Happy almost Easter everyone!  We thought we’d share a few cleaning tips with you regarding Easter egg dye and carpet.  Hopefully you do not have to use this advice, but here it is just in case.

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.

Call a Professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. CRI – 1-800-882-8846.

For most people, New Year’s resolutions are about personal goals – exercise regularly, get that annual physical, lose those last 10 pounds – again. As you make your resolutions this year, you might want to add in a couple for your home.

Most accidents occur in the home, and you can reduce your risks for 2011 by taking just a few steps now.

Start by checking your floors. Do you have any places that are a tripping hazard? For example, are there any transitions from one type of floor to another with a slight unevenness that seems to lead to tripping? Are any of your bathroom or kitchen floors slippery when wet? Do you have any throw rugs that tend to slide when people step on them? From no-slip pads to smoother threshold transitions, take a look at what you need to do keep your home safer.

Next, consider your home’s lighting – both inside and out. Are your doorways well lit? Can people see steps or walkways well at night? Is the transition from driveway or street to your front entrance easy to follow after dark? Take the time to wander around outside some evening and make sure your guests can see well when they visit.

One high-risk area is your bathroom, particularly when getting in or out of a bath or shower. Installing safety bars helps children and older people feel more secure. Be sure to hire a professional to install it, or ensure that the bar is connected to a stud at both ends, to keep it holding when people rely on it.

Are there any other home safety measures you’ve been putting off? Well, when you make this year’s resolutions, add them in, and help you and your family have a safe and happy 2011.

The holidays are almost over. It’s time to pack everything up for next year and move on to 2011. If you plan a bit this year as you wrap up the decorations, you can make next year’s holiday even better.

Start with your holiday lights. They’re not designed to last a long time. Just how old are your lights? Check for frayed cords and cracked or broken sockets. You may also want to consider replacing any with more than one or two burned out bulbs. The current LED lights have rich colors and use much less energy. For protection, keep lights in their original packaging, or purchase special light-wrapping holders to avoid tangles next year. As you buy new lights, consider putting the purchase date on the package for the next time you wonder how old your lights are.

Do you have special containers for your ornaments, or do you depend on tissue and old wrapping paper to keep them safe all year? The newer containers have individual spaces to keep fragile ornaments safe and make it easier to pack and unpack them.

It may be tempting to put all those boxes and pieces of wrapping paper and ribbon in the fire, but restrain yourself. Too much paper can throw sparks out the chimney and add to the carbon coating that gets home fireplace chimneys into trouble. Instead, recycle the boxes and whatever else your recycler will take.

By taking charge of these post-holiday efforts, you can wrap-up 2010 with a few well-planned activities and move into 2011 prepared for the next year.

In one of our last posts we discussed some pointers to help you with your holiday home decorating. Here are a few more that you could take heed of, to keep stress at bay this holiday season:

1. Prioritize: Its not much use expending energy, time and money decorating areas your guests are not likely to see. Spend those resources on rooms you’ll be entertaining in. Not only will this ensure that those areas are done well, it also decreases your workload.

2. Budget-wise: Good décor does not mean spending a ton of money. There’s no need to empty your pockets to get the right look. Spending money unnecessarily can also increase unwanted stress. Take a closer look around your house; surely there are some everyday accessories you can incorporate into your festive decorations. Also try and get as much use out of decorations that have already been paid for. Colorful fruits in a bowl or bright and fresh flowers make for beautiful centerpieces. Real fruit and veggie centerpieces can also be eaten after the holidays. Think creatively!

3. Squeeze in some R&R: Take advantage of time away from work. These are times to spend time with family and friends. Have fun, get some rest and eat home-cooked meals. Go back to work in the New Year with a fresh approach!

Halloween’s almost here and we’ve got a few tips and tricks up to help add some spook and mystery to your home. Take advantage of the one time a year it is acceptable to give your neighbors the creeps!

1. Dim those lights: Get a spooky glow. Instead of using overhead lighting use battery powered candles. The low light will add suspense to your space. Especially light up those jack-o-lanterns with a battery powered candle that won’t go out. Replace light bulbs with dark bulbs.

2. The haunted look: Watch scary movies and notice what sets the scary tone. You can drape white sheets over furniture to give an abandoned look to your house. Add fake cobwebs to corners of walls, ceilings and baseboards. Red food coloring makes excellent fake blood. Use the dye to add blood to costumes, decorations and edible treats. Dry ice, hidden behind plants, will look like low-lying fog in a graveyard. Adding dry ice to a cauldron will appear to be witch’s potion in the making!

3. Don’t forget the pumpkin: Carving pumpkins is a fun activity the family can do together. Place pumpkins along walkways and by the entrance of your home. After cleaning out the inside wash off the seeds, let dry, apply seasoning and bake! Pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack choice that taste great.

4. Creepy Crawlers: Hide fake spiders, snakes and other insects in common places around your home (for example the refrigerator and bathroom counter tops). The dim light will make these critters look more realistic.

5. Halloween music: No other tactic will set the mood like scary music can. Find inspiration from scary movies. Almost every TV channel plays scary movies during the month of October. You may just find the perfect creepy soundtrack to download and play in your haunted house.

6. Bats Lingering: Attach fishing line to fake bats and hang from your ceiling or tree branches. Fishing line is made to appear invisible. Fake bats can be found at any store that sells Halloween decorations.

7. Blood is a Necessity: Red food coloring makes excellent fake blood. Use the dye to add blood to costumes, decorations, cocktails and edible treats. In the kitchen have some transparent containers filled with peeled grapes soaking in green food coloring water and label “Zombie Eye Balls”.

8. Get imaginative Think of all things that frighten you and incorporate these fears into decorating. It is important to scare all of the human senses such as touch, sight, smell and hearing.