Make a little gym in your basement

Going to a gym is a great idea, but it is not appropriate for those who are short of time. You have to spend time to travel getting there and also returning home. It can be quite uncomfortable, if you can’t get a shower at the gym. Actually, if you have a basement it’s a perfect place to work out. You don’t need to travel and you can get a shower at your place. So why don’t you think about converting your basement into a small gym. Follow these simple tips:

Pros and cons of energy saving bulbs

The official name of the energy saving bulbs is compact fluorescent lamps, abbreviated CFL. They were created to replace the incandescent lamps. Promoting energy saving, they became the leader in the market. Even the European government stimulates their use. But are they actually that good? Let’s have a look at their pros and cons.

• Energy efficiency

This one is the first that comes to everybody’s mind. Energy saving bulbs use only one fifth of those used by an incandescent lamps. The difference comes from the physical principle they are based on. Unlike incandescent lamps, they don’t dissipate heat. This is the main reason that brings efficiency up. Energy saving bulbs are more expensive than regular ones, but the investment is worthy.

Things to run away from if you are a renter

Finding a suitable place to settle down isn’t easy. Since rental life exists, the renters have been facing the truly difficult task to sift the good tenancy apartments or flats out. Naturally, each tenant has its own preferences, claims and tastes, when it comes to extras, contemporary facilities, luxury interior or necessary facilities. However, there are general things you should seek on mandatory, when you are on a rental view. On the other side, it is recommended for you to be aware of the things to run away if you are a renter. See some of them now and try to avoid them:

Solar Power – to have or not to have

If you have recently been to Southern England, you must have seen one new tendency in housing there. Almost half of the homes there are covered with the very popular solar panel these days. The great location and the appropriate direction of the sunlight in Southern England make people here rely on the Solar Power technology to provide more eco-friendly and more affordably both – electricity and hot water. So, what do you think – Solar Power – to have or not to have?

Cleaning all-stars: the best cleaning products of 2014

Finding a decent and good cleaning product these days might sound easy, but, as a matter of fact, it is not. Some of them are too chemical and toxic, while others are green, but do not cope with stubborn stains and nasty grease. On the other side, testing all of them – and they are quite many – till you find the most appropriate one is a waste of time, money and even more. Just imagine how many pieces of furniture or carpets you can lose until you manage to pick up the right product for their maintenance. Because of these uses, we have gathered for you the best cleaning products of 2014. All of them are tested and they are the cleaning all stars you need and look for:

How to survive the home makeover - tips

It’s frustrating and it’s hard, it’s expensive and it takes a lot of time, it’s dirty and difficult… and if you could you would probably skip it. This is the home makeover. And if it’s a big one, you can get from headache to heart attack till it’s over. Not to put yourself on such extreme challenges you need to do one simple but important thing: plan… and think of the possible breaks.

• Time and weather planning. Although you make renovation inside, the weather can still reflect it: paint and veneer dry slower, etc. You can’t control the weather but you can control when your remodeling is. Think of where you are and what the ultimate conditions that you can get are. Then do your project according to the estimated time it may take.

Situations when it's cheaper to buy a new carpet than to sanitise the old and stained one

Sometimes no matter how attached we are to our old “present of mom” carpet, you need to replace it with new one and sometimes the situation is not so desperate. But when you need to leave it to rest in peace in the trash instead of grabbing the cleaning fluids like a superhero and start scrubbing?

• Matted down carpet – some carpets can regain part of their like-new appearance if they are thoroughly cleaned but others like these made of polyester are better to be replaced. Their fibers are not very resilient and they mat down and even professional carpet care can’t help.
• Olefin barber carpet – if the loops lay down then it’s time to start browsing the sites and shops for new rug. Olefin is durable but prone to matting and resilient fiber. Also it attracts dirt and it’s inclined to keep stains even after good maintenance so if your carpet is over 3 years old think of new one. This fabric is cheap, so it will be easier to replace than to clean.