How to Clean a Rug in the Snow

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The snow is falling, a fire crackling in the fireplace, and that beautiful rug covering your tiled or hardwood flooring is now dirty. The perfect time to work on that rug and clean in the snow! If the fibers of your favorite rug aren’t vacuum-friendly, or the material is just too delicate to clean conventionally, take it outdoors this winter. This is a tutorial you’ll want to consider for your wool rugs, vintage rugs, and high pile rugs that require a little extra care when cleaning. You know the kind; the rug that hoards dust and crumbs into each crevice, or the one that sheds almost all of its fibers every time you torture it with a vacuum cleaner.

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How To Remove Black Mold

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Black mold can be an insidious problem for homeowners, potentially leading to a costly removal process and even a host of health problems. Kitchens and bathrooms can be affected the worst because of the moisture in those rooms. But by learning how to get rid of black mold safely and effectively, you can protect the health of your family and the value of your home, without breaking the bank.

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It’s the little things that save money and energy

light-bulb-2631864_1920It is never too late or too early to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. The first place to start is with your home and you will be surprised at what you can do to reduce those monthly bills. Here is a short list on the things you can start with to achieve your goals. Once you start seeing your monthly bills go down it will inspire you to look for more, deeper, and bigger ways to reduce those bills.

Change your filters. One of the things we don’t really think about is the filters in our central units. When you turn on your air conditioner, fan or heater you are filtering the air in your house through this filter in your central unit. When you don’t routinely change this filter you are causing your system to work harder, use more electric and pump all the “stuff” you don’t want back into the home. You can purchase filters that are reusable that can be removed washed and replaced. These filters cost a little more but will save you in the end since you will not have to continue purchasing more filters. These filters should be removed cleaned monthly.

Turn off and unplug. Did you know that some things you use daily like a computer, tv or monitor will still draw power even when it is shut off? This little drip of electric going to these items will add up over time. Turning them off is good but turning off the power strip or unplugging them is better. But turning off the units or even unplugging will extend the life of the unit and cutting off the trickle of electricity will help your bills in the long run.

Go tankless. Most homes have a 50 gallon hot water tank; one of the biggest ways to save energy is to switch that tank with a tankless water heater. A standard water heater will have a surge of electricity after every bath, load of laundry and sink of dishes you wash. Every time there is a drain in the tank it takes energy to heat the water to be ready to use. Periodically throughout the day it will also kick in to consistently heat the water to maintain the temperature needed to be ready for you to use. Another great alternative to a tankless water heater is a solar water heater. This consists of a 50 gallon tank connected to a solar panel that heats and maintains the temperature even at night! Also think about replacing that shower head with a shower head or shower systems that saves water.

Insulation is the name of the game. You can never have too much insulation but you can have too little. Let’s look at the biggest bandit of heating and cooling…windows and doors. Check your windows and doors to make sure the seals are tight with no leaking or cracking. Re-caulk, change the weather stripping and door sweeps as needed. If you have blown insulation, how old is it? Did you know that cellulose insulation has a typical lifespan of around 20 to 30 years? How old is your home? How old is your blown insulation? Is it still up to code? To get the best results your attic insulation should he at the least R13 but the best is R19. If you have single pane windows replace them with double pane to get the best results.

Plumbtile.com is an industry leader in supplying decorative bath, kitchen and plumbing supplies, accessories and hardware. We are renowned for our dedicated customer service and competitive pricing for premium products. We pride ourselves in our choice inventory and our dedication to giving our customers the best possible service and experience.

Designing the Non-Toxic Kitchen

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There is finally a truly healthful craze undercutting the American stereotype. All-natural, fully organic, free-range and GMO-free are the buzzwords across the cooking world, inspiring consumers to look deeper into the ingredients that enter their body. But what about the materials that enter their kitchen?For people without sensitivities, toxic-building materials can still have an effect over time, including respiratory and nervous system problems. Clients with asthma and allergy sensitivities may have mysterious issues in homes with toxics, while those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) will feel acutely ill in a toxic home immediately. Whatever the case, the solutions are becoming easier to find in an all-natural world.

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How to have your home be more Sustainable

envforum logoSustainability is a big buzzword these days, but what exactly does it mean? Sustainability means meeting your current needs without having a negative impact on the needs of future generations. It also requires you to make environmentally-conscious choices about the way you live. It’s not really plausible for most of us to have a completely sustainable home — one that uses only nature’s infinite resources with no affect on the environment around us. But fortunately, there are some measures you can take to make your home more sustainable.

Your choices as a consumer greatly affect the sustainability of your home. Using rechargeable batteries limits the waste of items that often can’t be recycled. Buying paper products made with recycled content continues the chain of sustainability. Better yet, lose the paper towels and use a washable cloth. Biodegradable trash bags and cups are made of corn that dissolves over time, adding one less type of plastic to our landfills. And energy/water saver appliances can all help contribute to a more sustainable way of living.

In this particular blog we are going to highlight a particular brand that we at Plumbtile are proud to provide; California Faucets takes water sustainability very seriously! Read more below.

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How To Do Good To Your Body With Zuma Tubs

 

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Stress builds up; you can’t avoid it. Luckily, there are companies that provide products that help relieve it. While some of the solutions out there are extra, superfluous things that you may not need day to day, the products here by Zuma are necessities of everyday life. The first two provide bath tubs that are enhanced with extra features like spa jets, air bubbles and ergonomics. Hastings provides a way to fill up these relaxing bathroom solutions. Continue reading →

Shopping for Glass Tile Flooring

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Do you love decorating and shopping all rolled into one? Well, you probably love to change the style of your home. So, if you are looking at different types of flooring one terrific option to consider is glass tiles.

Now, you maybe wondering, how do you go about choosing glass, tile flooring and for what room? How about starting with your bathroom?

Glass tiles are actually exploding in their market. Since, the interest in glass tiles has grown so, rapidly they are available in many decorating options, including tiles that even change color as the room’s temperature adjusts. Continue reading →

How to Install Metal Bathroom Backsplash

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If you already have started your eco-friendly kitchen with bamboo cabinets, cork flooring, and new lighting, etc…

Now, might be the time to think about changing your backsplash. Believe it or not, you can do it all by yourself.

There are pretty simple steps to follow. This is how you go about creating an eco-friendly metal backsplash: Continue reading →

How To Install Eco-Friendly Tile

 

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Tile is a popular choice for many purposes and applications and can add to the look you are trying to achieve, even in a small space. And even better news is that manufactures are reclaiming and recycling materials into eco-friendly tiles that are versatile and look great. Some eco-friendly tile require special considerations when installing. So let’s take a look at some of them. Continue reading →

How to Install a Shower

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Homeowners have a wide range of choices when it comes to shower stalls.  Some are pre-fabricated (already put together in a kit) or all the components can be purchased separately to create a custom designed shower.  Just check out our website at www.plumbtile.com.   One thing to keep in mind is that with pre-fabricated kits it may be difficult to get all the pieces through an existing door (they would work absolutely fine though in a new construction area).  Continue reading →