Living rooms and family rooms perform many functions in our lives: they’re spaces for entertaining, rooms in which to hide away with a good book, and the place for relaxation with the family. But so often the clutter of everyday life prevents us from doing what’s most important in our living and family rooms: living!

Prepping your living and family room for a makeover

If you’re looking for Spring Makeover ideas for your living and family room spaces, look no further.  At Teresa’s Family Cleaning, we approach home organization with old-world methods so that you can live Long Island style all year round.

Start by emptying out your living and family room spaces as much as is practical. Gather together all of the things that have piled up in the space over time, and as you pick things up, sort them into various boxes labelled “Give Away” (things you no longer want but that are still useful), “Recycle/Trash” (for broken and obsolete items), “Keep” (items that will stay in the living room), “File” (items that need to be taken to their rightful place in your home), and “Store” (those things that belong in long-term storage). You’ll want to evaluate the necessity of everything in your living room, including things like magazines, books, CDs, DVDs, toys, decorative items and nick knacks, games and puzzles, pictures, gadgets and electronics, linens, and lamps. Only items that are used on a weekly basis in your living room should remain in the “Keep” box; everything else should be sorted into another box.

If you’ve done a good job of sorting, the only thing remaining in your living room should be large pieces of furniture. From here, there are several big jobs to complete before your makeover is done.

Come back next week for Part Two. ♥

©2012 Teresa’s Family Cleaning

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or website? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Teresa Ward, President of Teresa’s Family Cleaning and New York State’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year is often considered Long Island’s foremost authority on cleaning homes and businesses to create a cleaner and healthier environment for all. Our highly sought after, award-winning weekly newsletter provides timely cleaning tips and other important Long Island information and charitable events for homeowners, businesses and not-for-profits. Visit us at http://www.TeresasFamilyCleaning.com to sign up and receive your copy today!

The front closet and entrance is considered one of the most important parts of the home as it sets the mood for the remaining rooms in your home. If you tense up the minute you walk in the door because you’re tripping over the leash and can’t find a place to hang your coat or put away your shoes, your entire mood will be affected. By the same token, you want guests and family to feel welcome and invited when they step over your threshold, so paying attention to this often forgotten area is important when undertaking your March Makeover project.

There are dozens of ways you can organize your entryway storage area, but the guiding principle should always be this: keep your front entrance and closet free of clutter and free-flowing. You want to smoothly usher people into your home by setting the stage in this space. Here are some practical tips for making your front entrance and closet a flowing, welcoming area in your home:

• Designate a basket, box, or drawer for mail.
• Hang hooks or set out cups for each set of keys in the home.
• Hang a stylish chalkboard or white board so that you can leave each other notes.
• If there are many people in your family, set up a coat and shoe area with one or two hooks and a shoe rack each. Include a shelf or hooks for school bags and a basket for hats, mittens, or an umbrella.
• Make space in the front closet for sporting equipment and musical instruments so that it doesn’t block the front entrance.
• Make sure there’s a door or curtain on your front closet so that you can close it up to avoid the distraction of stuff.
• Use the entire height of your front closet by installing several levels of shelves to take full advantage of storage space.
• Pack off-season outdoor gear in bins and store them out-of-the-way in the closet or elsewhere in your home.
• Set up two bins at the front door: one for things going outside, and one for things coming inside.

Here’s our top tip for making the front entrance and closet area the most organized space in your home: buy a piece of furniture with 6-10 small drawers. A tallboy dresser is ideal, but choosing something that will fit in the confines of your front entrance area is important. Then designate one drawer for each member of the family where they can place all of the small items that would otherwise clutter the front entrance and get lost, including keys, sunglasses, wallet/purse, eyeglasses cleaner, coupons, mugs, and lip gloss. Remaining drawers can be used for other items, such as reusable bags, clean mugs, returning books to the library, pens and paper for notes, the dog’s leash and doo-doo bags, phone books, bag ties, rubber bands, matches, and other miscellaneous items that do not have a home.

Remember that keeping the front entrance clutter free and organized will keep you in a positive frame of mind every time you come home.

©2012 Teresa’s Family Cleaning

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or website? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Teresa Ward, President of Teresa’s Family Cleaning and New York State’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year is often considered Long Island’s foremost authority on cleaning homes and businesses to create a cleaner and healthier environment for all. Our highly sought after, award-winning weekly newsletter provides timely cleaning tips and other important Long Island information and charitable events for homeowners, businesses and not-for-profits. Visit us at http://www.TeresasFamilyCleaning.com to sign up and receive your copy today!

It’s March, which means you’ve made it through the winter, and on the 20^th, Spring begins! Now that the weather is about to change, make sure you’re ready to enjoy the rest of the year, by getting these important to-do’s out of the way.

•Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors!

•Flip and turn your mattresses to ensure even wear. Your bed will be more comfortable and the mattress will last longer.

•Pack away your heavy sweaters and coats carefully in sealed bags, to keep moths and dirt out during summer months.

•Replace filters on your climate control system. If you use the same system for heating and cooling, you’ll get more efficiency out of your AC this summer.

•Throw open your windows and get some fresh air!

•And finally, when packing up your de-icer, ice scrapers and snow shovels for the year, be sure they’re placed inside of plastic bags and stored in a cool dark place. The chemicals that still lurk on these items can be harmful to children and pets, so you don’t want to let them have access to them, and, if stored properly, you’ll be able to use any leftovers again next year!

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links): Teresa Ward, President of Teresa’s Family Cleaning and New York State’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year is often considered Long Island’s foremost authority on cleaning homes and businesses to create a cleaner and healthier environment for all. Our highly sought after, award winning weekly newsletter provides timely cleaning tips and other important Long Island information and charitable events for homeowners, businesses and not-for-profits. Visit us at http://www.TeresasFamilyCleaning.com to sign up and receive your copy today!

What are you going to use this extra day for?

Some people feel this is a great day to try something new.  What foods have you been thinking about trying but have been too nervous to?  Dive in!  Have you been thinking about starting a new exercise plan?  Go for it!

It’s also a great day to play catch up on all those tasks you’ve been putting off – you only get an extra day once every four years!  Get that basement cleaned.   Go through all of those files and get rid of the ones you no longer need.

Create a time capsule with your family to be opened on Leap Day 2016! Have your entire family write letters to themselves.    Include a snapshot of what you look like today.  Draw pictures.  Take a guess as to what all of you will be up to in four years!  Make it fun and creative!

And don’t forget to have a great day!

1.  Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

2.  Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs

3. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and countertops.

4. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

5. Remove grease from pots and pans.

6. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

7. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes.

8. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

9. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.

10. Clean garbage cans with it.

11. Deodorize the fridge with it.

12. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.

13. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica countertops with the sponge.

14. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.

15. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water.

There are so many benefits to keeping your office clean – and here are just a few!

1) A clean workspace = happy employees!
No one wants to walk into a dirty office – coffee grounds on the counter, full trash cans, dirty floors… It brings down morale and in turn productivity!

2) Keep illness at bay!
A clean office will benefit you as people are not forced to use up their sick time because there is a bug hanging around the office – keep it neat and clean, and you are less likely to spread those germs around!

3) You only get one chance to make a first impression!
If a client or potential client walks into an untidy office, they are going to think that you just don’t care. Show them that you do with a neat and clean office!

What can you do to make sure you’re office is in tip-top shape? Why, give Teresa’s a call! We specialize in chemical free and green cleaning – and we’ll be happy to work with you and make sure all of your commercial cleaning needs are met.

Give us a call at 866.744.4021 to set up your FREE estimate!

These four surprising tools get the job done—man-style.

Guy gear: A wet/dry vac
Manly use: Cobweb collector
“I tape together my two vac hoses, add a soft brush attachment and then secure everything to my skylight crank, so I can clear the spiderwebs that accumulate on our 12- and 16-foot ceilings,” says Chuck Miller, an editor who lives in Newtown, Connecticut.

Guy gear: A leaf blower
Manly use: Vacuum hose cleaner
“Remove the hose from your vacuum, then head outside and use the blower to clear out the inside of the hose,” says Lori Dolnick, an advertising executive from East Windsor, New Jersey, who got the tip from one of her male clients. “Whatever is stuck in the hose will come shooting out.” Another great use for a leaf blower: Sweep up your patio or deck with it. It cleans out all the corners a broom can’t reach.

Guy gear: Steel wool
Manly use: Pot scrubber
“Grade 3 synthetic steel wool pads from the hardware store, normally used to strip paint, can clean stainless steel and aluminum pots that are crusted solid with cooked-on gunk,” says Andrew Engel, a writer and father of two in Roxbury, Connecticut. “And it doesn’t clog as quickly as a normal green scrubbie.” What about scratching? Andrew swears it won’t, but to be safe, opt for a fine synthetic steel wool pad.

Guy gear: A tennis ball
Manly use: Scuff eraser
“Spray the ball’s fuzzy abrasive surface with an all-purpose cleaner to easily remove scuff marks from floors and walls and to clean patio furniture,” says Tom McNulty, author of Clean Like a Man.

How can you help keep your computer running smoothly and keep your energy consumption down?  We’ve asked our friendly computer engineer to give us some tips!

“Keeping dust out of your computers vents & fans will help keep the processor & other components cool, improving performance & reducing the amount of power needed to cool the PC. Use a can of compressed air and a vacuum to carefully clean out vents every few weeks, and the fans inside every few months. For laptop PCs, make sure to keep them on a hard flat surface to allow for proper cooling.” – Brendan Peterson, Computer Engineer.

And remember – unplug devices when not in use.  Even off, they still drain power!

Quick Tips

Shine a Shower
Men are resourceful when it comes to cleaning products. “Wipe your shower walls with car wax to prevent soap scum from building up,” says Steve McQueen, a Merry Maids cleaner in Roswell, Georgia. “But you shouldn’t do it too frequently. Once a year does the trick.”

Make Glass Gleam
Forget paper towels. There’s a reason guys at the gas station use squeegees. “They’re the best tool for windows, mirrors, tile and shower doors,” says Steve Zeitler, cofounder of the Citra Solv natural cleaning products company. One to try: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Squeegee ($12.99)

Unclog a Drain
A few bucks is all it takes to fix this problem. “A $7 tool called the Drain Claw  removes hair from the drain with a simple push-and-twist movement,” says Lou Manfredini, host of the national TV show House Smarts. Bonus: no harsh chemicals down your drain.

And don’t forget, if you’re looking to sweep your Valentine off their feet, give Teresa’s a call!

Check out our Sweep Them Off Their Feet Special!

866.744.4021