ArtaBerryHome Improvement Blog..

It’s a tough old slog for women in 2012 – while aiming high and spending our days trying to get far in the hard-hitting career world, we must also perfect the art of homemaking. Cleaning, cooking, looking after the children and being the perfect host come top of the list for what is required for the domestic goddess.

Back in the 50s, keeping the home clean, uncluttered and tastefully decorated was the norm. Dinner on the table for 5.26 when you’re husband walks through the door? No problem. But as the work place gets more competitive and the need for two incomes is almost essential to keep on top of mortgage payments, home insurance and utility bills, there isn’t always time to clean and bake and look glamorous at the same time. For those of us out there that struggle for time and motivation to be a carbon-copy of a post-war housewife, here’s a few little tips on how to be a domestic goddess on the run.

Pretend you’re organised.
Mess is an inevitable evil when faced with a family and a hectic schedule, but clutter is something else entirely. To create the illusion of order, go through your kitchen cupboards and get rid of any out-of-date-products – do the same with any empty bottles lurking in the bathroom. Coats and shoes are difficult to make presentable when there are two people living in the same house, let alone four or five. If keeping them neat this isn’t an option, try to create storage space away from the prying eyes of guests.

Make a good impression.
It’s probably a regular occurrence that you’re expecting guests in five minutes and haven’t had time to make the house presentable during your day of working, picking up the kids and cooking for the family (not to mention you’re lunchtime Zumba class). There are however, a few small cheats to creating the illusion of cleanliness and order.

Quickly polish a couple of surfaces in your main entertaining room – the smell of the polish has a psychological effect on anyone who comes through the door – they will think that the room has just been polished and it will automatically look cleaner. Plumping cushions and picking up obvious bits on the floor instead of vacuuming are must-dos to save time when entertaining. Try putting a damp cloth sprinkled with your favourite scent on a radiator so your guests have a friendly welcome.

Make Sundays a food day.
If weekday meals are chaotic and rushed at best, then fool your family and friends into believing that your cooking is something else, by focusing on a well prepared Sunday lunch. Whether is be a Sunday roast, a buffet with wine for guests to enjoy or a BBQ in the sun – make Sundays a foodie event. Take pleasure in the thought that everyone you know will think you’re organised and a dedicated wife and mother. Only you need to know the truth about that one.

Sort your bag.
You may need to carry everything about with you when you head to the shops, but nobody needs to see your organised chaos of a handbag every time Choose a stylish bag with plenty of compartments big enough for all your cosmetic and communication needs as well as anything small (or that you want to hide from your other half) you may pick up at the shops.

Make time for you.
Mastering the art of the fraudulent domestic goddess can take its toll, so make room for some well needed you time. Driving to and from work doesn’t fall into this category, neither does your weekly workout. Lock the bathroom door and indulge in some sweet smells and a long soak. Have a glass of wine and a cheesy magazine on hand to escape from work and the noise of the house. Alternatively, go for a walk in a park or along the beach and enjoy the great outdoors.

This is for all the fans of  IKEA brand from all around the globe, I believe most of you folks like it, Well! I have a an update about  their famous furniture, accessories & interior designing catalog of this world largest furniture & home accessories retailer. The IKEA catalogue  for 2012 is already released. Ikea was founded 68 years back (in 1943)  by a Swedish boy Ingvar Kamprad. Their annual catalog was published for the first time in 1951, Soon after their first publication the vendor got high fame & now it turns into worlds biggest home furniture & accessories company. IKEA catalog is now published in 27 languages in different countries across the world making it the first choice of interior designers, architects & home owners in the list of furniture & interior design magazines

Yeah if you are among those who always waits for the new version of  Ikea catalog? i am glad to reveal that you can get the 2012 version now. If you want to know where and how to order, here it is.

Availability of the Ikea catalog
- Distributed to mailboxes on August 25
- Diponible in stores from September 8.

Yeah it is also possible to order the Ikea catalog 2012 on the site of Ikea or by calling their customer services from September.

Pressure washers, also known as power washers, are great tools for cleaning tough to remove dirt, paint, grease, or other similar substances from outdoor structures and for all kinds of different home improvement projects that require cleaning or stripping. If you have some outdoor or basement cleaning or paint removal to do, a pressure washer is definitely something you should consider getting. These items are designed to handle the cleaning work for tough jobs when simply scrubbing our use of a bucket or hose won’t do.

What is a Pressure Washer?
This type of heavy duty power washer is a specialised cleaning tool that uses a motor to send a high powered and concentrated stream of water toward items to be cleaned. The force with which the water hits surfaces causes the water to dislodge dirt and other compounds while simultaneously rinsing them away.

What are its Advantages?
Power washers, as noted above, clean stubborn dirt very well because of the force with which it hits items to be cleaned. It is also a fast way to clean since it can cover large areas, such as the whole exterior wall of a house for instance, quickly.

Buying Tips
The following are some important things to keep in mind when selecting a power washer:

Power:
The force with which the water is ejected from a power washer is an important consideration when buying one of the products. Two measures of power are pounds per square inch (PSI) and gallons per minute (GPM). The value in these two units measurement should be listed on any washer that you are looking to buy. Roughly they tend to fall into categories of light, heavy, and contractor level duty.

Light duty covers a range of around 1,300 to 1,800 PSI and a GMP of up to 1.5. Light duty jobs are things like washing your vehicle, lawn furniture, house shutters, charcoal grills and so on. You wouldn’t want to hit these items with too much water because it could damage them.

The heavy duty range falls between 2,000 and 3,000 PSI and between 1.5 and 2.5 GPM. This is suitable for jobs such as cleaning decks, basement floors, and house siding with particular stubborn stains.

Finally there are the contractor level duty washers which can generate up to between 3,000 and 4,000 PSI and up to 4.0 GPM. These power levels work well for jobs like paint stripping, industrial cleaning with very deep and stubborn stains.

Try to purchase a power washer that is designed for the type of jobs you have in mind. If a washer has variable settings you can set it on lower pressures for lighter jobs and higher ones for heavier work. But make sure that you don’t simply use a power washer that is too heavy duty for a job that is lighter or vice versa.

Other things to keep in Mind:
You may want to make sure that your power washer has a ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) included. This is an electrical control option that causes the machine to shut the moment there is a short circuit. This only applies, of course, to electric models. Some power washers require a 20 amp circuit.

Also keep in mind the allowable pressures from your water source. Most municipal water supplies will not have a problem supplying enough water for high powered applications, but well water may be an issue.

There are many attachments that come with pressure washers. Look over these and make sure they are the right ones for the type of cleaning projects you have in mind. Using the right attachments can make the job a lot easier.

Screwfix is the UK’s largest direct and online supplier of trade tools, accessories and hardware products. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, we despatch tens of thousands of parcels every week for next day and weekend delivery to tradesmen, handymen and serious DIY enthusiasts all over the UK. To view their range of Pressure Washers customers can visit the Screwfix website.

You want to paint the outside doors, shutters, gates & garden furniture? Good to prepare the surface and paint the metal, wood, steel or PVC. Follow these tips to give a good stroke to your garden furniture.

Repainting doors & furniture: According to your budget & requirement, you can choose between stain and paint. The latter has the advantage of not flake which makes maintenance easier,  just pass a sponge or lightly sanded before repainting (one or two layers ). Remember for outdoors, stains and clear wood are less resistant. Before applying the paint, the wood must be sound, dry and clean. If the existing paint or stain is in good condition, sand lightly with sandpaper to improve the fine-grained locking is advised. On raw wood, sand lightly or even apply an undercoat. For a pleasant work, the emphasis should be on new water-based paints that are odorless and fast drying. On a fat wood (exotic) or loaded with tannins, it must pass a primary type sub-layer.

Repainting iron & steel Furniture: Pass a wire brush to remove rust and flaking. If the furniture has been repainted several times, it is better to avoid stripping the appearance of thickness. Fitted with rust inhibitors, most paints are applied directly in two layers. If you like the decorative effect of the rust on an old table, protect it with special varnish matt like rusty metal or the Clear lacquer rust.

Repainting PVC: What paint to choose? Chairs, Tables, planters and swings for children often spent the winter outdoors and color have suffered. Thanks to the new acrylic paints that are not only practical, durable (5-6 years minimum between two layers), but also feature a variety of pallets. Besides the classic red Basque, Breton blue and green grass, the tart prancing nasturtium, lemon or anise and all shades nature chic taupe, vanilla, brown Normandy, khaki and green roller. In glossy, matte and satin, they can be weathered and even plastic) for rendering gray powdered tungsten, gold aged or corroded steel. Before applying the paint, just thoroughly clean the furniture, or even use fine sand with a very light hand. The use of a sub-primer or a primer will support the paint finish very smooth. If you use a gun, thin the paint first.

Winter is approaching, & so is the rain, wind and snow. So its time to make some precautionary maintenance for your garden furniture to protect it from weather attacks. It becomes sensitive and damaged if porn to weather effects in winter for the whole season, hence I would like to remind all readers the importance of using a dust cover to save your garden furniture and BBQ & to avoid unpleasant surprises next season.

No need to make it a hassle by consulting your home maintenance company & spend extra bucks. It’s not that much a big move. All you need to enter your garden furniture, BBQ in your garage or garden shed, and make sure everything fits under a shelter! But remember, done mess your furniture by placing it like a scrap. Let your furniture as it is in your garden, it will do more than cover for the winter. The protective covers are now inexpensive, simple to install and fully resistant. Protective covers for furniture is available in absolutely all the forms: like Cover lounge, Sun cover, table cover, chair cover, bicycle cover umbrella, BBQ cover, bed cover, cushion cover. Just anything you want to cover, it will be available. In sunny days you can remove these covers & use your furniture for daily household, you will see how they at their perfect condition. Just a little attention makes it look beautiful & elegant for a long life. Happy Autumn.