Wood Floor Maintanace - A few tips

Wood floors can be beautiful if known how to proper maintain them.  Here are just a few tips in regards to wood floors.

·         Best rule: Know what kind of wood floor that you have installed. This will adequately give you access to the proper cleaner to use for maintenance purposes.

·         Be sure that you are aware of how to properly sweep a wood floor. Improper sweeping can possibly harm the surface of a wood floor.

 ·         The worst enemy to a wood floor can be water – be sure to ask the manufacturer or installer the best type of cleaner for your type of wood floor.

·         Some hardwood floor cleaners can be  just as harsh on a laminate floor as water because the hardwood floor cleaner can possibly take off  the protective coating on the laminate wood floor.

Enviromentally Friendly - About Solar Power

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SOLAR POWER

Q. How does the solar power (photovoltaic) or PV system work?
A. The solar panels generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. This additional electricity is fed by the power inverter into your home, and is linked to the utility grid.

Q. Will the PV system work on gray, cloudy or overcast days?
A. Yes, because photovoltaic energy uses the full spectrum of light. The ultraviolet rays are still charging the system, even when the sunlight isn’t visible.

Q. Does the PV system work when the utility grid is down?
A. If you choose a system that has a battery pack, it will provide power to those circuits you select as critical loads. You might choose the refrigerator, computers, lighting circuits, and TV. You can choose which appliances will have back-up power, should the grid go down.

Q. What happens when we generate more power than we’re using?
A. Excess electricity is fed back into the utility grid for others to use. Your electric meter credits you for all energy sent into the electric grid. You are then billed for the difference between the electricity you generate and the energy you use.

Diane Tegarden

FireWalker Publications, Inc.

http://www.firewalkerpublications.com

One of the best hard surface flooring - Terrazzo

Here is a bit of information about one of the best hard surface flooring; Terrazzo. The other top hard surface flooring is concrete. 

Terrazzo is formed with the combination of marble chips and concrete.  There are too different types of “finishes” that you can have with a terrazzo floor; hone finish (matte) or polished finish (shiny).  The marble chips don’t have much if any absorption quality, however, the concrete in the terrazzo has a increased rate of absorption. So when a terrazzo specialist is going to be sealing the terrazzo, he or she is dealing with two varying absorption rates between the concrete and the marble chips.

When the terrazzo is honed or polished, it can create a very attractive area such as walkways, living rooms, hallways, bathrooms or entryways.

Safer Home Products - Enviromentally Friendly

This article was written by Sherry Pope who is with www.switchtosaferproducts.com

Dealing with Mold! Hey everyone! I know we all have to face this problem at one time or another in our homes - especially the person who gets the fun job of cleaning the bathroom. I personally do not like this household chore, but someone has to do it right? Well, I might not like this chore, but I now have the assurance that since I made the switch to safer products I will not be harming my lungs or my body with toxic products. I recently found this article and thought I would share with you. So take a minute to read this and then we will talk.

 Health Tip: Prevent Mold in Your Home (HealthDay News) — Mold is a common fungus that can invade your home and cause allergy symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing and cough. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America offers these suggestions on how to prevent the growth of mold in your home: In bathrooms, install an exhaust fan or open a window when showering to prevent moisture build-up. If you have a plumbing leak — especially in the basement — repair it quickly. Avoid carpeting in bathrooms, as it can retain moisture. Scrub bathtubs and sinks at least monthly, preferably with a bleach-based cleaner to kill mold. Clean garbage cans regularly. On humid days, use a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air. Diana Kohnle Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Great Networking Opportunity - Virtual Women’s Day

Come and Connect with Great Businesswomen
Virtual Woman’s Day Celebration taking place on Thursday, March 15th, 2007. This day-long celebration of women online is planned in recognition of Women’s History Month, an excellent time to celebrate woman online and participate in networking opportunities, join new social networking sites and make new contacts around the globe. During Virtual Woman’s Day, women will have a variety of opportunities to increase their own circle of influence via the WECAI NETWORK day-long celebration using our Web Conference Platform. Women will be able to promote their products and services, show off their websites and learn ‘best practices’ from women who have found great success online via the conference room as well as via the Virtual Woman’s Day blog. Four speakers are scheduled to join the celebration throughout the day to share their expertise on issues of interest to women, such as weight management, self-promotion, attracting corporate sponsorships, and creating strategic alliances. One of them is Linda Hollander, The Wealthy Bag Lady who will be taling about Attracting Corporate Clients. Events leading up to Virtual Woman’s Day, include a song-writing contest describing the virtues of Women Online. In addition to recognizing winners of the song- writing contest, women will be able to submit a one- paragraph description of their products and services with a link to their website which will be added to the Virtual Woman’s Day blog. During the event prizes will be given away every 15 minutes and everyone who attends will receive a downloadable eBook with our compliments. Admission is FREE! That’s right; there is absolutely no charge to attend the Virtual Woman’s Day Online Conference. Registration begins today at: http://www.virtualwomansday.com. Once you register, send me your URL and you will be listed on the Virtual Woman’s Showcase on the home page of the blog. Heidi Richards and Suzannah Richards, Co-founders of the WECAI NETWORK are the organizers of this virtual event for women. For more information about Virtual Woman’s Day or to contact either of them send a message to info@wecai.org or call 1-877-947- 3667 or 954-625-6606. The WECAI Network is located online at http://www.WECAI.org.

General Cleaning Tip - Removing Coffee Pot Stains

How do you get rid of the coffee pot stains? Well, here is the answer: Well, because coffee is acidic, you will need a strong akaline cleaner to clean the stains off the decanter and the inside where the filter is held. To do this, you need to use a degreaser cleaner. You can spray the degreaser into the decanter and filter holder and fill with warm water. Let these sit for about 5 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Next, be sure to place 1 cup of vinegar into the decanter and fill the rest with water. Run this through the coffee pot cycle once in order to ensure the degreaser is thoroughly cleaned out of the decanter and filter holder.
Please note: This is not to be done inside where the water is placed. It is too hard to clean out the degreaser from the inside. Using a degreaser works with glass but is not recommended to use on plastic as the plastic may absorb the degreaser and it can’t be rinsed thoroughly.

General Cleaning Tip - Clogged Drains

Do you ever get clogged kitchen or bathroom drains? Instead of spending $3-$4 on a commerical brand product, why not try this… Next time you have a clogged drain…take a box of baking soda and a bottle of white vinegar. Sprinkle generously the baking soda into the drain. Then pour about 1/4 cup of vinegar into the drain. Let it set for 10 minutes.

“Ask Eddie” - Concrete Acid Stains vs. Dyed Concrete

Q: Can you tell me the difference between acid stain concrete and dyeing concrete?
A: Acid Stains – When applied, acid stains react to the amount of lime in the concrete. This means that whatever color you want, it may give you variations of that color instead of one solid color.
Dyes- When applied, dyes give you one solid color but may vary with hues of that color in different spots.
With both acid stains and dyes the color is transparent, which means you can still see the concrete through the color and the cracks if there are any visible. With both applications, it is highly recommended to seal the concrete.
Maintenance of the concrete – While it varies a bit depending on the sealer and the amount of traffic on the surface, the maintenance is a lot less than any other floor with high traffic.
This month’s question was asked by Denise Trifiletti, Founder of Women’s Community (www.womenscommunity.com) where the focus is helping women grow expontienally through Power Partnerships.TM Thanks!

How to Maintain a Interior Concrete Polished Floor

Once the floor surface has been beautifully enhanced, it is time to discuss how to maintain the lovely look on an ongoing basis.

• Sweep with a dust mop or vacuum across the floor at least twice a week.
• Mop the floor with a light detergent (like Dawn) with water at a ratio 1:4 cups at least once a week.
• If a liquid is spilled on the floor (especially coffee, soda, wine or tea), be sure to wipe up the spill as soon as possible with a clean cloth dampened with water and a bit of dish detergent.

Here is a list of items or products not recommended to use on the surface:
• Any type of bleach detergent as this tends to start breaking down the sealer or polish on the floor.
• Any acid based products such as vinegar or ammonia.
• Any type of abrasive cleaning cloths such as SOS pads, scrubbers, or brillos.
• Harsh cleaning detergents such as Bon Ami, Comet, or Mop & Glo on these surfaces as it will dull the surface and may leave slightly “scuff” marks because of the abrasive qualities of these detergents.
Please be sure to rinse or clean off the residue of the cleaning products that you use thoroughly from the surface. In order to ensure this, it is best to use a clean cloth or sponge with water so there isn’t any remaining substance from previous use (such as using the sponge that you use to clean the dishes). Keep it clean and enjoy the beauty of polished concrete!

General Cleaning Tip - Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

Have you ever wondered how to remove grease stains from your clothing after you have prepared a wonderful and delicious pot of yummy fried chicken? Well, here is the answer to solve this greasy woe - Just spray on a bit of degreaser such as greased lightning or take talcum powder with a bit of water and place in on the stains before you wash the shirt and the stains should come out.