Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Organizing... Broom Closet

How nice is to open a closet door and find everything your looking for?  I need to do some organizing in my broom closet so I can get my vacuum without moving five other things around :)  I will probably need to get some tools first.  How do you organize your broom closet?


  
Image via Container Store

Closet full of cleaning tools
Image via Real Simple


Image via Martha Stewart

 
Image via Decorology


Image via Martha Stewart


Best,
Marcela

Monday, April 23, 2012

Beautiful Spaces.... Bathroom Shelves

I love the look of shelves in bathrooms. Besides working as great storage for towels and other items you can accessorize them with endless options giving your bathroom a spa or hotel room looking.

Aqua Tile in Bathroom
Image via BHG


Image via Focal Point

Glass Shelves
Image via BHG

Green, black, and white bathroom
Image via BHG


Do you like the look of shelves in bathrooms?  Send me some pictures of the ones you like!

Best,
Marcela

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Cleaning tools

Hope you all are having a great week and enjoying the beautiful weather in NYC, just beautiful!
Cleaning with organic, non-toxic cleaning products is a MUST.  But sometimes we forget about the tools.  Are we using Earth friendly tools to clean our home?  Here are some tools I've found that DO work and are safe for our planet too!


Cleaning Products

This are my favorite ones!  They do the work and are SO concentrate that they last for ever, meaning less plastic.  Speaking of which, all plastic bottles in this kit are BPA free.



Bucket

This is called Eclipse Bucket and it's made from recycled plastic soda bottles.  Now that's really cool!


Lint roller
Great for getting dust from delicate areas such as lamp shades.
Eclipse, Lint Roller W/Recyclable Handle, 1.00 EA ( Value Bulk Multi-pack)
This on is from Casabella and it's also made from recycled plastic bottles!


Sponges
Dish Dumpling - 1 PackLoofah Sponge - 1 Pack
This sponges are just so pretty and they are 100% plant based and compostable!


Gloves

I use this Gloves and Sponge at home.  The gloves are made of natural latex and the sponge is made with soy based foam.  Both are biodegradable and wrap in recycled packaging. Love them!


Do you have a favorite earth friendly tool to clean your home?  We would love to hear from you!

Hope you have a great day!

Best,
Marcela











Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Everyday items you can use as household cleaners

So we've talked how the best way to clean is with Natural, Non-Toxic cleaning products.  So I thought it good be good to know about some other 'Natural' options you may have not thought of.  

Club Soda:  Great as a window cleaner.  So if you run out of your regular window cleaner head to your refrigerator and get some club soda and voila!



Baking Soda:  The uses of Baking Soda are endless!  I think we've mentioned this before but it's worth to talk about it again.  Baking Soda is a fabulous scruber. You can use it in your bathroom to scrub your shower, sink, etc.  But it also works great to wash your pots and pans, best part: It doesn't scratch! So your safe.



Seltzer Water:  Great to clean carpet spots.  Pour a little seltzer water on the spot (please follow "little") leave it for few minutes while it bubbles and then dry with a white-clean cloth. 



White Vinager:  Pour some white vinager on cutting boards and leave it for few minutes.  It will disinfect and you'll feel comfortable cleaning it without adding any chemicals!



Cooking oil:  Got squeaky door that's driving you crazy? Get some cooking oil from your kitchen, damp a little on a cloth, rub the hinge, open/close door few times and no more noise!



Do you use an everyday item as a household cleaner?  Share your tips with us!

Best,
Marcela

Friday, April 6, 2012

Beautiful Spaces... Patios

There's something about Spring that I love.  The warm weather and a soft breeze sometimes just cozy enough to wear a light sweater and have breakfast at your terrace.
Look at this beautiful terraces found around the web:


Newton-backyard-01_rect540

Image via Apartment Therapy

6_rect540_rect540
Image via Apartment Therapy

Patio.
Image via Pinterest

Patios
Image via BHG


Image via House Beautiful

Find your perfect patio | Colorful patio | Sunset.com
Image via Pinterest


Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Best,
Marcela

Monday, April 2, 2012

Countertops

Not sure how to clean your countertops?  Here are some tips and what's the difference between them.

Granite:
Since it's natural material it is porous, it could also have different levels of porosity. This means that over time the surface tends to 'open' and any spills might go under which will make the stain impossible to remove.
- Clean up spills immediately before they penetrate the surface.
- Clean your countertops often to avoid stains with a non-toxic granite cleaner or mild dish liquid detergent and warm water.
- Use a soft microfiber cloth or soft sponge (don't use the scrub side of your sponge) and dry with a clean towel.
- Seal your countertops once or twice a year with a non-toxic granite sealer.  You can find them at your local hardware store, Bed-Bath and Beyond, Gracious Home, etc.
I like the granite countertops (I prefer marble), and the style is simple and clean!
Image via Pinterest



Quartz (Caesar Stone):
It's a very durable material. It is a non-porous so it's easy to clean and maintain.
- Wipe with damp soft cloth or paper towel.
- For tougher stains such as red wine, clean with non abrasive cleaner and non-scratch sponge
- Nail polish can be easily removed with nail polish remover
- Since it's a non-porous surface you don't need to seal it or wax it.
- Don't sit a hot pot directly on the counter.  Also, a cutting board is recommended to avoid  knife scratches.
Bonus:  Bacteria have a harder time taking hold in quartz counters than any other countertop materials.
I'm not that familiar with quartz countertops (as opposed to granite) but I think this would look great! Going for quartz for maintenance and price if our new home has laminate countertops
Image via Pinterest



Wood countertop:
An unconventional material for a countertop is wood.  Most think that is not very practical because it tends to absorb water and it might be hard to maintain. However if you clean them on a regular (hopefully daily) basis you shouldn't have to worry.
- Wipe liquids spills as soon as possible to avoid it penetrates the surface.
- Scrape any dried particles with a spatula.
- Clean with warm water and mild dish soap.
- Do not spray any cleaner directly on the surface and never use cleaner with bleach.
- Dry your wood countertop with dry towel.
- Do not put hot pots directly on countertop.
- The use of a cutting board is recommended to avoid scratches and cuts.
- Once in a while polish with mineral oil and a clean soft cloth.  Leave it for about 30 min and wipe off any excess with a clean paper towel.


Island, Sink
Image via BHG


Do you have some ideas about how to clean and maintain your countertops?  Share your ideas with us, would love to hear from you!

Best,
Marcela