BEST HOME N GARDEN Clean Mold From Outside Walls

You just painted your home a few years ago, but you noticed that icky, greenish-gray mold on the outside walls again. Are there a lot of oak trees in your neighborhood? Oak trees tend to give off pollen that sticks to things, which in turn creates a mold.

To complete this project, you will need a step ladder (preferably an A-frame ladder), a 5-gallon bucket, a soft bristle brush (like the type used to wash cars) with a long handle, bleach and water.

Mix the bleach and water in a 1-part bleach to 2-parts water solution in the bucket. Dip the brush, then starting at the top of the wall and working your way to the bottom, rub the bleach mixture onto the wall. If you have dark paint on the walls, you might want to do a test spot, first, to be sure the bleach solution does not damage the paint color. Let the mixture set on the wall for at least a minute so it can do its work.

Using the brush dipped in the bleach solution, start scrubbing the wall. Start at the top. You should not have to scrub hard - and you should start seeing the mold loosen up. Rub down the entire wall, then spray off with a hose. Repeat the process with stubborn areas of the wall.

Every spring, using a sprayer, spray the walls with a bleach solution, then rinse. This should help to keep the mold to a minimum.

Learn proper care and maintenance tips for growing herbs in your organic herb garden, in this video.

Recomended - Bathroom

Believe it or not, your bathroom says a lot about you. It's no secret that people will "judge you" by your home, and it's nothing personal... but your home does speak a lot about you and the impression your bathroom makes on a guest is much deeper than the impression left by your kitchen or living room.

First of all, your bathroom is the second most private room in your home. (The first being your bedroom, which a guest is unlikely to visit.) This means that even the best housekeeper may neglect his or her bathroom, because the upkeep doesn't seem as "important."

You couldn't be more wrong! As private as a bathroom is, it is also a room that your guest is likely to be in, and to look around in. Don't worry, a good guest won't be snooping for decorative soaps to steal, but they will absorb the feel of your bathroom while they are in there.

Some basic tips for the upkeep of your bathroom:

(1) Keep it clean! You should not just 'pick up' your bathroom, it should be scrubbed and shining every day. For some bathrooms you must do your cleaning daily, for other bathrooms this can be done only once a week. Stains in your bathtub or in your toilet are as gruesome as egg on your shirt, and they can get uglier the worse they are. The same goes for hair or toothpaste on your sink.

(2) Keep your bathroom 'user friendly.' Believe it or not, but it is actually good hosting to keep magazines, crossword puzzles, or other forms of 'reading material' nearby in your bathroom. Perhaps not stacked on the back of the toilet, but a cute little magazine rack next to the toilet for storing reading material is always a friendly gesture even if it is not necessary. Another useful activity are the handheld electronic games, such as poker or sudoku. (Hint, keep the volume turned off on electronic games so a guest won't feel embarrassed about playing with it if needed.)

(3) Keep a nice 'mood' in your bathroom. There are several elements that contribute to the 'feel' of a room, as often followed in higher traffic areas such as a kitchen or living room. For example, the lighting in your bathroom should have several settings: one bright for personal use (showering) and another softer ambience for regular use. Lights should not be too dim, but certainly not too bright either. A bathroom can easily look 'tacky' if you stick with a "theme" (seahorses or lighthouses, for example.) A classy bathroom uses contrasting or complementary color themes for a more relaxing feel. Candles can be used for decorating a bathroom, in place of mini soaps.

The important thing to remember is that a bathroom should not be neglected as an important room in your home, because in several ways your bathroom can be one of the most important rooms in your home.

The Value of Small Town Gardens

Small town gardens; what does that phrase invoke in your mind? If you're thinking English cottage garden, you're correct. If the phrase "small town gardens" brings to mind wildflowers, you're right again. Maybe you're remembering your grandparents' vegetable garden, much like the victory gardens of the early 20th Century--and again, you'd be correct. There is no one type or style of garden that typifies what inhabitants of small towns may have; the gardens found in small towns are as varied as the people who live in these areas.

One thing a person can be sure of, whether the garden be planted in a small town or in the city, and that is that the investment of time and money in this home improvement project will be rewarded with beauty and/or sustenance--or both.

There are few things that improve the curb appeal of a home more than well-tended and well-placed plants, whether they be shrubs, flowers, bushes, or even ornamental vegetables. This curb appeal is not only desirable to the person looking to sell their home, but also to those who intend to remain where they are. Coming home to some brightly blooming plants, or healthy bushes gives those who live in a home a positive feeling.

Gardens may be grown in window boxes, containers, rows, around trees, or in any configuration the planter desires. For the first-time gardener, solid information about soil treatment, plants, fertilization and the like may be obtained from a local nursery or a local college's agricultural extension.

Furniture - Second Hand

With the current economic 'situation', everybody is looking for ways to save money but in reality, we don't really need an external reason to cut back on spending. Even though this is a consumer nation, it is also a nation of financial choices and freedom. For example, buying furniture does not have to be a burden we can't afford.

Living within our means and restricting our budgets is something we should do even if our means allow us to purchase brand new furniture. Why? Because the less you spend on furniture, the more money you save... to save. There are millions of reasons why saving money is a good thing, but there are even more reasons beyond saving money why buying second hand furniture is a smart decision.

(1) Second hand furniture has "life" to it. In some cases, this isn't always a good thing. There's a big difference between a second hand couch that has been "broken in" for comfort, and a second hand couch that has been worn out. Selecting second hand furniture in it's midlife ensures many comfortable years of TV viewing and cuddling or reading, but selecting "close to retirement" furniture is only a temporary fix. Soon you will need new furniture again.

(2) Second hand furniture gives more options for any budget. Those with ridiculous incomes have the freedom to choose anything they want. Those with real incomes have the freedom to choose from what's available. In a furniture store that sells only new furniture, even an upper middle class income may find their options limited. However, a second hand furniture store will carry a larger selection, a larger variety, and (again) leave you spending less than you would if you were to buy the exact same product, new.

(3) Buying second hand furniture is good for the environment. Seriously! Everybody is going green, or considering adopting pets before buying a new puppy. Buying second hand furniture is good for the same reason. One man's retired furniture should not sit in a dump if it can be used in another man's home.

The Catch to Buying Second Hand Furniture

It is very important to consider the history of second hand furniture before you bring it into your home. The best place to find and buy second hand furniture is out of the classified section of your local newspaper. Not only will the second hand furniture sold directly cost less than if bought in a second hand furniture store, but it will also give you the opportunity to see and know where your new couch or chair has been and how well it has been maintained.