Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Household Essentials Gullwing Air Drying Rack

The Household Essentials Gullwing Air Drying Rack does everything. The Gullwing Air’s aluminum frame supports 25 corrosion-free stainless steel rods, offering up to 44 feet of drying space. You may prop up the wings at a variety of angles to hang long items or to lay sweaters flat. Nearly every joint and corner is covered to protect your clothing and floor. The dryer comes with shoe hangers that hang up to 8 shoes while preserving their shape. Like the dryer, the shoe hangers pivot to nearly flat for storage.
 
Household Essentials Gullwing Air Drying Rack
 
The Gullwing Air comes fully assembled. Brianna can show you how to open the dryer plus its many uses on the video below:
 

To expand the dryer, unfold every layer outward. The first items you will expand are the wings. Next are the legs. Finally, wing supports swing off the legs and brace beneath the wings.
 
Brace the supports virtually anywhere up or down the wings to support them at any angle. The wing supports also have snaps for the centers of the rods for more security.
 
The Household Essentials Gullwing Air Drying Rack is a sturdy clothes dryer for single people and couples who are serious about hanging their laundry.

Posted by April 20, 2015 at 12:57 PM under Clotheslines and Laundry
The Household Essentials Expandable Dryer

Household Essentials Expandable DryerThe Household Essentials Expandable Dryer is the most versatile and elegant clothes drying rack your laundry room will ever need. Available in antique bronze or satin silver, this dryer’s design has a geometry that is not only attractive but useful for hanging anything. The dryer’s 9 rods expand in length from 19 inches to 34 inches each. The dryer also comes with a sweater mesh.
 
Brianna can show you how to assemble and expand this expandable clothes dryer in the video below. There are no tools required. Simply compress the buttons in the legs and slide the legs into the dryer until the buttons snap secure. Now you can unfold your dryer.
 
To expand the rods, unsecure the corners of the sweater mesh. You’ll notice the mesh has convenient loops to keep it on the dryer even when the corners are hanging. Now pull the rods lengthwise to enable your dryer to tackle larger hanging jobs such as curtains.
 

However you like your expandable drying rack, rest assured that it has plastic caps on the corners, over the expanding centers of the rods, and on the feet to protect your clothing and floor.

Posted by April 20, 2015 at 11:52 AM under Clotheslines and Laundry
The Household Essentials Bamboo Dryer

Household Essentials Bamboo DryerThe Household Essentials Bamboo Dryer brings natural beauty into your home. It has 11 rods providing up to 25 feet of drying space to small spaces; 4 rods at the top are convenient for laying sweaters flat on top.
 
Bamboo’s vibrant grain complements the bright beauty of contemporary laundry rooms. Plus its natural style has the genuine character of coming from a renewable plant source while you save electricity, the environment, and your hanging clothes.
 
Let Brianna show you how beautiful and simple the bamboo dryer is. There is no assembly required. Simply unfold the dryer and lay the grooves under the top row on the opposing rod to secure. When you’re finished, lift the top and allow the dryer to fold flat for storage.
 

Posted by April 20, 2015 at 11:11 AM under Clotheslines and Laundry
7 Factors to Consider When Selecting a Green House Cleaning Service

house cleaning serviceThe decision to select a green house cleaning service is a prudent one. There are plenty of cleaning services, but cleaning services are not all created equally.

A great cleaning service can simplify your life by providing you with one less thing to think about and, in the process, helping you to free up your life! However, most cleaning services use industrial strength cleaners. The reason for this is very simple in that industrial strength cleaners are the most widely available. Why? There is a common misconception that super powerful chemicals are what is need for every cleaning job. Yet, in reality, nothing could be further from the truth – ¬odds are that your home only needs natural cleaners to get the job done.

Natural cleaning products may be more expensive, but the benefits are enormous. For example, with natural cleaning products, you don’t have to worry about exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals. The chemicals found in a range of household cleaners have been linked to a shockingly wide array of diseases and conditions, including cancer, organ damage, respiratory issues and more.

Green cleaning is the way to go! But what are some of the key factors in selecting a green cleaning service? Let’s dive in and explore some of the key factors you’ll want to consider.

Green House Cleaning Service Factor One-Look for More Than Lip Service

Carbon footprint in grassA lot of cleaning services will claim that they provide green cleaning, but what does that mean? Oftentimes when one explores a house cleaning service in more depth, what is learned is that the cleaning services might not be all that green.

It is important that you pay close attention to exactly what green cleaning services are provided. What does the house cleaning service state that it provides on its website? Are all of its cleaning services green or only one part? A partial commitment to green cleaning should worry you as you’ll never know exactly what is going on behind the scenes. Look for a green house cleaning service that is deeply committed to green cleaning.

Green House Cleaning Service Factor Two-The Philosophy

It’s time to ask questions. What is the philosophy of a prospective green cleaner? Why have they selected to become a green cleaner?

A green home cleaning service should truly believes in the value of green products; this means that they will understand both how green cleaning products can protect the planet and human health. If you want great results, you’ll want to work with a company that has a real green philosophy and stands behind it. In other words, be on the lookout for companies that are just paying lip service to the importance of “going green.”

Green House Cleaning Service Factor Three-What Cleaners Do They Use and Why?

Gloved Hands Cleaning Stove Top Range with Spray bottle and MicrIt is prudent to ask a prospective house cleaning service what green cleaners they have selected and why. How a cleaning service answers these questions will tell you a great deal about how committed and knowledgeable a given company is the process of green cleaning. If they don’t have a green cleaning product in mind for every cleaning occasion, you might want to look elsewhere.

Green House Cleaning Service Factor Four-What Green Cleaning Products are Mentioned?

Selecting a house cleaning service means understanding what cleaning products are used. Do they talk about their approach on their website? If not, perhaps they have literature prepared they can give you.  A cleaning service should clearly outline what products it uses and for why.

Green House Cleaning Service Factor Five-Use Yelp! and Search the Internet for Reviews

yelpIn selecting a green house cleaning service, it makes sense to research the company online and read Yelp! and Angie List reviews. This is a prudent investment that may very well save you many headaches in the long run. If you’ve received a personal referral from a friend or relative, all the better!

Green House Cleaning Service Factor Six-Carefully Evaluate Results

Senior Woman RefusingUpon hiring a green house cleaning service, keep a watchful eye during the first few appointments. Are you smelling chemicals? If you smell chemicals or harsh smells, then the odds are good that your green cleaning service isn’t so clean after all.

Also, be on the lookout against for companies that use the “green cleaning” label as an excuses to not clean. Some companies may attempt to use the excuse that green cleaners “are just not that effective,” to explain a lack of cleaning. Green cleaners are extremely effective for cleaning the average home. Don’t let your green house cleaner pretend otherwise.

When evaluating your green house cleaner, be sure that you are getting your money’s worth. In short, you shouldn’t let your green house cleaner cut corners just because they are going green.

Green House Cleaning Service Factor Seven-Ask for References

Any good business will be able and eager to provide you with references. When you ask for references, they should be provided to you promptly. If your green house cleaner can’t provide you with references in a timely fashion, then how good of a job can you expect them to do on your home? Again, any good business is ready to provide solid references. Just remember to follow up and check those references!

home cleaningFinding a reliable green house cleaner is worth the time. Most house cleaners use a variety of unnecessarily powerful and harmful chemicals to clean. The last thing you want is to expose you and your family to these chemicals. The bottom line is that green house cleaners can be extremely effective. Do your homework, ask plenty of questions, and you’ll get great results.

Posted by April 19, 2015 at 1:55 PM under Environment Home Living Tips
Cutting Board Scrub with Lemon and Kosher Salt

Cutting boards have grooves for you to clean. They get knife damage, even the ones that are made of consistently dimpled plastic. Wooden cutting boards are often made of more than one piece to begin with. Plus, many of us just treat them badly, leaving them out, using them as hot plates, only washing them when we actually cut something with moisture, like meat. This means they can pick up stains too.
 
So how do you really clean all those little knife grooves? Do you pour vinegar over them until you can’t feel your nose?
 
lemonsThis idea from Rachel at All Kinds of Yumm kicks bacterial butt. Take half a lemon and rub the juice all over the cutting board. Then coat the juiced surface with kosher salt. After letting it soak for 15 minutes, use the lemon to scrub the salt all over the board. Don’t ask me why, but kosher salt is a different crystal shape than regular table salt, and it scrubs stains. Lemon is a disinfectant acid that smells way better than other chemicals or vinegar. After all that, you don’t need soap. Just rinse off your cutting board, get the other half of your lemon, and do the same thing on the other side.
 
Visit All Kinds of Yumm for more information.

Posted by April 16, 2015 at 8:43 PM under News and Events
The Household Essentials 8-Foot Single Retractable Clothesline

Household Essentials 8-Foot Single Retractable ClotheslineThe Household Essentials 8-Foot Single Line Retractable Clothesline blends in between uses and is perfect for single people living in small spaces. The plastic casing has a chrome cover to make the line look like part of the wall. The line retracts into the casing, making this a great indoor or outdoor clothes dryer for your bathroom, RV or even your darkroom.
 
To install the clothesline, you only need a pencil and a screwdriver or drill. All hardware comes included, and you can refer to the back of the package for mounting templates. Brianna is pleased to show you how to mount and extend the 8-Foot Single Clothesline below:
 

To mount the clothesline itself, refer to the wider template to place your screws and optional plastic anchors. Screw your screws in but leave them sticking out of the wall slightly. Now line up the large holes in the back of the clothesline with the screws, and slide the casing downwards.
 
On the opposite wall, screw the bracket directly on with the large end of the cleat pointing upwards.
 
To extend the line, simply pull the nib out from the center, place it inside the opposite cleat, and slide down to secure it. It’s just as easy to put away.

Posted by April 16, 2015 at 4:01 PM under Clotheslines and Laundry
The Household Essentials Five Line Retractable Mini Clothesline

Household Essentials 5 Line Retractable Mini ClotheslineThe Household Essentials Five Line Retractable Mini-Clothesline fits 60 feet of drying space into a 12-foot room by providing 5 clotheslines. The lines retract into an indoor/outdoor case that protects them from dust, rust and dampness, and is easy to wipe down. If you are a couple or if you have limited space, this retractable clothesline can make the most of it, whether in the RV, bathroom, or darkroom.
 
This dryer comes with all the hardware included, and the back of the box has a mounting template to show you where to mark for your screws. Brianna shows you how easy this clothes dryer is to install.
 

When you drill in your screws you have the option of using the wall anchors provided. Leave the screws protruding slightly, so you can slide the dryer down over them. Then screw in the screw hooks on the opposite wall.
 
To extend the lines, first pull out the knob on the side of the dryer to unlock them. Extend and hook them to the other side. Tighten the lines by turning the knob and lock them by pushing the knob in. When you are finished with your clothesline, pull out the knob to unlock the lines before unhooking and walking them back to the casing.

Posted by April 16, 2015 at 10:50 AM under Clotheslines and Laundry
The Household Essentials Retractable Single Clothes Dryer

The Household Essentials Retractable Single Line Clothes Dryer is an indoor/outdoor clothesline that extends and stays taut for up to 40 feet in length. It’s easy to screw on to opposing walls, fences, or posts. All hardware is included, so all you need is a pencil and a screwdriver or drill. Brianna can show you this retractable clothesline in the video below:
 

To install this clothes dryer, first use the mounting plate as a guide and pencil in where you want to screw it on. Don’t forget to measure the height of the locking cleat just beneath the mounting plate and ensure that your screw hook on the opposite end is parallel regardless of ground height.
 
When you are satisfied with your height, screw in the screws but leave half an inch free. You may also use the plastic anchors that come with your screws. Place the mounting plate over the screws, then slide downward. Finish tightening your screws. Screw in the screw hook on the opposite wall.
 
The Household Essentials Retractable Single Line Clothes DryerTo extend the line, draw it out and hook it to the screw hook. Then, tighten it by looping it around the locking cleat. To retract your line, unlock it from the cleat. Unhook it from the screw hook and walk it back as it retracts. You may pivot the case against the wall to be even less obtrusive when retracted.
 
The combination of the quick lock cleat and the stainless steel spring keep the clothesline taut and retractable for years. 40 feet of line space makes this a perfect clothesline for couples.

Posted by April 14, 2015 at 3:09 PM under Clotheslines and Laundry
The Leifheit Linomatic 500 Deluxe Rotary Clothesline

The Leifheit Linomatic 500 Deluxe Rotary Clothesline is made in Germany to operate conveniently and last for years. This aluminum and plastic rotary dryer is weatherproof right down to the lines. The collapsed dryer retracts and protects its lines inside.
 
Let Brianna show you how to install, open and close the Linomatic 500 Deluxe in this video.
 

Leifheit Linomatic 500 Deluxe Rotary ClotheslineThe Linomatic 500 Deluxe comes with a ground sleeve that you may cement into the ground with a concrete base; if you want an easier or more temporary solution for your base, Leifheit makes the Screw-In Ground Peg that is secure in the ground without needing concrete.
 
The rest of the Linomatic 500 Deluxe is in one piece. Slide it into the ground peg. Find the pull cord, pull out, and watch the dryer open until it clicks. The dryer clicks to a few heights for a tauter line. Now just let the pull cord retract out of the way. To close your dryer, find the button on the underside of one branch, push it, and let your dryer slide shut.
 
The Leifheit Linomatic 500 Deluxe has four sets of eight lines to create 164 feet of drying space, plus hooks on the corners for clothes hangers. It rotates so you may stand in one place to load and unload efficiently. It’s perfect for a busy family.

Posted by April 14, 2015 at 2:14 PM under Clotheslines and Laundry
The Household Essentials Outdoor Parallel Clothesline

Household Essentials Outdoor Parallel ClotheslineThe Household Essentials Outdoor Parallel Clothesline mixes the space efficiency of an umbrella dryer with the logistical ease of a traditional straight clotheline. This dryer rotates, making it easier to load. It also has parallel lines that are all the same height and length, so that fitting your sheets on the line is worry-free. 182 feet of drying space make this dryer perfect for large families.
 
Brianna shows you how to install the Parallel Clothesline on video. The dryer comes pre-strung, saving you time. Cement the ground sleeve into the ground with concrete. When the cement dries, insert the post with the skinny end up. Untie the arms of the upper structure before sliding it onto the post. Separate the arms, then slide the hand grip sleeve up the center until it locks.
 

The dryer has 30 lines total. Each half of the dryer is strung with a single line that you may tighten by pulling and then retying the end.
 
The Household Essentials Outdoor Parallel Clothesline is durable, made from rust-resistant galvanized steel and high impact plastic. Its combination of features makes it the right dryer for almost any yard.

Posted by April 14, 2015 at 1:26 PM under Clotheslines and Laundry