Decorating the home can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. There are many ways to enhance the inside of the home without draining the wallet. I've always been quite cheap...frugal, I mean. Plus, I've worked at a large craft supply store (one that included home decor), as well as a home improvement retailer. Based on my experience, here are five cheap decorating ideas for your home.
Portrait Walls Are Great For Decorating a Home This may sound costly, but it doesn't have to be. Low cost frames from discount and dollar stores work just fine for this. Cheap decorating doesn’t always equate ugly. In fact, those cheap frames are often better because they are usually easier to paint and glue things onto for customization purposes. For a bright look, try gluing the buds of silk sunflowers around the edge of the photo frames. These can be found at dollar and discount stores as well. To bring a room together, try painting the frames to match the furniture or using glued-on silk flowers and other items to match the mood and colors. Digital photo copies and prints can be done at home or sent to a printer for a nominal fee. Throws and Decorative Scarves Throws and decorative scarves are a great way to add some color to a room without spending much money. Check thrift stores and bargain bins for these cheap decorating accents. They can be draped over a couch or chair. They also can be placed on coffee tables and stands. If you have a piece of furniture you're getting tired of or one that's worn out, cover it with a throw or scarf and beautify it once again. It's almost like having a new piece of furniture. Decorating Ideas Using Fresh Flowers Many people have gotten so used to silk flowers that they've forgotten about the fresh ones. Fresh flowers can be found right in your own backyard or a nearby field. Be careful not to pick flowers where you're not allowed. Stick to wild flowers (not purposefully planted ones) on public property or those you’ve planted yourself. Flowers are often free and placing them in a vase on a coffee table, stand, kitchen table, or counter top can really brighten a room. Stenciling Ideas for Decorating the Home Cheap No, I'm not talking about hiring some specialist to come stencil an elaborate design. Head to your local craft store, pick out a simple design that fits the style of your chosen room, and grab the appropriate paints. You can stencil things like wooden chests, dressers, stands, and more. You may even want to try stenciling a border on your walls. Stenciling is relatively low in cost if you do it yourself and it can really enhance the look of a room or piece of furniture. The paints can be found on discount at craft supply and home improvement stores. Homemade Masks as Wall Decor Wall masks can add an interesting new look to a room. Choose from Native American, African, theater, clown, and many more. You can make the masks yourself out of papier mache or plaster of Paris. It's easy to find instructions for many different types by doing a simple web search. I've also found cheap, but still great looking masks at dollar stores, thrift stores, and craft stores.Remember that you can always glue on items or paint over any designs you don’t like if you find plain or decorated masks for cheap.
1 Comment
The bathroom is one place that should not be dirty. It is the room that is used to get clean in, therefore to get you the cleanest, it should be as clean as possible at all times. As a cleanliness-conscious as well as natural-conscious mother, I have researched and experimented with several different cleaning methods for all areas of the house. Some were better than others, healthwise as well as in regards to cleanliness. Here are ten simple ways to keep the bathroom germ-free, plus instructions on preparing the products you will need.
Materials: Hydrogen Peroxide 2 Black or Brown Spray Bottles Eco-Friendly Paper Towels White Vinegar Baking Soda Vinyl Gloves Preparation: Fill one spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide. Then, fill the other spray bottle with vinegar. Have your paper towels and baking soda handy. Put on your gloves. The cleaning rituals described below should be performed at least once per week, but preferably more often. Treat For Mold to Help Keep the Bathroom Germ Free Even when mold is not visible, it’s still important to treat for it. You can do this easily by using your hydrogen peroxide spray bottle to spray all around the cracks of the bathtub, shower, toilet, and sinks. Spray all around each and be sure to get behind them where possible. The tiles in the bathtub and shower and any other tiles on the walls should also be sprayed down. Don’t forget about corners and crevices. Once you are done spraying, let the peroxide soak in for about 15 minutes. Then, spray it again and wipe clean with a paper towel. Do not rinse it. This helps the peroxide disinfect the mold-causing agents. If there is already mold damage, I suggest treating it as suggested above, then respraying and leaving it on for 24 hours. If mold is visible, rotate the two methods every other day. Do this until the mold is no longer visible. Then, just use the normal cleaning method as often as necessary to keep your bathroom clean. Keep The Toilet Germ-Free The toilet is arguably the place where you leave the dirtiest messes. After all, you are using it to get rid of your body's waste. You certainly wouldn't want that waste building up inside your body, so why would you want it building up inside your toilet and around your bathroom? First, you need to shut off the water in the toilet. Usually the shut-off valve is located directly behind the toilet. Once you have turned the valve off, flush the toilet. All of the water should go down. If not, flush it until it does. Now, lift the toilet seat. Spray your vinegar all over the inside of the toilet. You are choosing vinegar because its acidic properties break down food materials and also kill bacteria. Leave the vinegar there for 15 minutes. Next, spray your peroxide in the same area and wipe clean with paper towels. The paper towels will need to be disposed of right away. I recommend using a grocery bag to collect the paper towels from the bathroom. Then, when you are finished with the whole process, take the grocery bag to your dumpster or outdoor trash can. Turn the water back on and flush the toilet. Every time a toilet is flushed, the unseen germs float into the air, settling on all other surfaces, even those five to seven feet away. To help prevent this, always flush the toilet with the lid down. Once it has stopped "hissing", if you're concerned about the contents, lift the lid to be sure everything went down. If not, repeat with the lid closed. Keeping Floors and Throw Rugs Dry Helps Avoid Bathroom Germs Floors and rugs are one of the biggest harborers of mold and mildew in the bathroom. They are likely tied with the cracks in the shower and tub. Wet rugs and floors cause mold quickly and easily. To keep your floors and rugs dry, each time a shower is taken, you should check underneath your rugs. If the rug is damp underneath or on top, simply hang it up to dry over the shower curtain rod. You can spray it with your vinegar spray bottle for disinfection. If it is dirty, follow the fourth tip instead. If you have carpeting in your bathroom, you should really consider taking it out. Carpeting in the bathroom can cause unseen mold damage and germs. Keep Floors Disinfected and Clean Rugs Often Bacteria thrives in dirty and wet environments. To help keep your bathroom germ-free, your floors need to be clean at all times and your throw rugs also need to be kept clean. Sometimes the throw rugs don't get washed as often as necessary because people simply forget about them. All rugs that are kept on the bathroom floor should be cleaned at least once per week. The best kind to use are ones which can be placed in the washing machine. Use the hot or sanitary setting, using 2 cups of vinegar and 1/2 cup of baking soda as your detergent to wash the rugs. Put the baking soda in the powdered detergent dispenser and the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. If you like it to be scented, you can add a tablespoon of tea tree oil. The vinegar acts as a cleanser, disinfectant, and fabric softener. The baking soda acts as a cleanser and fabric softener. Liquid fabric softener is not recommended because it will sometimes ruin the fibers in rugs. You may need to use the gentle cycle, depending on your rugs. If the rug has backing, you may or may not be able to use the washer. Some rugs cannot be placed in the dryer, so they will need to air dry either outside or in, being careful to allow for plenty of air circulation to prevent mold from forming on the wet areas. Be sure the rugs are completely dry before placing them back in their proper locations. If the rug has a backing, spray the backing with hydrogen peroxide and allow to air dry before placing it back on the bathroom floor. Keep Sinks, Tubs, and Showers Clean to Help Keep the Bathroom Free of Germs Since these are used to keep yourself clean, you need to keep them as clean as possible. For this job, you will use the vinegar spray bottle. Plug the drains and spray away. You need to cover the entire area. Let it soak for a few minutes. Then, use eco-friendly paper towels or a cloth to wipe the surface clean. Repeat if necessary until the area is clean. The first time you do this, it may take more than one time, but afterwards, it should be much quicker. If you use cloths, throw them in the wash immediately, following the same washing instructions as the rugs, minus instructions for backings. Keeping Countertops Dry Helps Keep the Germs Away Wet countertops can lead to mold and bacteria. The water and other liquids sink into the cracks, crevices, and pores of the areas, causing a great home for the mold to live. To prevent this, always wipe away any wetness from all surfaces immediately. You can use either the vinegar or peroxide spray bottles to do this. Both will be effective in helping keep your bathroom countertops free of germs. Keep Bathroom Countertops Germ-Free By Keeping them Clean Germs from other areas, such as the toilet, settle onto countertops and they are also invisible, so it is important to clean countertops often. Using your vinegar spray bottle, spray the countertops and other surfaces daily and wipe them clean with a cloth or the eco-friendly paper towels. Depending on the size and habits of your household, you may need to do this more than once per day. One helpful memory trick is to wash these surfaces each time you need to use the toilet. This way, it gets done often. Avoid Carpeting in the Bathroom to Help Dispel Germs Carpeting is a bad idea for a bathroom because mold and mildew can build up underneath the carpeting. Even if you cannot see it, it may still be there. Steam and other wetness from the bathroom absorbs into the carpeting and goes underneath the surface creating an ideal environment for mold spores to survive and thrive. Carpets are also an easy environment for things like urine and spills to collect because they get stuck deep in the fibers, even with regular cleaning. This creates a big problem with germs in the bathroom. Disinfect Bathroom Walls Completely Like the countertops, walls are a resting place for bacteria. Because many people are focusing on the other surfaces in the bathroom, the walls are often neglected or forgotten. To clean your walls, use the vinegar spray bottle and the eco-friendly paper towels. This should be done at least weekly, more often if there are visible stains to the wall or you have a large number of household members. Disinfect Hard-To-Reach Areas Frequently Areas that are hard to reach, such as ceilings, tops of mirrors, shelf tops, and on top of the medicine cabinet are often neglected in the bathroom. Be sure to clean these weekly with the vinegar spray bottle and eco-friendly paper towels. The more surfaces you can keep clean and disinfected, the less you will need to deal with bathroom germs. |
LIfe & Home Journal
Archives
January 2024
Categories
All
|