Got Flat Rate?

The Advertising

You've probably seen them: six-wheel box vans with billboard-size ads on the sides, sometimes displaying a blown up picture of a white-toothed smiley-faced middle class woman on the phone, suggesting everything in life is better for her, now that she's found a disposable-booties-wearing plumbing & HVAC company. Or perhaps you've called one of those colorful full-page ads in the Yellow Pages. You know the kind, they make you feel warm and fuzzy, and define everything you thought you wanted to hear. And what about their application of every credit card logo under the sun? Did that reassure you that if your unplanned plumbing emergency caught you short on cash, then you should, without further thought, simply use your plastic? Did the 800-number, blazing red as fire, subliminally suggest: "hotline straight though to the Maytag Man, who sits patiently awaiting to soothe your flustered mind"? Welcome to the world of Flat Rate plumbing and HVAC advertising!

I bet there's something you don't know, unless, of course, you did hire one of these companies - they charge between $125 and $400 an hour. If you didn't know they charged that rate, you are not to be ridiculed for your ignorance, as that rate is disguised in the sell price of every part that they say (wink) you need.

Well, I am going to shed some light on the dark magic behind the M.O. of the Flat Rate model, then maybe you won't go into cardiac arrest from sticker shock should you find yourself paying one of these companies after your next plumbing or HVAC emergency.

The Background

Among the self-employed in the HVAC and plumbing trades are those who have long struggled to eek out a decent living, myself among them. Traditionally, we've charged an hourly rate, plus a modest mark-up on materials. As a service technician for two 2nd generation fuel companies - Tenney Fuels, and Ferns Energy Centers - in the early '80s, I was paid $3.75 per hour to start, ten cents above minimum wage. Those companies charged $25 per hour and made a profit on parts, furnaces, burners and boilers, and the sale of fuel oil, the latter bringing in the lion's share. Then, in 1983, Tenney sold out to a hot shot "petroleum marketer" and my pay was raised to $6.90 an hour. In parallel, the new fuel oil conglomerate raised Tenney's rates, and started charging the customer for everything from pipe thread compound, and a few sprays of parts cleaner in a can, to speedy dry (kitty litter) to absorb oil we spilled on the floor. It didn't matter that I spit-cleaned the burner electrode porcelains, the customer still was charged for noxious spray cleaner. The name of the game changed from, service and installation work of the utmost quality (at a fair price), to slap-it-in-as-fast-as-you-can, and maximize profit in every conceivable way, irrespective of quality. The new company even brought in technicians already trained on their new method at other branches, to show our service department how it would now be done. It was a shock to me, a green horn, as every traditional practice bestowed upon me over the previous 2 years was clearly and painfully on its way out. The shock on the faces of the customers, some who had been with the company since its inception, was a poignant experience for them and me. Steadily through the 1980s and '90s, the endangered Old School slid closer to ultimate extinction, along with the family-run feel that we were all used to. The Big Boys made their entrance with slick, grand, unimaginative signage, sporting corporate logos that left us - the employees and the customers - feeling like an invasion was underway.

In 1988, I'd nearly had it with the new model that I felt imprisoned by, and resorted to recanting positive affirmations I placed on my service van console - anything to affect peace of mind so I could make it through another soul-wrenching day working for The Man. By this time I was employed by a plumbing contractor who seemed to embody the New School philosophy of taking the customer for all they were worth. Though I had been in the trade for 8 years, a co-worker and junior technician - experience-wise - set out to "show me the ropes" my first day on the job. By noon he'd managed to bill for 8 hours, per man, charging each customer for the time it would hypothetically take to travel to their home and back to the shop. It didn't matter if 3 of the customers lived on the same street, they still got charged the full hour round trip, as if they were the only service call out their way that day. During the course of our rounds, the profit-motivated technician charged one customer - my dentist - for a light bulb in the furnace room that he bumped his head on and broke. While there, he only wiped the dust from the furnace. The bill came to over $300. Next, he charged a customer for an ignition transformer that was not defective. Then, he charged a 93 year-old woman in a mobile home $285 dollars for wiping the dust from her furnace, and a new oil burner nozzle, despite the woman's plea that she could barely manage on her deceased husband's Social Security check. (A month later, when the woman called with a no-heat emergency, she got me, the on-call technician. I went to her house, after normal business hours, and found that the burner master control had failed, so I replaced it...free of charge, as recompense for the bath the technician gave her months earlier. I'd lied on my report, stating that call was a non-chargeable callback due to improperly adjusted electrodes.)

I was paid piecework for the exact time I billed a customer. Otherwise, if I didn't charge them for, say, a trip to the supply house for parts, or travel to their home and back, or for completing the day's paperwork, I didn't get paid for that time. I thought the company owner was a criminal for making his living the way he did, and nostalgically pined for the early days at Tenney and Ferns - honest and ethical companies. I felt the present company not only ripped off (in many ways, not fully explainable in the context of this writing) the customer, but also ripped off me, the employee, by illegally docking my pay for not filling out the daily paperwork correctly.

The last straw for me was when the company charged Kay O'Brien, an elderly woman of 84, for several service calls by a plumber-employee who had no knowledge of oil burners. When I was finally sent to straighten out the original problem, and the additional ones he managed to create with a bountiful helping of sheer ignorance, I suggested that she call the main office and explain (complain). The owner's daughter (the company bookkeeper) told her to "pay the f-ing bill, or we will take you to court!" This unbelievably disturbing and aggressive lack of gratitude upset me as much as it did Kay, and profoundly affected my attitude, unlike anything I'd felt working for any prior company. I withdrew from participation in company meetings and events and, ultimately, I was fired. The boss man said I "wasn't a team player", and I agreed, at least not on his team, which lead me down the solitary road of self-employment...and hard knocks.

5 excruciating years had passed and I realized I could have been making more money working for a New School employer during that forlorn period of pure angst. My earnings peeked over the poverty level barely enough to see the other side, gazing at what the Joneses had that I couldn't muster from no matter how hard I'd worked. Soon, my wife left me for a lawyer. (Whatever happened to for richer or for poorer? I think she opted for richer.) Instead of giving in to working for The Man", I chose to risk everything on my luck as an inventor (see my essay, "Lessons In Invention Development"), which, by the way, is like jumping out of an airplane without first checking to see that the chute on your back is not really a backpack full of bricks.

Just prior to falling like The Old Man of The Mountains, I was approached by a company wanting to sell me a Flat Rate franchise and poured on the sales pitch in equal parts to the, aforementioned, over-the-top, advertising on the sides of certain trucks. I rejected their solicitation because their business model and methods seemed like voodoo. Bankruptcy seemed a more attractive option. A local plumbing company owner did buy into the franchise, and soon he was focusing all his efforts on service, all the while his excessive drinking showed his behind-the-scenes stresses that apparently forced him into his decision to change his business model to the Holy Grail the Franchiser sold him on. He had a great many service vans with inventory levels I had not seen since the old days. He had a huge color ad in the phone book that must have cost upwards of a $1,000 a month. (I paid $250 for my black & white quarter-page ad.) He had an 800-number, in bold red ink, and slogans that I knew he wasn't clever enough to dream up by himself. The ad, with credit card logos all in a row at the bottom, convinced me he had gone Flat Rate. I visualized him with voodoo dolls that resembled his customers, squeezing them until their wallets spilled out of the pockets, cash flowing from them for him to seize - the how-to instructions printed on some secret page in his Flat Rate pricing book. I was skeptical of his ethics, as it seemed he had bought into something that suggested profit trumped quality, fairness, and full disclosure. I thought, "If it quacks like a duck..."

I pondered the methodology behind the new buzzword, Flat Rate. Being a creative thinker, and problem-solver, I thought the method was ingenious, juxtaposed to that of the Old School way of generating revenue. I examined the core problems in the trade, but also the lack of fulfillment associated with being self-employed, from my humbled and beaten down point of view. Competition was fierce, and there seemed no way to go up on rates without losing bids, customers, and sales. I felt I was on the precipice of defeat, the sanctified martyr for the cause of doing honest work at a fair price, which seemed passé. Also, there seemed no way to afford employees, and the requisite benefits package they routinely demanded. I held back my spiteful tone with retained thought so as no interviewee would notice when he uttered demands like "vacation"; "insurance"; "holidays", like so much lava from a volcano, scorching my patience to cinders. He didn't know, nor would I reveal, out of certain embarrassment, that I had none of these bennies. Once upon a time, I enjoyed all that he asked for at the family-owned fuel companies. Nonetheless, it seemed ironic to provide others with the very things I was missing by not working for The Man.

An established company with 15 technicians in the field can generate sufficient revenue by the Time & Materials model, but I was beginning to see the employee prospects that I interviewed demanded a full compensation package, and that I would never become the company that could afford to pay them. And with customers questioning, "What, you charge $35 an hour? I can get so and so for $25 and hour!" the pressure to suppress the urge to charge more was what I feared and loathed the most, but was ever present. The over arching problem in the trade, that desperately needed fixing, was the perception in the mind of the consumer that no matter the hourly rate, there was always someone out there who should be sought for a "competitive" bid. That sounds like Free Market Competition at work. By not charging by the hour, rather charging for 'materials only', albeit, with a hefty price tag that obscures the true cost of the parts, the Flat Rate model appeared to have offered up a solution to the problems I experienced. I'll explain.

The Way it Works

When you call a Flat Rate Company, typically it's because you are desperate to have your no-heat, no-hot-water, or worse, "no water" problem remedied, quickly. The typical Flat Rate customer gravitates to the "Yellow Pages" like steel to a magnet, and dials the number in the most eye and emotion-catching ad. The company behind the ad anticipates them coming, and, in a sense, is like the Maytag Man who sits waiting for the unsuspecting and desperate voice on the other end of the phone line. The troubled voice is a common one, and the prepackaged mantras of the Flat Rate Company - "Honey, just call ________." (Fill in the blank with a name of Flat Rate Company.); "Repairs and maintenance on all systems"; "You get firm, up-front estimates and fair, competitive prices"; "Better quality guarantee"; "90 days no payments, no interest financing"; "At last, a serviceman who is always on time, or you don't pay a dime"; "Never an overtime charge"; "You know the price, before we start"; "Clean, professional technicians"; "Immediate response"; "Our prices are based on established standards"; "_______ solves over thousands of residential problems a year and we can solve yours now" - are like valium to ease the caller's anxiety. Those lines hook you fast in your greatest time of need. Hey, if you can get an experienced, neat, clean, and professional plumber who allows you to approve the price before he does the work, and he smells nice (yes, there is an ad for nice smelling plumbers), and you can slap the repair on plastic, then who wouldn't call? It's true, the Fat Raters are usually there in short time, have the parts in their warehouses-on-wheels necessary to solve your problem, and you do approve the price before they begin work. However, there's more to their formulae, and intent by some, than catches the eye.

The Catch

Many Flat Rate companies tell you over the phone when you call, not in the ad, that there will be a trip charge (leverage) if you don't "approve the price" for remedying the diagnosed problem when they arrive. By then you've already done all the hunting for a technician in the jungle of ads that you can stand. When they assure you they can speedily solve your problem, you agree to pay the trip fee should you disagree with their price. Shortly, the technician arrives, and in time he tells you that your problem is such and such, and the cost to fix it is...well, on page 7 of his Flat Rate pricing book. The price seems like a lot, but you have no way of knowing if it is too much - it's not like comparing brand names to generics side by side on the shelf of the supermarket. Besides, you are in a hurry to get your kids off to school, and get to work, and everyone needs to brush their teeth first. YOU WANT WATER, NOW! So you whip out your Visa card and he swipes it before you, and then busies himself in the basement for a while. Once the repair is made, your nice smelling plumber comes upstairs, utters niceties, and when he is positively out your door, removes his disposable booties, hoping you'll notice he didn't dirty your floor, which might be the most profound thing you remember about his visit.

On his way to his next service call, the technician whistles with glee, knowing he just made a 7% commission (an incentive to sell as many parts as possible) on the gross sale, on top of his $75,000 salary. Some of these guys make over a hundred grand a year!

[As a salesman for the last company I worked for, in 2002, I made 2% commission on net profit, which was determined by the owner of the company, though I wasn't privy to his calculations. I quit a year later and they refused to pay my commission check.]

The Math

So how do they arrive at their high prices? Hypothetically, the well pump pressure switch at the root of your no-water problem cost the Flat Rater $12, but you paid $379.25 (the charge that you 'approved before they did the work'). $379.25 - $12 (their cost of the switch) = $367.25, the Company's mark-up. If you hired a time and materials guy, say, at $85 for the hour in your home and one on the road, plus $24 - an average sell price for the switch, you'd pay $194. Now, subtract $24 from the Flat Rate price of $379.25 and $355.25 is the labor amount you've been charged. But wait, there's more. Divide their labor amount by two (hours) and their equivalent hourly rate is $178 per hour - more than twice that of the time and materials guy! You think, "How can this be? He was only here for 45 minutes?" Then you suck it up and remember his booties and your clean floor, rationalizing away your concerns, especially about the new balance on your credit card, which you can make minimum payments on anyway. But don't forget to factor in the interest, bringing the total cost of the Flat Rate Company's repair to new heights never before seen in the Old School model. What is the Flat Rate technician's cut? 7% X $379.25 = $26.55, but that's in addition to his salary, or high hourly pay.

These are average numbers, of course, but you get the idea.

Some Flat Raters take price-setting to an extreme, raking in up to $400 and hour, then laugh through their admission of guilt to fellow tradesman at the supply house. I've actually heard them there, at the counter.

It's all about their marketing, paired with the desperate consumer's emergency, otherwise, the entire business model wouldn't hold up. The consumer pays a premium for the company's means of letting you know he can have a technician there with the requisite parts, within an hour. But that doesn't mean that a wholly qualified technician will show up at your door. Anyone can change parts. Besides, the more parts they sell you, the more often you pay that premium...until finally he fixes your problem. It's almost always a net gain for the company, but a loss for the consumer. If the unqualified technician sells you 3 parts, or more, depending on the true problem and how long it takes to replace parts until the right one is found, the equivalent hourly rate quickly skyrockets to the aforementioned $400 an hour range. It's math 101.

There is an army of these companies now canvassing the populous neighborhoods all supported by their big ads, hoping to add new customers, as many are one-timers, given the unwanted economic bath they took the last time. Speaking of being taken to the cleaners, how does $950 for a plastic Zoeller sump pump suit you? Maybe $1,900 for a 40-gallon electric water heater sounds attractive? I think not! Check Home Depot's prices for those items the next time you are there. Flat Rate pricing seems to save the consumer from information they shouldn't see. What they don't know won't hurt them?

More often these companies are franchises and they are popping up around the country, from California to New Hampshire. But a local company (though I suspect it is only a matter of time before they sell franchises) boasts of having 35 fully stocked trucks on the road, in New Hampshire! Surely there must be as many dead moose on the road.

Two Schools Collide

With pricing like that the Flat Rate Company can afford to pay their employees better than the non-Flat Rate competitors, thereby attracting the labor pool away from the Old School guys like me. However, guys with talent, skill, and ethical fortitude tend to work for themselves. The dilemma is omnipresent. I ask, why would anyone work for me if all I paid them was $40K a year, and meager benefits? The Flat Rate method answers this question, as it addresses the quandary of how to make self-employed tradesmen profitable, so they, too, can have the same benefits that their employees demand.

The New School, and Flat Rate have convinced me of the direction the trade has been headed in for some time, and that it will never return to the days when I began as an oil burner technician for fuel companies that had been around since the beginning of oil burners themselves, and coal-fired systems before them. Still, I choose to work by the traditional ethics that I was fortunate enough to be taught, at a time when the winds of change were shifting. I've let go of the idea that I would employ many and reap the profits they generated for me. Now I work alone and hire another self-employed guy when I need a second pair of hands to complete a job that requires more than one, rather than go Flat Rate and take advantage of the customer. I do believe in business ethics (surely some of you are laughing at my naiveté). Maybe I'll never sway from the Old School approach, as I still have zero patience for the sub quality work done by the bottom of the labor pool barrel, and by some of these Flat Rate companies. Call it ego, or call it nostalgia, I call it freedom, freedom to choose to feel great about the work I did today, without having to scam anyone.

Presently, where once I charged only for the time on the job, I charge for the total time that I commit to my customer, including travel time both ways. Also, I charge for diesel fuel to get there. After all, the time and expense of traveling to my customer's site is not for my benefit; it's to solve their HVAC problems - my primary business.

I know every task required to complete any HVAC job, and the order in which they should be performed. With 28 years experience, I feel unlike many of the Flat Raters who often only have a few. Really, many are simple parts changers in a neatly pressed uniform, behind the wheel of a moving billboard / warehouse, carting around 25 grand of inventory...and a Flat Rate pricing book.

Despite my many complaints about them, I feel the Flat Rate innovators were very creative and insightful when they formulated their solution to the ills in the trade. However, I feel their method is fraught with deception, and opportunity for fraud. Not all are bad, but take the following as example:

The Fraud

A case in point is my customer Cheri Whittaker's experience with a Flat Rate company. Cheri called me for a "free estimate" to change the boiler in her home, in Exeter, after seeing my ¼-page black and white ad (that cost $450 per month), in the Portsmouth telephone book. Being a savvy and knowledgeable salesman, I knew enough to get a lot of information up front, before I agreed to give a free estimate - something everyone calling ads in the phone book expects. Estimates take a lot of time, if done carefully and accurately. The answers Cheri gave to my queries - namely who the (Flat Rate) company was that condemned her old boiler two weeks earlier - caused me to suspect she just needed an honest and experienced technician to diagnose the problem correctly. I felt I was her man, and agreed to give the estimate.

Upon arrival in her basement, I noticed that the air gate on the oil burner had been intentionally shut, causing the fire to burn incredibly dirty. Black smoke spewed from the chimney, and the boiler was plugged with soot. Before long, damage to the oil burner would result. Cheri showed me the invoice and recommendations the technician had left with her. There were many reasons listed on the invoice for condemnation of the boiler - every one false and designed to pressure Cheri into buying a new boiler from a "Comfort Advisor" they planned to send out to give an estimate. Had she gone along with their diagnosis and prescription, the technician would have received a $700 commission in his paycheck that week. Imagine him doing this more than once a week, and you can see how he would easily approach a $100,000 annual salary.

The last time the boiler and burner had been serviced, prior to the Flat Rate Company's visit, was over a year, so I knew the Company technician had sabotaged the boiler intentionally. Otherwise, an oil burner starved of air would have caused it to fail in a matter of weeks, and it was nearing that point. In a way, the technician's statement on the invoice was correct: "the boiler is due to imminently fail".

Cheri and her husband asked me to confront the Flat Rate Company, in their presence, so no surprise, I agreed. Soon, the technician and his service manager arrived at their home and we converged in the basement. Within 15 minutes, I proved false the Company's claims in their invoice and of no wrongdoing. The Whitakers were not impressed with the hollow answers and guilty looks from the two, and evicted them from their home, telling them they would never return. I proceeded to clean the very dirty boiler and bring it back to good, safe operating condition for a few hundred bucks - a far cry from the $10,000 it would have cost to replace the boiler.

The Summation

Cliché's abound for situations like the aforementioned such as, caveat emptor - "buyer beware". And, "if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is." Think of all the claims, promises, and guarantees in the phone book ads, then recall what they charged you. Was it a steep price? Had you ever been charged that kind of money for a service call in your past? What about the so-called Trip Fee, did you opt for that and disapprove of their Flat Rate? Did the technician fix the problem correctly the first time, or did you have to call him back? Gimmicks like disposable booties, and surreptitious slogans - "you approve the price" - are devised to dupe the layperson from thinking about the price for a repair. These companies are clever, and getting rich without doing much quality work for the money, but they do sell a lot of parts, which I suppose bolsters the economy.

My Mom and her husband in California were just hosed by a Flat Rate Company, paying twice the price for outmoded air conditioning equipment that is being phased out because its refrigerant destroys the Ozone layer. I wished I could have saved them from the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing Comfort Adviser that sold them on the idea of replacing their functioning furnace and condensing unit, before that company loosed their disposable booties in their home. I don't blame the one's who've been bitten; I hold the snake charmer responsible for allowing the snake to bite.

But, hey, at least the owner of that one-hour flat rate company is content with not having to work for The Man - something we do have in common

Tags : Vanity Light

Cleaning Electronics With an Ultrasonic Cleaner

Ultrasonic cleaning has become one of the most popular ways to clean electronics. The process saves time and improves results without compromising safety. Let's take a quick look at how an ultrasonic electronics cleaner can be used effectively for circuit boards, PCB, and electrical assemblies.

Ultrasonic cleaners now play a crucial role in the circuit board and electronics assembly process. An ultrasonic circuit board cleaner helps to improve SIR test results while reducing rework and improving reliability.

An ultrasonic cleaner can safely and effectively remove solder paste and flux residues from post-reflowed circuit assemblies. If you are using an ultrasonic cleaner to clean PCBs after wave soldering, it is easiest to begin soon after the soldering process. Make sure that you allow the boards to cool below 70°C before starting the ultrasonic PCB cleaning process.

In the past, ultrasonic cleaners operated at a single frequency, and it was found that certain components in electrical assemblies suffered damage from the harmonic vibrations set up by the ultrasonic wave.ultrasonic circuit board PCB cleaner However, ultrasonic cleaners using frequency "sweeping" have been developed that quickly and reliably clean the electrical assemblies without causing damage. In Sweep mode, the frequency is continuously varied slightly, eliminating the potentially damaging standing wave.

Although there may have been a concern in the past about ultrasonically cleaning electrical components, the frequency sweeping ability of today's ultrasonic electronics cleaners should alleviate any trepidations going forward. From using an ultrasonic cleaner on circuit boards all the way to small electrical components, the cleaning process is now faster and safer than ever.

If you regularly clean electronic parts, an ultrasonic electronics cleaner is the best tool for the job. The common concern is that ultrasonic cleaners will destroy delicate components. However, advances in ultrasonic technology have eased this concern by replacing the single frequency wavelength approach-known to harm electronic parts-with a variable frequency approach, called "sweeping." This advance in ultrasonic technology has not only led to reduced production costs, but has proven to enhance reliability, thus reducing warranty costs as well.

In the area of electronics, every circuit board, PCB, and electrical assembly is reliant on precision craftsmanship, with no room for imperfection. In the past, the ultrasonic cleaning of electrical components was not viable. Certain electronic components immersed in an ultrasonic bath would be damaged by the harmonic vibrations set up by the single-frequency ultrasonic wave. In Sweep Mode, the frequency is continuously varied slightly, eliminating the potentially damaging standing wave. Additionally, Sweep technology offers more uniform cleaning of parts by eliminating "dead zones" where no cavitation occurs in the bath. Cavitation is the formation and energy-releasing implosion of tiny vacuum-filled bubbles generated by the ultrasonic waves.

See Also : Fridge Freezers Cat Litter Save Price! Store

Dog Stickers - The Perfect Embellishments For Your Pet Scrapbook Pages

Dog stickers come in all shapes, sizes and styles from super cute to ultra sophisticated. They make wonderful embellishments for scrapbooking layouts of your favourite furry animals. But they are not the only things that need to be considered when creating albums of your pets.

Our dogs are just as much a part of our families as everyone else so they should feature in your scrapbook albums. You could even devote a whole album to them.

The first thing you need to do is decide exactly what it is you would like to scrap. I am sure you have plenty of photos of your family dog looking adorable. These photos make fabulous pages, but you might also like to consider creating layouts of the following:

1. Firsts - Like the first day you got your dog, the first walk you took, your dog's first bath, your dog's first toy etc.

2. Your dog's name - who choose it and why.

3. Special events - your dog at birthdays, Christmas and other holidays.

4. Your dog's paw prints. Many parents use paint to take an impression of their baby's foot and hand prints. Why not do the same for your dog's paw prints?

5. Activities like games you play with your dog.

Those are just a few to get you started. Every dog has their own unique personality. Think about your dog and you will soon work out the most important things to scrap.

Once you have decided what you would like to scrap, you can start choosing your materials. You will need scrapbooking papers and cardstock, but also embellishments like dog stickers, rub-ons, ribbons, brads and whatever else takes your fancy.

When selecting your dog stickers, try to choose a broad range. Make sure you have some cute stickers that feature cartoon-like dogs, bones, balls and dog toys as well as dog quote stickers that you can use to assist you with your journalling.

Dog stickers are extremely versatile and can be used on almost any dog scrapbooking project with ease. Choose the designs that you love and you will be sure to create a scrapbooking album you and your family will treasure.

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Its a Stickup - Wall Stickers From the Binary Box

Wall stickers are a quick and easy way to transform the look and feel of a room or your whole house without breaking the bank. Also known as Wall Decals, Wall Tattoos, Wall Art, Wall Transfers these innovative designs are this year's must have interior design item. There is no need to spend hours carefully lining up and applying wallpaper to a whole room when there are hundreds of tasteful and unique wall sticker designs which present a new technique to decorating.

Whether you just want to add a subtle touch of colour to brighten up dull lifeless rooms, or you want to create a centrepiece that will form a talking point in the room then The Binary Box has something for you. Their unique and ever growing range of wall stickers are designed and created in-house to offer you the best quality product right through from concept to production.

All of these wall stickers can be used anywhere in the house from your living room to your bathroom see the rubber duck wall stickers. The stickers are created from a specially designed low-tac vinyl which can be easily removed without leaving any mess, marks or residue without peeling off the paint when being removed which is perfect for decorating in temporary accommodation where you are not allowed to hang any permanent fixtures.

These wall stickers are also perfect for children's rooms as you can change the style of the room as your children grow older. Making sure that your child's room is bright and relaxing is vital as it gives them the right environment in which to study which improves their creativity and helps give them inspiration. See the tree coat rack wall sticker or the funky animal's wall sticker for some good examples of the children's wall stickers [http://www.thebinarybox.co.uk/Wall-Stickers-Childrens.html].

The contemporary range is perfect for that subtle touch of colour without overpowering the feel of the room, check out the dandelions wall sticker or the falling leaves wall sticker to see how you can use these stickers to add some class to bare walls.

Or for the more adventurous there is a large range of graphics wall stickers that will bring the room to life and create a real centrepiece. Check out the Banksy inspired graffiti wall stickers or everyone's favourite from the 80s the space invaders wall stickers.

Each design is supplied with full fitting instructions and application paper to ensure transfer is made with correctly with ease. The low-tac vinyl backing means designs can simply be repositioned or even fully removed without leaving a trace.

The Binary Box are located in the North of the England in Manchester, they are made up of a small team of designers who strive to offer innovative new ways to decorate your home. Keep posted with all their latest designs and offers by subscribing to their newsletter here.

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Bath Gift Baskets You Create Yourself From Scratch

Bath gift baskets are something every lady likes to receive, whether she is young or old. In this hectic world, taking time off for relaxation is practically an unheard of thing. One of the last refuges many of us ladies have from the stresses of work and family is our own bathtubs. Is there anything better than closing the door on the world, lighting a scented candle and sinking into a relaxing bath?

Bath gift baskets are easy and inexpensive to make. In no time flat, you can create a beautiful basket of bath salts, bath bombs, bubble bath, lotions and other wonderful spa products. This is such a thoughtful gift, especially if you custom scent your products just the way your recipient likes them with essential oils. The possibilities are endless: lavender, sandalwood, citrus, jasmine and more.

Bath gift baskets can also be a source of revenue. Spa products are a hot commodity, and sales are increasing yearly. If you learn to make your own spa products, it can be a lucrative source of a second-income. Of course, if you choose to sell your products, you will need to carefully follow government regulations. There are strict policies as to labeling requirements, as well as specifications as to which preservatives must be included in your products by law.

Bath gift baskets are items that are commonly marked up 600-2000% in stores. By learning to make your own bath products, you will save hundreds of dollars and use only, safe, natural ingredients in your creations. No one likes to take a bath in chemicals, so make your own beauty items to save money and keep your skin healthy.

Thanks To : Candles Store Mini Kettle

How to Keep a Clean House Without Losing Your Mind

For years homemakers have complained that there simply don't seem to be enough hours in the day. While you're busy taking care of your family, those pesky household tasks - picking up after kids, keeping toys and school items organized, and keeping your home clean - can easily pile up and become overwhelming. But with a little ingenuity and some planning, you can have the picture-perfect home you dream of without losing your mind or breaking your back. Following are just a few tips for keeping your household tasks under control and your sanity intact.

Make a Plan

If you want a sure-fire way to make sure you never neglect a single corner of your home, lay out a detailed plan for your housekeeping activities. Although it may seem like overkill, a monthly plan will be the most effective. First, create a task list - including daily, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly tasks.

If you don't know where to start, take a moment to consider your expectations. Do you go crazy if your house isn't immaculate or are you comfortable letting a few things slide now and then? Determine how often you'd like to complete each task, assigning a higher priority to those areas of the home you care the most about - maybe the kitchen floor or the guest bath. Once you've laid out your priorities, begin adding tasks to your calendar. Your goal should be to have just a few tasks to complete each day so you never find yourself faced with hours and hours of cleaning.

Try a Timer

If you're someone who absolutely dreads housework in all its forms, consider setting a kitchen timer - for 15 minutes maybe - in which to tackle some of the day's housekeeping tasks. Clean only until your time's up and save the rest of the day's tasks for your next session. Although 15 minutes may not seem like much, you'd be surprised at what you can accomplish if you force yourself to do this just a couple of times a day, particularly if you've planned your work in advance.

The timer approach is a great way to encourage yourself to take on any type of activity you don't particularly enjoy. Not only will it motivate you to move more quickly, it will also keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the tasks at hand.

Invest in the Right Tools

The right tools make all the difference when it comes to the efficient completion of household tasks. Your floors in particular, as well as your back, will benefit from an investment in the right equipment.

If you have hardwood or tile floors, a steam mop (about $99 for a good one) will save you time and effort, and can help to eliminate household allergens without the use of harsh chemicals. Rather than relying on a bucket of water and cleaning solution, a steam mop uses highly heated water to lift dirt from your floors in a fraction of the time it normally takes to mop. Relatively lightweight and simple to use, a steam mop is also much kinder to your back - no heavy lifting or scrubbing is required.

For the more technologically adventurous, the relatively new vacuuming "robots" can be serious timesavers. While a regular vacuuming will be required every now and then, these automated hard floor and carpet cleaners can be programmed to give your entire home a daily once-over, whether you're there to supervise or not.

Dry dusters, mini vacs and pre-moistened cleaning cloths are just a few more ways to save time while keeping your home neat and tidy, giving you more time to relax and enjoy the activities you love.

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12 Useful Organizing Tips to Get Organized Quickly

If you are disorganized you are not alone. Many people are but can get organized quicker with a few tips. Here are 12 tips that can assist you in getting your home organized.

Tip 1 - Place items into categories so you can easily see what you have duplicates of and what you can get rid of.

Tip 2 - Clearly label all boxes, bins, drawers and shelves so you can easily keep track of what item goes where.

Tip 3 - Instead of using all your floor space, consider using the wall and shelves to help organize.

Tip 4 - When you want to easily access papers you are filing, consider using tabs on the hanging file folder so you're not hunting down for a particular document such as home mortgage documents, car insurance papers, etc.

Tip 5 - Keep order in your house by cleaning and picking it up every day for 30 minutes.

Tip 6 - Each space in the home should have a specific purpose such as a computer desk for computer work, homework desk for kids to do their schoolwork, bedroom for relaxing etc.

Tip 7 - Clean up the garage and design zones for your things; one place should be labeled sports while another should be for your tools.

Tip 8 - Before you purchase any containers, measure the space. You want to make sure that all your items fit into the space you have designated for it.

Tip 9 - When you have unfinished projects, make the decision to complete them or let the project go. Unfinished projects can take up enormous amounts of space.

Tip 10 - Do not allow junk mail to clutter up the home. Better yet, throw it away before you bring it in the home.

Tip 11 - Start organizing the area you are in most.

Tip 12 - Have an area set up for bags of trash or items you plan to donate.

For more organizing tips visit the Los Angeles Professional Organizer.

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Clothes Washing Tips - Smell Good, Feel Good

Let's talk about doing your clothes. Clothes-shirts, blouses, sweaters, jeans, socks-needs to be washed. There is no way out of it. It's normal for a person to sweat and smell like the pits during the course of the day. So if it's a shower or a bath he or she needs to freshen up, clothes deserve them, too. There's no point in taking a shower if the shirt you're going to wear smells like the garlic chili dog you had last Saturday.

Clothes-Washing Tips

Here are some cleaning products and solutions for clothes:

* Laundry detergent - A laundry detergent solution is essential. These days, detergents come in all shapes and scents and it's important you choose one that suits your family best. For example, someone from your family could be allergic to a particular scent, so remove all detergents with that scent from your list of options.

* Stain removers - Stain happens. When it does, it's time to pick up that bottle from the laundry basket with the label "stain remover". Choosing a stain remover product requires some thought. For instance, you need to consider the type of fabric you're going to be using the stain remover on. You can't just blindly use every other brand and expect the results to come out right.

* Bleach - Bleach is a powerful cleaning solution and everyone who uses it on his or her dirty laundry should know that. Not long ago, there weren't that many choices when it came to bleach. Not anymore. Nowadays, we have scented bleaches and concentrated bleaches and more as a result of many years of research on dirty laundry.

For Best Results, Follow the Instructions

Washing dirty laundry shouldn't be too hard if you know what you're doing. The important thing is to follow the instructions at all times. We understand not many people like going over the instructions on products, but if it's a case of ending up with a faded t-shirt that you bought only a week ago, well then you better think twice about reading them.

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Decorating Without Damaging

If you were like most kids and think back to "the good old days", you probably remember having the walls of your bedroom covered with posters of hottest boy band or movie star - if you were a girl, or the coolest rock band or sleekest sports car - if you were a guy. You also probably remember your mother yelling when the scotch tape you used to put the posters up peeled off the paint, if not the entire top layer of drywall when you took it down. Fortunately, things have changed for the better. Wall art, or custom wall graphics as they are also known, are now more durable, flexible and non-damaging than before; and they're not just for kids anymore.

Vinyl wall graphics - the New Trend

Vinyl wall graphics are a hot new trend in home decorating for both the younger and more mature crowds. While children and teenagers will appreciate vinyl wall graphics with rock bands, movie stars and other pop culture themes, young adults, and even some older individuals, will find an outlet for their artistic expression in custom wall graphics featuring treasured photos or photo reproduction of favorite paintings. And for the big kid that seems to lurk in every sports fan, how could they resist a life-size photo of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson bustin' through their basement wall at full tilt.

Custom Wallhogs and Fatheads

Wallhogs and Fatheads are two of the more popular brand names, but there are dozens of other small companies popping up to take advantage of the trend. Custom wall graphics are great because they are so many ways they can be designed. In addition to the traditional rectangular poster format, they can be cut so that only the features you want to leave in are included. If you have an adorable photo of your child playing little league ball or performing at a dance recital you can have just the silhouette of the child included so it appears that he or she is hitting or dancing just for you. They come in a wide range of sizes, depending on the company, and can run anywhere from 12 inches to 6 and ½ feet tall.

Vinyl wall graphics go up easily, although with the larger sizes it is recommended that you have a helper.

Easy to Put Up, No Damage to your Wall

They require no tape or paste, they are self adhesive, but come down easily without damaging the wall beneath and leaving no residue behind. They are tough and scratch and tear resistant. The great thing is that they are reusable; they can be hung up and taken down multiple times, so if you move or if the owner just wants to change its position, doing so is a breeze. With most companies out there, you can select a photo from their library (size of the libraries vary with larger companies offering a wider selection), but you can also order custom wall graphics using your personal photos. The process is relatively straight forward and usually consists of simply uploading your photo to their website and specifying how you want it cropped. Prices also vary with size, very large sizes often costing over $100, but generally speaking there is a vinyl wall graphic sized to fit every price range.

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Beware of Low Price, Bait & Switch Carpet Cleaners

Carpet cleaning services are popular among home owners as well as business owners. Your living or working place should always be clean. It gives a positive and motivational environment. There are many types of carpets sold in the market and every type needs regular cleaning and care.

Nowadays you can find a big number of carpet cleaners in the market and most of them are legitimate. Legitimate company will provide you a high quality service at reasonable price. But you will always find some unscrupulous business operators who try to take advantage of common home owners. Most of these companies practice bait and switch technique which is very attractive and hard to resist. There are many companies who are practicing this technique and one should be aware of their ways and tactics.

The carpet cleaners who practice bait and switch will give you an estimate over a phone call. But the original estimate will be changed when they will arrive your home.The homeowners can`t change the appointment with the cleaners because of the arrangements which they have already made. It is a big work to make a new appointment with a fresh company. The home owners choose to pay higher price and avoid wasting their time.

There are many things which should be considered before choosing a carpet cleaning company in your area. It is a good idea to spend some time on the internet before choosing a carpet cleaning company. Try to find a reputed and old company in your area. It is a good idea to go through the reviews and testimonials of the old clients. In this way you will find the best possible company in your area.

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Baby Wall Decor For Boys

If you have a baby boy on the way, then you will want to choose the perfect baby wall décor to suit his personality. Unfortunately, as a parent, it is impossible for you to know what colors will suit your boy's personality. Therefore, we have three color scheme options which we can use to best guess what color your little baby boy will best mesh with.

Color Scheme 1: Traditional blue is the most common color for a boy's baby wall décor. Using various shades of blue, you can make the room look fantastically boyish as you decorate it up with all art of clouds, sports teams, or spaceships. The sky is the limit with cool blue walls. Additionally, blue is a cool and relaxing color, so it is one which can be used for years to come.

Color Scheme 2: If you don't want to sway your boy towards one of the two traditional gender colors, you can choose to paint your baby boy's room using neutral colors. Such colors include greens, yellows, and creams. This is also a great option for those who don't find out the sex of their baby until he or she is born. Also, neutral colors are ones which can be grown into. Therefore, you will not have to worry about re-painting once your baby boy hits his angst-ridden pre-teenage years.

Color Scheme 3: Many parents choose to simply use a white wall when their baby is born. Many people feel it is important to let their child come into their own preferred colors without having them pushed at birth. Also, this will give you the opportunity to understand your baby's personality a bit more before choosing a specific color for baby wall décor. If you simply wait a little bit after your baby's birth, you can become more acquainted with your baby's behavior, which will allow you to make a better choice regarding color schemes.

In short, there are hundreds of colors and themes you can choose from for your baby's room. The question is this:
Do you decide on a color scheme before your baby is born, or should you wait to discover more about your baby's personality before making a decision regarding baby wall décor?

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Scrapbooking How Tos: From Nothing to Something

So you have decided to create your own scrapbook work of art. Here is the step-by-step process you can follow to creating a one of a kind scrapbook...

Shopping.

Yes, the best part of everything. It is as exciting as your birthday celebration. And no one can resist it. Shop for the supplies you need. Shop for the essentials such as the album, album refill, adhesives, card stock, embellishments, papers, pens, punches, stamps, embossing, stickers, a pair of scissors and everything you need for your scrapbooking project.

Tip: Buy only acid-free adhesive, permanent marking and non-fade pens and inks. Your aim is to preserve memorabilia for years. These things will save you from messing up with your scrapbook.

Gather your memories.

Get as many photos as you can. Depending on your theme and the aim you want to achieve, you can sort them according to their relations to one another. For example, you can make a bibliography through scrapbook, then, you grab pictures from your childhood up to now. Sort them out according to the year they were taken.

Tip: If you are grabbing old photos, make sure that your hands are clean. Old photos can easily be destroyed with oil and dirt from your hands. Old photos are also brittle so you may want to handle them with extra care.

Another tip: If you want to preserve old photos, you can scan them to your computer and make a copy. Doing this would also let you edit the quality of the photo or crop the particular portion you only want to have.

One more tip: If you want to take some recent photos, use digital cameras. In this way, you can take as many photos as you could without wasting film. Upload all the photos you have taken, then, print the ones you have selected.

Gather your supplies

Let your imagination take you anywhere. From the supplies you have, create a scrapbook that is truly yours. Decorate the front page of the album with your chosen general theme. A delicate combination of colored papers, pens, photos and creativity would let you create a good front page. On the inside, decorate each page with distinct designs.

For additional decorations, you can consider using a paper trimmer, punches, circle cutter, decorative rulers, paper rolling ball glue pen, or putting on some templates, stickers, computer clipart, rubber stamps, and colorful decorations you can find on magazines. Use the right adhesives to secure what you have placed on your scrapbook. There are several of these: double-sided adhesive dots, photo tape, glue pens, photo corners, non-permanent glue, squares or strips, glue sticks, and bottled glues.

Putting them all together

The most difficult part of the whole scrapbook making is putting all the stuff together, so here are some of the tricks:

Your options are more flexible if you are using photocopied pictures. You can cut them in to different shapes and sizes or you can decide the picture's size. Placing them to the pages is easier if you keep the space free; then decorate it afterwards.

The best way to cut papers and photos would be using this trick: think twice and cut with no hesitation. Use a sharp pair of scissors. Exploring your creativity in cutting would give better impact to every page of your scrapbook.

Journaling

Adding some handwritten text also involves creativity. Putting some captions, names, dates by hand would let give some personal touch on each page. The use of templates and paper cut outs would also be great.

When using pens, make sure that they are acid-free which avoid degrading the scrapbook's image. Use different colors for each page.

You can ask your friends and family members to help you write something on the pages.

Finishing touches

Use some additional decorations for final touches. Stickers, handwritten shapes, and paper cut outs are some of the things you can add as your final touches. Compile the pages carefully and share it with friends.

Now that your have your own scrapbook, you can add pages anytime you want to and you can keep your memories alive for as long as you keep your scrapbook alive.

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Baby Bath Things to Have on Hand

When you begin your baby's bath, there are quite a few things you will want to have handy. Before you undress the baby and put him or her in the tub, you will want to have these things within reach. If you do not, you will need to do without some essentials, or take a wet baby with you to fetch them. You cannot leave a baby alone in a bath.

A handy thing to have is a basket with all your bath essentials. Some things you will want to have at your changing and dressing station part of the time. You can fetch them before you run the bath water or have an extra one just for your bath basket.

Some of the things you want to have nearby for your baby's bath are a towel, a wash cloth, and baby shampoo. Many baby shampoos can also double as a body wash, so that makes it a bit easier to deal with. While any mild shampoo or liquid castile soap is fine for babies, a baby's shampoo will be tear-free, or in other words, it will not sting if it gets in the eyes.

You should have a bath thermometer to test the water. You could make do with your wrist or elbow to test water temperature, but many bath thermometers for babies double as a rubber ducky or some other kind of bath toy, so why not have one? It is also nice to have a collection of bath toys. These can be left near the bath tub. There are net bags you can buy to hold the toys as they air dry over the tub.

If your baby needs to take some kind of medicine, such as acetaminophen or an antibiotic, bring their medicine to the tub. A baby will almost always drip or drool their medicine. By giving them their medicine at the tub, it is super easy to clean up the sticky mess afterwards.

You need to decide where you will be undressing and dressing your baby relative to the tub. If you want to do it right by the tub, you can quarter fold an adult towel to make a nice soft pad to go underneath your baby, and undress or dress him or her on the floor by the bathtub. If this is what you will be doing you will need to remember to bring a clean diaper, diaper ointment, clothes and baby comb with you to the bathroom.

Another approach is to undress your baby at their usual changing station, wrap him or her in a towel, and bring them to the tub. After the bath, you wrap the baby again and go back to your changing station. With this approach you can minimize baby urine getting on you or a clean towel if you merely loosen the tapes on the diaper and keep the diaper on the baby until you get to the tub. If you must deal with a soiled diaper immediately before a bath, you can clean up the baby as you usually would after a soiled diaper and possibly use two baby towels -- one for before bath and one for after the bath.

With a little forethought you can have everything you need for you baby's bath in a convenient place. Under no circumstances should a baby or young child be left alone in the bathtub, even for a moment. Being organized will lessen aggravation and give you more freedom to play and have fun at your baby's bath time.

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Significance of Labels For Domestic Purposes

A Label refers to an informational piece of paper, cloth or any other material affixed to a container. This piece of material contains name or information about the product or container. These labels are printed with lavish or simple design elements on one side and with adhesive on the other side. It identifies a product or used as promoting a product. One can simply use label as a name tag or for any other kind of communication. These labels are not only used for commercial purposes but also for various domestic purposes.

Uses of Labels for domestic purposes:

The labels are beneficial for naming containers in kitchen for convenience. You can label kitchen products or containers with paper or cloth material. A person can cut a piece of paper, cloth or aluminum foil to label the containers of the kitchen. You can also make a label appear attractive by using good quality paper. For this purpose, a person can cut a piece of colorful cloth and label the containers. One can deploy the labels for sticking on the assignments or books of kids. You can take a thick piece of paper and draw various designs on the borders of a sticker. The designs make a sticker appear attractive and striking. You can also use a glossy paper that can make a label or a sticker appear professional and visually appealing. This makes the assignment of the kids attractive.

There are many occasions when you need labels at home. One can deploy the labels for the purpose of using them for gifts. For using stickers for gifts you can give a heart shape to the labels. You can also give a shape of a Christmas tree or Santa Clause on the eve of Christmas. These exquisite shapes make a label visually appealing. These shapes make a label appear attractive when used for gifts. You can also use a silky cloth of a ribbon to make labels for gifts. Cut out a piece of thick paper and affix layers of ribbon cloth. You can then use glitters and other colors to write on these labels. It is a great fun to try out different ideas and let your creativity take huge leaps to make your containers, gifts and other things appear beautiful.

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Corporate Clothing and Branding Go Hand in Hand

Corporate and promotional clothing or accessories usually get the corporate logo or slogan either embroidered or printed on the front, back or both sides of the clothing type chosen as corporate or promotional clothing. There are variety of clothing and accessories used for corporate branding like t-shirts, bags, or caps that have company logos on them. Depending upon the corporate decision, a call is taken in terms of choosing the clothing type and the designing to be done on it. Some go with simple embroidered logo design or some get it done in flashy prints and so on. But company's image needs to be kept in mind while getting the corporate or promotional clothing design, else one may just lose out on the best advertising opportunity.

Corporate or promotional branding is mostly done through the advertising vehicles like caps or hats, tees, tennis shirts and bags or even accessories like pens, tea coasters, mugs or mementos. There are several types of things one can use as promotional freebies, if it syncs well with the activity you are distributing them at. The promotional items must always send out the right message about the company.

Clothing for corporate wear like company attire, school or university regular as well as sports uniforms are available in many types like tennis or polo shirts, t-shirts and son on, which have various types of embroidery designs or prints done on it according to the desired pattern sought by the company or university. Since embroidery is not a preferred way of designing all the times, especially when it comes to tees, printing is done to get the expected look and logo design. Blazers, denim, cotton or polyester jackets, sports uniforms and t-shirts either have an embroidered logo or printed design going with the corporate brand identity.

There are several ways to promote the corporate identity, the easiest way being the staff or university students wearing clothing that sports the corporate logo or slogan of the company or university. Distributing freebies like clothing or accessories with corporate logo at annual events, promotional events, seminars, workshops and industry gatherings is another great method. Many companies follow a trend of choosing the best employee every month, and a corporate apparel or accessory item is gifted to the employee which has company logo inscribed on it.

By choosing corporate clothing for employees or in case of schools and universities, for their children makes people follow certain decorum in companies, schools and universities. Advertising through corporate and promotional clothing is considered to be one of the most affordable yet effective means of communication. Many corporate houses have realized the importance of going in for this option to build and promote the company's identity.

But while choosing corporate clothing supplier, it is necessary to check that he/she is able to fulfill company's requirements for fusion of quality apparel and the current market trend. Since though there are several options available, choosing the one who can provide quality at affordable prices could prove to be a difficult choice.

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Smart Decorating - Make Organizing Your Bathroom Look Apart of Your Decor!

How many of you struggle to organize your bathrooms? If you have a small amount of hidden storage space, it makes it even more difficult. Here are some tips to organize your things out in the open so it looks apart of your decor! Roll your towels and place them in a big basket, metal tub or in a wine rack set on the floor or counter. Your bathroom will take on a spa look and guests won't have to go snooping to find a towel!

Here is a another great idea I heard to keep towels organized and looking great! Buy a cheap roll of wide satin ribbon in a complementing color to your towels. Stack a neatly folded bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth (or again roll the three and stack placing the bath and hand towel on the bottom with a rolled washcloth on top) you will then wrap the ribbon around the towels twice- like you would a present- and tie a bow on top. (If you decide to roll the towels, just wrap them once around the middle.) This will keep your towels tidy in a way that will make you smile when you open that linen door, keep them from falling over in the closet, and when guests arrive you can set them out on the counter or place them on the guests bed and they will feel like their visiting a resort hotel! Just save your ribbon and reuse it when you fold your towels!

Store extra bars of soap on an open shelf by placing them in a glass jar. If color or a special touch is needed, just wrap the bars in plain or colored wax paper. You can seal the paper with a strip of clear tape or add a design look by sealing it with a color matching sticker. All these items can be found in the scrap-booking section of most stores. Joann stores sells a lot of these supplies- while you are in the store look around you! You will probably see some great items to help you organize with style.

Bath salts or beads can be stored in a glass jar as well. The white granules will remind you and your guests of a trip to the beach, place a scoop in with the salts for measuring. Find decorative jars, boxes and containers that go with your bathroom at a local thrift or antique store. Use these to keep cotton balls, Q-tips and other daily used items. A bench with storage underneath adds an extra place to keep unsightly items, and gives you a place to sit while trying to paint those toes! If you find an open bench you love you can still add storage by finding lined baskets that easily slide underneath.

Better Homes and Gardens have tons of awesome ideas to keeping things organized in your bathrooms and linen closets. Type in bhg.com/linen after going to the Better Homes and Gardens homepage.

From: Life in the Home

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Ultrasonic Cleaners - Using Ultrasonic Cleaners For Precision Cleaning

Some of the greatest technology advancements we have seen in the last decade have come in the area of cleaning solutions. Health, sanitation, and eco-friendliness are major issues when it comes to cleaning solutions, and products are constantly improving to meet the highest standards with all of those issues. For anyone looking to find a solution that answers all of those standards, ultrasonic cleaner systems may be the perfect option.

Ultrasonic cleaners are more commonly used in jewelry, medical and dental cleaning situations - frequently but less often in the automotive industry. The reason ultrasonics technology is used so often in these industries comes from the ease with which ultrasonics sanitize delicate items and parts typically described as "hard to clean."

Some quick facts on ultrasonic cleaning systems:

- In the process of ultrasonic cleaning, sonic waves and cleaning chemicals are combined.
- Depending on the item needing cleaned, ultrasonic cleaners come in a variety of sizes.
- The four primary components of the best ultrasonic cleaners are chemistry, temperature, dwell time, and mechanical energy.
- Ultrasonic cleaning machines typically include cleaning tanks, a cleaning bath, baskets, transducers, filters, and a control panel.
- In table top ultrasonic cleaning environments, eco-friendly chemicals should be used to avoid surface damage.

Depending on how an ultrasonic cleaner is used and what products are cleaned, the features necessary change. Cleaning chemicals typically change as well. For people that need an ultrasonics solution and already have a cleaning tank, a transducer may be necessary.

While the basics of ultrasonic cleaning are universal, there are many additional options for these cleaners. If a company or business is interested in custom creating an ultrasonic cleaner, chemicals, tanks, baskets, and other equipment can be added an existing cleaning system. DIY-ers and people who have attempted homemade ultrasonic cleaning typically come across a variety of common problems. To help properly create a custom cleaner, it may be best to consult with a professional.

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Grout Cleaning - Essential Tips in Keeping Your Ceramic Tiles Clean and Preserving the Beauty

Regular maintenance and routine grout cleaning are essential to having clean grout over a long period of time, and can reduce the unnecessary cost associated with replacement of your ceramic tile. However, professional strength grout cleaning agents can be very harsh and can cause damage to your grout or cause your colored grout to fade. These stronger chemicals are often an unnecessary expense, as a number of home remedies for grout cleaning work well and are readily available.

When it comes to grout cleaning, an oxygen bleach product works better than one composed of chlorinated bleach, and does not pose a health hazard when used in areas where there are small children or pets. An oxygenated bleach solution can also work quite well on tougher stains. To make an oxygenated bleach cleaning compound, combine one cup of OxiClean or other oxygenated bleach powder and two gallons of hot water. Although OxiClean is gentler than chlorinated bleach, you should still test this mixture on your grout first if you have colored grout.

If you have already tried a number of grout cleaning agents and still have black stains on your grout, the most likely culprit is mildew. Mildew can be a huge problem in areas prone to moisture, such as tubs and showers, but there is also a home remedy for this that is relatively inexpensive, and that is alcohol. In fact, if you read the labels of a lot of major bathroom cleaner brands, you will find that the main ingredient is almost always alcohol. As a more affordable solution to your mildew problem, you can purchase a bottle of alcohol at your local pharmacy and put it in a spray bottle for treating those areas that are heavily affected with mold or mildew. In addition, drying your shower and bath areas after each use and then spraying with the alcohol treatment is a great way to keep mildew at bay. This can save you more time in the long run, and keep your grout clean.

After you have scrubbed your grout clean, the final step of cleaning is to use a damp sponge or cloth to wipe away excess dirt and grime, as well as wash away any chemical residues that your cleaning products have left behind. Using running hot water to rinse the cloth or sponge as you go prevents you from further contaminating the areas that you have not yet cleaned, and works better than using water from a bucket. Thoroughly mopping the whole floor following grout cleaning will not only ensure that the entire area is clean, but also free from any lingering chemical residue.

While it is true that the entire process of grout cleaning is hard work and consumes a great deal of time and energy, it is beneficial while cleaning grout to take short, intermittent breaks while scrubbing grout clean in order to prevent back and knee stiffness and prevent injury. However, these breaks should be 30 seconds to one minute in duration, as longer breaks can distract you from your work and further delay the entire process.

If cleaning seems like too much of a chore for you, you can also hire a professional grout cleaning provider to do the job for you. These grout cleaning specialists use some of the best chemicals and top of the line machines, and are able to get the entire cleaning job done much faster. Also, professional grade grout cleaning machines have powerful suction that can eliminate more harmful dirt and bacteria. Although using a grout cleaning service can be more expensive than doing the job yourself, it is important to keep in mind that the cost of such service can equate to a much deeper cleaning and improved overall appearance of your grout. Grout cleaning service agencies who charge more than others are more likely to use better chemicals and grout cleaning tools which can get out even the toughest grout stains. It is always a good idea to check out a contractor's guarantee beforehand, and also get a copy of that guarantee in writing.

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Two Massage Therapy Marketing Tips You Shouldn't Miss

Just like any other small business, massage therapy is also affected by economic changes. But, regardless of any economic downfall, we must keep moving forward and continue to provide business and services. Along with changes such as this, you to need review and counter check your marketing strategy.

Clients, as individuals have different wants and needs on the services you provide. Some may need it for health and wellness while some may actually think of your service as a treat. In every business, there are circumstances that you can't control and the only way to deal and keep up with keeping your clients is by following these two tips:

1. Build a marketing strategy that can effectively tell the value that your business can offer. What's in it for them? The services that you offer must be clearly understood as well as the benefits that go with it. You can give out informative resources to your clients like brochures and handouts that they take home and read over. You can include therapeutic exercise guides along with that, or maybe include freebies like mini bath salts or massage oils that they can use at home. Your clients would just love to come again with all these little gifts as token of your appreciation.

2. Word of mouth advertising. Honestly, it's actually more expensive to get new clients than keeping loyal customers. That's why you need a very effective massage therapy marketing to keep your customers coming back. Make sure to give rewards and discounts to loyal and recurring clients in order to keep their loyalty and at the same time make sure that they always leave happy and satisfied. Give bonus treatments like facial treatments, or Swedish massage or maybe give an extra 10 minutes of good massage. To make it more even enjoyable, you can offer group packages so they can bring along a few of their friends.

Always keep in mind that there are boundless opportunities and possibilities. You just need to explore your options. You need to go with the trend most of the times in order to keep up with competition. But on top of any strategy, bottom line is, good service and reasonable pricing would always be the catch. So, make sure to always include these to your massage therapy marketing techniques. Good luck!

Thanks To : Commercial Heaters Best Price Super Store

What is the Most Effective Method to Clean Tile and Grout?

Tiles are often used in flooring and for covering the walls of kitchens and bathrooms. They add a distinct charm to the beauty of a room or building. Nowadays, there are many varieties of tiles available in different materials and styles. They are no longer seen as just a utility item; in fact they give a whole new dimension to the design and decor of buildings. However, to maintain the beauty of tiles and grouts, it is important to keep them clean.

Tiles are not very difficult to maintain in low traffic areas, but in areas like kitchens, shopping malls, offices, factories, recreational places, and schools, it can be a tough task to clean them. Moreover, grout lines get dirty with time, which spoils the beauty of the tiles. The easiest, quickest, and most effective way to clean tiles and grouts in residential and commercial buildings is to use steam cleaners.

Steam cleaners use steam to remove dirt, oil, and grease. The high heat of the vapor helps to loosen dirt and grease, which is then sucked by the machine. This cleaning equipment is available with different temperature and pressure levels.

For example, for residential areas, steam cleaners having pressure levels up to 75 psi and temperature levels of up to 310°F may be sufficient; but, for commercial and industrial uses, you would need vapor steam cleaners with higher pressure and temperature levels. These days commercial and industrial steam cleaners are available with temperature levels up to 360°F and pressure levels of up to 150 psi.

Besides, making your tiles and grouts clean and bright, the floor steam cleaners can also remove bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms from the surface. Machines with special anti-bacterial technology will actually kill 99.9% of harmful bacteria and pathogens found on tile surfaces. Another advantage of using this steam cleaner is that they require no cleaning agents. Steam alone is sufficient for cleaning the tiles and grouts. Thus, there is no fear of any type of chemical reaction between the cleaning agent and the tiles to damage to them. Moreover, since you would not be using harsh chemicals, you will be protecting environment and the health of the occupants of the building.

Buying the right steam cleaner is important. You should determine your purposes and then select a suitable machine. Besides tiles and grouts cleaning, steam cleaners are also useful in carpet cleaning, equipment cleaning, and so on.

Check what kind of arrangement the steam cleaners have for refilling the water. If you are buying an commercial or industrial steam cleaner, it is essential that they have a mechanism to continuously refill the water. Otherwise, you will be wasting a lot of time refilling and reheating the water. Continuous refilling capabilities can be achieved through a refill chamber or direct water feed.

Additionally, steam cleaners should be made of good material that can withstand high heat of the steam. Moreover, it should be easy to clean and maintain. All of these features should be considered in your next steam cleaner purchased, and they can all be found in high quality machines from top distributors.

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Keeping Your Home Clean and Tidy - Four Quick Tips for Busy Moms

When you are a busy mom with young children, those daily cleaning tasks can get overwhelming. Here are a few tips that have helped me to keep our home tidy.

1. The big key in keeping your home tidy is to start off with an organized home. When everything you own has its own proper place (and your spouse and children know where that place is) they will be much more likely to both put things away, as well to find those things without asking you.

The road to an organized home can be long (and, granted, you never completely arrive.) It takes time as well as weekly or monthly maintenance, but it's worth it in the end. Plan to tackle one small part of your home each day until you feel your home is organized, whether it's the junk drawer in the kitchen or the floor of your daughter's closet. Make sure to enlist help from all family members, too. When they invest time in organizing the house, they will be more invested in keeping things organized.

2. Don't let papers and messages consume you. Staying organized with your important papers will go a long way in keeping you sane as a mom. It seems like the children are forever thrusting a pile of important school papers at me. Designate an "inbox" for those items and try to go through them on a daily basis with your calendar in hand. Right away, write down on the calendar all of the appointments as well as all of those little things that moms are expected to remember. It's also very helpful for me to keep a single calendar for all of my important dates, instead of separate ones for school and work.

Designate a particular day of the week to go through your bills and unopened mail, as well as to attend to any leftover school notes and announcements in your inbox. File the papers that you have processed directly after dealing with them.

3. Make it easy to recycle. Set up a system that makes it easy to dispose of such items as old newspapers and magazines as well as glass bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard. When each of these items has a home, you'll be less likely to let those items stack up on the counter or under the sink. If you don't have curbside recycling pickup, make a plan to go to the recycling center at least twice a month so that you don't become overburdened with your recyclables.

4. Have a Morning Tidy Time and an Evening Tidy Time. Every morning, after your spouse or your kids leave the house for work and school, buzz through and do a quick clean up. Straighten things up, wipe off the counters, and sweep the kitchen floor. You may even need to start a load of laundry and clean the windows or vacuum the floor. Do these small tasks each day and they'll be less likely to overwhelm you. In the evening, just before bed, do another quick once over. (If your home is already organized, it shouldn't take more than 5 or 10 minutes). Put things back in their place so you can wake up to a peaceful home.

Thanks To : Dualit Kettle

Tween Bedroom - Decorating Ideas

Ideas for the Perfect Tween Bedroom
When decorating a Tween Bedroom, there are some basic things to keep in mind. Tweens are at that delicate age between childhood and the teenage years. Their moods at this stage of life can change drastically. The things that they loved as children are no longer their interests, at this time. At this age Tweens are able to put their own ideas into actions with redecorating and designing their rooms.

When deciding on the colors for the room, let your child get involved. If color is hard for them to decide upon, then let them pick out the theme for their space. From this theme, a color can be picked easier. Most of the time, color is not as important to Tweens as the overall idea of the room.

Take them shopping and listen to their ideas. Letting your child get involved in the painting and decoration process is always a good plan. A mural for the wall may be a wonderful idea for the Tween Bedroom. Check your local hardware store for ideas on stencils or vinyl wall stickers which could also be a lot of fun for your Tween to participate in.

Allow your child to create a space for hanging out with their friends. A small sitting area in the corner of the room is sufficient. At this age, your child has developed a very noticeable social life. Their personality is very distinct and the first stages of independence is starting to show.

At this age, Tweens are in need of a desk for homework and a toy box is no longer needed. Replacing the toy box with a desk for homework and even a computer is a great idea for aspiring adults. Again, letting your child get involved in this process will be great for their self-esteem and a wonderful learning process.

These basic rules for your Tween Bedroom can apply to girl or boy. The most important aspect is creating a space which will help them mature and develop into the next stage of their life. This transitional period is needed for raising the healthy Tween.

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Help With Getting Organizing and Getting Your Kids to Practice Good Hygiene, Look Here For My System

I have a very large family. We have the two of us, you know the parents, mom and dad. We have 5 little guys. Some of them not so little any more. We have a teenage girl, a pre teen boy, and 3 little guys, ages 16, 12, 7, 5, and 2. Yes, like I said, we have quite the houseful. I have found it a great challenge to make sure that every day they do everything that they need to do to stay healthy. They need a system of practicing good hygiene every day and they need to understand the importance of good hygiene early on in life, so that it stays with them through adult hood.

My kids do not always remember to do what they need to. As a matter of fact they almost never do! Here is what I do personally to Help With Getting Organizing and Getting My Kids to Practice Good Hygiene.

There are steps to what they need to do every day. Ideally we want them to brush their teeth in the morning, and brush their teeth in the night. We want our kids to floss their teeth. We want our kids to wash their hair and body every day thoroughly and properly.

Here is what I do for my kids. We have a cabinet in our bathroom. It is a small cabinet, not much space in there. But that is OK, we make the most out of what we have. We have a plastic shoe box with a lid for each of them. We spent some time with them with markers, and decorated the lids with their names and pictures and drawings of how they want them to be designed, leaving a square the size of an index card in the middle. This is fun all by itself. We got about half an hour of art time with them! Once the boxes are made, we put the items in them. This is also a great way to keep nasty bathroom germs away from your tooth brush! Make a box for Mom and Dad too so the kids can see if they got as many stickers as you did!

Tooth Brush
Package of extra tooth brushes
Dental Floss
Body Soap
Bubble Bath
Shampoo
Hair Brush or comb

For my 2 older children we have an extra box for them, in those boxes they keep

Favorite Cologne
Deodorant

For the girl we add in some hair ties. Now this is the fun part. Keep a package of star stickers, like teachers use for papers, these are very inexpensive and come in many colors.

Remember that index card sized empty space you left on the lid? Well now what we do, every day is tape an index card to the top of each of the boxes in the morning before waking them up. You can make copies of the check list and just cut them and have a stack near by, that way its not much of a hassle just to tape them on. On this card, have ea check list run down so that they can see it.

Brushed Teeth
Flossed Teeth
Used Mouthwash
Bathed
Washed Hair
Brushed Hair

Have your child come to you once they have finished any one item on the check list, after bath time or whatever. For each thing that they finished, let them pick a color star and place it by their name! This is especially fun for the younger guys. They love getting stickers, and feel like they are accomplishing something by placing one by their name. They are happy, and feel accomplished, and you know for sure that they did what they said they were doing, and what they are suppose to do every day!

Knowing that they get rewarded when they do these things for them self, that are really not hard, will make them feel good about them self and have better self esteem. I hope our methods help you out with your own children!

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Log Home and Deck Restoration - Important Cleaning Facts That WILL Change the Outcome of Your Stain

Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Percarbonate and Sodium Hypochlorite are the three main cleaning agents used in deck and log home restoration. Each chemical has its place in the cleaning process, however, knowing when and how to use each one is often misunderstood.

Sodium Hydroxide, the strongest of the three, can be used either as a mild cleaner or when mixed properly, an aggressive stripping agent. Sold over the counter, it is one of the main ingredients found in oven cleaners, dish washing liquid, stain removers, degreasers and deck cleaners as well as a host of other products. City municipalities even use it in the purification process of drinking water.

In deck and log home restoration it is used to remove mildew, grayed out wood fibers and oil based stains and sealers. With proper dilution it can be applied to the wood preferably by spraying but also can be brushed on. It is very important to note that proper safety measures be taken when using this method and all instructions should be closely followed. Never mix water into Sodium Hydroxide. Instead, always mix the chemical into the water slowly and carefully. Mixing water to the chemical first causes a reaction that produces an enormous amount of heat and fumes. Safety goggles and gloves are mandatory as well as other protective clothing. Also, this chemical will kill grass and plants as well as stain glass, siding and other surfaces. If you are not sure about how to use this product, it is strongly recommended to find a professional who does. This is nothing to play with.

If there is no sealer on the deck or if only traces remain, a mild solution of Sodium Hydroxide and a good surfactant can be applied and allowed to dwell for a predetermined length of time. This allows the mixture to soften up the surface contaminants and degraded wood. A scratch test can be preformed to determine how easily the deck will clean up. If it is hard to remove, either more mixture will have to be applied and/or more dwell time allowed. If it is determined to be at a point that it can be removed, then a pressure washer will be used to remove a very thin layer of the degraded wood and any stain or other contaminants such as mildew, grill grease, flower pot stains, etc.

Care must be taken when using a pressure washer. If someone is not familiar with using a pressure washer, irreversible damage to the wood can occur causing costly replacement of decking boards or handrails. Actually, less than 1000 psi / of pressure is needed. Water pressure is not as important as water volume. The more water, the more cleaning and rinsing power. At the very least, 4gpm is needed to properly remove the unwanted material. This rules out most homeowner type pressure washers which usually rate less than 3gpm (gallons per minute.)

Sodium Percarbonate is the same chemical found in the popular "Oxy Clean" products advertised on television. A non-chlorine cleaner, it is a good choice as a deck cleaner when a less aggressive cleaning or stripping is needed. Although it may remove some stain residue that may be left intact, it is better suited for the removal of mildew, dirt, light grease spots and gray, degraded wood. It will not harm grass or most surfaces if properly rinsed.
It is mixed to a predetermined solution depending on the severity of the job, allowed to dwell and removed with a pressure washer as with the Sodium Hydroxide. With this product it is advised to only mix what can be used in a couple of hours as it looses it cleaning power.

This is a good, less aggressive cleaner that can be used where there may be delicate plants and flowers in the area or animals in close proximity. Safer for the homeowner to use than that of the more aggressive strippers, it will clean the wood well enough that a sealer can be reapplied with decent results.

Sodium Hypochlorite is chlorine found in typical household bleach. Used as a disinfectant and sanitizer, it is excellent in removing and killing mold and mildew. It does little however in removing dirt and other contaminants.
Many homeowners and some less informed contractors use bleach to clean decks and other wood surfaces.

There are a few things that need to be considered when using this method for cleaning wood.
Most importantly, chlorine bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) is one of the main chemical compounds used in paper mills to brake down the wood fibers in the paper manufacturing process. Chlorine disintegrates the lignin in the wood which is the glue that holds the wood fibers together. Once the lignin is removed the fibers are reduced to a pulp that then is extruded through a series of rollers that expels the water and leaves a paper substance after it dries.

The point is that too strong of a chlorine mixture can destroy the wood fibers in the deck or log home.
If bleach is poured onto a piece of wood and allowed to dwell any length of time, you can take a stick and actually scrape away a significant layer of the wood. If you examine it, you will find that it has turned the wood to pulp. Not only does this destroy the wood, but it is almost impossible to rinse all of the bleach from the wood. If you put bleach on your fingers and try to rinse it off, you will find that it is very slippery and very hard to remove it from your fingers. This indicates a high ph level. The same thing is true with the wood. So there ends up being a bleach or stripper residue left on and in the wood. Not the ideal situation to be applying a new finish. Since these chemicals are hard to completely rinse from the wood even after copious amounts of rinse water, the wood will still have a high ph level. To counter this, the wood has to be neutralized to lower the ph level in order to stop any damage to the wood and also keep from interfering with the new finish. To do this Oxalic Acid is used. Applied by sprayer, the acid lowers the ph level of the wood and at the same time brightens the wood. This process whether intentional or not, is often overlooked by the homeowner as well as the uninformed painter during the deck or log home restoration process leaving residual amounts of chemical in the wood. Again, not the ideal situation to be applying a new finish.

Also, chlorine by itself does little for cleaning dirt and other contaminants. Therefore a detergent must be added. TSP (trisodium phosphate) is a good cleaning agent if mixed properly. TSP is a derivative of borax and care must be taken when applying to any surface. Be sure to never let it dry on glass or certain metals.

Chlorine does have its place in the cleaning process. Mixed properly and applied sparingly, it is the best method of not just removing mold, mildew and algae, but also killing the mildew spores deep into the wood cells. Used properly, chlorine can do an excellent job without damaging the wood, but it must be used correctly and must be neutralized to achieve good results without damaging the wood.

Remember, the key to a long lasting stain is properly cleaned and dry wood. Anything that will interfere with the performance of the sealer; existing stains, dirt, mildew, chemical residue or moisture must be completely removed using one of the cleaning methods, neutralized with an acid bath and allowed to dry. Dry is defined as moisture content of at least 15% or lower. Anything higher and the oil stain will not absorb properly into the wood. And the more stain absorbed into the wood, the better the performance of the finish. Remember, preparation and more importantly, proper preparation, is the key to a good and lasting finish.

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