Keeping our living spaces clean is one of life’s fundamental frustrations. Perhaps that is why there is such an enormous amount of information available to help us with our housekeeping woes.  These ten basics are a foundation upon which you can build.

Clean From Top to Bottom

This applies to every facet of housecleaning. Start on the highest floor and work your way down.

The first thing you should look at when stepping into a room is the ceiling. When dusting, start at the ceiling (cobwebs), work your way down the walls, tops of picture frames, doorways, mirrors, wall lamps, mantles, etc. This way you do not get dust on items you have already cleaned. This rule also applies to the windows and mirrors in your house. Clean the baseboards last.

Clean From Back to Front

If you are vacuuming, start in the corner farthest from the door. Back up towards the door as you vacuum. This technique allows you leave the room without footprints and the newly vacuumed carpet looks pristine.

In the kitchen, start with the outside of the cabinets, moving to the back of the stove and counters throughout the kitchen, then the drawer exteriors.

Carry Your Cleaning Supplies

Organize your cleaning supplies and carry them with you, thus eliminating unnecessary trips back and forth throughout the house. Putting your supplies in a caddy or bucket will save yourself time. In order to keep your tote from getting too heavy to carry around, keep room specific items where they belong. For instance, keep toilet bowl cleaners in the bathroom and have a separate toilet bowl brush for each bathroom. This is a sanitary approach to bathroom cleaning.

Dust First, Vacuum Last

Dust first, again, moving from top to bottom. The dust will fall to the floor so you can vacuum it away.

Make Each Move Count

Clean in one direction only, either from left to the right, or right to the left, always from back to front. Be efficient and clean each thing you come to, moving on to the next.

Wipe It Dry

This applies to the bathrooms, kitchen, and floors. Windows, mirrors, and framed pictures need to be dried to prevent streaking. Always dry metal and wood surfaces to eliminate water spots.

Use Portable House Cleaning Tools

To clean small spills up quickly, use a small whisk broom and canister vacuum (like a dustbuster). A canister vacuum is an excellent tool for cleaning up pet hair and all those little things that accumulate at the end of the day.

Clean Your House as a Team

There are times when help is needed. If you have them, get the children involved. Get your husband involved. You can even ask a friend for some help.

Turn Up the Volume

If you get distracted easily, turn on some music and turn up the volume, you will find it easier to concentrate on the tasks at hand and to finish the job quickly.

Know Your Cleaning Products and Surfaces

Many commonly used cleaning products can be harmful to you and/or the cleaning surfaces if used incorrectly or mixed with other products. For example, never use vinegar on marble or stone floors as the acid will etch and dissolve the surface and remove the shine.

Read all product labels and instructions prior to use. Cleaning products have instructions and warnings clearly labeled on the back. For your health’s sake, read the warnings and instructions carefully, especially if it is a new product you are using.

The surfaces have been cleaned. Next to tackle will be the insides. More to come!

I remember when my mother begged me to go to sleep. “You need your 8 hours,” she’d exclaim, as I, a little boy, would fight.

What I didn’t realize at the time is that sleep is hugely important for a person’s functioning, especially an athlete. Just in case you are like I was and need some cajoling, here are a few reasons why sleep is one of the most important parts of an athlete’s life:

1. Sleep speeds up the recovery process

Studies have shown that lack of sleep can increase the bodies stress hormone and decrease the human growth hormone (HGH). Your anterior pituitary gland naturally releases HGH and is closely involved with the rebuilding of broken down muscle tissue due to training.

Without a good amount of sleep each night, your body will recover slower, limiting your growth in the weight room and on the field. Whether you are training for the high bar or looking to improve vertical jump, sleep is paramount.

2. Sleep replenishes glycogen

Glucose and glycogen are the body’s primary source of energy for most sports. Deprivation of sleep (less than 4-6 hours a night) can cause the body to replenish lost glycogen stores less efficiently.

The body’s inability to replenish these stores will result in a decrease in muscular efficiency and regeneration.

This substantial decrease in bodily performance can significantly increase the athletes’ chance for injury and decrease their potential gain.

So how much sleep should an athlete get?

The key here is consistency. It is very important, for both your safety and your success, to establish a schedule that allows you to receive 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day of the week.

I firmly believe that a mature athlete that is committed to his/her safety and success will strive to get 8-10 hours of sleep per night.

Benefits of adequate amounts of sleep

• Improved mood during training and competitions
• Better muscle quality and health
• Increased muscle efficiency
• Improved reaction time and sustained attention
• Increased cardiovascular performance
• Decreased chance of injuries

Cabinet refacing companies are out there to transform your old cabinetry into a stunning, brand new look. A cabinet refacing system completely renews and beautifies old, ugly cabinets. This new look goes beyond just repainting or refinishing the doors, but completely refaces all of your surfaces in your kitchen. You will have a full range of products and available options to pick from to determine what best suits your needs and desires, as well as your budget.

There are many combinations of solid woods, beautiful finishes, and attractive door styles to choose from to complement your home, lifestyle, and taste. With the ability to reconfigure or add kitchen cabinets, as well as incorporate modern accessories and features, the design possibilities are endless. Your new “dream kitchen” will only take a few days, and at a fraction of the cost of a custom kitchen remodel. You will have a beautiful kitchen in less than a week.

Cabinets can be altered to make them more functional.

â– Reconfiguring cabinets to make room for a larger refrigerator.
â– Add a microwave above the range.
â– Add new pantries, wall, or base cabinets.
â– Install your preferred upgrades, such as roll-out trays, lazy susans, trash bins, wine racks, or many other available options.
â– Adjust the countertop height, which may be needed in kitchens where new floors have been installed.
Other upgrades available include new countertops, sinks, faucets, backsplashes, wall tile, or appliances.

There are also cove or crown moldings, door or window casings, new sills, wainscoting or baseboard options as well at your choosing. Make sure the company you select cleans up, as things can get a little messy.

The company doing the work will remove all old cabinet doors and drawer fronts, existing moldings, and countertops. When the kitchen refacing process begins, all exposed face frames will be covered with a solid hardwood in your choice of wood and finish. The sides and bottoms are usually also covered to give you the look of high-end furniture. Make sure all the wood that is used is prefinished so there is no worry of peeling of veneers or delaminating, as in other cabinet refacing systems.

Ziessler will oversee the worldwide operations of Guardian’s building products business including manufacturing, marketing, distribution and product development. He brings to Guardian a breadth of experience from domestic and international companies including Clearwater Paper, Cellu Tissue and Kimberly-Clark.

He has an established track record in previous assignments including international business, sales, marketing, strategic planning, financial and operations experience.

“Steve demonstrates a unique understanding of what Guardian is all about,” said Guardian Chairman Peter Walters. “His skill set, experience and demonstrated ability to develop and manage profitable businesses in a changing world are impressive and core to our culture. We look forward to Steve’s focus and energy on behalf of Guardian.”

Under Faulkner’s leadership, the Greenville, S.C.-based GBP enjoyed dramatic growth in the building materials industry, building the business to its current industry prominence through strategic and timely decision-making and execution. He leaves a legacy that strongly positions Guardian Building Products for future growth and opportunity. Faulkner will work closely with Ziessler in a senior advisory role during a transitional period.

“Steve Ziessler is a professional who will build on what GBP has established and take us to the next level,” said Faulkner. “He is a high energy, high performance person who is right for the times. Employees and customers alike will see that he brings a breadth of skills and experience to the table – while knowing how to speak the language of ‘building products,’ as well.”

Ziessler holds a degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University.

Guardian Building Products is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian Industries Corp. based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Standard & Poor’s continues to rank Guardian as the Number 1 company in the U.S. Building Materials Sector as shown in their latest ratings and outlook report published January 19, 2011. Visit www.guardianbp.com.

Guardian Industries Corp. is a diversified global manufacturing company with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive applications. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Its automotive trim group, SRG Global Inc., is one of the world’s largest suppliers of advanced, high value coatings on plastics. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 18,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Visit www.guardian.com.

Contact:
Earnest Thompson
ethompson@guardian.com
248.340.2176

So you have met the woman you want to marry, and you plan to take her out to dinner to propose!  Surely you are going to take her to a 5 star restaurant, that is if you want her to say yes. Shouldn’t where your money is be just as important?  Knowing the star-rating of any banks or credit unions at which you have deposits is the simplest and most reliable way to decide where you place your money. Do your due diligence before choosing a bank or credit union.

If all banks are FDIC (insured by the government), wouldn’t your money be safe in any one of them? There are significant advantages to knowing where your bank stands even if they are federally insured. Whether it be a personal or business checking account, knowing the viability of your bank is important. If your bank fails, it is possible for you to experience many unwanted issues, such as the return of any outstanding checks you may have which could have a domino effect on every area of your life, especially your relationship to those who trust that your check will be honored.

As far as the results are concerned, the most popular five-star rating system is readily understandable:

When it comes to your money, all decisions have great significance and are essential to your peace of mind. You will often find a higher star rating in a small business bank rather than large bank where you get lost as a customer. Star ratings rely on data reported to federal regulators and are based on asset size, net worth, tangible capital ratio, risked-based capitol ratio, and year-to-date net income, to name a few. Understanding the method used to ascertain these determinations on your financial institution can be daunting.  But have hope, there are independent institutions out there which are uniquely qualified to supply you with the information you need to make a well-informed choice.

The same can be said about marine batteries, especially in the summer heat!

For marine batteries, summer heat is killer. Whether you’re talking about sun stroke, heat exhaustion or your car’s performance, the heat can “dehydrate” your battery, starter, and alternator.

Heat is the primary cause of flooded lead acid battery failure. Similar to one’s body, the high summer temperatures cause the water in the battery’s electrolyte to evaporate, causing rapid corrosion to the positive plate grids.

In addition, since marine batteries are primarily used in the summer months, this bit of information could prove valuable to you: give your marine batteries plenty to drink. Here’s how:

• Wear gloves and eye protection.
• Remove the cap.
• Check the water level in your battery. If you can you see the lead plates inside your battery, the water is low.
• Check the electrolytes in the battery with a hydrometer, if you have one.
• Add distilled water to the car battery to approximately ¼” over the top of the plates.
• Put the cap back on.
• Make sure your cables and connections are snug, but not tight.

If you enjoy starting your jet ski or boat with ease, please make sure your marine battery has enough to drink. If not, it will become dehydrated and it won’t be pretty… or cheap!