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Best Fall Simmer Pot Recipes For 2019

Michael Klements
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Best Fall Simmer Pot Recipes For 2019

Fall is here, and with it comes the opportunity to fill your home with vibrant and rich spice filled scents. Your guests will be asking how your home smells so great! So here are some ideas to get you started on finding the perfect fall simmer pot recipe for your home.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with simmer pots, a simmer pot is essentially just a pot of simmering water on your stove which you throw some fragrance full ingredients, such as the ones below, into in order to mask any unpleasant smells lingering in your home and leave it smelling great! Make sure to check on the pot regularly and keep it topped up so that it never runs dry and causes the ingredients to catch.

Did you know that simmer pots can also be made into amazing homemade gifts? Just package one of the below recipes into a mason jar with a piece of ribbon around it and it’s gift-ready. You could even try making your own mini pallet coasters to package your jar with cellophane wrap on.

Apple & Pear Pot

Perhaps the most “fall-like” recipe in this list, this spicy apple, pear and cinnamon pot will leave your home smelling warm and cozy, like something sweet and delicious has just come out of the oven.

  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1 Apple, Thinly Sliced (About 6-8 Slices)
  • 1 Pear, Thinly Sliced (About 6-8 Slices)
  • 5 – 8 Whole Cloves
  • 2 Sticks of Cinnamon

Orange & Ginger Citrus Simmer Pot

This simmer pot is a great light and fresh scent which will leave your home smelling like it’s just been spring cleaned.

  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 4 Oranges, Cut Into Chunks or Slices
  • 1 Small Ginger Root, Thinly Sliced

This simmer pot also keeps really well for two to three days, so it’s one of the best to use as a gift and it can be used over and over for around three days before you need to remake it.

The Outdoors Simmer Pot

The perfect pot to lead up to Christmas, with rich smells of the outdoors. This pot is best for late fall and a great addition to your home if you’re hosting Christmas.

  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1 Orange, Cut Into Chunks or Slices
  • 12 Whole Cloves
  • 2-3 Sprigs of Christmas Tree Cuttings (Fir Tree Branches)

Cranberry Simmer Pot

A rich spice and fruity smell which is sure to get you loads of compliments when your guests come over.

  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1 Cup of Fresh Cranberries
  • 1 Orange, Thinly Sliced (About 6-8 Slices)
  • 5 – 8 Whole Cloves
  • 3 Sticks of Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp Dried Rosemary

This simmer pot makes the best looking mason jar gift as the red in the cranberries compliment the sliced orange, just make sure you (they) don’t keep it too long as the cranberries have a fairly short lifespan in a jar.

Cold & Flu Pot

If someone in your home is suffering from a cold or flu, this pot will ease congestion and relieve coughing with the added moisture in the air.

  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1 Orange, Thinly Sliced (About 6-8 Slices)
  • 3 Drops of Eucalyptus Oil
  • 1 Tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 5 – 8 Whole Cloves
  • 2 Sticks of Cinnamon

Have you tried out any amazing simmer pot recipes? What are some of your favourite ingredients? Let us know in the comments section below, we would love to hear your tips and ideas.

10 Magic Eraser Hacks You Need To Try

Michael Klements
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10 Magic Eraser Hacks You Need To Try

Magic Erasers have been around for a while and you’ve probably used one around your home, but I bet you’ve never tried these 15 unique hacks. They’re great to keep in your cleaning cupboard and will save you loads of time and money on cleaning products.

If you’re wondering how Magic Erasers work, they’re essentially a block of melamine foam which acts as a very fine sand paper to gently lift dirt and stains from the surface and trap the residue into the foam.

If you still need to get one for your home, buy a Magic Eraser here.

Wrong Marker On A White Board

Lets face it, it’s pretty easy to get your markers mixed up. If you’ve ever got yours mixed up and doodled on your whiteboard in permanent marker, try a Magic Eraser on it.

Remove Laundry Stains

If you’ve spilled sauce on a white top or a jacket you’re not too keen on washing in case it shrinks, try a Magic Eraser on it. They work remarkably well at removing stains from fabric without any water or soap.

Spot Clean A Carpet

Similarly to the previous hack, use one on stains on your carpet. You can easily spot clean a patch of your carpet without having to wet it or use carpet shampoo. It even works on touch stains like red wine.

Remove Permanent Marker

If you’ve used a permanent marker to mark storage or food containers, you can use a Magic Eraser to remove the marker so that you can use the container for something else. This also works well on toys and other plastics which your children have marked while you had your back turned.

Revive Old Oven Dishes

If you’ve got old glass or ceramic oven dishes which have blackened grease marks on them which won’t come off, try scrubbing them with a Magic Eraser. For more stubborn stains, use a combination of a wet Eraser and then a dry Eraser. You’ll be amazing at how many dishes you can revive and leave looking new with this easy hack.

Remove Tea And Coffee Stains

If you’re a big tea or coffee drinker then you’ve probably got a few mugs which are brown on the inside. A wet Magic Eraser works perfectly to remove these stains and get them looking white again.

Whiten Your Refrigerator Door Handle

If you’ve got a white refrigerator with a plastic handle, its probably become a bit dull and brown. Give it a shine and whiten it up with a Magic Eraser.

Revive Old Storage Containers

If you’ve ever stored tomato soup or sauces in plastic containers, you may be left with a few which have red or orange stains in them. Buff the stains out with a Magic Eraser and they’ll look as good as new again.

Clean Your Silverware

Silverware tends to get tarnished if its not used and cleaned regularly. Get your silverware looking shiny and new again by scrubbing them with a Magic Eraser.

If you’re not keen on scrubbing the individual items, we’ve got an even better hack to get your silverware clean which just requires a soak and dry off.

Make Your Shoes Shine Again

No matter how often you clean them, eventually the soles of your shoes are going to start looking brown and stained. Give them a scrub with a Magic Eraser for an instant renew, they’ll be left looking brilliantly white and new again.

Have you got any interesting or different uses for a Magic Eraser? Let us know in the comments section below, we’d love to share your tips and tricks!

5 Decorating Ideas For Your Patio

Mia Johnson
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5 Decorating Ideas For Your Patio

If you have a home with a patio, you’re one of the lucky ones. In this day and age when people are constantly looking for more space in their homes and a way to be closer to the outside, you have the perfect opportunity for both. Spacious homes are often more luxurious and people like them more, while not being stuck inside for the whole day has numerous benefits for your health. Of course, to make the most out of your patio, you’ll need to decorate it really well.

1. Choose Comfortable Furniture

The basis of decorating your patio is choosing comfortable and stylish furniture. You’ll need to choose something that fits your patio perfectly but also looks really nice. As well as that, you should go for actual outdoor furniture. If you choose indoor furniture just because it may look nice and put it outside, you can be sure that it won’t last.

Outdoor furniture can handle weather conditions, be it the rain or the sun and will stay intact throughout it all. Spare no expense on your furniture, as it’s going to last you a lifetime.

2. Consider Adding a Surround Sound System

If you want to bring your patio to a whole other level, a surround sound system is always a good idea. This way you’ll be able to entertain guests much more easily and give them a party to remember.

As well as that, you’ll be able to enjoy relaxing music when you’re trying to unwind with the highest quality of sound.

3. Match the Colours

How you match the colours can greatly influence the final look of your patio. Most people tone it all to brown or add so many colours that you’re not really sure what’s what anymore. You should strive to find a balance between these two extremes. You can do this by opting for a base and an accentual colour. Your base colour should be something neutral that can easily be combined with a variety of other colours, like beige or white.

For your accentual colour, choose something bright yet tasteful like red, orange, or green. This is now the colour of the patterns on your furniture and of the little décor pieces you put on your patio. A combination like this is bound to be a win and bound to bring out the full beauty of your patio.

4. Add Some Shade

If your patio doesn’t come with some shade, it’s basically unusable. Nobody likes being in the sun all day and feeling like they’re constantly in the centre of attention because their patio is so open to the neighbourhood. There are a lot of shade options you can choose from such as patio umbrellas and shade sails, but retractable pergolas may just be the most practical option for patios.

This way, you’re in complete control over how much shade your patio is getting. At those parts of the day when you feel like sunbathing- you can simply retract your pergola and enjoy the sunrays. As soon as the sun starts being too much, you can extend the pergola and enjoy as much shade as you want and need. Of course, to make this possible, you should talk to professionals such as Aspect Shade to ensure the quality, functionality, and beauty of your retractable pergola.

5. Set the Mood with Lighting

When the day is over, it usually means you have to retreat indoors because it’s too dark to keep sitting outside. That also means that most parties and get-togethers have to end early because no one likes sitting in the dark. It gets kind of eerie and people like the comfort of their own homes more. To transform the atmosphere from creepy to quiet and warm, all you need is the right lights.

The size and shape, as well as your personal tastes, will decide what kind of lights you put on your patio. Of course, you can always go with the classics. Fairy lights go well with any patio and give you a rustic vibe you and your guests will love. If you want something more romantic, go for the traditional lamppost. Those who prefer something modern can always go for the lights that are installed directly into the ground or on the fence.

Conclusion

Decorating your patio is all about your preferences, but we can’t forget the classic and timeless décor tips that make any patio pop. As well as that, these features are often very practical and give a whole new dimension to your patio. Comfort and serenity are at your fingertips, it’s just up to you to reach out and grab them. Whatever you decide to put on your patio, it will surely be the best thing you’ve done for it and yourself in a while.

If you enjoyed this article, have a look at How To Use Design Principles To Decorate Your Home.

Family Home Goals: How to Achieve the Perfect House Design

Lilly Miller
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Family Home Goals: How to Achieve the Perfect House Design

When talking about the perfect house design, the main thing to consider is your own needs. If what you need is a family house that can grow with your family, your ideal home design should be based on that. It should be able to support all your family activities, but it should also have that special something that would keep the kids entertained. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to design a perfect family home.

Add enough storage

Add enough storage

If you have kids, you definitely have lots of stuff as well. So, needless to say, you will need plenty of storage for all that stuff. This includes closets for their clothes, shelves for books, drawers and cabinets, and perhaps some hanging storage too. It really depends on their needs and the room style, but either way, having enough storage is a must. Similarly, if you are expecting a child or if your kids are still very young, you will need more room for toys and all their hygiene products as well. In short, think about what kind of stuff your kids have now and will have soon, and add storage to match those things.

Consider your house design layout

Consider your house design layout

For a perfect family home, you need a proper layout. This is something you should really pay attention to, as it’s not that easily changed if you get things wrong. So, if you have younger kids, you want to focus on visibility and connectivity. In other words, you want to be able to keep an eye on your kids whether they are playing in the living room or in the garden. Additionally, you also want to be able to reach them fast enough if you need to for one reason or another. If you’re not sure how to come up with such a layout, there are fantastic project homes in Sydney that have perfect layouts for a family. You can look into them for inspiration, or, if you want to live in the Land Down Under, you can save yourself the trouble of designing your home from scratch, and opt for one of the already made project homes.

Think about the study and playroom

Think about the study and playroom

As your kids start school, they will need a proper area for studying. Now, of course, the usual choice is to make it a part of their own room, but that room will probably be filled with distractions. So, consider having a separate room just for studying. Moreover, if you happen to be working from home, you could use a home office too. Similarly, if your kids are still very young, they need a playroom where they can make a mess without it affecting your daily routine. For starters, you can connect the playroom to your living space, so you can keep an eye on your kids, and as they grow, you can transform that room into the space for homework and studying.

Build more bathrooms

Build more bathrooms

For a family, having at least two bathrooms is a must. As soon as your kids hit their teenage years, everybody will need to use the bathroom in the morning. Before you know it, you’d have to wait your turn every day. So, plan this in advance, and give your kids their separate bathroom, or add one to your bedroom. Additionally, a perfect family bathroom should have plenty of storage, practical slip-resistant flooring that can survive lots of water, some kind of heating, and both a shower and a bath (or a shower above a bath).

Don’t forget your outdoor area

Don’t forget your outdoor area

If you have a big yard, make sure to put it to good use, as it has so much potential. First, you should build a nice outdoor living area where you can relax, entertain friends, read a book, or just take an afternoon nap. Then, you should have a separate area for your kids to play, with swings, enough shade, and even a small basketball court if you have the room. Finally, if you love dining outside, consider building a small outdoor kitchen.

To design a perfect family home, you need to think about everything your family needs – and will need. So, consider the listed tips, try to imagine your home and your life in it, and you should have no trouble designing a perfect house that your family is guaranteed to love.

10 Golden Rules For Decluttering Your Home

Michael Klements
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10 Golden Rules For Decluttering Your Home

Here are ten of our favourite tips and rules for decluttering your home. By following these simple rules, you’ll soon have a neat, tidy and decluttered home, leaving your home looking great and you feeling more relaxed and in control of your life. It’s amazing what a decluttered home can do for your personal and mental health as well.

Lets get started…

1. Get Rid Of Duplicates

This rule applies throughout your home, wardrobe, garage and garden. Have a look around and decide whether you really need the duplicate items in and around your home, you may not even be aware that you have them. Think about your wardrobe, you may have numerous similar white shirts or multiple black cardigans. In your kitchen you may have a few too many pots and pans. You’ll be surprise how much extra space you have in your home when you get rid of all of the duplicate items, and because you have others, you won’t even miss them.

2. Get Rid Of Anything You Haven’t Used In The Past Year

While you’re scouting your home for duplicates, have a look at things you may not have used in the past year. This doesn’t really apply to decor but more to appliances, bedding, blankets, towels etc.. If you haven’t used in in the past year, going through all four seasons, then you likely don’t need it anymore.

3. Only Buy Covered Furniture

Covered furniture may be slightly more expensive to buy but it is way easier to clean and remove stains from. Even better is that when it starts looking shabby or needs an update, you just need to get new covers made, not replace the whole thing. If your furniture has covers on it already, you’re less likely to cause clutter by trying to protect it with throws, sheets and blankets.

4. Look For Furniture With Built In Storage

Furniture can be quite bulky and it usually has a lot of wasted space. Modern designs are making use of this wasted space for storage, this is great for decluttering. Look for modern bed bases which have pull out storage drawers or modern sofas, couches and ottomans which open up to reveal large storage boxes.

5. When Buying Storage Cupboard Or Drawers, Always Pick The Highest Ones

Have a look around your bedroom or your kitchen, the space above your cupboards is generally wasted space and stacking things on top of your cupboards looks untidy and adds to the clutter. When buying new storage cupboards or drawers, always pick the tallest ones on offer. This way you’re maximising the storage space available for a given footprint in your home.

6. Decluttering By Finding A Home For Every Item

If every item has a home, you won’t have anything lying around. Make a point of finding a space for everything which shouldn’t be lying around on a desk, counter or table. Also get into a habit of routinely wandering around your home and putting things back into their spot.

Also have a look at this guide on how to Keep your House Clutter Free with this One Item.

7. Sell Or Donate Your Old Items

Make a pile of all of the items you’ve collected from item 1 and 2 in this list and decide whether you can sell them for some extra money or if it would be best to donate them to your local charity shop.  There’s no point in keeping them lying around gathering dust and using up space. Don’t keep anything in your home which you wouldn’t buy now.

8. Scan In Or Digitize Your Old Documents And Records

Decluttering can apply to your files and paperwork as well, don’t keep files of unnecessary documents and papers lying around. Granted, there are some documents which you are required to keep originals of but the majority of your household paperwork can be scanned in and kept on a backed up storage device or in the cloud.

9. Digitize Your Old Family Photos And Films

This may be a bit more involved than the previous item but there are a number of companies offering to digitise and touch up your family images and videos. It may seem pricey but you’re far more likely to use your images and videos if they’re available on your PC, phone or on the cloud. Just make sure that you keep a proper backup of them and potentially use a cloud storage or online backup service.

10. Set A Monthly Budget And Stick To It

Clutter of starts with buying things that you don’t use and don’t need. Set a strict monthly budget for yourself and stick to it, this way you’ll ask yourself twice before buying things you may not need, you’ll save money and you’ll avoid clutter in your home.

What are some of your tips and tricks for decluttering your home? Let us know in the comments section below.

How To Replace Your Shower Door Seals

Michael Klements
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How To Replace Your Shower Door Seals

You’ll probably need to replace your shower door seals every few years to prevent puddles of water forming on your bathroom floor. The seal plastic slowly becomes discoloured and brittle and doesn’t seal as well as it used to. You may even just want to replace your seals because they’re looking old or are covered in mildew, which can be difficult to clean off. This is quite a cheap and easy problem to fix and shouldn’t take you more than half an hour if you’ve got the right replacement seal strips.

replacement seals available

Most shower doors have two different types of seals on them, one called a lip or bumper seal, which is installed on the vertical edges and seals against the other glass panels or walls of the shower, and a second drip seal which is installed along the bottom edge of the door and directs the water running down the door onto the shower floor and seals between the door and the floor of the shower.

If your shower head is still in good condition but some of the holes have become blocked, try effortlessly cleaning out your blocked shower head.

What You Need

  • Replacement lip or bumper seal strip, for one or both sides of your door
  • Replacement drip seal strip for the bottom of your door
  • Craft knife or scissors
  • Damp soapy cloth

How To Replace Your Shower Seals

cracked shower door seals

Most glass showers are custom built to fit the available space, so seal strips are sold in individual lengths which can be cut to accommodate your shower. If you have a standard “off the shelf” shower then you may be able to get a full replacement seal kit which will already be cut to size.

remove the old shower door seal

To start with, you need to remove the old seals from the door. Once they have become brittle, they’re usually quite easy to remove, unless there are mineral deposits holding them in place. Just grab onto the seal and pull it outwards off of the glass door. This obviously depends on the type of seals installed but they aren’t usually glued held in place with fasteners.

Use a damp, soapy cloth to wipe down the edges of the glass where the seal was and remove any mineral deposits and mildew from the glass.

If you’ve got mould or mildew on your caulk or silicon joints, you can use this cleaning trick to remove it without any scrubbing or hard work.

new shower door seal strip

Next, cut a length of seal strip slightly longer than the section you are replacing.

Install the seal onto the door by pressing one end of the seal onto the corner or end of the door and then pushing the seal into place from this end, working your way to the opposite end. The seal should be tight and take some effort to get seated correctly.

installed new shower seal

Once your seal is in place, you should have a section of overlap which needs to be trimmed. Use your craft knife to trim the overlapping piece so that the edges are flush.

cut the seal with a craft knife

Do the same for the remaining seal strips which you’d like to replace and your shower will be as good as new again.

new shower door seals

new shower door drip seal

new shower door seal

newly installed shower door seals

Have you replaced your shower seals? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments section below.

Make A Mosaic Mirror Picture Frame

Michael Klements
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Make A Mosaic Mirror Picture Frame

Making your own mosaic mirror picture frame is a great way to add a customised and inexpensive feature to a bare wall in your home. By making your own, you have full control over the size, how many pictures you want to include and the colour of the grout and frame to match or compliment existing decor. This is a great weekend project as you’ll need to allow time for the tile cement and grout to set between working on it.

Make sure that you wear proper protective gloves and eyewear when working with and cutting the mirror sections. Glass edges and shards can be extremely sharp and cause sever cuts and permanent damage to your eyes.

What You’ll Need To Make Your Mosaic Mirror Picture Frame

  • Large Wood Backboard – Cut to Size or a Standard Size
  • Picture Hanging Kit – For Heavy Frames
  • Large Center Mirror – Cut to Size or Standard
  • Smaller Pieces of Mirror – Mirror Mosaic Kit or a Large Piece and Glass Cutting Tool
  • Good Quality Picture Prints – 8 to 12 Work Well
  • Clear Glass For Pictures, Cut To Picture Size
  • Wood Trim For Frame – Length to Fit around Backboard
  • Wood Mitre Saw
  • Wood Glue
  • Premix Flexible Tile Cement or Mirror Adhesive
  • White Tile Grout – Or Colour to Suit your Decor
  • White or Coloured Paint For Frame
  • Grout Sponge
  • Paint Brush

What you need to build a mosaic mirror picture frame

How To Make Your Picture Frame

Depending on what your local hardware store stocks and the services they offer, this project can be really easy to assemble or be a little more involved.

You’ll need a sturdy wooden backboard which is larger than your centre mirror, about 10-20cm (4-8″) around the edges works well. You may get lucky and find a standard size board and mirror which pair well together or you may need to ask your hardware store to cut the mirror or board to size or you may need to cut either yourself.

large centre mirror

Once you’ve got the board and mirror together, you’ll need the mirror mosaic pieces. Some hardware stores sell mosaic mirror pieces in kits for crafts, theses are great if you’re not comfortable with using a glass cutter to cut a larger piece of mirror into smaller pieces. They are also usually safer to work with as they don’t have sharp edges.

If you can’t find a mosaic kit then buy a regular sized mirror with enough surface area (and a little more) to fill in the gaps between your centre mirror and the edge of the board. Use a glass cutter to cut/break this mirror up into smaller pieces to make a mosaic around the outside of your centre mirror. Although this takes a lot more time, it also gives you the flexibility to cut pieces to the exact size you need and tailor your mosaic to fit around your photos.

mirror and glass pieces

Next you’ll need to cut your glass, or get your hardware store to cut your glass to the size of your pictures. The glass should be cut to the exact dimensions of your pictures.

Finally, you’ll need to cut your wooden trim to size to build a frame around your larger baseboard. Use a mitre saw to cut 45 degree cuts with the inside edge, the edge to be stuck to the baseboard, cut to the dimensions of your baseboard. Lay out your frame after each cut to make sure that you are cutting the correct orientation and length.

Once you’ve got your materials together, its time to start assembling your frame. Start by using your flexible tile cement to glue your large centre mirror into the centre of your backboard. Make sure that the mirror is straight and that there is an equal amount of space on the opposite sides of the mirror.

lay out your pictures and mirror

Now you can start laying out and gluing your mosaic. Start by placing your pictures around your centre mirror. Secure the pictures to the back of the glass with a small piece of tape along the top and bottom edges. Then use a drop or two of wood glue on the back of the picture to glue the picture to the backboard. The pictures don’t need to be really well stuck down as the grout around the edges of the glass will further help to hold them in place. Make sure you leave a small and consistent gap around all of your pictures and mosaic pieces to grout.

position your mosaic pieces

Allow a half hour or so for the glue to dry and then start positioning (and cutting if you’re not using a kit) your mosaic pieces. Lay out a small section of around ten to fifteen pieces to make sure you’re happy with the spacing and then glue them into place with the tile adhesive. Try and work from one corner or edge across to the opposite edge.

Once your mosaics have been glued into place, allow the adhesive to set according to the manufacturers recommendations.

When the glue has set, you can start assembling your wooden trim around the backboard to build a frame. Glue the trim along the edges and corners, making sure that the top of the trim is flush with the top of the mosaic pieces – all on one level. I used some old wooden trim which had been whitewashed and then painted a colour over it with chalk paint. Have a look at this guide on making your own chalk paint.

Its probably best to leave the frame overnight at this stage so that the frame glue and tile adhesive has enough time to set properly.

apply your tile grout

The next day, mix up a batch of tile grout and use a grout sponge, old credit card,  rubber scraper or cloth to grout the gaps between the mosaic pieces and pictures. Follow the grout directions on your packaging to ensure that the consistency and application procedure is correct. You usually have to use an applicator to push the grout into the gap, then wait a half hour or so for the grout to set and then use a wet cloth to wipe the excess grout away.

wipe away the excess grout

Try not to add too much grout around the pictures, this allows you to change the pictures in the future by gently chipping the grout away and pulling the glass out. You could also try make a slot in the backboard to allow you to swap out the pictures quickly and easily but this is quite a bit more involved.

paint your frame

Now you can paint your frame and then add your picture hanging kit to the back of the backboard.

the painted mosaic mirror picture frame

Allow the paint and grout to dry completely. Lastly, hang your new mosaic mirror picture frame on your wall.

Clean Your Silver Cutlery Easily Without Any Polish, Scrubing Or Rubbing

Michael Klements
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Clean Your Silver Cutlery Easily Without Any Polish, Scrubing Or Rubbing

For those of you with silver cutlery, you probably know the frustration involved in getting it all clean if its been unused for any period of time. It can be really time consuming to sit and polish each and every piece from top to bottom. Fortunately, these is an easier way. This trick uses a chemical reaction to reverse the oxidation on the silver by using aluminium foil. Aluminium has a higher affinity for sulphur than silver and so the silver sulphide tarnish is removed from the silverware and becomes aluminium sulphide on the foil. The best part is that you don’t need to do any polishing or rubbing and its a really cheap method of cleaning your silverware, silver jewellery or coins.

What You Need To Clean Your Silver Cutlery

  • Glass or Ceramic Boil or Container
  • Aluminium Foil – Buy Here
  • 2 Tbsp Baking Soda – Buy Here
  • 1 Tsp Table Salt – Buy Here
  • Boiling Water

How To Clean Your Silver Cutlery

Place a sheet of aluminium foil, a single layer is fine, into the bottom of your bowl or container. The container needs to be able to handle boiling water.

line your container with aluminium foil

Place the silverware or cutlery which you’d like to clean onto the aluminium foil. Don’t put too much in at once, add a few pieces at a time and change the aluminium foil between cleaning as the tarnish builds up on the foil and reduces its effectiveness.

place your cutlery into the container

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the silverware or cutlery.

place your cutlery into the container

baking soda and salt in the container

Pour boiling water over the silverware so that all of the pieces are completely submerged. Try and pour the water over the baking soda to dissolve it, don’t just add the water in one place. You should see bubbles start appearing on the silverware.

baking soda and salt in the container

Watch as the tarnish is removed from your cutlery and deposited onto the aluminium foil. Wait a minute or so for the cutlery to be completely cleaned and then remove it and rinse it under cold water before drying it off with a dish towel.

You may get a pungent sulphur smell if your cutlery is particularly tarnished. Don’t worry about it, it is not harmful to you or the cutlery. Just make sure that you work in a well ventilated area.

Watch The Reaction Below

As mentioned before, this trick works for any silver products, you can use it to clean mugs, tea sets, cutlery, plates, coins and jewellery.

If you’d like to read up a bit more on the science behind this cleaning trick and the chemical reaction involved, have a look at this article.

Have you tried this on any of your silverware at home? Let us know how it went for you in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.

 

Top Devices To Turn Your Ordinary Home Into A Smart Home

Michael Klements
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Top Devices To Turn Your Ordinary Home Into A Smart Home

Turning your home into a “smart home” is not nearly as daunting a task as it was a couple of years ago. You no longer need to hire contractors to rewire your home, there is now a huge range of products which have been designed to fit seamlessly with your home’s existing wiring and equipment to turn your ordinary home into a smart home without breaking the bank or requiring a degree to operate.

If you’re new to the smart home scene then a good place to start is perhaps by looking at Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa devices which include smart light bulbs, plugs and security devices which connect to your home’s wifi and enable you to access and control them from your phone or pc from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of our favourite devices to have a look at this fall to turn your ordinary home into a smart home.

If you enjoy this post, have a look at these 5 High Tech Investments To Include In Your Next Home Improvement.

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen)

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen

One of the most simple and affordable smart home hubs to set up and operate has been through another update. The Third Generation Amazon Echo Dot features a significant improvement to its sound and music playing capabilities, turning the small hub into a capable and discrete voice assistant and music device for almost any room.

The echo device is the heart of your smart home, you can ask it to play you the news headlines, give you a weather update, find out how long it will take you to get to work or simply call another echo device in your home as an intercom system. You can also pair it with most popular music streaming services to play your favourite song or playlist.

With the huge range of Alexa enabled smart home devices available online, and hundreds of new products being added every month, you really can’t go wrong with an Echo or Echo Dot. You’ll even love the price as they come in as one of the cheapest smart home hubs on the market.

Phillips Hue Smart Lighting Solution

Phillips Hue Starter Set

Phillips are arguably the leaders in the smart home lighting scene with a wide range of lighting products which all integrate with the Phillips Hue smartphone app and with Amazon’s Alexa devices. With Phillips Hue, you can easily control your entire home’s lighting with your voice, set up moods and scenes, day night timers and even get your home’s lighting to turn off when you leave home and turn back on when you arrive home again.

Here Are Some Of Our Favourites To Get You Started:

Although they are quite pricey, Phillips claim that their bulbs last up to 25,000 hours each which should get you over 20 years of evening use. They also have something for every pocket with simple dimmable white bulbs being the cheapest, right through to multi-coloured dimmable spotlights and feature lights.

We love how easy the Phillips Hue products are to set up and use as well as integrate with your existing smart home hub.

Nest Thermostat

Nest Learning Thermostat

There really is only one go-to smart home thermostat, and that’s the Nest Thermostat. It allows you to control your home’s heating and cooling system from your phone or with your voice through your smart home system. The Nest Thermostat has earned an Energy Star certification, meaning that it has been shown to significantly reduce energy consumption, leading to a more environmentally friendly living space.

It allows you to turn off the heating or cooling during the day and then turn it back on again before you get home so you don’t arrive to a freezing cold or unexpectedly hot home.

Smart Home Door Lock

Smart Home Door Lock

A smart door lock like this Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt is really useful to provide access to your home when you’re away without having to leave keys out for guests, cleaners or delivery services. You can lock and unlock your home straight from your smartphone and with keypad locks you can provide guests or delivery services with a one time code to allow temporary access to your home.

This product works especially well with a WiFi enabled doorbell, mentioned below.

Wifi Enabled Doorbell

Ring WiFi Video Door Bell

A Ring WiFi Enabled Doorbell is a great addition to the home for anyone who works full days or travels a lot. It allows you to answer the door remotely, talk to your guests and the higher end ones are able to stream full HD video back to your smart phone to keep an eye on who’s at your front door.

A motion sensor will automatically send an alert to your smart phone when someone arrives at your door so that you can keep track of packages being delivered or unexpected guests.

Have we left anything off of our list? Let us know what your favourite smart home products and devices are in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.

Make Your Own Stylish Picture Frame Shelf

Michael Klements
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Make Your Own Stylish Picture Frame Shelf

Picture frame shelves or ledges are a great way to display your collection of family photos for all to see without overcrowding a bookshelf or mantle. It’s also super easy to swap out pictures or re-arrange the wall for a fresh look. You can build your own picture frame shelf using the simple plan below for a couple of dollars using timber lengths available from your local hardware store.

If you’re looking for a more functional shelf for your home, have a look at these 6 easy DIY shelf ideas.

picture frame shelf large

What You Need To Your Picture Frame Shelf

  • Length of 1×4″ or 20x80mm timber
  • Length of 1×3″ or 20x60mm timber
  • Length of 1×2″ or 20x40mm tinber

Depending on the lengths of timber available at your local hardware store, the above will either make one long shelf or two shorter shelves if you cut the lengths in half. It looks great to have three or four shelves on a large wall as a feature.

How To Build Your Picture Frame Shelf

You can decide whether you’re more comfortable with screws or wood glue, but the basic idea is the same. Use the 4″ or 80mm section as the back of the shelf, the 3″ or 60mm section as the bottom and the 2″ or 40mm section as the front lip to keep the frames in place.

picture frame shelf wood layout plan

Glue or screw the pieces together to form a shelf as pictured. If you want a shelf which is shorter than the lengths of timber available at your hardware store or you’re dividing the timber lengths in half, be sure to cut them to size before assembly. It is a lot easier to cut the timber to length in individual pieces.

Once your shelf is assembled and the glue is completely cured, you can stain, varnish or paint the shelves to suite your decor. It often looks good to paint your shelves in white or a dark wood stain. Some people also add pieces of thin moulding to the shelves for some extra styling and detail.

picture frame shelf trim

Have you made your own picture frame shelves? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to share your ideas and pictures.

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