#LifeHacks: Celebrate National Make your Bed Day!

*Yawnnn* Happy National Make Your Bed Day! We all love that moment when we come home from a long day of work or school the first thing you want to do it lay down in bed for a nap- or sleep all together! Here are some tips on how making your bed after that wonderful sleep can actually benefit your sleep pattern in the long run!

A great night's sleep can sometimes be hard to come by constantly. However the comfort you feel in your bedroom environment ultimately starts with the way your bed is made each morning.

Studies have shown that people who make their bed daily are more likely to have a better night's sleep. The sight of a nicely made bed will create comfort in your brain without you even laying down yet. Freshly fitted sheets, pulled comforters and fluffed pillows also play a factor in mastering elevated sleep comfort.

Besides the comfort aspect, the visual appearance invited us to a nice slumber- one that you can take without even having to make yourself feel comfortable first or even having to get to that right spot of the bed.

Being faced with crumpled sheets, twisted blankets and soggy pillows at the end of an already long day can cause frustration.

But don't you worry- here on National Make Your Bed Day we are challenging you to make this habit stick! Make your bed as a morning routine of yours each day. Set aside 5 minutes in your morning routine before you head off to work or school to make your bed. Start with the sheets and tuck them in. Then cover your bed with your comforters and lastly fluff your pillows and sit them face sided up! Wa-la! You have now celebrated National Make Your Bed Day.

Encourage your entire family to use this day as an opportunity to start another healthy habit. Get your children involved as well! Creating these healthful habit early in life can last a lifetime.

Remember to always get a good nights rest each night!

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

#Apartment Hacks: When In Doubt, Throw It OUT!

This summer along with your closet clean out, decluttering bedrooms and storage spaces, add cleaning out your refrigerator and freezer to your to do-list. Way deep inside your freezer can look like an ice-crusted igloo; scary yes but cleaning this out at least twice a year means more space and a tidier looking kitchen.

Prevent Food-borne Illness.  As soon as you leave the grocery store with your items, you have to start thinking about ways you will store the. Checking the labels will be your first step as food with closer expiration dated should be closer to the front of your fridge in order to be used faster.
Make sure your refrigerator is set at 40 degrees or less and your freezer should be 0 degrees or less. To properly check; put a thermometer inside each compartment.

Food Storage Do's & Don'ts.  Food kept too long or at improper temperatures can become contaminated with bacteria, which can cause illness. Here are tips on how to properly store food in refrigerators or freezers:

• Wrap any food item tightly with at least two layers of freezer wrap before you put it in the freezer to store it.
• Allow eggs to be stored inside the cartons; not inside the refrigerator door.
• For fresh produce, do not wash it until you are ready to use it. Store them inside perforated plastic bags and make sure they're used within a few days.
• For enough air circulation, do not overfill compartments in your fridge or freezer. This will maintain the proper temperatures.
• Leftovers should be stored in covered containers within two hours of cooking. You should eat leftovers within a 3-5 day period. 
• Always remember to check use- by or sell-by dates on food packages. These dates do not apply once the package is already opened.
• Put raw meat on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, in a plastic sealed bag by itself. This will prevent any cross contamination onto other foods. 

Remember: it is also important to keep a regular schedule for refrigerator clean outs. Wiping down spills immediately when they happen to prevent permanent stains. Using a once a week schedule to clean the interior walls, shelves, with cleaning solution will help keep your refrigerator spotless!



Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

Apartment Cleaning Hacks You Need to Know

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks compiled a list of apartment cleaning hacks and house cleaning hacks that will help you keep your home immaculate, without forcing you to waste any elbow grease. Just make sure that you check with the leasing office if you have any questions regarding proper cleaning techniques for specific items in your apartment home.

Buff away water spots with used dryer sheets

There’s something about the texture of a used dryer sheet that makes it perfect for buffing away water spots and rings. Keep your used dryer sheets handy and use them whenever you want to give your smooth surfaces a nice shine.

Use spare jar lids to keep jars from leaking onto refrigerator shelves

Dirty refrigerators have a way of lessening the appeal of any food contained therein. So, when jars start to leak their contents onto refrigerator shelves (or even in cupboards or cabinets), use clean spare lids from previously discarded jars, and place the leaking jars on top of the bottom-side-up lids. This will give the jars a nice, contained area in which to leak, thus saving your surfaces from unnecessary gunk.

Use bleach and cotton balls to clean between bathroom tiles

Mildew and mold hate bleach, which makes it the perfect substance for cleaning bathroom tile. So, get some cotton balls, soak them in bleach, and place them liberally on difficult-to-clean bathroom areas (such as between tiles and on grout). Let them sit for about 24 hours, and then remove the cotton balls, and wash the area with soapy water. Make sure to wear gloves when handling bleach, and don’t let it come into contact with your skin or clothes; after all, cleaning bathroom grout isn’t worth risking your health.

Clean shower heads with vinegar and a plastic bag

Cleaning shower heads not only makes your bathroom look nicer but may also help unclog the shower head of mineral deposits, thus allowing the water to flow more smoothly. To get your shower heads looking like new, just pour distilled white vinegar into a plastic bag, and then fit the bag around your shower head. Secure it with a rubber band, so that the shower head is submerged in the vinegar. Leave the showerhead to soak for an hour, and then remove the bag. Wipe the shower head with a damp cloth.

How to Clean Mildew from Grout

Mildew is a common problem in grout found in bathrooms. Regular cleaning should keep mildew mostly away, to the point it only needs to be cleaned with water. However, built up mildew should be targeted with a cleaning solution. There is no special formula to get rid of mildew. It simply takes a lot of scrubbing to get mildew and mold out of the grout between tiles.

Try water alone for mild mildew. If you clean regularly, mildew is probably mild. A small film of mildew covering grout does not require special cleaners. For this mildew, stick to simply scrubbing water between the tiles. This should be enough to get rid of unwanted mildew.

If mildew does not come out with water alone, you may need a stronger cleaner.

Use bleach for intense build up. Mildew that is built up over time requires a cleaner. Bleach is the best course of action to remove mildew. You can buy bleach online or at a local department store.

As bleach is dangerous if ingested, make sure to store it in a safe place away from children and pets.
Wear gloves when handling bleach.

Mix your cleaning solution. In a bucket, mix three parts water with one part bleach. The precise amount of bleach and water you need depends on how much mildew you're cleaning. Make sure to mix bleach in a well-ventilated area.

Spritz on your solution. Place your bleach solution is a spray bottle. Spritz a liberal amount of the solution over tiles, focusing on where you see built up mildew. Let the solution sit for about 15 minutes before continuing with the cleaning process.

Seven Apartment Cleaning Hacks That Will Change Your Life

Easy Cleaning Tips for Apartment Residents

If you are like most people, you don’t look forward to cleaning your apartment.  But with these easy do-it-yourself cleaning hacks, you will have your place sparkling clean in no time.

1) Treat Your Microwave to Lemon Water

A proper scrub down of your microwave can be exhaustive, time-consuming and plain old gross, which is where cleaning hacks like this five-minute microwave cleaner come in handy. Cut a couple of lemons in quarters and place them in a glass dish filled with water. Heat up until the water starts boiling, hit stop then let the whole thing sit for a minute or two.
When you open the microwave door, you’ll notice a billow of steam, which has loosened up the gunk and grease lining the walls of the microwave. Take a sponge to the mess and wipe it away with almost no effort.

2) Dust Ceiling Fans with a Pillowcase

Ceiling fans are great for circulating cool air in your apartment and reducing your energy costs.  But there’s no getting around it: Cleaning your ceiling fans is just a part of apartment life. No matter how agile and bendable your duster is, reaching the tops of those blades is a task meant only for skilled aerial artists.
The average Joe can dust ceiling fan blades with this simple cleaning hack: Place an old pillow case over one of the fan blades, and slowly pull it backwards, wiping the dirt and grime off as you go. Move on to the next blade and the next, leaving a shiny, crud-free surface along the way. Then, just throw the pillowcase in the wash.

3) Knife-Clean Your Air Vents

Hate your dusty old main air vent? Poke it with a knife.
Take a clean towel and moisten it with warm water (avoid using too much water, as it can cause rust), then wrap it around a butter knife to create an excellent tool for getting between the shingles. Make sure to hit all the vents in your apartment– even the ceiling vents.