Ever feel intimidated by the prospect of refinishing a tired piece of stained wood furniture?  We were discouraged when we unpacked our dining table this week and found gouges on the table top from moving.  But we were able to sand and refinish and get it back to pretty in a jiffy.  I can heartily recommend a stain that is easy to apply, stands up to abuse, and lasts a long time.  The brand is General Finishes and the product is called Gel Stain.  It comes in varied colors, but our favorite is Java, a deep color between dark brown and black.  You simply slather the gel on with a rag, a brush, or a foam brush and then wipe it off with a t-shirt rag.  I find it best to wait 8 hours before the next coat, and then another 8 hours for the final coat, rubbing hard with a clean rag after each application for a better sheen.  It can be applied to bare wood or over an existing finish.  Important to wear gloves because the stain is hard to remove from hands, especially cuticles.  Yep, I speak from experience.

 

A product that Husband finds is a lifesaver for sad furniture is MinWax Poly Wipe On in gloss or satin finish.  It can be wiped on over other finishes to bring life and luster back to dull or slightly damaged wood furniture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that you can use a steamer mop on low pile carpet?  Our wool area rug was musty from a year-long sojourn in a damp barn.  Since sunning it wasn’t going to happen in our rainy climate, we took it into the house, unrolled it and hoped the warmth would help it dry out and be less musty.  Days later the smell was undiminished.  The weather warmed and we opened the window and vacuumed it again and again.  Still smelly.  Next, we tried spraying with ZorbX Odor Remover Unscented.  After that dried, I used the steam mop on high which is disinfecting mode.  I pushed and pulled the mop over the rug from different directions to get the nap to stand up.  That was this morning and the smell is much improved.  The mustiness is gone.  There is some smell in the rug when I put my nose right on it.  But it is ten years old and we had a dog and a cat.  I plan to steam it a couple of more times and then steam it on a regular basis for maintenance.  After all, my sweet granddaughters will be playing on it!

 

Want your home to look inviting and homey?  Who doesn’t?!  I find that plants make a room come alive.  Something about living things changes the vibes in a room.  Even before we had real furniture in our rooms, just a couple of plants went a long way in making the spaces look welcoming.  So easy.  Now that we’re moving our furniture in, it’s even more fun to place plants.  More on that in another blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a small thing, but it dawned on me that how the inside of my vanity drawer looks affects me in the morning when I’m getting ready for my day.  I took the time to organize my make-up and hair things, putting them in glass containers instead of scratched plastic.  My loose powder blush annoys me because it has the uncanny ability to get all over the inside of my drawer even tho it’s in a small plastic container.  Hopefully, I corraled it by putting the container in a ceramic cup. I also got rid of make-up that I no longer use or doesn’t flatter me.  I have Q-tips in a pretty glass saltshaker.  Hair brush, bobby pins, clips, hair products are together.  When I open my drawer, it looks neat and pretty now.  What could you do to tidy up your grooming supplies?