After determining where the Eight Life Aspirations sectors are in your house, you will need to decorate and place items that correspond with those sectors. Remember that activating these sectors will benefit all the people living in your household.

Please do not confuse this with enhancing your PERSONAL directions. Personal directions must be enhanced by using your KUA number.

Don’t spend a lot of money!

You don’t have to go out and spend a lot of money to “Feng Shui” your house! How many people who have a specialty store will tell you THAT?? : ) Just look around your home and see what items you have in various places. I am speaking of figurines, plants, wooden objects, metal objects, photos, candles, oil burners, flowers, etc. Then look at your layout of your house that you have done, and move the object to the sector that you think best suits it.

When I first started activating my sectors, I found that there were MANY things already in my home that worked great for certain sectors. Problem was, sometimes they were not in the RIGHT sector. So, all I had to do, was rearrange things a little – and boy, what a difference! For example, I use aromatherapy a lot in my home. I have an earthenware crockpot potpourri burner that I had to move to my Northeast area because of the earth element. I have another Sterling Silver oil burner that I had to move to my Northwest sector – the Metal Element. Didn’t cost me a dime – just the energy to move them to different areas.

Become color conscious.

If you have blue curtains in your Northeast sector and they will fit a window in the North sector, move them and replace them with some beige curtains. Keep the colors for each sector in mind as you go about the house rearranging things.

“Feng Shui” your MIND.

Get yourself used to looking for items that will help you. Also, keep in mind that Feng Shui is not about oriental art. It is about where you place certain objects – doesn’t matter who made it – it just matters what it is made OF, what color it is, what shape it is and/or what it represents. If you go to a garage sale and find a beautiful picture of a waterfall and bring it home, THINK about what sector that should go in – Water – Career – North! Reversing that situation, if you are wanting to activate your Career Sector in your home, go to the garage sales and look for things that have to do with WATER. It is really easy to do, once you get used to it. Make yourself a little 3×5 “cheat sheet” card that has your sectors and what colors, etc to use and carry it around in your wallet if you need to.

NORTH Sector:

The North part of your home is considered your Career Prospects Sector

Use the colors blue and black as much as possible in this area. Do not use those colors so much that they are overwhelming.

Have water features here as the element of the North is water. Some examples of water features are: water fountains, paintings of a lake or river, water globes, animals that live in the water (turtles, fish, etc) whether live or ceramic, anything that has wavy lines.

NORTHEAST Sector

The Northeast sector governs education, spirituality, knowledge and self-growth

Use the color beige or very light brown in this area

Use Earth type decorations here. Examples could be plants, brown colored objects, globe, and map of the world. Hanging crystals and a Buddha is also good for this area.

EAST Sector

The East Sector governs family relations and health. I am going to break the two of these down a bit further:

Family Relations – Harmony

Clearing the clutter is the most important way to create harmony in your home. I have found personally that when my office is cluttered, my children seem to get a little unruly. (They spend a lot of time in my office because that is usually where I am! LOL) Also, sounds silly, but when I get behind on the laundry they tend to get unruly as well. Coincidence? I doubt it! The second most important way is to KEEP the clutter gone.

Use green and brown colors in this area.

Activate this area with: dragons, wooden objects, crystals, objects representing family unity – like a dog family, turtle family, figurine of children playing, pictures of your family in wooden frames, plants in earth tone pots or pottery

Take steps to activate all the sectors in your home by placing objects and using colors that correspond with those sectors. If all sectors are energized it should create harmony in your home.

Health

Green and brown are good colors to use here, as well as black and blue.

Follow the guidelines above under Harmony. Also, check around the house for what is called “poison arrows” – anything sharp, pointed and angular that seem to be threatening. Exposed beams are considered poison arrows. Redirect the bad shar chi by using crystals, bamboo flutes or wind chimes.

Displaying a Happy Buddha in the living room of your home is said to bring happiness and health to all that live in your home.

Bamboo plants are symbolic of good health

Display a tortoise or turtle in the East corner of your living room for good health.

Use aromatherapy to enhance your health, relieve stress, create harmony and promote overall well being

SOUTHEAST Sector

The Southeast corner of your home is the Prosperity and Wealth Sector.

Try to use as much green as you can in this area without over doing it.

Flowers are great in this area. The best types of flowers and plants to use according to Feng Shui are bamboo, orchids, chrysanthemums and plum blossoms. However – any type of plant will do. Don’t use dried flowers, bonsai plants or cactus they are not good to have in the home.

If your bedroom is in the SE corner of your home, do not place plants or flowers there. Just try to find curtains, rugs, pillows, etc that have green tones to them to enhance the room.

Put a Lucky Cat in the SE corner of your home to bring about good fortune.

Create a wealth vase to put in a cupboard somewhere in your Southeast Sector. See the previous newsletter for tips on creating a wealth vase

Prosperity – General Guidelines

Hang a set of doorknob coins activated with red thread on the knob on the inside of your front door. This helps to keep the money in your home. Do not put either of these on a back door – which will bring about the opposite effect. Also, this needs to be on your front door whether you actually USE that door or not.

Hang a prosperity bell on the outside of your front door knob to invite prosperity into your home. Make sure it is tight against the doorknob – otherwise it may get bent when closing the door if it gets caught in between the door and the door jam. I will be introducing a bell with a stretchable cord this month on my web site.

Placing a small Buddha directly across from the front door will also create positive chi and welcome prosperity into your home. Do not put the Buddha the floor. Try to have him at eye level if possible.

Place 3 Good Luck coins in your wallet or in your purse to signify that it will have money in it at all times.

Place some 3-Legged money toads in various places around your house. These can go on the floor and be very inconspicuous if you want them to. You need to put one right beside your front door facing into the room. Then, if you can, put another one diagonally across from it – not facing the front door – but off to the left or right of the opposite wall that your front door is on.

Place FuDogs right inside your front door. They symbolize protection of the family and protecting your wealth.

SOUTH Sector

The South sector governs recognition and fame. This also covers popularity and reputation.

Use red and various shades of red in this area including burgundy, pink, hot pink, maroon. Take it easy on the bright red as it is a very powerful color and could overwhelm things.

Place a crimson bird sculpture, eagle in flight, dragon, rectangular shaped crystals, fire features like candles, oil burners, bright lights, crystal chandeliers, plants, a fire place, wood burning stove in this sector. Do not display water features here.

SOUTHWEST Sector:

This sector governs Marital Happiness and Romance

Use yellow, beige, red and orange colors in this sector, being very careful not to overdo the red and orange colors. Do not use green or brown in this area if possible.

For plants, use earth tone or pottery for the planters.

Make sure when enhancing this area that you always put things in pairs. Not one and definitely not three – just two of different items that symbolize love and romance to you. Mandarin ducks, love birds and peacocks are good symbols here

Crystals in the SW sector of your home or bedroom will activate the earth energies of that sector. You can hang these in a window or just have crystal ornamental items there.

WEST Sector

This sector governs the luck of children and also new projects, hobbies, stages of life and pleasure.

Use white, silver, yellow and gold in this area.

Place white, silver or yellow flowers, hollow wind chimes, bells, metallic or earth objects, round objects, ceramic objects, quartz crystal, a sleeping white tiger (MUST be sleeping or don’t put it here), TV, computer, stereo, soapstone objects representing family in this area.

NORTHWEST Sector

This sector governs mentors, networking, beginnings, meeting influential people and important meetings.

Use metallic colors here like white, silver and gold.

Place hollow wind chimes, stone and metal sculptures, any objects that are metallic in color or in material, metal candle holders and picture frames in this area.

“A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.” –His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The above statement may seem simple at first reading, but upon consideration, it is really quite powerful. I believe that the Dalai Lama is emphasizing the importance of the state of one’s living space.

Too many people are careless with the space in which they work or dwell. In terms of the Black Sect Tandtic Buddism school of feng shui (which is a derivitive of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism), when a person is thoughtful (or thoughtless) in regard to his or her living space, it spills out into his or her life.

So why does feng shui have all those strange and curious “cures,” you might ask, if all one has to do is create a “loving atmosphere”? The fact is most of us have forgotten what a loving atmosphere is. Sure, we may recognize it when we see it, but making it happen is a different story. This is a result of a mass disease that has taken over our world: that is the disease of not knowing how to love our selves completely. Otherwise, creating our lives according to our deepest desires and most lofty dreams would be a cinch.

I like to tell my clients to imagine reading a short story where the author describes the space. This a quick way to notice the “symbolism” that occurs in your own home. After all, the subconscious sees everything. It constantly absorbs messages from our environment and processes these messages. In turn, these messages are sent into our energy fields, creating the very lives we are experiencing. Imagine the difference of a home filled with unwanted gifts, dying plants, and cluttered closets compared to one with healthy flowers, treasured objects, and neatly organized closets with (gasp) extra space! The first home feels slightly neglected, even if the rest of the furnishings were pleasant, while the second space feels freer, lighter, and, cherished. Even the smallest of details have an impact. Our subconscious mind takes images without a filter.

A wonderful start to a loving atmosphere is to first discard or give away any objects that you do not love in your home. Clutter is a sure way to block your highest potential as the subconscious sees it as a symbol of things that we don’t love or need in our lives and creates accordingly. It is amazing how letting go of a thing as simple as a candle from an unfaithful ex-lover or a blanket that you have never used because it is too scratchy can lighten your load! The subconscious gets the message that you’d rather have something (or someone) better in your life.

Next, play with ideas, and find out what it is that want to invite into your life. Then consciously bring it into your home symbolically. For example, you’ve always wanted to travel to Italy. Then stick a postcard of Rome on your refrigerator. Would you like to amp up your love life? Figure out your own personal “romance symbol” and drape it, plant it, or play it on your stereo everyday. The key to creating a great life is to get creative!

With every object in our homes, we are sending a message to ourselves and to the Universe. Wouldn’t you want your message to be one of pure and uplifting love so that you could receive that, and only that, back? Use your conscious mind to transform your subconscious mind, and then witness the shifts in your life.

The basic belief behind Feng Shui is that there are five elements, some combinations of which create a productive cycle, and some a destructive cycle. When one of these five elements – water, wood, fire, earth, and metal, respectively for the productive cycle – are combined with an element adjacent to the main element, a productive cycle is perpetuated. The reason being that water sustains wood, wood feeds fire, ashes create earth, earth creates metal, and metal holds water. So if you have a room where wood is the main element, it would be good Feng Shui to add a water or fire element to the room, as water feeds wood and wood feeds fire. This is where candles would be a nice touch of good Feng Shui.

A look at the destructive cycle will show which elements do not work well together: water, fire, metal, wood, earth. And we can see that water puts our fire, fire melts metal, metal cuts wood, wood clogs earth, and earth muddies water. Although these elements are generally considered bad Feng Shui combinations, one can be used with an adjacent element in the destructive cycle to minimize an overpowering element. For instance, if a room has overpowering metal elements, maybe filled with modern metal furniture, you can minimize that with wood elements like some green leafy plants, or with fire elements such as red throw pillows, a fireplace, or even candles.

It is beneficial to bear in mind the productive and destructive cycles while decorating, but for optimum Feng Shui, a room would have an equal balance of all five elements – none being too overpowering. If this isn’t the case and there is not one overpowering element, then the productive cycle is a good place to start when decorating.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the elements, we can see how to best utilize candles in our decorating. In areas with predominately metal or water elements – rooms which would have a lot of blue or silver colors or metallic furnishings – a candle would help minimize the overpowering colors and add balance. If you want to start using Feng Shui in a room with no overpowering elements, you could bring in a candle and a complimentary element like a plant or a brown oval rug since that color and shape are associated with the earth element.

Candles can be an easy way to bring a natural element into your home and can be a good starting place for implementing Feng Shui design. Not to mention that scented candles are often great Feng Shui because of the mood-enhancing qualities certain scents have. Candles provide a simple start in creating a pleasant ambiance and good decorating style.

Ink stain on the clothes is one of the problems of cleaning clothes and hence many people go to the drycleaners. Ink stains are simple and common problem of every house. People use costly detergents to remove the stains. Still some ink stains do clean. Many people have to give up their new dresses. Housewives are often irritated of their school children’s dresses. So this is an attempt to provide some tips for removing ink stains from the clothes.

There are different categories of ink stains. Water ink stains are often easy to remove. You will get many types of liquid and powder to remove the water stains. But the permanent ink stains are more difficult to remove. These kinds of stains take more time and higher quality liquid or powder.

If a cloth stained with water ink, place the stained area on top of a clean and dry white towel. Use water to the ink stain. Blot with another clean white cloth. Slowly the stain will remove while you will be using water and blotting it.

You can also use normal liquid to remove ink stains. Use only 2–3 drops of the liquid onto the ink stain and wait for 5-7 minutes. Then blot it slowly and the stains will remove.

It is better if you use hot water for removing the stains. Before drying the cloth, make sure that the stains removed completely.

Many people and school children carry ball pen in their pockets. Most of the time pockets are stained with ballpoint ink. Pocket stains often feel odd. Use the clean white towel. Place the stained area on top of a clean white towel. Use alcohol to the stain, rub it smoothly and blot with another clean white cloth. Stains will remove as you blot.

You can also use nail polish for removing ballpoint ink stains. Apply nail polish to the ink stain and blot with another white clean cloth. The stains will remove, as you will blot it.

Normal liquid can be used to remove ballpoint ink stains. Just use 2-3 drops of the detergent powder or liquid onto the stained area. Wait for 5-7 minutes and rub it slowly the stains will remove as you rub it. Warm water can be used to wash stain clothes.

These are simple steps for removing ink stains from clothes. There is no difficulty when you will follow these tips. This article will also save your money that would have to pay to drycleaner.

Natural cleaning has become a priority for us. Next time you go to the grocery store, take a slow stroll down the cleaning isle. And yes, it takes up a whole isle now. Pick up any of the products and read the ingredients.
Do you know what any of those ingredients are?
We know we don’t.
Our very basic rule for natural cleaning is that if we don’t know what an ingredient is, we don’t buy it and bring it into our home. This goes for food, cleaning products, anything. If it’s a word we can’t pronounce, chances are it’s a chemical and it probably isn’t good for us. Ever wonder how people in the 1920’s kept their homes clean? Did they do it with chemicals? Nope. They used homemade natural cleaning products, many of which are probably in your kitchen or pantry right now.
Naturally Cleaning Your Air
We don’t use canned or plug in air fresheners. These are chock full of chemicals. There are a myriad of natural options. Here are just a few.
Plants which reduce toxic materials are: Aloe Vera, English ivy, fig trees, chrysanthemum, spider plants, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm, and lily. Decorate liberally with these plants and they’ll act as a natural air purifier.
Beth’s favorite air freshener is vanilla, which by the way was voted the number one erotic scent by males. Place 1 tablespoon natural (not imitation) vanilla extract in a ceramic bowl and place in a room. If the room is large you may want to use more than one. As the vanilla evaporates, a light, refreshing vanilla scent will waft into the surrounding air. Replace every day.
Josh’s favorite air freshener is eucalyptus, which leaves the whole house smelling fresh and springy. If you have a diffuser, you can put a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil in it and freshen the air for hours. We don’t actually own a diffuser, so we simply use an old sauce pan, with a little water in the bottom on low heat. Works the same way.
We write a lot about vinegar on our site. Along with Borax, vinegar is our favorite cleaner and so versatile. Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in a solution to clean hardwood flooring.
As far as freshening your air, white vinegar is a natural deodorizer. It absorbs odors instead of covering them up. We use it to get rid of pet odors, like our dog Barlow’s bed, which needs a good natural cleaning quite often.
Clean Your House
The following recipe is my favorite of all time, and it’s not for food. It is a recipe for an alkaline all-purpose natural cleaning agent. We use it everywhere: in the bathroom, the kitchen, to spot clean the carpets, and to get that black gunk off the walls. It neutralizes odors, dissolves grease, and removes stains.
- 1 teaspoon or 40 drops antiseptic essential oil (thyme, sweet orange, lemongrass, rose, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, birch, lavender, or tea tree)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons Borax
- 1 teaspoon liquid detergent
- 2 c hot water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend before each use.
We’ve added up the cost of this natural cleaning solution. It costs 3 cents to make once you have all of the ingredients. A bottle of store-purchased, chemical-laden all-purpose cleaner costs around $4. We honestly think this works better than the store bought stuff too. Hmmm, tough choice here.
This is the best glass cleaner. Forget about what you buy in stores.
- 1 c rubbing alcohol
- 1 c water
- 1 tablespoons white vinegar
Mix in a spray bottle.
The Wonders of Borax
For those of you not versed in the magic that is borax, you need only take another stroll down your grocery store’s cleaning isle. In the laundry section you’ll find a medium sized cardboard box marked “Borax”. Also known as sodium borate, it is a complex mineral found in lakes and other evaporite deposits. It is a laundry booster, which has been around for over 100 years, but it works for so many other things as well.
If you have a flea problem, sprinkle it on your carpets, wait a day, then vacuum it up. The fleas eat the borax, it dehydrates them and they die.
We use borax most often as a carpet cleaner. Whenever we rent a wet carpet cleaner from the grocery store we use 1/2 cup borax to 1 gallon of hot water. Fill the machine up with this instead of the cleaner sold with the vacuum, which is full of chemicals. Borax deodorizes and disinfects. One half cup to 1 gallon of water satisfies a hospital’s germicidal requirements.
Stop Buying Drain Cleaner
Drain cleaners use incredibly powerful chemicals to eat away clogs in your pipes. These chemicals then find their way into our water systems. They are extremely expensive and we never use them. Try these recipes. If they don’t work, chances are a chemical drain cleaner won’t either. You’ll probably have to snake your drain or if all else fails, hire a plumber.
For natural cleaning of drains, pour 1 cup washing soda down them every week or so. Washing soda (sodium carbonate) is a chemical relative of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It is soda ash that is processed differently than baking soda. It is caustic so wear gloves when using. It is available in the laundry section of the grocery store.
For clogged sinks, pour 1 cup washing soda into the water surrounding the drain, as close to the drain as possible. Within a minute, the water should go down. If water hasn’t yet backed up, or you don’t have any washing soda, pour 1 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 3 cups boiling water.
You can also try pouring in ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup vinegar. Leave in drainpipe for 1 minute then rinse with hot water.
If that still doesn’t work, pour ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide into the drain. Wait for a few minutes then plunge. Repeat if necessary.
As a last resort, Sells Actina produces a digestive organism that liquefies grease and waste solids and reduces or eliminates odors. It’s safe for use in drains, pipes, and septic tanks. This product will usually work when nothing else has. Order from Medina Agricultural Products Company, P.O. Box 309, Hordo TX, 78861.
These are just a few of the natural cleaning solutions we have found. Check back in with us, we will post new recipes and ideas periodically. Also feel free to contact us with any questions or with any natural cleaning recipes and ideas that you have.

I used to spend my weekends cleaning house until I learned to take a few minutes here and there to stay on top of the dirt and grime. By doing a little cleaning every day, I avoid having to spend my weekends cleaning. Try some of the following ideas to help you free up your weekends.

Bathroom:

* Limit the number of products you keep on the counter. By doing this, the counters will stay uncluttered and be easier to clean. For the products that you want to leave on the counter, store them in a basket or caddy. This way you can just lift up the basket or caddy and clean underneath it in a hurry without having to pick up each individual product.

* Do you use a washcloth to clean your face? If so, when finished washing your face, rinse the washcloth out and use it to clean up around the sink.

* If you have a glass door shower, keep a squeegee stored in the shower by hanging it on a suction hanger hook. After every shower, use the squeegee to wipe away the water on the door. This will help keep your shower door clean by minimizing the amount of buildup from water and soap scum.

* Use shower gel instead of bar soap to reduce soap scum buildup. There are many wonderful shower gel products on the market for both men and women.

* To help your toilets stay clean and deodorized, place a self-cleaning toilet tablet in the bowl once a week.

* Keep cleaning supplies, including rubber gloves, under the sink in the bathroom so they are handy and within your reach when you have a few moments to clean.

Kitchen:

* Try the method I call “clean-as-you-go-cooking”. This means to wash, dry and put away preparation dishes, bowls, and utensils while you are waiting for your meal to cook. If you use this method, then you don’t have to spend your meal time dreading the dinner dishes and pans. All that will be left to clean are a few dishes that will be a snap to throw in the dishwasher.

* Clean up drips and spills as soon as they happen so they don’t have time to dry.

* After cleaning the dishes and while your sponge is still wet, take a few moments to wipe down the countertops, stove, microwave and sink. This will help your kitchen to stay clean most of the time.

* When you open your junk drawer and discover that you have two year old coupons or a cabinet that is jumbled, stop what you’re doing and clean out the drawer or cabinet. This will help you to keep your kitchen in order and stay on top of the clutter.

* To keep your countertops tidy and easy to clean, store small appliances that you don’t use very often in cabinets.

* When frying or sautéing food, use a splatter screen. A splatter screen will cut down on grease buildup on your stove and cabinets.

Family Zone:

* Have a dedicated area for shoes, keys, backpacks, cell phones, etc. Let all family members know where they are expected to place their belongings. For small children, make it easy for them so they get the hang of it. For my preschooler, we have a built-in shoe caddy in our laundry room with hanging pegs above. He knows to put his shoes in the caddy when he gets home from school. While he can’t reach the pegs to hang his backpack yet, he knows to place his backpack by his shoes and mommy will hang it up for him. This helps him learn to be responsible for putting away his own things.

This system also works well for hubby too! For all of you wives who have husbands that can’t ever find their keys, cell phone, and wallet – give them a dedicated area to place these items. My husband has a dedicated drawer in the kitchen. Works great!

* Keep microfiber cloths or the famous Swiffer dusters handy and wipe away dust when you see it. It’s much easier to remove dust if you don’t let it build up. I keep a Swiffer ready to go at all times and do a quick dusting while my children are eating their lunch or I have a few minutes at some other time during the day.

* Consider using wax on wooden furniture instead of polish. Polish is known to attract dust.

* Toy clutter in my family room drives me batty! To help this problem, I purchased large baskets that compliment my home’s decor. At the end of the day my children know to pick up all toys and put them in the baskets. Do they do this without a battle? Not very often! However, my children enjoy snacks before bedtime and they don’t get their snacks until all toys are in the baskets.

These are just a few tips you can use to free up your weekends from cleaning. If you think about the moments you have here and there and what small cleaning chore you can accomplish – you’ll find that overall your house will stay cleaner and you can free up your Saturday for family fun or go enjoy lunch and a movie with your favorite girlfriend!

1.One thing at a time! When taking on a home improvement project, it’s best not to overwhelm one’s self. It’s important to pick your battles one at a time. Doing a complete kitchen remodel can be costly and time consuming. This article will focus on an easy cabinet renovation for just about any level of do-it-yourselfer. You can save the floor, counter top, and appliance replacements for further down the road. We are choosing to renovate the existing cabinet boxes for two reasons, a) simply the cost, and b) the existing boxes have more longevity than anything on the market today that would replace them.

2.Paint the cabinet boxes.Older homes generally have dark heavy stain on them. To remove or refinish the stain would be rather time consuming with limited results. The easiest and most dramatic course is to paint the cabinet boxes. This can be a plain white for easy upkeep and repair, or something more colorful for a more contemporary look.

3.Replace with new doors.One of the biggest obstacles with a cabinet renovation is how to salvage damaged doors. They rarely line up well and often times are chipped, cracked or just plain abused. The most effective way to solve this is to replace them with a stunning raised panel door in any of a variety of hardwoods or simply use a paint grade door that you can match or accent the color you painted your cabinet boxes.

4.Adjustable new hinges.Once you’ve elected to replace your doors, now it’s time to decide what kind of hinge you will want to use. A typical face mount hinge leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to installing and aligning your doors. They leave zero room for adjustment just shy of bending and tweaking them to fit your needs. A wonderful alternative is a euro style hidden hinge. Many of these offer various degrees of adjustment with some offering up to 6 ways of adjustment to make sure every door fits just right!

5.And new drawer fronts.Along with replacing your doors, you will also be replacing your drawer fronts to match your new doors. This can lead to a whole new set of problems. Will you be able to simply remove your existing drawer fronts? Even if you can, do the drawers still work properly? Or do they stick and grind on old hardware that is worn out? Not to worry, there are solutions for that as well.

6.New boxes and slides.A lot of times you will find yourself fighting with a drawer on a regular basis. This can be frustrating and at times when company is around, it can also be embarrassing. When renovating your cabinets, also take the extra step to replace your old worn out drawer boxes and slide hard ware. You’ll be glad you did!

7.Painting the interiors.One area that tends to get over looked is the interiors of your cabinets. When renovating your cabinets, be sure to address this area too. Painting the interior of your cabinets can make the insides look like new. This really complements all the time money and effort you put into the exteriors. Again white is the easiest to work with but an accent color can be exciting too!

8.Removing the shelf paper.Is the shelving paper old, dated, and tore-up? Then it’s probably time to go! The easiest method for removal is to use a simple household hair drier. This is just the right temperature to loosen the glue. You can also use the assistance of a putty knife for those more difficult areas.

9.Maybe shelf replacement?Maybe the shelves themselves are sagging or warped. Now is a good time to replace them. ¾ inch melamine is a good choice for a strong durable solution. And future cleaning will be a breeze!

10.Sink cabinet bottom replacement.One last problem area you will may like to address is right beneath the sink. The one place that you store a good number of cleaning agents that can do damage when left sitting for long periods of time. Or possibly you had a leaky sink at some point. This spot too can be remedied with a 1/4 inch overlay.

For more tips and tricks for cabinet renovation, check out the How To Instructions at www.NewTaylorDoor.com. The site is updated quite regularly with new tips and ideas.

There is a wide variety of color and finishing options for kitchen cabinet refacing. There are both solid colors and a variety of wood grain finishes to choose from. Some are very simple patterns and others are more decorative. The quality and cost vary according to the finish material used in refacing the cabinetry.

Cabinet Refacing Materials

There are three basic materials used in most kitchen refacing projects. These are plastic laminates, wood veneer and rigid thermofoils. Plastic laminate is the least expensive option. It also has the lowest quality in overall appearance. The wood grains aren’t very convincing. It’s fairly easy to tell the difference between the laminates and natural wood, even from a distance.

Wood veneer looks more realistic than either plastic laminate or rigid thermofoil. It is the most popular choice for adding the beauty and warmth of wood to the kitchen. It is also the most expensive option in refacing. Wood veneer is available in nearly every wood tone. The most popular are maple, oak, birch and cherry woods.

Rigid thermofoils are the newest material used in remodeling cabinetry. These consist of fiberboard material covered with a pressure molded vinyl foil. There are fewer solid colors and wood grain choices in this material. The wood grains are more realistic in appearance when compared to plastic laminates at a distance. The look isn’t as good when you are looking at them close up.

Rigid thermofoils are much more pliable than laminates. They can be molded into a wide range of styles. This gives more decorative options in the look of the cabinet doors. They can be molded into raised panels or arches. More detail can be added with this material. The cost is higher than plastic laminates, but lower than wood veneers.

Other Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Options

In most cases, the hinges and drawer tracks are not replaced. Depending on their condition, you may want to consider having them replaced during the remodeling. If drawers are no longer opening smoothly, it is a good idea to replace the tracks. Some people opt for new drawers, rather than using the old components with new fronts. The cost is higher, but not considerably.

Other updates can be easily done at the same time. This is a good time to replace the countertops. The old ones will need to be taken out and put back anyway. If the counters are in good shape, it’s not a problem to put them back. If they are worn or not really what you want in the new kitchen, this is a good time to invest in new ones.

The sink is another consideration. It will also need to be taken out. Whether the sink is not in the best shape, or you just don’t like it, replacing it at the same time won’t add significantly to the overall budget. Sinks are generally not very expensive, depending on the type and material used. This is a good time to have a new sink installed. New sinks and counters will give your kitchen a complete makeover.

Kitchen cabinets are one of the most prominent features in your kitchen. If your cabinets are looking worn or drab, it affects the whole look and feel of your kitchen.

The good news is there are several options available to you that can easily update your kitchen with a modern look. Some options are expensive and others are more economical.

If you like the cabinet layout and the cabinets are in good condition, refacing or resurfacing your kitchen cabinets may be a good choice for you.

Refacing or resurfacing consists of replacing the cabinet doors and drawer fronts with new ones and then treating the cabinet frame with a matching veneer. There are many types of woods and plastics available for this, so your options are virtually unlimited.

To get the best results, it’s always best to hire a professional to do this work. It can be quite expensive, though, ranging anywhere from $3500 to over $10,000. The work usually takes 2-4 days, depending on how many cabinets and drawers are involved.

If your cabinets are weak or damaged or you just want to change their design, replacing them entirely is another option. Replacement cabinets may not cost much more than refacing/resurfacing them, either. Brand new cabinets can add more usefulness to your kitchen and increase the value of your home, as well

If resurfacing or replacement of your kitchen cabinets doesn’t fit your budget, there are much less expensive alternatives.

My first choice for renewing the look of kitchen cabinets is paint. What a difference a coat or paint can make!

For a retro look you can use splashy colors such as pink, turquoise or orange. Be brave and paint designs on the cabinets or use stencils or a faux finish. Add some matching hardware and you’ve got new cabinets for less than $300!

Another idea is to permanently remove all the cabinet doors. This wouldn’t be appropriate or even functional for every style of kitchen. It might work well for a cottage kitchen design or even an antique Victorian design. You could line the shelves with lace or doilies that flap over the edge to add to the look.

An alternative to completely removing the cabinet doors is to replace them with old windows that are the right size. You could also create new doors from different types of materials such as bamboo or fabric.

Another idea for resurfacing kitchen cabinets is to wallpaper them or apply contact paper. A plain pattern is best and, of course, make sure it is washable. You don’t necessarily need to cover the whole surface. You could cut out different shapes or patterns and apply them to the cabinet surface. This would be a good short-term solution to freshening up your kitchen.

So there you have it. There are many ways to make your kitchen cabinets look great without breaking the bank!

When choosing a washing machine many people look for the “cheapest” option assuming that all washing machines are the same. After all, they just wash clothes don’t they? Well, it’s true that they all wash clothes; but how they wash them differs, how long the machine will last differs, and how much they cost to run differs. We all want clean clothes but we don’t all have the same needs from a washing machine. There are literally hundreds of options available so how do you choose? I have listed three questions that you need to consider and given my views as the answers to help you make your decision. At the end of this article I have given a short summary to use when actually shopping for your new machine.

Q1. Is the cheapest washing machine really the cheapest?

A1. The cheapest washing machines available generally have fewer features and are lower rated than more expensive models. Ok, so most of us don’t use all the features and programs anyway but if you make use of quick wash and half load programs when necessary you will reduce your running costs and a cheaper machine might not have these options available. The ratings on a washing machine refer to water consumption, energy efficiency and drying efficiency. With more of us on water meters and constant increases in electricity bills the benefit of a good rating on water and energy consumption is obvious but what benefit is a good drying rating? Well, if you regularly use a tumble dryer you will find that a good drying rating and a high spin speed on your washing machine can reduce drying time by up to 30 minutes on a full load, thus saving on running costs for your dryer. So in answer to question 1, the cheapest machine to buy is probably not the cheapest to run and the savings you make initially will be used up in running costs for the life of the machine.

Q2. How do I know how much to spend?

A2. Washing machines range from under £200 to over £1000 so knowing what is most suitable is very important. In answer 1 we covered the basics about cheap machines, so why not look for the cheapest machine that still has the programs I most use and good ratings? Generally this is a good point but there are a few other factors involved. If you live alone and use the washing machine perhaps once a week then do go for the cheapest with the right programmes and best ratings, but if you are a family of 5 and all play rugby three times a week the machine is probably going to get a lot more use. The life expectancy of a washing machine is calculated on amount of use and purchase price, therefore if you use the machine a lot you will probably get a longer life from one that cost a bit more. As a guide normal use is usually based on two full loads a week one on a hot temperature and one on a warm temperature, and washing machine life expectancy is 2-8 years (2 years being for lower priced machines, 8 for higher priced machines). Using this as a basis consider how often your machine will be used and if you expect 4 washes a week reduce the life expectancy by half etc. If you do four or more loads a week or particularly dirty or heavy loads you probably need to go for a more expensive machine or accept that it will need replacing every few years. Quite often you will find that a more expensive machine will include a longer warranty, take this into account when looking at the price. A five year warranty could cost you anywhere between £100 and £200 so deduct that from the price of the machines offering a free 5 year warranty when comparing, or add it to the cost of the cheaper machine and then take out a warranty separately.

Q3. Is the look of the machine important?

A3. It is surprising how many people buy washing machines based on what they look like. The look of a washing machine is of little importance if it is in a laundry room where it is rarely seen but it is important if it is in the kitchen on constant display. If you are going to have to look at it all the time buy one that you do like the look of, but bare in mind that whether it works and saves you money is far more important that how “pretty” it is. If you really hate the look of a washing machine in your kitchen go for a fully integrated model that can be hidden behind a false door to match your kitchen units, but this option will cost more with no benefits other than the cosmetic affect on your kitchen.

Summary:

Choose a machine that has good ratings (Triple A or A+AA) as this will save money on running costs (and protects the environment which benefits us all). Buy a machine that can handle the amount and type of use you will put it to (use price as a guide to build quality but always have a look at the specifications). Take extended warranties into account when comparing prices. Decide if the look of the machine is important and if it is dismiss all the models you don’t like the look of. Finally ask the sales person their opinion only after you have narrowed it down to a few choices. The sales person can’t possibly know how often you will be using the machine and for what type of loads or whether you will like the look of the machine so you need to narrow the possibilities down first. The sales person will be able to discuss the differences between 2 or 3 machines and give you some advice on whether the machine really is suitable for you, even when shopping online don’t be afraid to email the retailer with your final selections and your expected usage and ask their advice.

Finally, shop around. Here are two places I find to be helpful and carry a good range of washing machines:
Direct Electricals
and
Home Product Shop