We like to think here at Turtle Mat that we help just a little bit to make mums lives easier; keeping floors and homes cleaner for longer with the dirt-trapping power of a Turtle Mat. Don’t just take our word for it though; the Family Panel (review guide)     thought so too…

http://familypanelreviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/turtle-mat.html

It’s great to receive such positive feedback (stop – you’re making us blush!) and it got us thinking about the secrets our mum’s have shared with us to make housework a breeze.

So we thought we’d spend the week (through tweets #cleaning and Facebook posts) sharing with you the hints and tips that make the boring job of cleaning that little bit more bearable. So to get the ball rolling:

Vinegar is a great household cleaner (good on chips too!)…

* Use white wine vinegar to clean floor tile grouting (two tablespoons of vinegar into a large mug of warm water)

* Cider vinegar (approx 100ml) with about 4 litres of warm water is great for cleaning wood floors – just make sure the mop is well wrung out and not too wet

* Vinegar into the warm water you use to clean glass (1 litre water and 250ml vinegar) makes your windows sparkle, dry-off excess with newspaper

Hope they help and if you have any tips you’d like to share don’t forget to comment, we’d love to hear from you.

Refinishing hardwood floors in a home can be a dusty and tedious job, but the results are well worth it. And if you’re going to do it yourself, there some things that you should know before you start the process.

Proper equipment to be used during the process is very important for safety and of course, stunning results. Renting a sander for a couple of days from the local home improvement store should be the first step. Make sure to also invest in some good sturdy gloves and a dust mask for your face because as stated before, this type of home improvement can get dirty and dusty.

During the process, make sure to close all doors leading to other rooms. This will cut down on the dust getting into the rest of the house. Do leave a window to the outside open, in order to get fresh air into the room. Depending on room size and previous stains or damage, sanding can take only one day or a couple of days.

Once the floors are sanded down to your liking, putting a new stain on them along with a coat of polyurethane or sealer should be done. There are many different types and colors of stains to choose from, so be sure to research which stain will work best for your home and lifestyle. Oil based stains are generally the most resilient, but water based stains are slightly easier to work with and tend to dry faster.

Hardwood floors are a beautiful asset to any home, and by properly refinishing them they can be enjoyed for years to come.

If you are interested in different type of floor covering please visit the Turtle Mat Door Mats range.