LOOKING AFTER YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN !

- Pick up some small/medium clay or ceramic pots and herb seedlings.
- Light is very important for these seedlings and hence your garden will need six to eight hours of quality light a day. If you observe that your plants are getting "leggy" (lots of stem, not a lot of leaves), you'll know they need more light.
- Water the plants, when the top of the soil layer is dry, just until water starts draining from the bottom of the pots. Use a drip tray to catch the excess water, but never let the pots soak in water.
- Watch your plants carefully for signs of insect infestation as flies, mosquitoes and other insects also find herbs irresistible! Just rinse your plants thoroughly with water, also tip the plant upside down and spray the underside of the leaves.
- Isolate infected plants, until you are sure they are insect-free. Do not use insecticides on herbs since their residue may be difficult to remove completely.

Sample the herbs
When you are ready to use your herbs, snip them off with a pair of clean, sharp kitchen scissors and toss into your cooking, post a good wash of course.

SECURE YOUR HOME !

Firstly, before even thinking about how secure their property is, householders have to adopt the routine of making sure that all windows and doors are securely locked when they go out and when they go to bed.

For many this is patently obvious, but remarkably 1 in 5 burglaries don’t involve any force, it is just intruders taking advantage of lax security, such as an open door or window. Ultimately it doesn’t matter how good the locks are, if they’re not put to use then they’re worthless.

KEEP YOUR HOME INSURED !

Home insurance offers financial peace of mind for those worried about being a burglary target and a big boost for those that have been the unfortunate victim of one.

If you take a quick glance around your home and roughly estimate the value of all the items surrounding you – from the stereo to the jewellery to the sofa – then it will likely amount to a considerable sum. If all your home contents were stolen in a burglary the financial burden of replacing everything would be formidable – that is unless you had taken out home contents insurance.

Home contents insurance is there to provide reassurance that if your property were to be burgled then it would help get your possessions back and your life back to normal as quickly as possible.

MAKE YOUR HOME ALLERGY FREE !

• Air condition your home.
• Keep bathrooms free of mold and mildew.
• Avoid pets or restrict them to certain areas.
• Damp mop hard surfaces regularly.
• Enclose your fireplace.
• Fluff drapes and rugs in dryer to remove dust.
• Use your exhaust fans.
• Vacuum mattresses.
• Don't allow smoking in your home.
• Replace furnace filters frequently.
• Vacuum everything once a week.
• Invest in an ozone-free air cleaner.

CLEAN DOORS FOR THAN CLEAN LOOK !

If company is coming, clean and wash the doors in your house. No one knows why, but your whole house looks good. Scrub the door from top to bottom with a rag and soapy water, using a scrub brush for especially tough spots. While you're at it, wipe down the top edge of the frame. With all the dust that collects up there, it probably looks like velvet. Along with the upper side of a ceiling fan, the top of the door is one of the most missed spots in the home.

KEEP YOUR WINDOWS CLEAN !

Wash windows on a cloudy, but not rainy day. Working in direct sunlight causes streaks because the cleaning solution dries before you can wipe it off. This is the best time to vacuum the frames and sills. Cool, clear water is the choice of most professional window washers. If windows are very dirty you can add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar per gallon of water. Use horizontal strokes on the inside and vertical on the outside so you know which side the streaks are on. for drying windows, a wad of crumpled newspaper works just as well as expensive paper towels. Wear rubber gloves to keep your hands free of ink.

KEEP YOUR HOME CLEAN !

Some people keep their home so spotless that you could eat off the floor. These people clean their home several times a week and are vigilant about not dirtying the home. Other people don’t mind a little filth and clutter around their home. Some of these people might only clean when they’re going to have important company. Regardless how often you clean, here are some home cleaning tips.

The first and most important of the home cleaning tips is to take the cleaning process one step at a time. If you consider that you have to clean your entire home then the job may seem too large to even begin.

So, start with cleaning one thing in one room. Then go to another and another until that room is clean. Then move onto the next room.

Another great tip is to group your cleaning projects. For example, you need cleaning agents for the bathroom and the kitchen so you want to clean these rooms in succession. You can also group all the bedrooms together since the major cleaning will probably only include vacuuming and dusting.

The final tip is to make sure you do a thorough job in each room. It’s very aggravating to spend hours cleaning a house only to find that you left a huge smudge on a mirror or a clump of dirt on the living room rug.

Three great home cleaning tips are to take things one at a time, group your work together, and take your time and do a good job the first time. With these tips you’ll be able to clean you house well whether you do it once a day or once a year.

Now that you have a broad strategy, the rest of the site will focus on specific things you can do to maintain a clean house and specific troubleshooting tips. Hopefully, you'll pick up some pointers!