Cleaning

Without a doubt, the kitchen is one of the most important parts of our homes. But it is also one of the messiest and demanding areas. Since it’s where we prepare, cook, and eat food most of the time, keeping it clean every single day is so crucial to keep you and your loved ones…

Introduction: When the weather is right and the earth seems to be coming back to life, we start to find more and more reasons to spend our time outdoors. After a long winter, some might decide to use the patio or deck to host a get-together or to simply soak up the weather. But maybe…

Introduction: There are many reasons to love natural stone countertops. They’re extremely durable, luxurious and can instantly add style to any kitchen or bathroom. And as long as you take proper care of them, they’ll look great for years to come. That’s why we’re here to guide you through the entire process – so your…

Many families around the world tend to spend the bulk of their time at home in the kitchen. The kitchen is more than just where people cook or eat; it’s also where we gather, spend time together, and in today’s world, it’s also where some work and attend school. With so much going on in…

As one of the newer go-to choices for kitchen and bathroom countertops, Silestone is a material you’re very likely to encounter in an apartment, house or even vacation rental. One reason it’s so popular? Its reputation for low maintenance. With Silestone, it’s possible to achieve the look and luster of high-end stone surfaces without having…

We’ve all been there: When something goes drastically wrong in your kitchen, it can feel like an extra low blow. You’ve spent huge amounts of time and effort layering your lasagna, emptying your fridge or stewing your family’s favorite chili — when the pot cracks, the baking pan tips off the counter or your toddler…

When you’re cleaning porcelain, you need to move carefully to preserve its delicate sheen; when you’re cleaning grout, you need to use some elbow grease to make sure that you remove grime as effectively as possible from a narrow, rough surface. The challenge is, how are you supposed to clean it well without damaging the…

Think about your kitchen counters as they currently are. You likely have many items stacked on their surfaces — from appliances like blenders and coffeemakers to mixing bowls, cutting boards, fruit and more. Even when your kitchen is clean and spotless, you probably still have these items nestled in your corners and lining the back…

It’s summer — and that means that it’s home selling (and buying) time. If you’ve been ready to move for months, it’s exciting to be able to start going to showings, putting together a house wish list, and seeing yourself in new surroundings. However, to buy the new home of your dreams, you’re likely going…

Whether it’s time to touch up your home in the months after spring cleaning, or a summer storm has led to mud tracked all over your floors, inevitably, you’re going to need to have an efficient, effective (and preferably) easy way to bring your floors back to square one. We also know that there’s a…

If you’re a savvy homeowner and you have natural-stone countertops, floors and other features, you may already have products in your cleaning caddies that you use specifically for your stone. If so  — great! That means you’re already doing a lot to care for your stone in the best way possible. Today, it seems like…

If you’ve been called into service to assist your elderly parents with their home care, you might feel— accurately — like you’ve taken on a lot. Surveying the clutter of their kitchen, unearthing long-covered surfaces, figuring out how to help your elderly parents restore a cozy sense of safety and utility in their spaces: All…

Spring cleaning can be a workout. To dust your surfaces, sweep under them and buff your countertops and tables to a lovely shine, you need some level of strength and range of mobility. Or, at least, that’s what many people think. The truth is, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity. The use…

You can tell a lot about a culture by their cleaning practices. While we can’t travel back in time to quiz ancient civilizations about their spring-cleaning routines, we can examine the clues they left behind. Luckily, some substances are malleable enough for ancient cultures to leave their mark — but enduring enough to have made…

Gleaming marble countertops, squeaky-clean granite floors, sparkling stone surfaces: There’s just something oh-so-comforting about walking into a kitchen with natural-stone surfaces that are completely prepped and ready for use. As it turns out, there’s a reason we appreciate that tidy, clean feeling. Our brains run on orderliness and our bodies physiologically and psychologically respond to…

Let’s do a quick thought experiment. Take a swift glance around your kitchen. Now of your cleaning supplies. What substances do you see? Do you think they’re safe to use for cleaning your countertops? Even if you keep a relatively neutral kitchen, even if you don’t happen to use more potent substances like bleach or…

Quartz may sound like it’s a natural mineral – and it is. However, the engineered quartz that you see in modern kitchens and bathrooms comes from a man-made, manufactured process. It’s formed of a buffet of ‘ingredients,’ different pieces which include resin and more than 90 percent crushed natural stone We tend to connote man-made…

Dirty tile grout: The bane of every tiled-surface owner’s existence. It’s a little thing that can make an entire room feel grimy. As a result, the temptation is always there to take up a scouring pad and attack it with every fiber of your being. This might feel good. It might feel like you’re doing…

For centuries, families across the globe have upheld the tradition of spring cleaning. (The custom has its roots in many different cultures and religions; it’s traced back to a 13-day long cleaning celebration marking the Persian New Year). Every year, come warm weather, people around the world have opened their windows, aired out their homes,…

We think of the ancient baths, those that originated in early Roman times, as exotic, masterfully built pieces of art that served as luxurious centers of self-care. Now, thousands of years later, we live a faster-paced, less communal life. We tend to retreat to our own personal baths for our daily toiletries. We don’t have…

If you have a natural-stone shower, bath, countertop or other surface in your home, you need to be aware of what limescale is, how it forms and, most importantly, how to safely remove it without harmful chemicals that can damage your natural-stone surface even more.  Many homeowners don’t become aware of limescale until there is…