Good To Know: Household Tips & Tricks
My white porcelain plates are my staple in my home, and I’ve had them for a few years! But at this point, they’ve seen better days. Over the years they've collected a chip here and there but the thorn in my side was how they showed silverware scuffs. These gray lines all over my pretty white plates drove me crazy! I was ready to toss these guys and go get a new set when one of our awesome designers, Katie Holloman, let me in on one of her tricks and it blew my mind. After about an hour my plates look almost new again and I saved myself some cash. (Don’t worry I’ll share this tip with you too…in just a minute).
Being in this situation got me thinking, as designers, we think about making spaces as pretty and aesthetically pleasing as possible, however, we are also moms, wives, and friends. Together our team runs a total of ten households, including twenty-two, (soon to be twenty-three) children, three pups, and not to mention eight husbands. We live lives, throw parties, entertain friends and family and have the occasional footprint left on our white sofas.
The point being, it is our job to source pretty things, but we also recognize that you have to live with these things. Your walls are going to get scuffed up if we paint them a lighter color. You’re going to see tiny fingerprints on all of your glass surfaces, that marble on your counter is going to age and just like any living thing it’s going to show some ware. So, our team rounded up some things that we source regularly, and also have in our own homes, to give you some good tips and tricks on how to actually live with these pretty items.
WHITE PORCELAIN PLATES
Let’s start with white porcelain plates. I know you are all at the edge of you seat on this one. We love white plates. They are our go-to when sourcing dishware. White plates are easy to make look good in open cabinets or on open shelves and they go with a variety of décor and events. But, we know what it’s like to live with white dishware too. Scratches can show from silverware usage pretty easily depending on the dish line…so here’s how to keep your plates looking their very best:
A sponge and Barkeepers Friend.
Wet the plate down and rub the powder in circular motions with the soft side of a sponge.
Use some elbow grease on this. Eventually you’ll see those gray lines disappear.
CARING FOR GROUT
Caring for your grout isn’t something we often think to do, but it is very important to stay on top of it. You won't regret spraying down your grout often with a mold and mildew prevention substance. If you need to lighten the grout back to its original color, use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide or Soft Scrub with Bleach. Apply it to your grout lines, let sit for a few minutes, and scrub them with a toothbrush. This can be messy so make sure you have a wet rag and a bowl of warm water to help clean things as you go.
COUNTER MAINTENANCE
We know that choosing your counter-top is such a big decision. Here are some quick tips for counter-top care.
Quartz:
For stains on quartz and marble, blot hydrogen peroxide onto a paper towel and cover the stain overnight
Marble:
With marble prevention, is important to seal your marble regularly to prevent staining. If you do get a stain deal with it quickly. Water and a mild detergent are preferred but if
it’s a tougher stain use a mix of hydrogen peroxide (around 12%) and a few drops of ammonia, then blot the stain.
Soapstone:
We use a mild detergent and water combo on soapstone.
WALLS AND BASEBOARDS
Let’s talk about one of our best friends: the Magic Eraser. When
you have kids and light walls you can’t live without this little helper. It’s seen us through some
really tough times like crayon on the walls, scuff marks on the baseboards, button marks on
our white quartz counters from kids jumping up to brush their teeth, you get the idea. There’s
not much that a little scrubbing and a magic eraser can’t take off a solid surface.
STAINLESS APPLIANCES
A good stainless steel cleaner is essential when it comes to keeping stainless appliances fingerprint and watermark free.
We like to scrub our appliances first with water to get the grimy spots off and then go over it with cleaner.
WOOD FLOORS
When it comes to wood floors we like to clean with either just water to keep
cleaners from building up on the surface of your floors or an almond oil product which keeps
them looking newer longer.
WOOL CARPET
Wool is pretty and it looks and feels nice. It also holds up overtime like a champ! But, you have to treat it right. Here are some tips from a carpet line we source often,
Unique Carpets
MORE QUICK TIPS FROM OUR DESIGNERS!
Use dry erase markers to leave a note on the washing machine about anything with special
care instructions if you share laundry duty (i.e. 2 pairs of jeans that don’t go in dryer, whole
load needs to be dried on low, etc.) - Katie
2. Buy Storage furniture for toys! baskets with lids, cabinets, bins…it makes toy pick up a
breeze. -Marcie
3. Use small clear plastic storage bins to organize food in cabinets (like sugars/flours/baking
stuff, condiments, sauces, etc.) -Katie
4. Have your house professionally cleaned once or twice a year if you can, it makes a big
difference in prolonging the life of your home. -Angie
Tips & Tricks by Tonya Bush
DO YOU HAVE A CARE DILEMMA THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH? LEAVE A COMMENT!
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