Easy Off Oven Cleaner to make your shower shine

My husband and I own a small rental property in Morrow, Georgia. The tenant moved out after having stiffed us for rent. Of course we had to repaint, put in new carpet, fix the bathroom floor (it had developed a crack) and then found out that the master shower walls were in need of repair.

That's okay though, we have good people to call to do the work that we can't do like installing carpet. We can paint, but don't like to, so we hired a painter. We've got a great handyman and he took care of redoing the tile floor in the hall bath and he is fixing the walls in the master shower.

I've pitched in with some cleaning. I don't know why I get stuck cleaning somebody else's filth! Seems like some people have no concept of how to clean the house! My husband ran the self cleaning oven. Normally there is a light film that you just wipe out, but when I opened the door after the cycle, I kid you not, there was two inches of ash! I don't know what he burned up in there! The shower doors in the master shower were just disgusting. I did those the hard way, Scrubbing Bubbles, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Dawn Power Scrub and A LOT of elbow grease.

The wall in the hall bath surround was positively BROWN. This is a 1970's era house and the tile is white and harvest gold speckled. With the new tile floor, it really doesn't look bad. But boy, was that tile dirty! Take a look at this picture below.

Thank God for my contractor, Mike Waldner, who mentioned the best way to get the wall clean was with Easy Off oven cleaner in the blue can which is lemon scented. I couldn't believe how easy the wall got cleaned. It saved me hours of scrubbing! All I had to do was spray it on and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Then I used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and gloves and warm water and just wiped it down.  I followed with scrubbing Bubbles, but probably really didn't need that. What a miracle! I wish I'd had that to clean the shower doors which took me hours to do.

Try it. It will save you lots of time. The tiles are ceramic and the oven is enamel. So, if its safe for the oven it's safe for the tile. You won't be disappointed.

Also Google it. There are many more testimonials about this method.

But, while my mind was wandering while I was cleaning, I wondered, do the companies that make these various cleaners also make the soaps that leave all this residue? Must research that.....

Qualifying for your home purchase

Everyone wants the same thing.  I am not going to reinvent the wheel.  Instead, I am going to direct  you to this article from a trusted lender.

Need a good lender - check out Premier Capital Mortgage and Joe Farro's team of experts.  This is a recent email Joe sent out to keep folks informed:

Shopping for a Low Interest Rate

Buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you will make, and even more likely a purchase that will require a loan. When dealing with a financial commitment such as this, understanding how to get the lowest possible interest rate could mean a difference of thousands of dollars. Home loans are a complicated business, so here are a few tips to help you shop for the lowest interest rate.

Qualifying for the Lowest Rates

Computer models fix a large percentage of the costs of a home loan with strict prequalification.  Loan officers are not able to give every client that walks in the door the same deal.  It is a good idea to be aware of your own credit score and equity, while also comparing rates in your local market, so you know what to expect.
For the best interest rates you'll likely need a credit score of at least 740 and have 20 percent equity. These figures are a general guide and are always changing.  However, if your score is considerably lower than this and you have low equity, be prepared for heavily increased rates compared to the best that are offered.

Be Prepared

The best thing you can do for yourself to make the loan process easier is to plan ahead and be prepared.  Be sure to gather all the necessary documents before you begin; to ensure timeliness and organization.  You should also prepare for the down payment by saving up monthly.  Depending on the lender and type of loan, you may be required to put anywhere from 2.25% to 20% of the purchase price down.  In addition, keep in mind the estimated closing costs, as many tend to forget to budget for these fees.  It’s never too late to start saving.
Another factor to consider is home insurance costs.  If insurance costs for your area are particularly low, it may free up some additional cash for loan repayments.  Tools like the home insurance calculator allow you to plug in all of your information to get an estimated cost for your home insurance.

Understand your Needs

Before going to speak to anyone about getting a home loan, be sure you are clear about what it is that you're looking for and what parameters you have set.  If for any reason they can't be met, be cautious of alternative offers that are suggested to you, as you may be persuaded down a different path.  

Looking Will Lead to the Right Rate

There’s no easy way around it if you want to find the lowest interest rates on a home loan.  You have to spend a long time looking, and you need a strategy.  It may not be something you're particularly interested in but if it saves you a large sum of money, it’s worth it.
You must compare similar policies; otherwise you're wasting your time, as a sensible comparison is almost impossible.  Consider the closing costs, interest rate, and lock period to ensure that they are comparable offers.

Move Quickly

As they say, time is money. Be sure to respond promptly to your lender if they require any additional information from you so you can keep the process moving.
If you've managed to find a great deal on your home loan, waiting around for ages while you try to better it or find the equity required to close the deal, is likely to end up costing you. Shopping around is certainly in your best interest. However with today’s market on the rise, rates are not likely to stay stagnant. So if you find a great rate that fits your needs don’t wait long to close it.
Also look into getting prequalified for a loan. This process is rather simple and can put you in a much better place to buy, as well as give you a great idea as to what you can expect to borrow.
Taking out a home loan is one of the biggest financial commitments you are likely ever going to make.  Make sure you put in the time to do your research and look around for the best possible deal.

Carpet Dents Be Gone! It really works!

Don't let carpet dents keep you from rearranging your furniture.  I had read about using ice cubes to take out carpet dents.  Guess what?  It really works.

I have a night stand that left a rather large indentation on the carpet.  The new night stand is much smaller.

So, I tried the icecube trick - first on a small spot - Success!

and then I did the whole thing!

Love it! All you have to do is lay the ice cubes on the dent, let them melt in, fluff up the carpet with y our hand and let it dry.  (I waited until it was dry before I put the piece back. Didn't want to take the risk of causing a stain on the damp carpet with the furniture leg.)

Taste of Henry



Last year, my husband and I attended The Taste of Henry.  We had a great time.  Proceeds from The Taste of Henry benefit A Friend's House, Henry County's emergency shelter for abused and neglected children.

Shelly was feeling shy so she grabbed
another patron for support and gave us
all a laugh - bubbly, happy personality
shows through in her products

We got to sample food from a lot of the smaller, local eateries including two of my favorites The French Market and Bliss Cupcakes.

Bliss is a great cupcake shop.  I bought cupcakes for a friend's birthday not too long ago and they had really unusual flavors, like key-lime and margarita.  They were beautiful, too; and yummmmyyy! 

The owner, Shelly, recently introduced soft-serve Gelato.  The chocolate was heavenly.  Be sure to check them out on the square in McDonough, 20 Macon Street, McDonough, GA 30253 (678) 272-6222.

Lauren serving the patrons, check out
the quaint decor.  If you think this
is pretty, you should see the restaurant.

I think the French Market had the longest line - I felt sorry for Lauren Noah-Fenster, the owner. We were there for a couple of hours and she didn't stop once.  She served everyone with a smile as she was dishing up po-boys, gumbo, cupcakes, bread pudding - it was all luscious.  Even her booth was pretty.

The French Market is coveniently located in a wonderful old building in Locust Grove, just minutes to the Tanger Outlet.  3840 Georgia 42 Locust Grove, GA 30248 (770) 914-9312 .

I've eaten their several times and it was excellent each time!

Support this great community event! Put it on your calendar for next Spring.

Make your House Store More

I live in what I consider to be a very nice home.  Just under 2400 square feet.  It's just me and my husband, so we don't use two of the 3 guest rooms.  One room is a home office/kid's hangout room/sewing room. (Ths will be featured in a future post). The other two are truly reserved for guests.

Check out more pictures below!

I hate it when the whole house is junked up with stuff and there is no room for guests.  So, we have made a conscious effort to leave open space in the closets in the guest rooms and to keep the dressers empty.

With that said, we had become busy in our jobs and a little disorganized.  My house was built in 1999. In all closets, the builder had the top-most shelf at 29" from the ceiling. That is an incredible amount of wasted space! My husband is a gem!  He added shelving for me in all the closets.

The coat closet (located in the kitchen area) now has room above the coats for seldom used serving items, the bread maker, the electric griddle and other sundry kitchen items.

The linen closet now has room for all the linens plus other items that need a home and don't get used much. Those have been relegated to the top shelf or two.

The first guest room's closet has lots of open hanging space for guests and holds the few board games we keep for the grandchildren and it houses wrapping supplies and artificial flowers that I change out seasonally.

The second guest room closet has now been maximized and is now the best (second only to my closet - will be featured in another story)!

Over 18" of space inside the closet on either side of the door

add a 16" support - made out of  a 2x3 cut to size

2 x 3 supports on each side, painted the same color as the walls

add melamine covered 16" deep shelving

Top shelf - placques we want to keep and not hang. Other shelves to store items for gifting
andstored for swapping out seasonally.

Added top shelf - some dead storage, seasonal items, linens for this room;Lower shelf haolds craft supplies

Lots of open hanging space for guests

Right side has hanging space for shower curtains, table cloths....

So, this whole project was done for $42 plus about 4 hours of cutting, painting, screwing into the wall.

If someone was "living" in this room, the side shelves could hold sweaters, hats, purses.  And, if this was the case, I would change up the middle section to have one ventilated shelf (where the top melamine shelf is) and have half for long hanging clothes (dresses) and half for for short-hanging clothes (shirts/pants) and would add a lower ventilated shelf at the appropriate height for this purpose.

I guess the whole point is - you have to re-think what the builder gives you and tailor the storage for your needs!