waste materials into new products. It is beneficial to the environment because it reduces the need to use new natural resources, it lowers the use of energy, decreases the amount of air and water pollution and minimizes the amount of greenhouse gases generated.

Fortunately, there are a lot of recyclable materials out there. You can start this activity at home and you can ask every member of your family to join in. First you must establish a place in your house where to put the recyclable items like beside the trash can in your kitchen. You should also get a different container for each type so it will be easier to sort.

Aluminum

Aluminum is commonly found in soda and beer cans and aluminum foil. Aluminum is remelted and remade to be used again; it does not take a lot of electricity to recycle this material when compared to converting bauxite ore into aluminum. When less power is used, less carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere.

Paper

Paper is one of the most common recyclable items. Paper is found virtually everywhere, in food packaging, newspapers, and junk mail. If you have sheets of used paper in your house, you can use the opposite side of the sheets; you can also pile up your old newspapers and bring them to the recycling plant which they will use to make new paper products.

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Glass

Another recyclable material is glass. Just like aluminum, it does not take a lot of energy to recycle glass when compared to manufacturing it from raw materials. Just make sure that the glass you discard are clean and does not smell of food lest your recycling bins attract pests. If you do not want to discard your glass jars, you can use it for food storage.

Aside from doing Mother Nature some good, you can also get money for your recycled materials. Some recycling companies offer cash for your recycled items. Other people rely in their local government to have a recycling initiative by implementing a curbside recycling scheme.

Other Tips for Going Green

Aside from recycling in your home, you can also do other green practices. When you shop for groceries, make sure that the packaging can be recycled and buy products that are made from recycled materials. You can also turn your organic waste into compost so you can have natural fertilizer for your garden. Moreover, turn off and unplug all unused appliances to lessen your energy consumption.

This article was  written by Robert Kirk who works as an SEO Consultant for  Lothian Skip Hire who supply Skip hire to customers throughout the central Scotland.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! Have you experienced water or moisture damage to your hardwood flooring? Even if you haven’t yet, would you know how to repair your current floor if you did?

Today, our Guest Blogger gives tips for repairing yours and what products are good for the care and upkeep of your beautiful hardwood floors.

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Guest Blog – Repairing Hardwood Flooring after a Flood

Water is the greatest nemesis of your beautiful hardwood floor. Even a minor spill could damage the surface of some of the most resilient hardwood floor products.  Hence, you should always ensure that the surface of your hardwood floor is dry and free of moisture.  Accidents are inevitable and whether you like it or not, they do occur. It is best to prepare yourself for a “rainy” day and keep the necessary equipment ready to deal with spillage.

While minor spills and accidents can be avoided, natural disasters are unforeseen and cannot be prevented, Hurricane Katrina being a sterling example of nature’s wrath. Many houses with hardwood floor products were destroyed and swept away during the incident. Imagine if your hardwood floor was submerged by a flood, what would you do? Here are some measures which you can take to salvage the hardwood floor products in your home after a massive flood:

• Remove excess moisture – After being completely submerged, your hardwood floor would have become soggy and ridden with moisture. Immediately begin wiping the surface with a thick absorbent cloth. Then using your hoover, vacuum dry the area thoroughly. There are special hoovers available in the market which is specifically meant for removing moisture from your hardwood floor.
• Cleansing – Once your hardwood floor is dry, you should cleanse it by removing all the mud and accumulated silt caused by the flood. Using a soft brush and non foaming detergent, gently scrub the floor. The detergent would effectively remove all the stubborn mud and silt and render your hardwood floor spic and span.
• Sanding – Quite often after drying your hardwood floor, the wood surface tends to either cave in or protrude upwards. This phenomenon is called “cupping” where the wood expands due to the moisture. In such a situation first you need to turn off the heating in your home and sand the surface of your hardwood floor products. This would smooth out its surface and level the bumps in the wood.
• Alkaline solution – Wood that has been exposed to excess moisture usually develops mold and mildew on its surface and interiors. This can severely damage your hardwood floor. If your hardwood floor products show signs of mold, then immediately wash the surface with an alkaline solution consisting of washing soda and water. This is an effective way to clean up and remove all the mold and fungi that might have formed on the surface of your hardwood floor.

How to deal with a “buckled” hardwood floor?

Buckling occurs when the top surface of your hardwood floor gets dislodged from its sub floor. Flooding can cause this to happen and destroy the foundations of your hardwood floor. Depending on the extent of damage, if it is a minor problem you can fix it by hammering a few nails which would put it back in place again. However, in the event of buckling, it is best to consult a professional.

Salvaging a hardwood floor is no easy task. It could take up to a month in renovations and repair to restore a hardwood floor back to its mint condition. The ultimate joy of redeeming your hardwood floors to its natural sheen however an incentive in itself for every homeowner is and would save you a great deal of money if you had to replace it with a new flooring installation.

Eric Hurst writes for National Hardwood Flooring, an online flooring retailer with years of experience in discount flooring and other floors that are weather resistant.

For more hardwood flooring ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

In recent years, the push towards green cleaning and keeping our homes and families safe has grown greater. While you may know its good for the environment and your family/home, do you know how to save money in your bathroom by ‘going green’?

Today, my Guest Blogger, Swan Griffin, gives helpful tips to help your bathroom go green, and also save some money in the process.

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In recent years, going green has been emphasized every where. This is part of a nationwide effort to sustain the delicate environment we live in. People do not see the benefit of going green, because in their everyday lives, the impact of wasteful living is not readily apparent. Honestly speaking, being more environmentally concerned is not a cheap initial investment in some cases. But in the long run, it is saves money and is beneficial to our future generation.

One place to go green in your home is in with your bathroom fixtures. Approximately 30% of your daily water usage comes from your toilet alone. When remodeling your bathroom, install low flow water efficient toilets.You can save hundreds of dollars a year on your water bill. In toilets installed prior to 1994, the water usage per flush is around 3.5 gallons. An water efficient toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush or less. I use a dual flush toilet which lets the user push a button to alternate exactly much water is used per flush. One button uses .8 gallons of water for liquid waste and 1.6 gallons for solid waste.

If you are not keen on the idea of buying a whole new toilet, there is a Do-It-Yourself low cost method to save water. Simply find some rust resistant ½” washers and attach them to the flush plug in your toilet securely (where they attach depends on whether you have a tilt plug or a float plug). The weight on the end of the plug causes it to close faster, therefore causing less water to be used. Now when you flush, hold the handle longer for solid waste and shorter for liquid.

Another big way to go green in your home is to clean in a eco-friendly manner. Try to use natural cleaners like baking soda and vinegar or find products that are Green Seal certified. Green Seal is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to sustaining our environment by developing standards for companies and products to abide by. A product line I recommend that is certified is Simple Green. Simple Green cleaners are biodegradable, non-toxic environmentally friendly products that can be used on any surface.

Swan is a marketer for Supplyhero.com, a large internet discount janitorial/industrial supply company. For these and many more green products for your home or business please visit http://www.supplyhero.com

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Your home has the ability to be at its greatest when it performs well, can keep your family safe, and protect the environment. Today, I thought I would show you 3 of the 25 of This Old Houses’ – ’25 Healthy Home Products.’  Check out their full list, I like the 3 below, and would love to put them in my house today!

Solis Faucet

We know hands-free faucets save water. But this one saves energy, too. Optima’s sleek Solis faucet operates on solar power—either sunlight or artificial light—using an infrared sensor and microprocessor to control flow automatically. An integrated control lever adjusts water temperature. About $645; Sloan Valve

Fragrant Floor Mat

A quick fix of aromatherapy for every day, this 24-by-36-inch woven bath mat combines cotton and vetiver root, a perennial grass native to India used in some of the world’s top perfumes. Heat and moisture release the scent. Approximately $21; Zen Zen

Green Planet Paints

With nontoxic soy resin as a base, mineral pigments as colorants, and few synthetic additives, Green Planet Paints’ zero-VOC matte interior clay paints translate a green sensibility into 43 rich, vibrant colors that can be sprayed, rolled, or brushed on. Approximately $45.50 per gallon; Green Planet Paints

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When you think of plastic, do you think of the water bottles that people needlessly toss away, or do you think of gorgeous KitchenAid plastics used to beautify kitchens world wide? Believe it or not, plastic are making great innovations in your kitchen. Instead of thinking of plastic for only utilitarian use, see how they are being used for designer cookware in your kitchen.

Today, Plastics made Possible shows the innovative direction of recycled plastics, and how they are being used in your everyday home. Below are videos from last year’s Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

KitchenAid’s head designer talks about plastics in the kitchen

“Plastics play a starring role in new and innovative products for the home. Whether you want to install home insulation or redecorate, add a deck to your backyard or choose new flooring, plastics provide many great options. Furnishings and kitchen gadgets, electrical appliances, and of course the home computer, all rely on innovative plastics.”

Microplane’s – Innovative Plastic Kitchen Tools

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.