Category Archives: Family Living

Tips for Doing Laundry

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Laundry is a bit like a Monday morning. No one really looks forward to it, but every week it must be done. Laundry is frustrating because it contains a ton of steps: washing, drying, folding, hanging, ironing, and then putting away each item. We want to help make doing your laundry a little bit easier with these simple tips:

Make a Plan. One of the most challenging parts about doing laundry is the fact that you do not know when you will have time to do it. Stick to a consistent schedule to ensure that you will always have clean clothes for your family. Making a plan can be beneficial in other ways; the longer you wait to do laundry, the longer stains, wrinkles, and unwanted smells can stay in the clothing. Make a plan and stick to it.

Stacks on Stacks. Laundry needs to be sorted in order to wash each load properly. Make sure you have enough baskets to sort your laundry. Sometimes when we lay laundry on the floor, it gets in the way of doing other activities. Not to mention, kids or pets can run across the clothing creating more of a mess. Depending on the size of your home, invest in some baskets to organize your laundry. Bins can be stacked and put away if you do not have a laundry room to store them.

Do Not Let Them Stick Around. Stains must be dealt with as soon as possible. Sometimes it is easier to pass over stains if your laundry room has poor lighting. Go to a room that has good lighting to recognize any stains on your clothing. When sorting through your laundry, focus on first washing clothing that has stains on it. Buy a stain remover to ensure the removal of your stains and always wash it out as soon as possible.

Hang in There. Installing a clothing rod for your laundry room will be extremely beneficial for your laundry routine. Clean clothes can go on the clothing rod to be put away or to be steamed/ironed. The clothing rod will help keep your laundry room in tiptop shape.

High There. Take advantage of the space high up in your laundry for products that contain chemicals. Being safe includes being smart, store your hazardous items high up so that small children and pets cannot get into them.

We hope all your socks find their matching pair and that doing your laundry feels like a Friday.

Professional Moving Advice for Homeowners

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The word “moving” has a stressful connotation associated with it. We think of moving, and we think of the massive amount of work and preparation that will be involved. Do not let the idea of moving into a new home stress you out and keep you worried. We want to help your move be as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Tips for a Successful Move:

  • Create a schedule and checklist.
      • Schedule: To reduce stress caused by moving, create a schedule for moving day and the days leading up to it. If you plan on hiring a moving company, write down all appointments in your moving schedule. Your moving schedule will help prepare you for the big day.
      • Checklist: Certain things must be done prior to the move as well as after moving day. Create a checklist to make sure you have completed all the necessary tasks. For example, make sure all the kitchen cabinets and drawers are emptied.
  • Gather the necessary items.
        • Boxes: Boxes are a moving day necessity and can sometimes be challenging to find them for free. Excellent places to check for free boxes are grocery stores and liquor stores. You can always purchase boxes at various general merchandise stores.
        • Etcetera: Other important items to have on hand are scissors, permanent markers, masking tape, bubble wrap, trash bags, a toolbox, and cleaning supplies for last minute cleaning needs.
  • Use a color-coded box system. When you go to unpack, it can be difficult to know what box belongs in what room. To save yourself the confusion, create a color-coded box system. You will need to create a moving legend to establish which color goes with what room. After you have created the legend, place colored stickers on the box that goes with the assigned color of the room. For example, the kitchen is represented by a blue sticker on the legend; all blue sticker boxes will go into the new home’s kitchen on moving day.
  • Do not do it alone. Invite your friends and family to help with the move in exchange for a free dinner. People are usually receptive to helping out a friend in need and who wants to turn down free food? To keep dinner costs though, you can buy some pizzas for everyone to eat.

Take a deep breath before moving day. It will all be alright, and everything will get done. It is a lot of work, but moving into a new home brings new adventures. Think of the great times to come and all the memories that you and your loved ones will share. 

Best wishes, and thanks for choosing Fulton Homes. 

How to Prepare Your Home for Cold & Flu Season

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Cold and flu season is amongst us! With kids being sent home early from school and you potentially missing work, the season can hit us fast and hard. Fortunately, there are some preventative measures that you and your family members can take. Instead of worrying about getting sick, it is time to take action and remove those unwanted germs.  To help homeowners, we created a simple guide to help you prepare for cold and flu season. Let’s take a look! 

How to Prepare for Cold & Flu Season:

  1. Buy Medicines in Advance. When you are feeling under the weather, there is nothing worse than having to go to the store to pick up medicines. For your convenience when you are ill, stock up on medication now. Buy the basics: pain relief, decongestants, antihistamines, and cough medicines.
  2. Have Supplies around Your Home. Make sure to sit out tissues and hand sanitizer around your home. Encourage your family members to use the sanitizer after they sneeze, cough or blow their nose.
  3. Wipe Everything Down. With everyone coming home from all different places, there is no way to know what germs they are bringing with them. To prevent the spreading of germs, take a disinfectant wipe and wipe down everything. Try to focus on objects that multiple people touch like door handles, television remotes, and light switches.
  4. Stay Healthy. A great way to prevent illness is to stay active and eat healthily. Encourage yourself and your family members to drink plenty of water and to get a good night’s rest. Also, you may want to talk to your family doctor about daily vitamins. Ask your doctor what vitamins your family members should be taking to help stay healthy.
  5. Wash Your Hands. Out of habit, we may not wash our hands as long as we probably should. Washing your hands can genuinely help prevent the spread of germs. To stop germs in their track, make sure that you wash your hands for a full twenty seconds. According to The Center for Disease Control, you want to make sure that you get between your fingers and under your fingernails by scrubbing for twenty seconds.

Remember to keep your floors clean and free of dirt and dust. For carpet and wood floors, be sure to vacuum/sweep daily regularly. Removing those unwanted particles can help promote a happy and healthy home. Thanks for reading!