Winnipeg Realtor and Real Estate Blog

Ever want to have a long, warm and relaxing bath at the end of a hard day’s work? You fill up your tub and go to lay or sit down in it and all you feel is the icky roughness of old and dirty soap scum. For me that is one of the worst feelings, to sit in a tub full of old soapy body dirt! Here are two very simple ways/methods that I have found to be the most effective in getting rid of that annoying and gross soap scum. 

This one sounds like its a little crazy but it ABSOLUTELY works and works well!

Powdered laundry detergent. The roughness of the powder plus the soap in the actual detergent make this so easy for you to clean! I just splash a little warm water all over the tub and throw the powdered laundry soap on the wet surfaces and start scrubbing. You don’t even need to let this sit for any amount of time you can just dive right in and start, I would recommend using a sponge or pad that has a rough surface especially for those tubs that can get really bad.

Baking soda. I think we can all agree that baking soda can be used in all sorts of cleaning methods and in all sorts of situations. You can really use as much as you want and it depends on how bad your bathroom is. All you need to do is get a cloth or whatever you use to clean with and sprinkle some baking soda on it and start scrubbing. If you are finding that your tub/shower is a little worse then you thought, then simply make a paste using vinegar.

A lot of the times cleaning problems like these can be a challenge and not everything always works, but these are the two ways that I find most helpful to reach your desired result! So instead of sitting and relaxing in your old caked on dirty tub try out these methods and start feeling a little more distressed.

Winter time is never an easy time, it’s always freezing outside your constantly bundling up and wiping the snow off of your car it’s just not a lot of people’s favorite season! The worst part for me during the winter is trying to keep my floors dry and clean! Nothing makes me bite my nails more than wet, muddy winter boots trampling all over my nice, clean dry floors. Here are a few simple yet super easy tips to try and keep you sane and off of your hands and knee a little less this winter season.

An outside walk off matt. You definitely need a sturdy durable heavy matt for in inside of your entry way, but if you put an equally good one on the outside of your door as well it will act as a first line of defense for all those mucky boots! It won’t take all the moisture off of your boots but it will help with that initial mud and snow!

Road salt. Road salt often gets caught underneath your boots and then gets tracked inside your home and onto your floors. This is not a good thing, the salt is very course and can easily scratch even the toughest of hardwoods, if you notice that any is getting caught or trapped inside be sure to take control of that situation right away it’s best to vacuum or sweep it up.

Cleaner. Make sure you use the right cleaner during the winter months. You can buy some cleaners that can help with access moisture on your floors, or keep the dirt from clinging so badly and looking awful. Go out and buy yourself some good quality cleaners so it makes your job a little less strenuous.

I don’t know if this bothers you as much as it does me in the winter, but if it does I hope that these simple, easy and effective ways give you a little break from cleaning your floors on a daily basis ( maybe only cleaning every two to three days ) Happy NOT scrubbing those floors as much! 

During the winter and summer months is when your HVAC is getting used the most, in these months I recommend changing out the filters once a month. Here are the reasons this will benefit your system;

It will extend the overall life of your heating ventilating and air conditioning unit. When the dirt builds up or accumulates in the filter air can’t pass through so it’s motor then has to work harder as a result and can also start to overheat. You may at that point depending how long this went on for have to get some repairs done, or worse case if you have an older unit you will most likely have to replace it and this can be very costly. To prevent this maybe set a reminder date for once a month to change out the filter.

Clean healthy air, does anyone in your household suffer from bad allergies or asthma? Having a dirty air filter will cause unclean air and can affect someone with these kinds of health concerns, also if you have pets pet dander can get caught in the filter and spread through your home a lot easier. Changing the filter is an easy step in keeping your overall air quality at its best.

Keeping a clean furnace filter can actually save you on energy costs believe it or not! When you have a clogged, dirty filter your unit has to work much harder to do it’s job resulting in using more energy which can cause a much higher bill. Simply keeping your filter clean and changed on a regular basis can save quite a bit on your monthly charges.

I hope that these few EASY and simple steps in keeping your furnace filter clean and up to date on it’s changes will keep your families air quality fresh and clean and hopefully save you a little extra a month to put toward something special! 

Dressing for the holidays or for any party can be a hard thing especially for women. Finding the perfect outfits can be so stressful and can add to the stress levels already there from the holidays in general. Here are some helpful tips to help you get through it a little easier!

Dress to fit your body! Everyone has different shapes and sizes and the best thing to do is to fit your body and feel comfortable. There are so many fashionable looks out there for all different kinds of body types, there is nothing worse than trying to get through an evening in something that is a little to snug for you. When you go out shopping for that perfect outfit there are tons of tailors out there that can help you find it! Don’t sell your body short if you are not a size 0 dress, make your style fit you and work it!

Add the right accessories! Accessories are the best way to take a simple look and make it look red carpet fabulous! Something easy like a great pair of earrings can really spice any look up, whether they are a pair a simple yet stylish studs, or long dangles it can really help with your look. Try downsizing from you regular purse where every woman keeps their entire life and find a small sleek looking clutch, this helps by taking a little baggage off your shoulders and leaves you with just what you need, cash, cards and maybe your touch up lip gloss! Lastly make a bold statement with an awesome looking, out there necklace and embrace your neckline!

Color. I know that the little black dress is something pretty much all of tend to gravitate to but try experimenting with some different color tons! Make an entrance in a bright red dress, or even a beautiful yellow tone! Try miss matching colors with your shoe color as well. Sometimes standing out in a crowd is better than always blending in I think, so go for it stand out and be beautiful!

I hope that all your Christmas parties create fun and lasting memories for you, be sure to look fabulous and be safe! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

If you and your family love the smell and look of a real Christmas tree at Christmas time then let me help you with a few tricks of the trade in keeping that spirit and tree looking its best this year! I know that a lot of people venture into the fake trees and let’s face it, it is way easier to maintain and virtually no clean up but having a real tree does help give your home more of a Christmas feel to it!

When you get home remember to trim the trees trunk about one & a half inch before placing it into warm water. If you are not putting your tree up right away be sure to store it in a heated area away from freezing temperatures and snow. When you are ready to set it up you should make another fresh cut off the trunk the same size then put it up in at least 1 gallon of water.

There is always limited space to put up nice big trees in your home or ever small ones as they do tend to take up a lot of room, but try and stay away from any heat sources like heat vents, fireplaces of any kind or radiators. Leaving it next to any of these things will dry the tree out way faster which is what you want to try and stay away from. If your home is regularly dry then you could always try putting a humidifier in the room for the length of time that your tree will be up for.

Be sure to keep your pale or whatever you are using to sit the tree in is always full of water or you water it on a very regular basis. Once the water level gets to the base of the trunk it creates a resin and the tree stops absorbing water and will die way quicker, and that’s the last thing you want is a dying tree for Christmas Day!

I hope these super simple and easy tricks will help you and your family have a beautiful, fresh and green tree this Christmas to enjoy! Happy Holidays Everyone! 

Do set a budget. Sometimes around the holidays it can be very stressful for some families/people when it comes to income and shopping. My suggestion is to take a look and what you can afford to spend and make a list of everyone you need to buy for. Then and I know it’s hard to decide who and how much you want to spend on someone but it is very important so that you don’t go over budget and put yourself in a bad financial situation. Besides it’s always the thought that counts and not how much you spend!

Don’t take your credit card shopping. Back to setting yourself a budget, taking your credit card can defer you from your budget plan. Its money that is just sitting there and a lot of the times really easy to spend, especially around the holidays where so much buying is in order. It’s never fun to receive an online bill or bill in the mail showing how much you owe back, my moto is if it’s not in your account don’t charge it, because most likely if you can’t pay cash for it you won’t be able to pay it back to your bank. Try and stick to your cash budget plan, or if you are going to use your credit card say to gain more miles or points depending on the type of card and rewards you have, then make sure you have the money in your checking’s account to repay it back right away!

Do online shopping for some things. Let’s face it, everywhere you go around the holidays is PACKED, so packed in fact that it can be stressful to think about where you’re going to park, and is what you wanted still going to be in store. There are so many things to think about when you are going into the craziness of the malls/shops around Christmas time. It can be helpful to look online first and lighten the load of your list that way, instead of worrying about long lines and pushy people! Plus sometimes you can even find better deals online that you wouldn’t necessarily find in store!

Don’t procrastinate. We all know that at Christmas time even a month before things start to decrease quickly off the shelves! So don’t wait! Go and do you shopping at least a month before December or as early as October! There is nothing worse than waiting last minute to find out that what you really wanted to get someone isn’t there anymore and won’t be back in stores until Christmas is over! You don’t want to be left with slim pickings because that will sure dampen your mood! Also another plus of shopping early is that you miss all the chaos and hustle and bustle!

Do check return policies. Make sure ESPECAILLY if its clothing or shoes that you always ask customer service what their return policy is as all stores are different. It’s never fun to receive or give a gift to someone that either doesn’t fit or isn’t exactly what they need OR maybe they got two of. It’s always best practice to get a gift receipt with your purchase and know for yourself what the return policy is so that you know they can take it back if they need to!

I hope everyone has a stress free shopping experience this year, and you get everything on your list! Merry Christmas!

Kitchen garbage disposals are wonderful things, it allows you to scrape and clean dishes all at once in the same place and doesn’t stink up your garbage bags as quickly. Most garbage disposals are self-cleaning but it is good every once and a while to physically clean them yourself to prevent unwanted odor and bacteria build up. Here are a few easy steps to follow in maintaining your garbage disposal;

If you can physically see any large object in the disposal you should remove them right away. Always make sure before sticking anything down your disposal that it’s turned off. You can use your hands to grab large objects or household tongs, a fork or anything that will work for you to remove it safely. You may want someone to hold a flashlight for you so you can see properly, also try and avoid damaging the grinder.

Next fill your sink about 2-4 inches of hot soapy water, then proceed to pull the plug turning on your garbage disposal. This method will work better to get rid of grime and bacteria rather than just simply turning on tap and letting it run.

There may be some tougher debris and grime still stuck on the grinding elements, for this problem pour about 2 cups of ice down your disposal followed by 1 cup of rock salt. Then turn on cold water and your disposal and let the blades crush down the salt and ice. This is also a good way to maintain the sharpness of your blades as well.

You can also go and buy a scrub brush designed especially for disposals and manually clean it out. This should come with directions on how to do this simply just follow.

Here are a few simple tricks for maintain the smell that can occur with garbage disposals;

Save or peel any type of citrus fruit, lemons, oranges, limes etc. Stuff these peels down your disposal and turn it on this will leave your disposal and kitchen smelling super fresh.

Another easy method is to use baking soda and vinegar. Pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain and then pour 1 cup vinegar down. This will create a fizzle loosing up any bacteria that may be causing unwanted odors. Let this stand for about 15 minutes then pour boiling hot water down the drain, be sure that you turn your disposal on before you pour the water down.

One other easy odor eliminating agent is simply bleach. Bleach kills any bacteria and freshens things up quickly. You also don’t want to use too much bleach as it can harden up grease and make it that much harder to remove. Only use 1 tablespoon of bleach but first dilute it in 1 gallon of water. Slowly pour this solution down your drain, let sit for 5-10 minutes then turn your disposal on and flush away with hot water, let this run for a good 10 minutes washing away any bleach that may be left behind.

Hope this helps everyone! 

It is very important to keep this kitchen appliance clean on a regular basis. Range hoods are significant to your home for many reasons, here are just a few: it keeps your air clean and filtered removing any potential toxic pollutants or gasses. When you cook there is usually smoke or grease which can be quite negative toward your health. On that note it also helps reduce any mold or bacteria that can arise from cooking. It also helps to remove any excess heat from your kitchen when cooking, this can be from heat from your stove or steam from the meal that you are preparing. A lot of the times just your regular lighting isn’t always the best in your kitchen, range hoods also offer the benefit of extra lighting directly over top of your cook space which is great for reading recipes or keeping a better eye on whatever it is you may be preparing. Lots of people in the real estate market also find this feature quite attractive to the home, so it could potentially increase the value. If you don’t have a range hood you should talk to your realtor about that value it may have whether it’s negative or positive.

Here is how to properly clean your range hood:

The best way to maintain the cleanliness is to give it just a quick wipe down every day. Just wet a cloth with warm soapy water and wipe down the exterior. The filter on the other hand should only need a monthly check up. When cleaning your filter take it out of the range hood completely and fill your sink with HOT soapy water and let it soak, for best results I would say at minimum half an hour. Then using your spray attachment (if you have one) spray in down in one direction to remove any grit and soap. If you do not have a spray attachment then use a swished up and down method in your sink, be sure to put on gloves so you don’t burn your hands in the hot water. Then let air dry until completely dry. For the inside of the range hood this can get pretty caked on with grease and grime, I would recommend a degreaser product let sit for how ever log the directions tell you then wipe off with a cloth.

I hope this helps as it is important to keep this part of your kitchen clean and free from any bacteria or greases. Happy cleaning everyone and make those hoods shine!

There is always the why question when it comes to your windows sweating. Everyday daily activities such as showering, cooking and believe it or not even breathing all add moisture to the air. When air warms it expands allowing it to hold more moisture. It then contracts as it cools reaching its saturation point then releases its excess water in the form of condensation. The warm humid air then comes in contact with cold window glass it cools and condenses. So to help out with this problem (that most of us have) here are just a few suggestions that could help.

-Lower your thermostat to 66°-68° F

-Vent gas fireplaces, or limit their use, and don’t use older unvented gas space heaters

-Be sure to seal up any cracked windows

-Make sure that your clothes dryer is vented properly to the outside

-If the problem is really bad you should consider installing a dehumidifier

I hope these simple steps can reduce the window sweat in your home, it’s never fun or visually attractive to look out a window and see nothing but water drops and condensation so I hope this can help fix that problem for you! Especially if you have a really nice view!

 No one wants a stinky grubby dishwasher, especially since that’s where you clean your eating utensils. Reality is that over time your dishwashers accumulate mold and mildew which can also cause a pretty horrid smell. If you follow these simple steps this will help with those issues.

Cleaning the drain filter – the drain filter will be the biggest reason for any kind of strange smells coming from your dishwasher. Food particles clog this up over time and because it’s a warm moist area it can quickly become disgusting. There will most likely be a cylinder detachable filter where all the water drains through. Remove the bottom rack of your dishwasher to access this and twist to remove. Wash this out with soap and hot water you may want to use a bottle brush to remove the smaller particles that you can’t get to with a rag.

Wash the interior of the door and walls – grime can easily build up here so you will want to scrub this out entirely.

Remove your dishwasher racks as this will make it more difficult for you to clean when trying to reach the inside of your dishwasher to clean properly.  Use a rag or scrub brush to clean this as grime can become very hard to get off over time or the longer you leave it on. If it is too difficult to wash with just hot water and soap then try using some household cleaners.

Wash the door gasket – the seals of your dishwasher can also accumulate grit and grime so it is essential to wash this out as well again using hot water and soap or any household kitchen cleaning products.

Dishwasher racks – this is mostly likely the least of the problem when it comes to a smelly dishwasher, but it is always good to rule out anything when it comes to cleaning.

These are just a few simple steps to keep your dishwasher clean and smelling fresh! There are tons of different ways out there that you can do this but this way I find is more effective and efficient.

It’s that time of year for all you hockey parents out there, and let’s face it hockey equipment is defiantly not cheap whether you buy brand new or even used! It’s important to clean your kids gear properly and often so that you don’t have to keep buying replacement gear. Here are just a few simple way and ideas for helping you keep your kids protective gear looking and smelling like new!

The first thing that you should always try and remember to do is straight after playing or using your equipment air it out! If you have a basement or covered porch/deck/patio then lay everything out separately preferably somewhere with good air circulation. Take out the liners of your skates as well so they can get some air! Do not forget to dry off/wipe the blade of your skates and skate holders after every use to prevent rust, also on regular basis spray your skates with a disinfectant to kill all the bacteria. To disinfect your helmet, wet a small towel and apply a little amount of soap or shampoo to it. Wipe down the helmet, face cage and chin cup. Once you have applied the soap to the helmet wipe off with a different wet towel.

Follow these simple steps to wash your gear, it’s best to wash your gear completely at least once every week. Also be sure to give your equipment enough time to dry.

Step 1: Fill a bathtub or large sink (large enough to fit all of your equipment) about 1/3 of the way with hot water. You will be putting your hands in the water so make sure it is not too hot to touch.

Step 2: Add about ¼ cup of laundry detergent to the tub as it is filling making sure that the detergent spreads and mixes into the water.

Step 3: Put all of the hockey gear accept the helmet and the skates into the water. Be sure to dunk the gear so all of it is exposed to the detergent/water mixture. Let the gear soak for 30 to 45 minutes.

Step 4: Drain the tub or sink and clean out all of the soap. Rinse all of the equipment with clean, hot water to get all of the soapy residue off of your gear.

Step 5: Wring out any excess water and hang up all equipment to dry. Be sure to hang the gear in an area with good air ventilation so that it can dry in a reasonable amount of time.

Step 6: Spray and wipe down the empty hockey bag with a disinfectant spray. Make sure the bag and equipment are completely dry before re-packing your bag.

I hope these simple steps will save on costs for equipment purchases (unless necessary) and overall just keeps your child feeling clean when stepping onto the ice! Happy Hockey Season Everyone! 

 People are always wanting their home to stand out from their neighbours or friends, but a lot of the time it can cost an awful lot to design your home. Here are just of few things that can make your home look on the cheaper side!

Furniture Sets. You may think that going to a big boxed store and purchasing a complete matching bedroom suite would enhance the look of your room, this isn’t always that case! A lot of the time these sets don’t fit into your space unless your room is a complete square, and to be honest the quality lacks from big boxed stores who sell in mass production and often you suffer from massive mark ups. Matching isn’t always better, try something new like 1 round end table and 1 rectangle end table, two different style of lamps, experiment with different types of fabrics the possibilities are endless when trying new and improved interior designs for your home.

Overdone Themes. To be honest unless it is a kid’s room you are decorating themes should probably stay out of the home. This can look very tacky and very cheap. Instead pick a style or figure out your style and decorate according to that. For example choose what color you would like to decorate around. Pick out some accents that would match/offset that particular color you picked out. Get some simple not drastic overdone art work for the walls, with colors that match the color theme for that room! Try not to put too many small art pieces on the walls as this can sometimes look a little cluttered, I personally like bigger pictures and I usually focus on 1 wall and only put 1 larger picture on it. For me it just looks a lot cleaner and sophisticated.

Cheesy Décor. Unfortunately there are so many décor pieces out there that should probably stay in our grandmother’s attics. For example things like owl clocks, bunny figurines, sail boat curtain rods, flower emblems/symbols or decals or any kind basically anything that is way over the top and on the tacky side. Try to stay on the elegant side of things and keep your home looking fresh, with simple things like solid colored vases, 1 to 2 colored area rugs and simple non patterned throw pillows. Things like these are on the inexpensive side to purchase and easily can turn your dull, tacky home décor into something that looks chic and refined!

These examples are just a few that can give you a head start on changing things up in your home and make things look a little more modernized. If you are looking for a few ideas on home décor on a budget visit our web page at www.winnipeghomeconnection.com and click blogs at the bottom of the page, here you will find a few things I have written to help home owners/renters decorate your home in ways that won’t break the bank but still look fabulous!