One of the easiest ways to remove old stains from a tub or sink is by using drywall sandpaper. This is typically black in color and will look like a fine mesh. While its normal use is to smooth out rough patches in drywall, it is also incredibly useful for tubs and sinks. Because the mesh is fine, you won’t be scratching your tub’s finish and it is incredibly effective at getting out those stains.

This will require a fair amount of elbow grease. Take a small square of drywall sandpaper and start scrubbing it in a circular motion on the stain. Take care not to involve water in this process. Keep scrubbing until you start to see some results. You may end up with some black residue on the stain but don’t panic. This is normal and is simply residue from the sandpaper. Once you think the stain has been completely removed, rinse the area. If it is still there, dry it thoroughly and start again.

For shampoo and soap stains that are stubborn, or just simple grime, there is a very easy solution. Take a grapefruit and cut it in half. Put some salt in a bowl that is large enough to fit the grapefruit in. Dip the fruit into the bowl, cut side down and then begin scrubbing the stain with it. It is best to wear gloves for this procedure.

The acid in the grapefruit interacts with the salt to create a very powerful compound that can blast through nearly any stain. This is a little known trick, but it is incredibly effective. Other citrus fruits, such as lemons, will also work, but none are as effective as a grapefruit.

Once all the stains are gone, it’s time to take a look at your handiwork and see if anything additional needs to be done. If the finish is dull, or no longer feels slick, you may need to repaint the tub. Go to the hardware store and look for tub and sink paint – making certain whether or not you are dealing with vitreous china or fiberglass. There are quite a few options available and you may even be able to get tinted paint that will allow you to change the color of your tub and sink.

Since your tub or sink will already be cleaned, simply make sure that it is completely dry and begin painting. Follow the instructions on the paint closely and make sure that you give the area plenty of time to dry. If necessary, make the bathroom off limits until the paint is done drying. Once it is, you should have a beautifully restored tub or sink.

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Originally posted 2008-10-20 05:11:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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1. Refreshing a kitchen.

If you don’t have the time or money to do a complete remodel on your kitchen, refreshing it can be just as good. Purchase some paint that is rated for use on metal and use it to completely paint your stove, built in oven or any other metal based appliances. This is a great way to turn an old, tired color scheme into something brand new for less than $20. You can also repaint your kitchen cabinets, or even add stencils to give them more visual interest. Adding a new light fixture is another little touch that can have a big impact on your kitchen.

2. Redo your bathroom floor.

Bathroom floors take a lot of abuse and it doesn’t take long before they end up looking a little dingy. If you have a carpeted bathroom, you may also be dealing with mold or mildew. You can easily add a new floor to your bathroom using either laminate wood flooring, or even peel and stick tiles. Since bathrooms are not typically very large, this is a project that you can usually accomplish for less than $100. If you do change to a hard floor after having carpet, don’t forget to put down some rugs to minimize the risk of slipping.

3. Refinish your front porch.

This is another high traffic area that gets a lot of abuse, but there are several inexpensive ways that you can give it a whole new look. Repair or replace any older wrought iron, and add a brand new mailbox to the front of your home. A new set of house numbers can also add a nice quick touch to the front of your home. You can power wash a concrete porch, or even get concrete paint to give it a whole new color. Bricks can also be cleaned or even painted to given them a quick refresh.

4. Change out your home’s electric outlets and switch faceplates.

This is a very easy fix that won’t cost a lot of money. If you don’t feel like replacing all of them, they can be painted and you can add designs with small stencils.

Take a look at your home and see what other small projects you can tackle. By continually making small changes to your home, over the long term you can end up with a house that has been completely redone – on your time and on your budget. This is the easiest way to remodel any home.

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Originally posted 2008-10-07 05:07:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Refinishing involves keeping your original cabinets and changing the finish, either through staining or painting. If your cabinets are any material other than wood, you can't refinish. Laminate cabinets, for instance, are a poor choice for cabinet remodeling. They won't hold paint and sanding or stripping will just destroy the surface. But if you have wooden cabinets that you want to change, refinishing is an option.

Refacing, on the other hand, involves leaving the cabinets in place but replacing drawer fronts and doors. This allows you to give your cabinets a new look and even a new style, no matter what materials they're made from. If replacing cabinet doors made from laminate, considering switching to wood to give yourself more durability and options in the future.

If you're kitchen cabinet remodeling and your cabinets are wood, you may wonder if either refinishing or refacing has any particular benefits. The choice between refinishing and refacing is chiefly personal. It depends on what you like, how much other kitchen remodeling you plan on doing, and how much you want to spend.

Refinishing is cheaper than refacing, because you're keeping all of your existing cabinetry. This option costs about 1/3 less than refacing. So if you're happy with your cabinets' look and the doors and drawer front are all in good shape, you can save money by refinishing. The cost is even less if you do the work yourself.

But bear in mind that stripping and refinishing the cabinets requires harsh chemicals and fumes, and it's work intensive. It's harder to get good results by refinishing when cabinet remodeling than if you were refacing, whether you finish them with stain or paint. You'll also need to purchase special equipment, if you don't regularly strip varnish and stain wood. If you're in doubt, hire a professional.

Refacing is easier for a less-experienced DIYer to get right, but it presents special challenges. Still, it's the perfect option for someone who wants a completely new look for the kitchen cabinetry. Staining new cabinetry to match cabinets you just stained can be difficult. If you plan on an extensive remodel and addictions like a new center island or other cabinets, refacing is the better kitchen cabinet remodeling choice. You could even opt to reface with wood veneer that could be painted or stained.

Be sure, before you make a choice, that you've thought about the results. No matter how much you want to save money, you shouldn't waste money and time refinishing cabinet fronts that you dislike when you could spend just a little more to reface. Then you can be sure you'll still be happy with your cabinet remodeling results after the newness starts to wear off.

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Photo Credits: NancyHugoCKD.com

Originally posted 2009-09-16 12:19:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Identify the stain.

This may not be easy, but there are a few ways to determine whether or not a stain is organic (pet, food, drink) or chemical (ink, cleaning fluid, oil). Once you know what you’re dealing with, it is a lot easier to find the right cleaner to fix the issue. For pet stains, one of the easiest ways to identify them is to purchase a black light wand. You can find these in the pet stain removal department at most stores or online. Turn off the lights and use the wand. If you see a stain that glows, chances are it is a pet stain.

Other organic stains can be determined by color, residual smell and whether or not a small area of if responds to organic cleaners. A chemical stain will likely be dark, it may feel tacky to the touch and it will most likely not respond to traditional cleaning methods.

After you have determined the origin of the stain, it’s time to start spot cleaning.

We recommend tackling this area first, before you steam the carpets. Otherwise, you may be locking that stain in permanently. For organic stains, you may want to consider a type of enzymatic cleaner that will break down the elements, allowing you to easily wash the residue away. These may also work for chemical stains. Otherwise, for these stains, you may need to use a harsher chemical, such as paint remover or specific cleaners that are designed to reduce the appearance of these stains.

Once you have your spot treatment done, you can either steam the carpets on your own, or hire someone to do it. If you plan on steaming the carpet, make sure to have enough fans on hand and to do it when it will not be difficult to dry the carpets. Mildew can easily creep in if you are not careful and getting rid of that smell is not an easy task.

There are plenty of new carpet cleaning methods that professionals use that will dry within one hour. They may be a little more expensive, but generally, the results are better and you don’t have to wait days for your carpets to dry. Consider weighing the money you would save by doing it on your own, versus the inconvenience and potential for mildew before making your decision.

With a little TLC, you can restore old carpets and help them last a few years longer. For truly bad stains that have soaked through into the subfloor or completely penetrated the carpet, removal may be the only permanent solution.

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Originally posted 2008-10-14 05:52:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If the whole piece of cabinetry needs updating, you can always paint the cabinet. You'll want to thoroughly clean and sand the cabinet, then prime and paint with an oil-based paint to keep the wood protected from the moisture in the room. Painting the cabinet lets you choose any color you want. You can paint the cabinet frame one color and paint the cabinet doors one or two shades lighter or darker. Or you can paint them in contrasting colors to really draw the eye to your cabinet.

You can also cover your bathroom cabinetry in fabric. This is similar to wallpapering, but the fabric is much easier to remove and there's no potential damage to the wood from the wallpaper adhesive. You can use fabric if your cabinetry has molding or a frame around the edge; otherwise, this isn’t a good option. You simply cut the fabric to fit inside the framed area, soak in starch, and rub on.

If your cabinetry doesn't have a frame, you can nail on small molding strips cut to fit so that you can fill the framed area with fabric. This is a great solution if you change your mind a lot or anticipate making a change later, because you only have to soak the fabric in warm water to peel it away. Then you can paint the wood or apply a different type of fabric. You can easily mix and match, too. Paint the cabinet frame and cover the framed doors in a complimentary fabric, or vice versa. Use fabric and then paint the framing strips for a really updated look.

If the bathroom cabinetry doors hang a little crooked, don't close properly or are in just in general banged up, warped or worn, replacing the doors can give the cabinet a new look. Paint, add fabric and embellish however you like.

Another inexpensive way to update your bathroom cabinetry, whether or not you use paint or other improvements, is to change out the hardware. Knobs and drawer pulls are something that we use and look at every day, usually without paying much attention to them. But if you really look at your cabinet and then compare it to some that you see in a store or magazine you'll notice the difference. Most stylish furniture and cabinetry have hardware that's just as eye-catching as the rest.

Going from plain aluminum knobs to glass, brushed stainless steel, ceramic, or an interestingly shaped knob can give your bathroom cabinetry a brand new look with very little money.

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Photo Credits: drcorneilus

Originally posted 2009-09-15 12:14:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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