You go to work and come home, and your home is flooded. You have no idea where the water is coming from and start checking the sinks, tubs, and showers, but find nothing. You have nothing left to do but contact an emergency plumber.

The problem with this scenario is that you may not know anything about this company but randomly called from the telephone book, and you get a plumber who is going to charge you thousands of dollars when it was actually an easy fix.

Before you need an emergency plumbing company, it is best to start your search long before something goes wrong. Talk with family and friends about the company they use.

Once you have found a few that you might wish to use, use this checklist to ask questions:

• How long have you been in business?
• Do you work on refrigerators?
• Do you work on spas and saunas?
• What products do you use?
• Can you provide licensing?
• Can you provide references?

Ask about different scenarios when you might need a plumber so you can get a quote if anything does occur. You may learn that some will not even provide a guesstimate while others will offer a range. It would be best to go with a company that will at least provide you with a price range with the idea that you know it could be a bit below or above this first figure.

Also call references and ask questions. Did the company perform a professional task? Did it take longer than they stated? Did they stay close to their quote? How far from the quote was the actual price?

The one thing you should remember is that to ensure you never have issues like this; it would be best to have your plumbing checked at least twice yearly just like you do your air conditioner and heater. This way, you will never be surprised when a part wears out and causes a flood. You can have the worn part replaced before anything bad occurs.

Never try to do the work yourself, if the floor is flooded, you can be in danger from electrocution or may cause other damages if you are not sure where or what the plumbing problem is and do not have the knowledge on how to fix the issue. It is always best to use a professional that has the education and experience to ensure that all goes right the first time.

 

Today’s post is brought to you by Acorn and Scrubbing Bubbles®. All opinions are my own.

 

It’s officially spring, and I’m currently in full spring cleaning mode. If you are a long-time reader, I am sure you know that I actually LOVE spring cleaning by now! However, I admit this year I was not prepared for the mess I found in my teen daughter’s bathroom! The truth is the teens are responsible for their own bathrooms and bedrooms, unless I am doing a deep cleaning. So, when I walked into her bathroom, I was shocked, to say the least! The bath didn’t look like it had been cleaned in forever and my daughter’s hair was everywhere, which is one of my biggest pet peeves!

Thankfully, I had just got back from Walmart with the only cleaner that I trust when it comes to cleaning my bathroom, and that’s Scrubbing Bubbles^®! My Grandmother and Mother wouldn’t use anything else when it came to cleaning the bathrooms when I was growing up so the tradition continued when I moved out on my own.

Did you know that Scrubbing Bubbles^® is a trusted partner when it comes to keeping the bathroom clean? The Scrubbing Bubbles^® product line will give you that complete clean after every use.

• Disinfectant Scrubbing Bubbles^® Bathroom Cleaner:
• Kills 99.9% of viruses^ and bacteria*

*When used as directed, kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Salmonella enterica (Salmonella), Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E.coli), Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep), Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas), Enterobacter aerogenes, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2, Influenza A (H1N1) Virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and Rotavirus

• Cleans and disinfects almost all your bathroom surfaces
• Kills odor-causing bacteria
• Expands into hard-to-reach places
• Formulated for cleaning soap scum, hard water stains, dirt and more
• Deodorizes your bathroom and leave behind a pleasant scent

I prefer to do one room at a time while also removing everything from the room I’m currently cleaning. This not only makes sure that the room is going to be deep cleaned but also allows me to get rid of things we no longer need and organize the things we are going to keep. So after I got everything removed from the bathroom the cleaning process starts.

The first thing was to wipe down and get as much hair up as I could out of the bath and sink. Then I sprayed the bath and sink with Disinfectant Scrubbing Bubbles^® Bathroom Cleaner and let it sit allowing the foam to penetrate the dirt and grime, while I worked on wiping the walls, doors and baseboards. After I was finished with cleaning everything else, I went back to the tub and sink with my wet cloth and wiped it clean. I was amazed that It took all the soap scum off in just one pass. I admit I really thought I was going to have to go over it a couple of times!

 

The next task was to sweep and mop the floors and start moving everything back in the bathroom while making sure it was neat and organized! The most amazing part of it all was the bathroom was spotless, and it took less than 30 minutes! Thankfully with Scrubbing Bubbles^® cleaning power you really don’t have to spend hours scrubbing! So, there is no excuse for a dirty bathroom ever!

After I was done my daughter walked in and said, “wow mom thanks, it’s so clean!” I just looked at her and said yea now keep it that way! I also added a few things to help make sure the bathroom stays clean!

Basket for Dirty Laundry

The kids sometimes just need a little organization to help keep them focused in the cleaning department. What better way than with a laundry basket? My kids love having that basket in there because then all they have to do is throw their dirty clothes in there and just bring it down to the laundry room when its full.

Cleaning Basket

Another tip I have for making cleaning easier on my teens is putting a cleaning basket in there. I have a little basket that I put under the sink, and it has all of my cleaning supplies for them to just grab. I put items like Scrubbing Bubbles®, Windex®, trash bags, rubber gloves, a roll of paper towels and rags in there for them to use. There’s no excuses when it comes to cleaning because all the cleaning supplies are right in the bathroom under the sink.

Buy Scrubbing Bubbles® Now:

Find Scrubbing Bubbles^® and other great SC Johnson products to help tackle your spring cleaning needs in the Home Cleaning section at a Walmart near you!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bona for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

When Spring cleaning, the list can get long and tedious, so you may be missing some very important areas of your house that need cleaning. Don’t forget to add these areas to your cleaning. Some of them may have an impact on your health and the cleanliness of your house throughout the year.

Hardwood Floors

I hate to admit but I don’t really clean my hardwood floors as often as I should! However, I do sweep or vacuum them daily but let’s face it that’s just not enough! Over the years I have tried a lot of tips and products to clean my floors but I have to say nothing cleaned them to my standards except for Bona® Hardwood Floor Cleaner! All the other products always left my floors looking dull and I hated that! So, when I heard about the new Bona PowerPlus I was excited to test it out! Ever since, I haven’t used anything else.     After testing it out I have to say that Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner is the bomb. It’s seriously Bona’s most powerful cleaner yet. The formula they use is oxygenated and it loosens the heavy buildup of dirt on my floors. I used the Bona PowerPlus™ Microfiber Deep Clean Pad to make sure I get the best results possible out of our Bona. Together, the floor cleaner and the deep clean pad are miracle workers on my floor. I was amazed how different my floors look! Bona PowerPlus is now available at Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, ACE Hardware and True Value. However, don’t just save this method for spring cleaning use Bona PowerPlus every time you clean your floors!

Grout

No, most grout is NOT that murky color You should clean it out at least once a year to make sure your floors are truly clean. The same goes for the grout on your counters.

Windows, Walls, and Doors

If it is an an entryway, where dust, pets, or people can come into your home, you need to wash them. You probably already wipe down your windows, but do you do it from the outside, too? If you don’t, anytime you open the windows, that built-up dust can float into your clean home and cause allergic reactions in people in your home. Do you wipe down door frames? Little fingerprints can accumulate and add dirt to the frames, then each time you touch it, you are touching germs. The same goes for doorknobs and handles! Be sure to wash them all this Spring, then set up a time to wash them every other month to keep up with the maintenance.

Furniture

Okay, so you vacuum off the couch. You take the cushions off and clean under them. Have you washed the cushions? Or do you spot clean and go? Even if the dirt doesn’t show, your sofa and other large furniture pieces can be trapping dirt and causing your allergies to give you trouble. They can also be a source of smells in your home.

Mattresses

Turn them, flip them, vacuum them, then wash them with a handheld shampooer- because you sleep on this! Over the lifetime of a mattress, it will gain about 20 pounds- from your skin, hair and dirt becoming trapped in it. Grossed out, yet? You should be- now go clean your mattress!

Potted plants

Do you have indoor plants? You may be overlooking dusting off the post, which can accumulate lots of dust and even hold spider webs. Use plain water and wash them off. You do not want to use chemicals around house plants unless you know it’s safe.

Trash cans

Sure, you take out the trash, but are you washing out the can? That plastic can can be trapping smells and germs in your home. Wash them out with some dish detergent and hot water to eliminate the trash smell from them.

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Enter to win

You don’t want to miss this giveaway,to power up your home and pamper yourself during this spring cleaning season with a chance to win a complete prize pack, including a SONOS Speaker, an iRobot Roomba® and a year’s worth of your favorite Bona products. You and your home deserve it! WANT A BONUS? Upload your receipt for a $5 Starbucks® Gift Card when you purchase two Bona Products, like the Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Cleaner and Bona PowerPlus Microfiber Deep Clean Pad. So be be sure to enter the Bona PowerPair Sweepstakes today cause this giveaway ends May 2, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Does your home have a spare room that is not being used? If so, this could be an ideal space to transform into a gaming room that the whole family can enjoy. Gaming is a popular pastime today and can be enjoyed through classic table games or even today’s advanced electronic games. Some of these games are ideal for placement in a family gaming room.

Classic Arcade Games

Many versions of these retro video games have been recreated for today’s devices. Why not include either a vintage or throwback machine within your gaming room? This could quite an educational experience for kids.

Air Hockey

When adding an air hockey game to your gaming room, it will need a decent amount of space. If you find you are short of space, there are many air hockey games that are scaled down to be placed atop a table for play. Air hockey is a game that can be played at any age.

Dart Board

A classic pub game, this is often a hit in a gaming room. You can opt for a classic model or perhaps get an advanced electronic version that keeps score for you.

Casino Games

For many people today, online casinos are more popular than their land based counterparts. Think about including your very own casino game. You might consider a roulette wheel or even video poker machine. If you can’t fit any of these in you can always try mobile roulette on sites like mobilecasinoaustralia.com.au. Whatever your choice, the games are perfect for hosting a casino night.

Pool Table

With a larger space, a pool table can be an excellent addition to the design of any gaming room. There are three different sizes of tables so you can find one that best fits into your space. Both children and adults enjoy playing this fun game.

If you find you’re ready to build your own gaming room, consider some of these specific types of games.

The home is the one place you want to keep clean and organized all the time. Am I right? The home should have a place for everything, but it doesn’t always work that way. If you have kids and a spouse, then most likely you are frantically trying to keep up with everything. Looking for better ways to stay organized? You’ll want to check out these tips for keeping the home organized.

Quick Pickup

Every day, no matter how busy I get; I always take time for a quick pickup. It’s easier to keep a clean home organized than it is to try to organize it while the house is dirty. I spend about 15 minutes each day doing a quick pickup of our house. This has saved my sanity and helped me be more organized throughout the day.

Have a Schedule in Place

Another way to keep the home organized is to schedule everything that needs done. If I know my house needs heavily organized, I write it in a schedule. It may sound silly, but with kids, I need all the help I can get when it comes to staying on track. For example- In May, I might spend that month organizing the kids’ clothes. In June, my focus might move to organizing the shed or the garage. If your house needs organized, you might as well carve out enough time to get it done.

Be Creative About It

I’ve learned that being organized doesn’t always mean having clothes neatly folded; it can mean utilizing every space you have. We keep our extra blankets in our ottoman, in our living room. They are not folded because no one can see them. However, everyone in the house knows where they are and that helps us to stay organized (no one has an excuse, not to put the items back).

Declutter the House

Just like I spend time tidying up my house every day, I spend the same amount of time decluttering my house. It’s so important that I do not have a bunch of junk piling up. Junk can equal chaos, and it’s something I want to avoid in our home.

Always Keep Things Going

I’ve learned that my home becomes more unorganized whenever I don’t stay on it. That’s why having a schedule and doing things little by little really helps. Just think about how much easier it is to clean your home on a daily basis, then it is all at once. The same exact concept works for organization.

Do you have any tips for keeping your home organized? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!