Cleaning Tips for a Fabric Ottoman

Owning an ottoman helps you in a couple of ways. It allows you to revamp a room, and at very little cost, and it also helps reduce wear on your furniture. If your ottoman, or any other furniture, however, is placed near a sunny window it will be affected over the years. You can change this by using an ottoman cover, and by cleaning your ottoman regularly.

There are several things to keep in mind when cleaning your ottoman. It is recommended to clean the fabric as often as needed. A gentle cleaning is preferred to a more rigorous regular cleaning, but you can be more energetic about it if need be. 

Cleaning removes dust that has been accumulating along with any other dirt and grime. Pigmented leathers and semi-natural fabrics should be cleaned using a mild soap that has a neutral pH along with some warm water. Rinse the soap off with a clean dampened cloth to help remove any residue that is left over. Don’t use a soap that is too strong for the skin, as it may also be for the leather. 

You should always test on an inconspicuous part of the ottoman to make sure that the cleaner is adequate. If you are cleaning an aniline leather ottoman, clean it with a damp cloth only. Don’t use soap on the leather. 

Under no circumstances should you expose the fabric to bleach, ink, liquid, traces of fatty skin, strong products (even laundry detergent) or chemicals and sharp objects to avoid damaging the furniture. Never expose the ottoman cover fabric or leather to direct sunlight or bright light sources as this will discolor or distort the piece.

Design Ideas for a Kid’s Ottoman

There are literally thousands of designs that are floating around for kids when it comes to furniture and their rooms. A great example is the kid’s ottoman. In fact, designing a child’s piece of furniture is fun and exciting, plus it brings back some great memories. You can pick a piece that will go along with what your child already has. A desk, tables, bed, ottoman cover and beanbag chair can all be designed with fun shapes and colors.

An ottoman, is a perfect way to bring out your child’s inner personality and it will save you some money along the way.

1.   Animal Shaped Ottomans. If your child is an animal lover, this option is a no-brainer. Design an ottoman that looks like their favorite animal.

2.     Star Wars Ottoman. Almost every young boy loves Star Wars these days, so this would be a great time to build a Death Star.

3.     Artistic Ottomans. If your child loves to paint or draw, let them have at it on their own ottoman. In fact, add a chalk board on it so they can draw on it anytime they want.

4.     Girly Ottomans. Plenty of girls love frilly, pink things so this would be a perfect time to pad an ottoman down with tassels or frills and anything else you can think of. You can also put a make-up kit with a mirror in it which could pull out. You could even install a hidden drawer for some clothes as well.

DIY: Build a Fire Pit With These Tips

Since the dawn of time, friends and families gathered around the fire company, eating, and entertaining. The patio and the garden turned into an outdoor theater as many people are searching for ways to put some flair back into their home. Their favorite choices have become outdoor fireplaces, fire bowl and fire pits for their outdoor spaces. However, not all types of outdoor fireplaces or fire pits will serve a home as well as the other. Here are a few tips for choosing outdoor fireplaces, fire bowls or fire pits:

• Consider your needs. Whenever you decide to buy, think about what things you want from an outdoor fireplace. Looking mainly for heat to expel the moisture in the evening so you or your family can enjoy the outdoors for the colder months?
• Every fire will smoke. Consider a chimney with a smoke stack that runs away from you.
• Iron eventually rusts. Even the finest of quality outdoor iron will do so. Make sure you do preventative maintenance. Using a fire pit cover is smart in this instance.
• Height matters. A fire pit on the ground or in it gives you the sensation of a real fire.
• What does portability mean to you? Having a portable fireplace is what life is all about. You can take a piece of home wherever you go but, at the same time, you can also bring nature to you.

With a little forethought to your intended use, you are able to select the perfect fire pit outdoor fire bowl or fire your needs.

Personalize Your Glider Rocker Chair

Are you in the mood to decorate that old gilder rocker of yours? It may be easier than you think. Unless you are planning to reupholster the whole thing, the process can be as simple as buying new cushions or pillows for the rocker. You can decorate your rocker using your favorite sports team’s colors or you can go all out and use velvet or some other high-end material. In fact, you could mix everything up and make your own thing up but the whole idea is to take your time and do what you want.

Here are some ideas that might help you make up your mind when it comes to making your glider rocker chair truly your own.

1.     Team Colors. This is probably the easiest and the most fun of the decorating ideas. Imagine sitting in your very own “game time” seat every time your team plays. You decorate it the way you want to- the colors, the pillows and even the padding is all up to you! Even a glider cover would go great.
2.     Cushions and pads. This is a very nice way to make a child’s room stand out even more. If you have a glider in your baby’s room (or you want one in there), decorating the cushions and pads with funs things like fire trucks, horses, puppies and frogs will make any child smile.
3.     Decals and detailing. Having a favorite cartoon character or even your favorite sports player on your glider is easy to do and inexpensive as well. In fact, another great idea is getting your child’s name put on the glider because it makes them feel special.
4.     Fabrics. Choosing the right fabric is up to you. Whether you want lace or leather or nice, soft suede, the choice is all yours.

Restore your Chaise Lounge and Patio Chairs with these Easy Tips

 If you are the proud owner of patio furniture or chaise lounge sets, you should be well aware of how to take care of it. It would be a good idea to invest in chaise lounge covers as well, but here are those tips:

Before you start on your task you are going to need some rubber gloves, a wire brush and a scouring pad.

For Aluminum Furniture:

-       Put your gloves on and scrub the furniture with the wire brush to loosen up any rust, if present.  Use the scouring pad on the furniture.
-       Take out the scouring pad and throw some aluminum brightener or kerosene on it and start scrubbing hard to loosen up any dirt or rust.
-       Dry the furniture off.
-       Wax.

Fabric Furniture:

-       Your chaise lounge should be ready to go at this point. Have a bucket of water and detergent ready. The solution shouldn’t be too strong.
-       Make sure that you vacuum the lounge first.
-       Take a cloth or brush and make it wet by dipping it into the soapy water.
-       Start cleaning your chaise lounge.
-       Now rinse it off with a clean, wet cloth and air dry the lounge.

Whitening Furniture

-       Set up a bleach mix by making 1 gallon water, ¾ cup of bleach and 1 tablespoon of detergent into a bucket.
-       Put on your gloves and start applying the mixture.
-       Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then rinse.

Plastic Furniture

-       Wash furniture off using detergent and water. A simple light mix will do.
-       Scrub the furniture down with a firm bristled brush using the soapy water.
-       Rinse off and let it dry outdoors.

Paint Your Wicker Patio Furniture and Revamp its Look

Owning wicker furniture is a smart move these days both financially and socially. It saves you plenty of money because of the upkeep and it is a great piece of furniture that will look good in any home. In fact, you can use it outside of the home as well. However, if you decide to keep wicker outside the home, it is going to need some regular upkeep.

Painting your wicker furniture is one way to keep the new look fresh but this process is a time consuming one and should be done the right way. You can bypass all the work by just covering your furniture up with wicker furniture covers. However, if you do not want to spend the extra money on these covers, you can follow these simple steps to keep your wicker looking brand new:

-       Make sure you have all your tools and supplies ready. This means your paint, brushes and lacquer.

-       Take your stripper and soften up the wicker so you can strip it down. You can use a hard bristle brush for this step. Remember that the stripper is going to soften the wicker up but once it dries, it will harden again.

-       Once you are finished with the stripping process, wait two days so the wicker can harden again.

-       Now you are ready for the painting process. Spray paints are going to work best with wicker because they spray evenly. It will also reach the crevices a lot better than brushes will. Allow the paint to dry.

-       Once paint has dried, apply a lacquer via a spray. Again, using a spray is best because it does so evenly. You want to use a lacquer that is soft and not hard because the hard lacquers become brittle and will crack.

Things to Consider Before Buying Patio Furniture

Chances are, you own some patio furniture. And if you own furniture, you know that you have to take care of it in order to keep your furniture looking like new. One of the best ways to do this is to purchase as high a quality furniture as you can, right from the get go.

• Here are a few things to consider when you’re shopping for the furniture that will be gracing your outdoor living area:
• Have your budget in mind when you’re shopping. Purchase furniture as high a quality as you can afford..
• Keep in mind the type of weather your area of the country is faced with. Will you want furniture that can withstand a lot of rain and wind? High sunlight?
• Also look at what kind of wear and tear will your furniture will undergo. Will you be doing a lot of entertaining? Will your children be on and off the furniture regularly?
• Consider protecting your investment as well. Be sure to consider patio furniture covers as you look at sets.
• You’ll also want to know what type of “feel” you want for your backyard. Rustic? Contemporary? Modern? Do you want metal or wood patio furniture? Wicker or plastic framed?
• Look for furniture with sturdy frames that will help you make certain your investment will be with you for many seasons. The cushions you choose for the furniture are usually less expensive to replace and you can also spruce up the look of any furniture by simply slipping on new covers.
• If you have an outdoor living area, chances are you have a barbecue pit or barbecue grill. It’s important to purchase a barbecue grill cover as it will keep your grill from becoming rusted and from being continually exposed to the elements.

Taking care of your patio furniture by using patio furniture covers and periodic cleaning will help your furniture not only be serviceable whenever you need it, but also make your backyard (or front!) look great.

Why Should You Cook Over a Fire Pit?

Why should you consider cooking over a fire pit? Why not! Actually when you’re cooking over the open flame of a fire pit, your food gets that beautiful grill mark and flavor. Because some people are looking to simplify their lives, they are talking to landscape designers to have fire pits built in their backyard living areas. There is no reason to give up your gas grill when you have a fire pit constructed, but a fire pit does add a certain ambiance to your outdoor entertaining that you simply can’t get with grill cooking.

Fire pits, formerly known as charcoal cookers, began as charcoal structures typically made of metal with metal legs that could move from location to location in your yard. Today’s fire pits are permanent structures. Everyone knows that propane grills are fast lighting and heating and are convenient, but they don’t offer the delicious flavor that comes from cooking on the open flames of a fire pit.

Using a fire pit has been inspired by the myriad cooking shows that offer grilling ideas, not to mention that recipes are bountiful on the Internet. From brick and mortar styles with chimneys to open flamed table top type fire pits, you need to decide what kind of fire pit is best for your family’s needs. Regardless of the type of fire pit you decide on you will definitely want to purchase a fire pit cover. These fire pit covers keep dirt and debris from falling onto the rack and into the wood and charcoal. One of the good things you’ll find about cooking on a fire pit is that people tend to linger longer after the meal is over around the warmth of the fire pit – not many people linger around the warmth of a propane grill, do they?

The main difference from cooking on a gas grill to a fire pit is that it will definitely take longer to cook on a fire pit, but what you may give up in time you will make up for in the delicious flavor of the charcoal or wood over which you cook your meat, vegetables or even grilled fruits. Using various woods can add to the flavor of your mean – consider using cherry wood to cook salmon!

You can even consider having the kids cook hot dogs or roasting marshmallows over the fire pit – as long as adults are in strict attendance to keep them safe. You will also find that if your fire pit is constructed next to your swimming pool, you will add exponentially to your outdoor living enjoyment.

Why Choose Metal Patio Furniture

Considering buying patio furniture? Don’t discount metal! Not only is this material versatile but it is also durable, particularly when compared to leaving wood or plastic out in the elements. While patio furniture covers can increase the life span of any type of patio furniture, with metal, you get the unique combination of strength and portability in one package. Aluminum, in particular, is both durable and light enough to only need one person to rearrange the furniture.

Nothing compares to metal when it comes to holding up against the elements. No matter whether it’s wrought iron or aluminum, metal patio furniture is among the most durable of all accessories you can purchase for your home. Metal frames are also corrosion proof, so cleaning is easy. All you need to do is hose the furniture off and cover to protect it from additional dirt.

While steel and wrought iron options are not as light as aluminum, they do provide incredible durability. And don’t worry about color – even painted black metal can be spruced up with extremely colorful cushions and coverings. Whatever your taste, add a bit of accented hue to the backyard area with an array of color choices. There is no limit to the creative horizons.

Any garden can become a showplace with the addition of chairs, tables, umbrellas, fire pits, or just plain benches. The reasonable prices and wide availability of attractive metal garden furniture makes it a perfect choice for homeowners who value aesthetics and budget. And with patio furniture covers, you can protect your investment for years to come.