Cleaning too much, or with strong chemicals could definitely create its own wear and tear.

Some of your belongings that may benefit the most from careful upkeep include clothing, microwaves, refrigerators and carpet.

Clothing

• Wash items according to the label’s directions, and don’t underestimate the power of hand-washing those delicates.
• Use bleach as little as possible. It can eat away at fabric, making the threads thinner and more subject to damage.
•  Less detergent is more, even if you think an article of clothing is particularly dirty. It may help to soak prior to washing, or add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
•  Treat stains immediately, before they have time to set. Check out this stain removal guide that covers everything from butter to grease.
• Reduce the time your clothes spend in the dryer. Try line-drying them until almost complete, then toss in the dryer a few minutes to soften.

Microwaves

• Using your microwave with leftover food inside causes that food to keep cooking into its surface, making it more difficult to remove. Wipe any spills immediately. For that caked-on, crusty mess, heat a bowl of vinegar for a couple minutes in the microwave. This helps to soften the gunk while freshening it. Lemon juice and water works as well.

Refrigerators

• It should go without saying that the inside of your refrigerator should definitely be cleared and wiped down occasionally, even if it doesn’t look dirty. Germs and grime aren’t visible to the naked eye, and certain spilled items always aren’t either, such as white milk or the white of an egg.
• Clean coils can keep your fridge cooling efficiently. When pet hair, dust and other debris gets sucked up under your fridge by its fan, the motor has to work harder, creating unnecessary wear and tear. Your coils may be on the back of your refrigerator or the bottom, depending on its age. Disconnect from electricity before attempting! Step-by-step instructions here
• Also be sure to clean the fridge’s door seal, then rub petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the seal to prevent it from becoming brittle.

Carpet

• Following a pattern involving these 4 types of cleaning will keep your carpet in its best shape: vacuuming, spot cleaning, interim cleaning and restorative cleaning. The Housekeeping Channel Website has a great guide here that details the steps for each type of cleaning, along with how frequently each should be completed.

Some of our Minimum Cleaning Standards…

• Keep windows and storm doors clean, inside and outside; interior cleaning at least once a month, exterior cleaning every six months.
• Wash between windows and screens quarterly.
• Wash interior doors, doorways and walls in heavily traveled areas every 1- 2 months.
• Clean dust, dirt and debris from the upper and lower sliding glass door tracks monthly.
• Clean stove, drip pans, under drip pans, oven racks and drawer, broiler pan, hood, filter and vent biweekly.
• Mop and wax vinyl floors biweekly.
• Dust baseboards, windows sills, window grids, tops of windows, ceiling fans, doors, ceilings and corners of the room monthly.
• Clean AC/Heat air return grate and change filter each month. (TIP: When you pay your light bill, change your filter)
• Clean and sweep out fireplace. Clean fireplace grate, screen and glass
• Replace burned-out light bulbs as needed, clean lighting fixtures as needed.
• Curtains and blinds, if provided, should be cleaned or washed semiannually.
• Bathrooms should be cleaned weekly. This includes toilet bowls and base, sink, mirror, floor, bathtub and shower (including walls). Wipe out medicine cabinet, drawers and cabinets.
• Caulk tub as necessary.
• Sweep out garage as needed.

A few tips: If there is a cleaning task you particularly dread, try doing it first to get it out of the way. Also, reward yourself after you give your home a good scrubbing.

For less abrasive yet effective cleaners, check out the following:

Baking soda uses around the home

Cleaning with Vinegar

Lemon Freshness

Issue: Little space

Solutions:

1) Only bring in furniture that can serve double duty: a side table that can be a desk, work station, or dining area; an ottoman handy for propping feet, storing blankets or holding a tray of snacks; a room divider that provides privacy and displays photos or artwork.

2) Use storage pieces that are the same color or coordinate well. For example, 4 identical baskets look neater than a few plastic and cardboard boxes.

3) Eliminate magazines, books and other items that necessitate more furniture. Keep some of your favorites, and then donate the rest. So much information is accessible online and via e-readers. Save your space for living.

Issue: Rental Home Seems Dull

Solutions:

Wall paint isn’t the only place where color can live in a room. Consider the following suggestions.

1) Use your favorite painting or scene to find 2-3 colors you like. Bring them into your space through pillows, lamps and throws.

2) Think of creative places you can use fabric and drapes for dramatic effect, like framing a doorway or in the corner of a room.

3) Put more thought into your wall art. You may have several photographs that you can enlarge through a site such as shutterfly.com. Consider vacation scenery, closeups of your family members, pets, etc.

Do you have a favorite decorating tip that helps you make a space your own? Let us know!

Helpful Links

Apartment Therapy

The Borrowed Abode: Adventures in Decorating a Rented Home

Designs for Rent

This quarterly analysis, compiled by HomeVestors of America, Inc. and Local Market Monitor, serves as one of the few researched and reliable indicators of future rental home performance and success. For this report, 100 U.S. markets are ranked according to expected returns on single family homes which are being maintained as rentals. Such reports can help investors learn appropriate purchase prices of potential rental properties.

Of course, the reason that single family homes are lower priced is because of the obvious factors almost everyone knows about– mainly fewer jobs, too many homes built too fast and an overall poor economy. However, Florida remains a great spot for rental property income due to several pros that outweigh the cons. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, our population growth rate has continued to stay above most other state averages. And while our state’s economy has certainly been affected by inflation, our living costs are generally among the lower end, considering our population size. In addition, housing prices are either bottoming out, or will be very soon, making now one of the best times in decades to buy. Our great weather combined with fabulous destinations doesn’t hurt!

If you are thinking about purchasing a home to use as an investment property, a real estate professional at International Golf Realty can assist you each step of the way: finding a property to purchase, placing a tenant after the sale is complete, and managing all the ongoing (and often burdensome) issues surrounding a rental home. It’s not a process you want to attempt without the help and expertise of our team members.