Cleaning a house often feels like running towards a finish line that never quite shows up. The minute one part is cleaned, another needs attention. However, whether you’re the super-organized type who cleans on a schedule, or the “deep clean when the mood strikes” type - anything to save time cleaning is a win in our book. Here are our ten favorite house cleaning hacks:

1.) Microwaves 

Does anyone else feel like the splatters and grime in a microwave that constantly appear are one of a home’s greatest mysteries? The other part of that mystery is, why is it so hard to clean a microwave? Good news: there is something that makes this astonishingly easier. Simply put a bowl of equal parts water and vinegar with something wooden, like a wooden

Spring’s verdant foliage and fresh, sweet air brings cleansing and refreshing our homes to the forefront of our minds. Often the shift in weather provides just the kind of energy boost we need to get started! Spring isn’t just about cleaning, however; it's also the ideal time of year to give your home a thorough inspection and make sure everything is in good repair. 

This home maintenance checklist targets parts of your home that experience the most wear and tear during the winter. Take care of these tasks now so that you can relax all summer long! 

1.) Check for gaps in your building’s moisture barrier.

Winter can be extreme, wearing down your home’s moisture defenses. Crawl spaces, windows, attics, and anywhere your home meets the ground

Americans spent $72.5 billion on their pets’ care and keeping in 2018 alone, and nearly two out of three households are also home to a pet. If you are bringing a pet home, moving into a new home with your current pet, or refurnishing your home to better accommodate your furry or feathered friend, our Tips for a Pet-Friendly Home will have you picturing a den that is both durable and stylish.

1.) Protect Your Floors and Furniture

Whether this means laying down skid-proof rugs on hardwood, stain-proofing your carpet, or spreading a blanket down where your pooch naps, it’s the same principle: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

If you’re choosing a new carpet, opt for low-pile, which holds on to less hair. Patterns hide fur well,

Ready or not, here winter comes! While it’s easy to think about the holiday lists, and social schedule coming up - it’s easy to forget (err, ignore?), the demands of winter on our homes. While not as fun, it is certainly worth your future heating bills, and repairs-not-needed to take some time and go through what you need to do to prepare your home for the winter season! 

We’ve rounded up some of the most commonly recommended winterizing tips for you:

One Last A/C Look

Maybe counterintuitive, but before you say goodbye to the A/C, doing just a little bit of cleaning and prep for the winter will be worth your time. By cleaning the fan blades and condensing coils, and covering your unit with a weatherproof cover, you will extend the life of

It's every homeowner's worst nightmare - you have a pot over the stove and turn the switch to find your burner won't light. It's the same idea with your refrigerator. No one wants to swing open the doors for a snack to see that their food is warm and spoiled. While your first reaction may be to panic and assume your machine has conked out for good, don't lose hope so soon. More than one-fourth of repair calls are resolved with a flip of a circuit breaker or push of a button.

Before you settle on the idea that your home appliance needs to be professionally repaired on replaced entirely, try these easy fixes to see if they bring your system back to life.

Refrigerator

If your fridge has stopped working efficiently, it may not be broken, but

Tennessee is expecting a warmer-than-average winter this year, but prudent homeowners will nevertheless prepare for winter with these 10 exterior home maintenance steps to keep your home warm and in tip-top shape.

1.) Protect Your Pipes

Even children know that water expands as it freezes, and when the temps hit freezing, the water in your pipes will be no exception.

To avoid the headache and huge expense a burst pipe can bring, leave at least one faucet in your home dripping when the temperatures drop.

Check your outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems, being sure to empty all the water from them before it has a chance to freeze. Disconnect hoses and bring them into a garage or shed.

Additionally, wrap your home’s interior and

When luxury homes collide with pet lovers, there are more than a few items when it comes to what’s on the luxury homeowners’ “must-have” list. Considering in 2018 that American pet owners spent $72 Billion on their pets, there is no shortage of love for all things “pet”. Below are some of our favorite pet elements to think about for luxury homes (in order from most practical to most lavish):

Food & Water Bowls

As something that is seen every day, usually right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen or other central places, having both stylish, and practical pet bowls are a great place to start. Depending on the aesthetic, pet owners are excited to add a little luxury by thinking about the height of the bowls, the freshness of the water, and

Whether it’s for safety, potential theft, or just your furry friend at home, the security camera industry is bursting at the seams with options. With so many options, it can be overwhelming to pick one to fit your needs. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorites:

Best for Comprehensive Security: Arlo Pro 2 

This easy to set up, truly wireless indoor/outdoor system isn’t cheap - but highly versatile, with all the features you could ask for. The system requires a base for the system and then you decide how many cameras you’d like to add. While supporting night vision, motion detection, alarms, two-way audio - (the list goes on), there is also free seven-day video recording. 

Pros: Truly wireless, great picture in all

Halloween is a holiday that screams (pun intended), for decorations. With no rules or need for any type of “must-do” traditions, Halloween is the type of holiday that gives room for limitless creativity. Pick a theme, get colorful, artsy, silly – whatever your style may be – and have fun with it! Here are a few of our favorite ideas this time around:

Get Colorful 

If you love color, don’t let the traditional colors of Halloween stop you. Have fun with it! Pick a color palette that adds a little oomph to the traditional orange and black – what about off-white, orange and gray for your porch colors, and don’t forget those yellow mums! For the ultimate color lovers, try painting mini pumpkins different colors of the rainbow and line them up in order

For many homeowners, bathrooms can be tricky areas to maintain; with water coming and going in multiple zones, flooring meeting toilet and tub, and at least a handful of fixtures per bathroom, keeping up on repairs can be overwhelming. Fortunately, 5 of the most common bathroom problems have easy, affordable solutions, so roll up your sleeves and get ready to DIY your way to a better bathroom!

1. Slow Drains

If your slow drains are caused by the usual accumulation of soap buildup and shed hair, you may be able to clear it with a few whooshes of a plunger. Make sure there’s enough water above the drain to give the plunger enough to send rushing through, then plunge the drain as you would a toilet.

If the plunger trick doesn’t work, you should be