Cleaning House: Secrets of Truly Deep Cleaning

Posted by Duke Rountree on

Cleaning House: Secrets of a Truly Deep Clean

By: Jane Hoback

Published: January 14, 2011

Deep clean your house and you’ll brighten rooms and help maintain your home’s value.

 

De-bug the light fixtures

See that bug burial ground within your overhead fixtures? Turn off the lights and carefully remove fixture covers, dump out flies and wash with hot soapy water. While you’re up there, dust bulbs. Dry everything thoroughly before replacing the cover.

Vacuum heat vents and registers

Dirt and dust build up in heat vents and along register blades. Vents also are great receptacles for coins and missing buttons. Unscrew vent covers from walls or pluck them from floors, remove foreign objects, and vacuum inside the vent. Clean grates with a damp cloth and screw back tightly.

Polish hardware

To deep clean brass door hinges, handles, and cabinet knobs, thoroughly wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, then polish with Wright’s or Weiman brass cleaner ($4). Dish soap shines up glass or stainless steel knobs. Use a Q-tip to detail the ornamental filigree on knobs and handles.

Replace grungy switch plates

Any amateur can wipe a few fingerprints off cover plates that hide light switches, electric outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets. But only deep cleaners happily remove plates to vacuum and swipe the gunk behind. (OK, we’re a little OCD when it comes to dirt!) Make sure cover plates are straight when you replace them. And pitch plates that are beyond the help of even deep cleaning. New ones cost less than $2 each.

Neaten weather stripping

Peeling, drooping weather stripping on doors and windows makes rooms look old. If the strip still has some life, nail or glue it back. If it’s hopeless, cut out and replace sections, or just pull the whole thing off and start new. A 10-ft. roll of foam weather stripping costs $8; 16-ft. vinyl costs about $15.

Replace stove drip pans

Some drip pans are beyond the scrub brush. Replacing them costs about $3 each and instantly freshens your stove.

Jane Hoback is a veteran business writer who has written for the Rocky Mountain News, Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine, and ColoradoBIZ Magazine.

Freddie Mac Summer Special Deal

Posted by Duke Rountree on

GREAT NEWS for Buyers and Sellers!

Freddie Mac is offering a “SUMMER SALES PROMOTION.” Upon qualified closing, HomeSteps will pay up to 3.5% of the purchase price of your home to cover certain closing costs. For instance, if your purchase price is $125,000, and your closing costs are $4,250, HomeSteps will only pay $4,250, an amount equal to 3.4% of your purchase price. Of course, not all homes or borrowers will qualify and the incentive is ONLY good to owner-occupants. You can visit, http://www.homesteps.com/smartbuy for all details.

BUT WAIT? There is more to this sweet deal!

Homesteps SmartBuy Program is also offering a 2 year HomeProtect Home Warranty and HomeProtect Appliance Discount The HomeProtect Home Warranty and HomeProtect Appliance Discount are available only to Participants who purchase and close on a qualifying HomeSteps home during the Program. The HomeProtect Home Warranty begins upon your qualifying home purchase closing date and continues for two years from that date. The HomeProtect Home Warranty has further restrictions and exceptions. Please see the HomeProtect® Home Warranty Terms and Conditions for all of the details. The HomeProtect Appliance Discount provides savings up to 30% savings on new appliances.

HOMES FOR SALE by Freddie Mac?

Where are they? In just about every location across the United States and Puerto Rico

How do you get more information? Contact your REALTOR® or better yet, if you do not have one, please contact ME! Or, you can visit, http://www.homesteps.com/featuresearch.html, and search any state, county or zip code for homes available in the program.

DON’T WAIT!

The offer is only good May 16, 2011 – July 31, 2011 with escrow closed on or before September 30, 2011. Now is a great time buy with low home prices, super low interest rates, and this new program could get you into a new/reseller home with little to no money down.

“Until Next Time.”