Green Techniques for Tile Cleaning

When it comes time to clean your tile floors it seems like we are always looking for that special cleaning agent to make cleaning more efficient. The problem here is that most tile cleaning agents have some sort of chemical make up that can create toxic residue.

These toxins can be released into the air or even left behind on your tile after cleaning. For people with young children or pets, this isn't exactly creating a safe environment for them to play and walk on.

Lately many companies have been releasing eco-friendly cleaning agents for professional cleaning companies and everyday consumers. The problem is that sometimes these can cost a good deal more than their toxic counterparts. It's not fair to have to pay more for a safe alternative but until the rules of the game change that's just the way it's going to be.

But the news isn't all bad or disappointing. There are cost effective, green alternatives to the traditional chemical cleaners we are all used to. And what's more, most of these alternatives are already in your home.

Using a vacuum cleaner on your tile, just like your carpet, is a quick and easy way to keep dust, dirt, and other loose particles off your floors. Getting these loose particles up on a regular basis will keep them from building up over time and becoming more work for you later. If you have a vacuum cleaner that is made for hard floors, all the better. But if you don't just set your vacuum to the lowest height setting. Regular vacuuming will make the rest of your clean-up efforts much easier.

If you've stuck with your vacuuming routine then mopping should be a breeze. When it comes to mopping you have a few choices as to what you can use. The cheapest, most environmentally safe product you can use is plain water. Water is a universal solvent. This basically means that it can dissolve most compounds. Water, along with a good mop, can be a very effective option for mopping.

If you need a little more cleaning power then try some dish washing soap. Just add a little to your water. When compared to other traditional cleaners dish soap is far less toxic and gentle enough to not harm your tile. If you need to pick up your cleaning power just another notch then try using white vinegar and water. One part vinegar to ten parts water should help you with those stubborn stains. You can increase the vinegar portion if needed. Just keep in mind that you do not want to use vinegar on natural stone tile. Vinegar will etch into natural stone and leave scarring which can cost a pretty penny to fix.

These tile cleaning tips should put a smile on the faces of those who are environmentally conscious. The products used are very eco-friendly and safe for your floors and your family.

Spring Cleaning and Decorating - Decisions, Decisions

It's that time of year. Stop groaning, you knew it was coming. Even though the sun is shining, the snow is melted, and the world of life is awakening once more, its not all fun and games in the spring. No because now, its time for spring cleaning!

That's right, its time to dust out the vases, clean out the closets, and breathe new life back into the home. However, this also means making some tough decisions. Clutter and chaos have grown up around the home over the stagnant winter months. However, it is now time for you to cast off these useless accessories, relegating unused items to trash and charity, making room for air and life to flow throughout the home.

That means making some decisions. If you spent money on something, you probably don't want to throw it away. It's like throwing cash out the door. Unfortunately there's no other choice. Sometimes we make bad purchasing decisions, and other time, things just become obsolete in our lives.

One way to systematize your de-cluttering is to take a box, and throw anything that hasn't been used in the last 30 days into the box. Throw it all in there and don't look back. If you're an organized individual, you can even make a list of the items you toss in there. Then stick the box in a closet, and wait another 30 days.

If after that time you haven't thought about, needed, or wanted to go into that box for a particular item, then its clutter; its time to set it free, and set your home free from its clogging influence.

Another common habit during the spring is to change up the look and feel of your home. Many people use the new season as an excuse to completely redecorate their spaces, replacing old furnishings with new ones, and generally giving the environment a fresh new feel.

However, you can't create a new look without destroying the old. If you feel yourself getting sentimental for décor from days gone by, you can always snap a few photos of the room before dismantling it. In this way if you ever get nostalgic you can simply look at the old pictures, or even use them as a guide for recreating the old look.

Spring cleaning and decorating is about making choices. Clutter and chaos have to be cleared away, and stale rooms have to be renewed. It's up to you to have the strength and fortitude to make the decisions necessary to ensure that your home stays looking fresh and elegant, in this period of transition and change.

Swim Spas at Prices Under Twenty Thousand Dollars

A top quality swim spa with all the best features is going to cost you a minimum of thirty thousand dollars before installation costs. At the same time if you work out what features are important to you and which are not you can get an adequate swim spa for under twenty thousand dollars.

Which Features Matter Most?

These are the main features to look for in a swim spa. If you don't need all of these you can save a lot of money.

The main reason that most people buy a swim spa is because it is an affordable and space saving way of getting swimming exercise. Swim spas allow you to swim continuously in place while a water current provides the resistance. Swim jets are cheapest but give you a turbulent current that is hard to swim in. Propeller or paddle wheel generated water currents give you the best swimming in place experience.
Another reason to buy a swim spa is the chance to relax and have a hot tub style massage. For this you will need massage jets. Molded bucket seats help keep you secure as the jets pummel out those tensions.
For a party swim spa, LED and fiber optic lighting, a built in sound system and water features like waterfalls enhance the experience.

The question is- do you really need all of these features?

The Fastlane from Endless Pools

This comes complete for $11,000. The pool itself is a cheap, above ground, self-assembly pool with a vinyl liner. There are no seats, massage jets, lights, heaters or sound system. What you do get is a top quality swim current generator.

Endless Pools are one of the best names in swimming spas and the Fastlane current generator is state of the art. The current is wide, deep and fast enough for very strong swimmers. The variable speed controls mean it can be adjusted to suit every individual. Because it is so easy to set up it can used outside in the summer and moved inside in the winter- if you have a large garage or basement with a strong enough floor.

The Swimergy

The Swimergy cost around $6000 before installation costs. What is it lacking? The most obvious thing is that there is no water current to swim against. You get the swim in place experience by using a swim tether. The tether attaches to the swimmer's special shoes. This kind of resistance swimming is used by pro swimming teams and the US Army for endurance training. The problem in a small pool is that waves build up as the person swims and the Swimergy pool's great advantage is that it is specially shaped to dampen water movements.

At eight feet by fifteen feet, the pool is big enough for two swimmers to use at the same time. It is also a fun place for kids to splash around in. There are no seats, massage jets, sound systems etc.

H20 Swim Spas

There are economy swim spas that use swim jets to create a current to swim against. H2O are one of many manufacturers.

The South Sea swimming spa is one of the most basic models on the market; there are no seats, only a few perches to sit on. On the other hand, there is room for gentle swimming, plenty of space for kids, a heater and an ozone generator to keep the water fresh. The swim spa can be found online for around $16,000, excluding installation.

H2O also offer the 'Super Swim Spa Exercise Swimming Pool Spa'. This is a terrible name but it has some good features for a spa selling online at $17,500. The swim current is from swim jets, like the South Beach, but here you will find 2 molded seats, many hydro jets, LED and fiber optic lighting, air blowers and an integrated sound system.

Double 6 Professional Color Dot Domino Set

Product Details

High quality double 6 color coded dominoes packaged in a black, cowhide grained leatherette case with a snap lock closure. Dominoes measure 1" x 2" x 3/8" thick. You get rules for eight popular domino games including Straight Dominoes, 42, Moon, 84 (takes 2 sets), Solitaire, Chickenfoot, Mexican Train and Super Dominoes.