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Whether you love to clean or hate it, everyone can agree that when it comes to keeping your home sparkling, nothing is more exciting than finding the perfect cleaning product. A good cleaning product or tool will lessen your load while offering a deep clean that you can be pleased with. These home cleaning tools certainly deliver, and you wont regret getting them for your next deep clean.

Steam Mop
Perfect for most hard floors, but ideal for use in the kitchen and bathroom, steam mops can offer disinfecting power that a regular mop fails to deliver without additional chemicals. Though a steam mop is a larger investment than a traditional sponge mop, their ability to loosen stuck-on grime is unparalleled and makes it a must-have item.

Magic Eraser
The name doesnt lie with this product”these infused sponges truly do feel like magic. With the ability to remove stains like few other tools or cleaning solutions on the market, keep a box of these around for the next time your toddler decides to create their next masterpiece on the wall or counter.

Sonic Scrubber Brush
For cleaning small areas of grout or caulking full of grime, nothing works better than a toothbrush. If you are tired of using only your elbow grease to ensure a clean bathroom or kitchen, it might be time to invest in a sonic scrubber brush. With a body and design nearly identical to your traditional sonic toothbrush, these are electric powered brushes designed to boost your cleaning power. If you have any title in your home, this is a no-brainer.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Old wallpaper can make a house look dated. If a room in your home could use an update, you should be able to remove the wallpaper yourself. The steps will depend on the type of wallpaper you have.

Before You Get Started
Cover the floor with a tarp and use painters tape to secure it. Cover any electrical outlets with painters tape and turn off the electricity before removing the wallpaper that surrounds them. Have one or more large trash cans ready to toss in sheets of wallpaper as you remove them.

Which Type of Wallpaper Do You Have?
Use a putty knife to loosen a sheet of wallpaper at a bottom corner or seam. If it pulls away easily, its strippable wallpaper that should be easy to remove without water or chemicals. You may be able to simply pull entire strips off the walls. If you encounter some stubborn pieces, you can use a knife to cut them into horizontal strips.

In some cases, you will need to mix a liquid stripper concentrate with hot water. Brush it on the wallpaper, working in sections from top to bottom. After the mixture has had a few minutes to soak in, start using a scraper to peel off the wallpaper. If the wallpaper is old and wont absorb water, use sandpaper or a scoring tool to scuff the surface. Then spray the mixture again and let it soak in until you can remove the wallpaper.

Peelable wallpaper has a top coat that can be removed in the same way as strippable wallpaper, leaving behind a layer of backing. Remove the backing with the stripper concentrate/water solution and follow the same steps.

Since washable wallpaper has a plastic film designed to stop water from penetrating, you will first need to use a scoring tool to cut holes in the paper. Spray water into the slits, wait 10 minutes or so to allow the water to soak in, then remove the paper with a putty knife.

If you have wallpaper that just wont budge, you may need to use steam to loosen it. Rent a steamer and ask someone to help you. Pour water into the machine and wait for it to boil. Place the steamer pad on the wallpaper, wait about 30 seconds, then check to see if the wallpaper is loose. If so, the other person can peel it off, using a scraper if necessary.

Update Your Home
If youre tired of looking at wallpaper from a bygone era, you should be able to remove it fairly easily. Figure out what kind of paper you have, assemble the necessary supplies and get some help so you can modernize and transform the room.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Unlike a second home, where a homeowner lives for a portion of the year, an investment property is property that the homeowner uses to generate income, and in most cases,is not occupied by the homeowner at any time. Trying to figure out if your next home falls under second home or investment home status? Ask yourself: are you using it to make a profit? If the answer is yes, it’s an investment property.

A few examples of investment property include:

A condo at the beach that you rent out to vacationers
A house that you rent to long-term tenants
A home you purchased to flip (buy and resell in a short period of time)

Financing
If you need to finance your investment home, expect higher interest rates and a larger down payment. Most lenders find investment properties riskier, and your rates will reflect that.

Multi-Unit Homes
A popular investment home model is a split-family home or an apartment building; this allows the owner to live on the property and make a profit from renting out additional units. These properties are often eligible for traditional financing and do not necessarily require an investment property loan.

So long as you use one of the units in the home for year-round living, you should be able to finance the property through a conventional loan, receiving lower rates and a lower down payment.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When decorating your home, one of the most important areas of focus should be the lighting. Inadequate light can make a room look dark and dreary, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks comfortably. But too much light or the wrong types of fixtures can be an annoying distraction.

Types of Household Lighting and Fixtures
Ambient lighting from overhead or recessed lights can serve as the primary source of light in a room. Task lights can be used in specific parts of a room for certain activities. They may sit on a table or desk or be mounted on a wall. Accent lighting is used to draw attention to a particular feature, such as a piece of artwork. Accent lights can take a variety of forms.

Flush and semi-flush mounting lights hang down a short distance from the ceiling. Theyre designed to illuminate a room without taking up too much space.

Pendant lights are attached to a cord, chain or wire and hang down farther than mounting lights. Pendant lights vary in size and are often used in kitchens and dining rooms for task lighting.

Chandeliers are hung from the ceiling. They contain many bulbs and may be functional or decorative, depending on their size and placement.

Floor and table lamps are used for task lighting. They can be placed around a room and easily rearranged.

Sconces are light fixtures that are mounted on a wall, either individually or in pairs. They can be plugged into an outlet or hardwired.

How to Choose Lighting for Each Room
A living room should have multiple sources and types of light. An overhead fixture with a dimmer switch can provide an appropriate amount of ambient lighting. Table and/or floor lamps can allow individuals to relax while reading or playing games.

Having adequate lighting is especially important in the kitchen for safety reasons. The kitchen should have plenty of ambient lighting, as well as task lights in certain areas, such as above the sink and stove.

A dining room should have an amount of ambient lighting appropriate for the space. One chandelier may be ideal, or you may want two or more overhead lights if you have a long dining room table where you host large gatherings.

In a bedroom, you may want ambient lighting or just a series of lamps. Its often a matter of personal preference.

A bathroom should have overhead lights, as well as task lighting over the sink. That will make putting on makeup and shaving easier.

When choosing light fixtures, think about how much light you need and where, the style of your home and decor and the type of vibe you want to create. Select a combination of fixtures that provides an aesthetically pleasing mix of styles and an appropriate amount of lighting for your familys needs.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Homeowners insurance includes several components. One is liability coverage, which can cover accidental injuries or property damage. Insurance companies offer a wide range of liability coverage limits. You may need more coverage than you currently have to fully protect your assets, such as your home, savings and investments.

What Does Liability Insurance Cover?
Your homeowners insurance policys liability coverage will pay for injuries or property damage if you or a member of your family is found liable for an accident. It will also cover injuries or property damage caused by your pet.

In many cases, a homeowners insurance company will settle a personal injury or property damage claim to avoid a lawsuit. If a case goes to court, your liability coverage will pay for legal fees, and any amount awarded, up to your policys limits.

Liability coverage can protect both your current and future assets and earnings. If you didnt have liability coverage and you were found responsible for injuries or property damage, your future wages could be garnished.

Do You Need More Liability Coverage?
Insurance companies define an attractive nuisance as a feature of a property that is both appealing and dangerous to children. Common examples include a pool, trampoline or treehouse.

If a child got injured or killed on your property by an attractive nuisance, you could face an expensive lawsuit for injuries or accidental death. You would be held liable for the accident even if a child trespassed on your property. If you have an attractive nuisance, you ask your insurance company if you have adequate liability coverage and if the company requires any safety measures, such as fencing, to keep children away and prevent injuries.

How to Increase Your Liability Limits
If you already have your homeowners insurance companys maximum amount of available liability coverage, but dont think its enough, you can get an umbrella or excess liability policy to provide coverage beyond your standard homeowners insurance policy limits. The extra coverage will kick in once you have exhausted the coverage provided by your homeowners insurance policy.

An umbrella or excess liability policy may offer coverage that is broader than the coverage from a standard policy. The premiums for an umbrella or excess insurance policy will be based on the amount of coverage under your homeowners insurance policy and your level of risk.

Get Professional Advice on Your Homeowners Insurance Coverage
Many homeowners dont have enough liability insurance to protect them from the financial repercussions of a large claim stemming from an accident. Talk to your insurance agent about your current liability coverage, risk, assets and whether you should increase your limits.

Published with permission from RISMedia.