Your home should be the place where you feel most comfortable in life and coming home should give you a feeling of warmth and security. Think about how good it feels coming home after a long period of being away. Your home shapes your beliefs, your self-esteem and even your decisions so working towards building a healthy home is definitely a worthwhile endeavour. But how does one go about creating a beautiful and nurturing home where you feel happy and others feel welcome?

How do you feel about ‘home’?

The kind of home you create or experience will depend on your attitude towards it. If you’re after creating a true home that’s one of the most peaceful places in the world for you, you’re going to create something quite special. If you treat your home as another stop along the way before you move on again, it’s going to feel more like a burden than a home.

Home is the place where you learn to feel entirely yourself and comfortably so. From there you can go out into the world with all its exciting distractions or struggles. As interesting or exciting as restaurants, work, museums, foreign places or hobbies are, they’re no substitute for a ‘real home.’

Building a home

To build a happy and peaceful home means building good relationships within a home. How everyone goes about their daily activities, how they give of themselves and respect each other will determine the atmosphere and the functioning of the home.

Spending meaningful time together, talking and sharing tasks is a different matter to simply living under the same roof. It doesn’t help to eat and sleep together when you’re actually worlds apart. In a home that is alive with vitality, people stay up late talking to each other, having heart-to-hearts and discussing whatever is on their minds.

By sharing life and acting as sounding boards for each other, the home becomes a foundation for a shared sense of purpose. It also acts as a place from which to pursue one’s own unique goals. It’s the life within a home that makes it feel like home.

These days, space is at a premium. And in today’s economic climate, most people have to live in relatively cramped apartments, or sub-divided housing. Although it’s not ideal, there are some tricks you can still learn to make the most of the limited space you have available. If you live in a relatively older building, you’ll find that there are lots of opportunities to make use of hereto forgotten areas. Get creative and think out of the box. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

First things first

Before you do anything, you should seriously consider sorting through your possessions and getting rid of the clutter. Throw away or donate your unwanted items and make sure you are left only with the objects you still use regularly. If you’re a hoarder, now is the time to let go.

Forgotten spaces

Next, you can examine your furniture and decide whether any of it is ‘hidden’ storage space. You could for example install a small shelf on a bed frame or make use of the empty space below your bed by enclosing it in order to store blankets. You can also store books and magazines on shelves underneath your coffee table.

Seating is another source of forgotten storage space. Consider replacing your armchairs with ottomans or perhaps sea chests topped with comfortable cushions.

In the bathroom, use the space under the sink as well as above the bathtub, by installing inexpensive shelves.

An often overlooked and under-utilised area is found under the stairs. You can easily create a storage closet without taking up extra space.

Corner shelving is another very good source of additional storage space.

Keep your eyes open

Just look around your home and evaluate it critically. Plan carefully. Keep an eye out for interesting space saving solutions whenever you pop in to your local hardware store. Watch DIY TV series; you’ll learn a lot. You’ll have solved your small space problem in no time.

Just how clean is your home? I’m sure you’d say ‘Pretty clean, of course,’ but a new scientific research has highlighted the need for Britons to look a little more closely at the tiny bugs their sharing their homes with. This Zoflora microscopic analysis had me thinking twice about what is lurking in between the keys of my laptop. The aim of this post is not to scare you, but to make you a little more vigilant about your home hygiene.

Hot spots

This microscopic analysis showed that even apparently clean homes are a hotbed for an overabundance of possible infections. One of the most shocking discoveries is that more faecal bacteria, yes, as in related to faeces, were found on the kitchen worktop than on the toilet flush, toilet seat, toilet brush or child’s potty.

A family with kids and maybe even a few pets needs to be a little more vigilant when it comes their home hygiene, because not only does bacteria hide in the usual hot spots such as bins, toilets, but primarily in those objects that we all touch often.

Laptops, bathroom floors, hall floors, dog’s toys, the patio table, the kitchen bin lid, kitchen work surfaces, showerhead, light switches and mostly all handles in the household were all highlighted as causing a high risk of infection.

Cleaning smart

The trick is to ensure that when cleaning you account for not only how long all surfaces will remain clean, but also for the number of people in your home when calculating the frequency of cleaning your home. More kids equates to not only more cleaning, but also cleaning everything they come in contact with. Make the little ones more vigilant about home hygiene, too. This will not only make them cautious when it comes to cooties, but it will help them share the load of cleaning and tidying up after themselves.

Remember to keep those dangerous yet effective detergents far away from the little ones. You merely want to make them more responsible and aware of home hygiene.

Keeping it safe and clean

Washing hands often is often cited as the best way to keep us out of harm’s way, and a closer look at the detergents we use to keep our families safe from the millions of bacteria that cannot be seen by the naked eye is crucial to maintaining great home hygiene.

Bacteria and viruses are all around us but we can minimise our risk of infection by following simple home hygiene regiments. Start form the top down and don’t forget to protect yourself with gloves and masks, especially when doing thorough cleaning.

A common problem shared by brand new home owners, or young people who have just upgraded their lives from living in Mum’s place to living in their own, is what furniture to get first. This is particularly important if you have very little money to spend on everything at once, and have to build up your furniture collection over time. Assuming you’re starting with an absolutely empty home – unlikely, but stranger things have happened – here’s the order in which you should buy your furniture.

First things first: A couch

Now, now, now, we know this may be a highly controversial recommendation. ‘A couch over a bed, let alone over essentials like refrigerators? Are you mad?’ is what you are likely thinking. On the contrary, a couch is essential furniture. It means your lounge isn’t completely barren. It also gives you somewhere to work and sleep, killing two critical birds with one three-seater stone.

And then what? The microwave

‘No! No! No!’ We hear the screams already: ‘A microwave over a stove? A microwave over a fridge to store the food you’re planning on microwaving in the first place? Who wrote this deranged list?’ Remember the guidelines, right – very little furniture, and starting from scratch. A microwave is great in that it makes preparing food very easy. It’s likely you’ll be slumming your way from meal to meal, buying what little microwave-quick food you can afford, taking charity food from the parents and tending toward dry goods like wheat, bread and fruit. The truth is you don’t need an expensive fridge just yet. Your next piece of essential furniture is a rock solid microwave. True story.

Now the fridge? Yes, now the fridge

Now that you have somewhere to sleep and work – remember, two birds with one three-seater stone – and a way to get food in your system, you can slowly start building out your home properly. Yes, now our essential furniture guide takes a turn to every home’s must-have appliance – a refrigerator. Not much needs to be said to justify why a fridge should be next, except perhaps a warning that yours will likely be a sorry excuse next to the always stocked fridge your parents had. Furthermore, consider buying a bar fridge, or a mini fridge over a full sized fridge. It’ll save you valuable pennies.

Parting thoughts

Now that your lounge and kitchen area look okay, it’s time to shift your focus to your bedroom. Here the trick is to kit your bedroom out like it was kitted out in your family’s home. A bed is essential, a desk to work at a must, and any other aids to keep you functioning from day to day should be accounted for. Or, save yourself the stress of buying furniture little bit by little bit by renting a furnished apartment, or only moving into an apartment when you have sufficient cash reserves to kit it out properly. Mum and Dad’s will be a lot more attractive once you’re out on your own – you’ll see. Perhaps you’re not quite ready to go it alone yet?

Buying furniture on the cheap is as much science and art, as it is brute force and desperate scrooging, so go into it with the right mindset.

Many people struggle to separate their time at work from life at home, and many more feel that home life comes with its own stresses. Your home should be a place where you can escape your worries and get rid of some of the stress of the outside world, so find out how to turn your home into a more relaxing place with only a few simple changes.

Colour coded

The colours you use in your home can do a lot to affect your mood. Find out about the effects of various colours, then put your new knowledge to good use. If there are colours you really hate, get rid of them, or just add touches of colour that relax you and put you in a good mood.

Get personal

Photo: Stock.Xchng

Be sure to add personal touches that remind you of the aspects of your life that make you feel the happiest and most inspired. Photos of your favourite people and places are a great way to start, and if you have souvenirs of relaxing vacations that look good in your home, put those on display, too. A good idea for a home office or child’s bedroom is a cork board – use it to pin up bits and pieces that are reminders of good times you’ve had or events that you’ve got to look forward to.

Let the music play

Having relaxing music playing in your home can calm you down instantly, so choose something that soothes you and play it in the morning and when you get back from work.

Keep it clean

It might sound obvious, but many people choose to ignore the fact that a clean home is a calm home. Get organised with storage and get everyone who lives in your home to contribute to keeping it clean. Soon, you’ll be reaping the rewards of a relaxing home.

With a suction power of 220 watts, the Hoover vacuum cleaner’s motor power is 2,000 watts. The vacuum cleaner offers edge to edge cleaning with help from its rotating brushes and is an ideal vacuum cleaner for pet owners. Lightweight and compact, it is easy to store and has Pets Turbo Brush which ensures efficient cleaning of pet hair and dander. It is a good vacuum cleaner for general cleaning purposes also as it offers full height 13 Stair Cleaning. Equipped with telescopic extension tubes, it can reach out to awkward places and clean well conveniently. A great all-round vacuum cleaner, it has a turbo brush which helps clean your bed, stairs, and car. Its HEPA filtration ensures that the cleaner does not lose suction. Its 3 levels of filtration ensure that it cleans as per the user’s requirements.

It is an efficient and practical vacuum cleaner which is user friendly. Its dust container can be emptied easily without touching the contents. Just one press of a button on the Hoover HU4207T Hurricane Pets & Stairs vacuum and all the muck is released. This is especially useful in case of users who are allergic to dust. Moreover, the canister and HEPA filters can be removed and washed. This saves the buyer precious time and effort of replacing the filters time and again.

]]> http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-clean/619/hoover-hu-4207t-hurricane-pets-stairs-take-on-any-mess-with-this-vacuum-cleaner.html/feed 0 http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-clean/606/dyson-dc07-origin-effective-easy-to-use-and-easy-to-empty-out.html http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-clean/606/dyson-dc07-origin-effective-easy-to-use-and-easy-to-empty-out.html#comments Sat, 09 May 2009 14:16:56 +0000 Jay http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/?p=606 A powerful machine, Dyson DC07 Origin sucks up dirt and fluff at once. It has a transparent duct canister which is easy to empty out. Being transparent, one can see when to empty it. It cleans efficiently due to the Root8Cyclone technology. This special technology from vacuum specialists Dyson enables effective cleaning where every particle of dust is absorbed. It also has a reversible wand that the user can twist and turn any which way to reach out to difficult areas with convenience. It is hygienic and very easy to operate. It also a Auto carpet-height adjustment feature which lets it runs on floors as well as carpets equally efficiently. It cleans the stairs fast and is ideal for car cleaning as well as upholstery.

It operates efficiently provided its filters are cleaned regularly; say once after 3-4 months of normal use. In case it is being used for sanding walls and decorating and other heavy-duty applications, then the filter needs to be cleaned once every week. The Dyson DC07 Origin has lifetime washable filters and has a feet plus hose. The long hose is impressive as it can reach out properly and when used with the aluminium lance, it extends to almost 8 feet. It also has a blockage removal feature that helps keep the system clean and on-board tool storage area. Though slightly heavy and bulky, it is very good at picking up grime and has excellent suction capacity. Available with 5 year manufacturer’s guarantee, the Dyson vacuum cleaner also has automatic suction changeover valve.

Vax is a company that has been manufacturing high quality and affordable vacuum cleaners and carpet cleaners. One of their most affordable, yet efficient, carpet cleaners is the Vax V 130 cleaner. This model is a upright carpet cleaner which comes with both dirty water as well as clean water tank. This enables you to clean as many rooms as possible before refilling the tanks.

Vax V 130 comes with a brush bar that is the multi row static type. This bar effectively loosens and lifts stains and dust from the carpet and also cleans spills. This upright vacuum cleaner is easy to move around and lighter too. The robust and sturdy design ensures durability and strength. This cleaner comes with the unique ultra solution from Vax.

V 130 has a filter that can be washed. With the help of this filter it is possible to carry out edge to edge cleaning and also vacuum clean the spills. This Vax cleaner is powered by a motor of 1350 watts. The clean water tank capacity is four litres which eliminates the need for a constant refill. The dirty water tank is of three litre capacity.

When the tank of this cleaner is full, it automatically cuts off providing for maximum safety. There is a convenient place in the cleaner itself where you can store the cord. Cord rewind function of the cleaner can be operated by foot. This interesting carpet cleaner weighs 8.10 kgs and comes with a power cord measuring 9m.

The iRobot cleaning robot has only two buttons, the power button and the clean button. Power status of the device is indicated by green and red lights in its Power button and cleansing process message will appear through the light in its clean button. Just like its sibling the Roomba, the iRobot Scooba 385 cleaner also uses the auditory signals to inform the user about the cleaning and the stopping of the device. The device also has a Service Code marker which will enable the user to know about when to clean the tank and when the scrubbing brush roller is stuck. To make the device to work is so easy.

This device, just like the iRobot Roomba, has virtual wall technology installed in within, which will allow the user to enable the non-cleaning of certain areas. The device is an excellent cleaner and has the level of intelligence most of the users will prefer.

]]> http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-clean/595/irobot-scooba-385-the-robot-is-designed-specifically-for-floor-washing.html/feed 0 http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-clean/590/vax-6131-impressive-multi-function-vacuum-cleaner.html http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-clean/590/vax-6131-impressive-multi-function-vacuum-cleaner.html#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:57:39 +0000 Kyle http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/?p=590 The great make and excellent functionality has helped VAX 6131 vacuum cleaner to make a mark in the market. It is a 3-in-1 vacuum cleaner with powerful cleaning features. It comes with powerful 1300 Watt motor which gives immense power to this machine to clean your home effectively. VAX 6131 has got amazing functionality of washing, drying and vacuuming at the same time. This unique vacuum cleaner has a choice of two inner filter parts which helps in vacuuming and shampooing. This large capacity multifunction vacuum cleaner comes with combination floor head that gives effective vacuuming effect on both carpets and hard floor. This magnificent vacuum cleaner proves most effective on carpets as it washes as well as vacuums it at the same time which removes the deep down dirt and grease stains that make carpets look flat and lifeless. This is not possible in any other vacuum cleaner.

VAX 6131 provides five stage filtration process, which ensures absolute cleanliness to the surface on which it is used. The Vax 6131 easily sucks up spills which helps the user to use it immediately in case of water spilt or milk spilt. VAX 6131 has the wet capacity of 8 litre dirty water and 4 litre of clean water, while its dry capacity is 8 litre. It has transparent fibreflow wash head and has pumped water delivery system. It comes with 2 pieces of stainless steel extension tubes and 750 ml Vax AAA carpet cleaning solution. VAX 6131 is easy to maneuver and comes with highly sophisticated tools that offer a range of cleaning from crevices to stairs and upholstery. The Vax vacuum cleaner comes with 12 months manufacturer’s guarantee, which is the testimony of the company’s faith on the quality and performance of this machine. All these make it the best buy for the customers.