Making the most of a small space

sunroom37730975.jpg
Everyone has those small spaces in their house. It might be in the closet or in the garage but you still have them. Most people don't use them or just stuff them with things that they never use. Sometimes they may not seem like the best paces to put things but they actually can be very useful.

The first thing to do is to get rid of anything you never use. If you have a bag full of newborn baby clothes and aren't going to have any more children then donate it. Keep the sentimental items but things that you haven't used in 3 years just get rid of. Unless you know for certain that you will be using it soon, just throw it away or donate it if it's still good.

The tops of closets are a wonderful storage area. You can put things up there that you don't use very often, like extra blankets or winter clothes. The best things to put up there are things that you don't use every day but things that you use throughout the year. For example during the summer put winter clothes up there. You could even put shoes or shirts that you don't wear very often or that are only good for one sort of thing and you aren't doing that right now, like ballet.

Continue reading "Making the most of a small space" »

Keeping slugs and snails out of your garden

snail23489127.jpg
Slugs and snails can ruin your garden and your plants. There are several ways to keep them out of the garden and from eating your food. Some ways won't harm them but will keep them away naturally and some will be a more modern but harmful approach to getting rid of them.

One way to keep away snails is if you have birds in your area. This way you can let nature take its course without having much to do with it. Black birds like to eat snails so if they are common in your area put out some bait for the birds to attract them to your garden. Make sure of course that you put the bait out in a part of the garden where they won't harm your crop or where you aren't growing anything. You actually might try putting it out in another place on your lawn that is near enough to the garden that the snails will be attracted but not near enough to where the birds will bother the garden. Put out some bait for the snails too. Some bait that works is of course snail bait that you can buy at the store but wet dog food also works. You can just let the birds eat them. The birds will eat the snails and take care of the snail problem in your garden.

Continue reading "Keeping slugs and snails out of your garden" »

Keeping an outdoor dog run clean and good smelling

dog30338610.jpg
Every pet owner that has a dog run worries about cleaning it. You can't always keep it perfectly clean but you want to at least keep it from smelling up your entire yard and possibly your house. Finding that one special secret deodorizer and that one special secret to keeping it clean is a dream. Here are a few ideas to help you keep it clean. Pick one that works for you and it will become your special secret to keeping your outdoor dog run clean and good smelling.

Continue reading "Keeping an outdoor dog run clean and good smelling" »

How to know when to fertilize your lawn

bench30334537.jpg
One of the major questions that anybody with a garden or a yard has is when they should fertilize your plants. IF you fertilize at the wrong time, you can kill your plants or your lawn, you can end up encouraging weed growth, and more. We will focus on how to fertilize your lawn; if you are wondering when to fertilize your flowers or your vegetable garden, then you should look carefully at the growing recommendations for that particular plant. Talk to the owner of your local nursery about individual plant questions.

How to know when to fertilize your lawn

In order to know when to fertilize your lawn, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
1. what is my climate?
2. what type of grass do I have?
3. what type of fertilizer am I using?
4. how do I want my lawn to look?

If you want a very lush and a green lawn, then you should fertilize your lawn four or five times a year. However, if you don't really care about how your lawn looks, you should still fertilize it at least two times a year so that you can keep your lawn from dying.

Continue reading "How to know when to fertilize your lawn" »

How to keep your garbage odor down

garbagecan37740180.jpg
Garbage odors are something that everyone has to deal with. No matter who you are or what you do, you will always have garbage. So how is someone supposed to keep the smell at bay? Here are some tips.

Washing out your garbage can is always the first step. Sometimes your bags can leak and you don't notice until you tie up the bag and are ready to take it out. Then by the time you come back you forget about the leak and the mess it's made in the trash can. So to help, once a month take your garbage can out and spray it down with a hose. Try using some dishwashing soap and really clean it out. You can also try scrubbing it if there are things crusted on. Make sure you do a thorough cleaning. Also, for those in between times try putting some baking soda in the bottom. This will help neutralize the odor of anything that may leak or drop down.

Continue reading "How to keep your garbage odor down" »

How to get pet stains off your carpet

dog30359259.jpg
Pet stains are probably the worst sort of stain you can ever get on your carpet. They smell and can stay with you longer than most other stains. Sometimes pet hair can stick into the stain and makes it even worse. There are expensive ways and of course the cheap ways of getting pet stains out of the carpet.

An expensive way to get your pet stain out is to buy a special vacuum cleaner that gets rid of pet hair and stains in carpet, specifically pet stains. Dyson makes a wonderful one that gets out stains pretty well. These vacuums are at most stores but cost a lot. They can typically get out the general stains or ones that have only been sitting for a few minutes but for a really deep stain you can try using some of the cheaper and more economical ways of getting out pet stains. Then use the vacuum when you catch your pet.

Continue reading "How to get pet stains off your carpet" »

How often should you clean out your fridge and freezer

fridge34843082.jpg
Everyone has a fridge. And everyone has to clean out that fridge at one time or another. Figuring out how often to clean it out or how often to go through and make sure there aren't any containers filled with last month's lasagna can be frustrating. No one really loves to clean out the fridge and see piles of rotten and gross moldy food but it has to be done.

The best way to make sure you don't have piles of rotten and gross moldy food is to clean out your fridge as often as possible. If you are the type of person that knows exactly what's in their fridge at all times then you probably don't have to worry about cleaning the fridge too often. Just maybe go through it every two weeks to make sure that you have everything bad out. If you are the type of person that kind of knows what's in the fridge just try to go through it once a week and make sure you don't have any of that gross stuff in your fridge. It can also help remind you of what you have and can help you decide what to make for dinner that night. Keeping on top of your fridge is the best way you can make sure that you don't have piles of gross food and don't waste money on food.

Continue reading "How often should you clean out your fridge and freezer" »

Copyright © 2005-2008 by Breakthrough Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.