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INTERIOR HOME CARE -
Cleaning Up (continued)
10. Don’t forget to clean those exhaust hood filters above your stove, and your dryer vent opening. Generally, stove exhaust system filters are easily removed and can be washed in your dishwasher, or by hand with dish detergent. Sometimes, carbon filters are installed and will need to be replaced with new filters. Your dryer vent opening is usually located on the outside of your home where it exhausts hot air from your dryer. Make sure the cover or vents are free of lint, so they work properly to open and close when the dryer is in use or turned off, respectively.
11. Cleaning your dishwasher and toilets and sinks of rust stains is also a snap. There are products available at grocery stores that can be run through dishwashers that will automatically clean the dishwasher. And rust removal products for toilets and sinks are also available.
12. When cleaning up around the house, do not forget about the opportunity to help out a charity by donating your unwanted items, or make a little money by selling those items.
a. Organizations like Goodwill and AMVETS, will be more than happy to accept used items that are no longer wanted. If the items are large, many of these organizations will send a truck to your home to pick up the items.
b. Assemble that unused “stuff” and have a garage sale. Consider joining with neighbors to hold one large garage sale. Advertise in the newspaper and, if it’s in your town, CraigsList..com. Consider putting out a few signs the day of the sale.
c. If you have some unwanted items that have some real value, sell them on eBay.com, or some other auction site. It is easy to open an account and make some money.
In addition to a clean home, most homeowners like to do some refurbishment to keep the interior of the house looking nice, and often can perform simple repairs and maintenance. For the most part, this is easily done by the homeowner, without the need, cost, and sometimes the frustration of a professional. So, instead of paying a repairman, consider the following:
1. Painting the walls and trim in a room can take some time, but it is relatively easy to do, and the needed supplies are quite inexpensive. So, do it yourself and save a bundle.
a. First step is proper preparation. This is a must if you want the finished product to look nice. Sand down rough spots on walls and trim, spackle and sand holes in the wall and nail pops so they are flat and smooth, and caulk any expansion seams or cracks in the trim. Caulking is actually easy. Use caulk that cleans up with water, caulk the seam with a caulking gun, and wipe off excess caulk with a damp rag until only the seam is filled with caulk.
b. Since the biggest cost of painting is the labor, make sure you spend a little
extra and buy a high quality paint, as well as decent quality rollers and brushes.
This will eliminate some future problems, and higher quality paint will generally
cover better. Usually, a semi-
c. If the trim is already painted with oil-
d. Buy some painters tape and apply along all edges where you do not want the paint to overlap (including hinges). Remove any door knobs and switch plates and start painting. Try to use long strokes with both brushes and rollers. Once you are done painting, remove the painters tape while the paint is still wet so it does not pull off the new paint. Sit back and admire your “new” room and minimal cost to complete. And, for a final touch, install new switch and socket plates. They are very inexpensive.
2. Wallpapering your walls is a little trickier than painting, but is not all that difficult once you get the hang of it.
a. Once again, the first step is proper preparation. All rough spots on the wall must be sanded smooth, and all holes must be filled in and sanded smooth. If this is not done properly, all of these imperfections in the wall will show through the paper.
b. Also, make sure you seal the wall with a sealer made for wallpaper to help with moisture and adherence issues, as well as to ensure that the wallpaper can be removed in the future without too much effort.
c. Get some “how to” tips from your local wallpaper store or over the Internet, and good luck.
3. Refurbish those counter tops and cabinets rather than buying new.
a. Basically, all types of counter tops can be refurbished, rather than replaced. This is true for Corian type counter tops, cultured marble, real marble, synthetic stone and granite. Companies will come to your home and make the necessary repairs and refinishing, and your counter tops will look like new. And, for the most part, it is not very expensive. Shop around.
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