FROM ME TO ALL OF YOU..

One of my most important learnings this 2009 goes this way " hindsight is always 20/20" Heard it from a Catholic priest. As we look back to the year about to pass, we might find ourselves thinking i could have done that, i shoudn't have said that, I could have, and so goes our coulds and woulds...Hindsight has the advantage of a more complete information and insights from a number of sources which we may not have had the luxury of at the moment we took that decision, that action, those moments of conversations or discussion.

At the end of the day, what matters is we did the best we could with the information on hand and available. This 2010 is another shot we've got at this journey. It is worth our while to be informed, easily accessible technologically; however have time to reflect and study the thousand available information so as to possess the right convictions so that all our 2009 hindsights become 2010 insights; which then become our guiding principles at every twist and turn of life. To my dear bloggers HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A Step Ahead!!

What can you say about these wooden step stools or step ladders? Don't they look good for indoor use? You can leave them in the library, wardrobe or walk in closets, home office and they seem part of your furniture. Thus you would'nt need to carry them in and out of your room. These are home made ladders which i found in one of my clients' home.

I definitely like them over those steel step stools commercially available. Yes they serve well for utility purposes - in the kitchen, garage or while doing home repairs. However, you'll agree with me, they look ugly inside your beautiful home.

These wooden ladders are a great home idea i recommend!

Chandeliers with an ooomph!

Tagaytay Conference Center chandeliers  VERSUS Normal chandelier installation

I thought it's good to share this with you as it caught my attention that every chandelier and ceiling lamp in Tagaytay Conference Center were installed with a lamp base attached to the ceiling. Chandeliers were not really gorgeous but that detail added such fine taste to them. As compared to the very expensive chandelier in the next pic. Good idea.

Tribute to flip flops!

That's my mom's 89 year old feet on flip flops too!! every cool dude and cool babe and cool granmas!! wear them everywhere - in the malls, in parks, in the beach, even in church ( i don't say I approve this last one)! The once informal super dressed down footwear has been glorified! Back in my time, hahaha! that is supposed to be worn only in the bathroom or when we play hide and seek or any rough street games outdoors (you do remember that right? oh come on) or....


.....or at home which we use to change from street shoes to keep our homes clean.. Oooh real cool!! talking about preventive cleaning programs, apart from, i guess better than or okay supplements walk off mats.. is to have these nowadays glorified home footwear! It's the most natural thing to do in Japan, and in most homes in the Philippines ( we actually remove our shoes and walk barefoot inside the house to keep floors clean and shiny!!). Then just how do you deal with guests? Here's one idea from a client..

Imaginaton and creativity huh! Pretty pairs of flipflops (YES! clean and sanitized too!) on a boat-like wooden container by the door ready for house guests, but quietly, subtly suggested. Then beside it is a nice native cabinet where you can keep your street shoes temporarily. This is very creative, hip, and very clever preventive cleaning system.

Our street footwear carry dust and dirt and sand which you carry inside the house if you don't install some preventive systems - a floor mat (walk off matting) which come i homey designs too unlike the rubber mats you find in the buildings! and these glorious house footwear!

Merry Christmas!!

May we be bearers of good news so that we may inspire hope in each one we meet.

We've all been thru a lot of things this year and inspite of it all, we are here: standing. I guess the trials we've been through are sensational but i believe it is outweighed by the many small blessings sprinkled here and there, inspiring hope in us to keep moving on. Together with the materials blessings are a number of friendly affection and support, smiles and words of appeciation from loved ones and clients as well, unspoken thank you's from those we've offered help or companionship, laughters, and many more each one of us know about. There are lots of good news to thank God for and inspire hope..

I want to bear only good news from this time on.

ORIENTAL RUG CARE

A client had just acquired genuine beautiful persian rugs and is making sure they are properly cared for. It is surprising that even new rugs are really dusty, I guess dust accumulate during manufacturing, handling, storage and in the showroom as well. I wish manufacturers would clean it thoroughly before delivery.

How do we care for oriental rug? First care tip is to use a plastic foam cushion pad under it to protect from wear and keeps it in place too. Next come daily cleaning. Carpet acts like a trap, keeping dust and allergens out of the air we breathe. Simply put, what falls to the carpet (dust, pet dander and many other particulates that we breathe in) tends to stay trapped in the carpet until it is removed through vacuuming or extraction cleaning (CRInstitute).

For daily care, use soft counter brush to remove dust and to prevent piling. Twice a month, you may use a vacuum using the nozzle with care and avoid using the beater brush - motor driven rotating bush- as it can hasten wear. Beater brush remove a small amount of pile with each use and can destroy fringe in no time. Move the nozzle in one direction slowly with the grain of the rug. A back and forth motion potentially damages the rug's sheen. Quarterly it would be advisable to vacuum the under side of the rag, pad and floor under, this prevents pest infestation too.

I learned you must rotate carpet 180 deg once in a year or two to even out any sun fading if exposed to direct sunlight. Window sunscreens must always be drawn when the sun hits furniture and upholsteries as oultraviolet rays can cause wear and fading in no time. Rotating carpet rug would minimize wear from traffic patterns and from furniture marks too. If scheduled, male staff can assist in case of heavy furniture and caroet rug.

Properly cared for, genuine oriental rug can last a long time.

WOW! I Smell Christmas..

We can smell Christmas everywhere. our streets are decked with humongous pots of beautiful poinsettias and lit with lamps made of native bells and balls. Buildings along the business district have brought out their Nativity scene and malls are playing out Chrismas carols. And this is done every year right after the Halloween! I guess lots of planning and logistics add to the already full day of our facilities maintenance people.

Moms are just as busy since it's also a time for parties and get togethers which means lots of cleaning and decorating to prepare the house to welcome guests. We've just bought our new Christmas tree since we had to replace our geriatric tree. After a long discussion, we decided on a narrow golden tree for a change, not green but YES "green" -more environmental since we don't need to put much lights and it's of organic material. And our theme is copper and gold, WOW!

Family meals are more elaborate too. The turkey, the dining wares and the little details of dressing up our water pitchers all to express the extra special meaning of these days.

Inspite of all the "works" everywhere, Christmas brings excitement and caring warmth to everyone which is all what the first Christmas was all about anyway. It's a MERRY CHRISTMAS soon...

Festive Dining Chargers

I've found these chargers very festive and surely do wonder to any dining table set up. Charger or service plate is a larger plate placed underneath your dinner plate to keep spills off the tablecloth during the soup, salad and main courses.

Pulire Asia 2009

Pulire Asia 2009 recently concluded the Cleaning Solutions Conference and expo in Suntec Singapore.


One of my favorite exhibit was these portable disposable and soon compostible loos useful for campsites, festivals, etc. by Michael Fels of Brown Corporation, UK. You may get in touch with him at michael@thebrowncorporation.com.


With John Laws of Handl Consultancy of Australia who gave the talk on the Green Trend in Australia. Photo is courtesy of Alan Hardcastle of INClean magazine.


The chiefs of the Asian cleaning industry in a round table discussion and forum regarding Cleaning Industry Outlook in Asia.

Mini Kitchen - Ideal for Condo/Tiny Houses

A GREAT KITCHEN IDEA where space is at a premium, the space-saving cool looking mini kitchen designed by Ensci is the latest and greatest urban must-have. These innovative kitchens feature a variable design with a movable countertop/tabletop that slides open to reveal the range, sink, storage, cupboards and cabinets – all in one ultra-modern piece. When not in use, the kitchen closes up, giving a minimalist, streamlined look. Spotted at Ensci or check out www.TRENDIR.com for more Kitchen Trends 2009.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS - HIP AND HOT!!

I am sure you'll love to have this fire extinguishers in your homes. Away with those red boring canisters!! Spotted on Fire Design.

GET RID OF TOILET STAINS

My job  affords me to see many beautiful bathrooms, unfortunately several of which have been ruined by careless maintenance. One comon problem is the unsightly ring stains formed by water stains and toilet tank that has accumulated dirt and rust. This dirt is carried by the water that flows from it and get deposited to your toilet bowls. These stains build up little by little especially in guest rooms that are not regularly used.
























Since the mineral stains are alkaline by nature, mild cleaners are best solution to get rid of it. I recommend Lemon Eze by Ecolab. Check out this link on how to use it - Bathroom Cleaner
Note: do not use abrasives and use gentle scrubbing action. Use Lemon Eze to restore and to maintain your fixtures.

CLEANING GOD'S HOUSE

I've visited these 3 churches/chapels (Cathedral @Nasugbo, Tagaytay Conference Center and the famous Betis Church-the "Sistine Chapel of the Philippines") these past month and I was impressed!! They are all impressively clean, congratulations!! I was tempted to say unbelievably clean... and yes, it led me to pray better. Wish I could give Cleaning training course to the housekeepers of the different Churches.. WOW! I This Master of the House deserve every care and attention to details we could give Him. Call me and I'll be readily available to do that.

Bag of Beans -Tagaytay

If you happen to be in Tagaytay, do drop by Bag of Beans, its less than 500m away from the Mendez intersection. Photos speak for the quaint ambiance of the place. And they offer good food from breakfast to big meals plus they have good bread available in the pastry shop. Check out this link bagofbeanstagaytay.com/

Leather Furniture Care

Leather furniture are a good investment choice and must be properly cared for, cleaned and conditioned. Keep away leather furniture from direct light source - sun or indoor lighting or any source of heat to prevent it from fading, drying out and cracking. Before any attempt to clean your beautiful leather furniture, it is important to determine the type of leather yyou have. You can find this information on the tags that came with your furniture or in the written material provided by the furniture dealer or manufacturer. Care begins with vacuuming the piece of furniture regularly making sure to use the soft brush accessory because genuine leather scratches easily. Adjust the suction power on your vacuum to moderate to prevent leaving marks on the leather.

When your furniture begin to feel dry then it's time to nourish it. Dip your soft cleaning rag in the soapy water (use mild soap) and wring out thoroughly. Test a small, inconspicuous area of the furniture first. Working one section at a time, wipe the surface of the furniture with the rag. Then wipe away the soap residue with a clean damp rag (no soap). Dry thoroughly with the dry rag and buff to restore luster. Treat the surface with leather protector/conditioner as per product instructions.

Remember, if you have any doubt as to the proper way to clean your leather furniture; do not hesitate to call a professional.

DRAINAGE CLEANING TIME

Rainy season is here... Expect rain! It is time to clean any debris from the gutters and eaves troughs and downspouts and ensure water flows away from the house. It is good to put this on This month's to do checklist especially when the leaves have all fallen, as they all manage to end up in your gutters!

It is also an recommended to install gutter covers to keep leaves and debris out!