Your 2021 Spring Cleaning Checklist

Spring is slowly approaching. The weather is starting to get warmer, the sun is shining just a little bit longer each day, and it’s time to finally tackle the project we know has been coming… spring cleaning!

However, spring cleaning doesn’t have to feel like a dreaded task. If you’re someone who feels refreshed after de-cluttering and reorganizing your space, this project is perfect for you! Now is the time to toss or donate anything collecting dust in your home, so that you can open it up more and get it ready for the coming months.

Before you begin your checklist, create a few different boxes or bins and label them based on what you want to do with your unwanted items. One can be trash or recycling, one can be storage, and one can be donations. This will help you to clean out your house in a detailed and organized way. Next, here is the detailed checklist to help you organize each room of your home and make the space feel fresh and new again!

The bedroom: This is a big one to tackle, as there are a lot of smaller spaces within the bedroom – your dressers, closets, nightstand drawers, etc!

Wash all sheets, comforters, and pillow cases. Sprinkle your mattress with baking soda for freshness, vacuum it, and flip the mattresses if necessary. This is something that not many people do, but a lot of dust can collect over time underneath your mattress, and flipping it can also give it a new, more comforting feeling.
Vacuum carpets and shampoo them if needed
Dust and clean all ceiling fans, lights, tops of shelves, dressers, nightstands, etc.
Vacuum lampshades
Wipe down any vents and window tracts
Clean and wash any curtains, wipe down your window shades that are collecting dust

Dressers, drawers, and closets: Here are some question to ask yourself when trying to decide what to toss and what to keep:

Have I worn this item in the last 6 months?
Does it still fit me the way that I want it to?
Does this item belong in my dresser or maybe somewhere else in the house?
Fold remaining clothes into small rectangles and place them face up. When putting items away in your closet, put your most-worn items in an easily accessible place, so that you don’t forget about them!

The bathrooms

Sort through your beauty products, hair products, etc. and think about which ones you actively use each day. A lot of them end up sitting around for months or years without use, and this is the main reason for clutter building up in bathrooms.
Take stock of your medicine cabinet. Clean it out, toss anything old or expired, wipe down the shelves, and return all currently used medicine in an organized and visible way. What you cannot see usually ends up never being used!
Create spaces for storage and places to hold small objects. Attaching something as simple as a magnetic strip to the inside of your cabinet door to hold all of your hair pins, tweezers, and nail clippers is a great trick to keep the space clean and organized. Use mason jars or small vases to hold other items like cotton swabs, tooth brushes, tooth paste, etc.

The living room

Sort through your bookshelves. Dust off all the nooks and crannies, check for any unwanted book or books no longer read, magazines, newspapers, and any other miscellaneous papers. You can donate your old books to a local library or school, and magazines and newspapers can easily be recycled.
Spot clean any furniture, try to remove stains and blemishes.
Wash any pillow cases, throw blankets, rugs, etc. These are items we easily forget about in our living room space!
If you have kids, consider donating any toys that are no longer in use, or maybe have too much wear on them
Take note of any extra decor. There is nothing wrong with having decorative items in your home! However, pay attention to which ones might be collecting dust on tables or shelves, as those are harder to clean around and are maybe taking up extra space. Think about how you want the room to feel after it’s been cleaned and re-organized. Are there any extra decorative items that you feel maybe you could part with, to help make the space feel more fresh and new?
Have permanent storage spots for small, everyday use items. Create a basket or bin that is designated to hold your remotes, chargers, game controllers, etc. and keep it in one spot where it is easily accessible every day. This will help you to avoid losing small items, and it will keep the space looking cleaner from day to day.

Kitchen

Deep clean your oven and stovetop, wipe down the inside and outside of your microwave
Consider donating any old mugs, cups, or silverware that you no longer use. We often collect a lot of extra dishware that we do not need, and it sits in our cupboards collecting dust!
Sanitize and wipe down your sink, clean out the drain
Go through your pantry, organize it, toss any old or expired food, and wipe down shelves and storage bins
Clean all kitchen appliances, and clean underneath them too!
Scrub down counters, pay attention to all corners and edges that might usually get neglected
Dust tops of cabinets, top of fridge, freezer, etc.
Remove everything from your fridge, so that all items are visible and can be eaten
Defrost your freezer, clean it out in the same way that you did your fridge

Outdoor porches and decks

Vacuum or wash all surfaces of your porch or outdoor deck. A lot of debris, dirt, leaves, and other random outdoor clutter can build up throughout the fall and winter months.
Wipe down any fans or outdoor lights with cleaning disinfectant wipes
Clean the outside and inside of your windows with Windex or any type of glass cleaner
Wash any outdoor curtains
Deep clean your grill or outdoor stove
Scrub down your doors and door handles

Photo by Mark Mahan

Whether you’re cleaning your whole house top to bottom, or just trying to clear out one room, make this spring cleaning a time to “redesign” your space and make it feel new again!

Showing “Love” to your Home during the Winter Season

J&R Construction February Blog 2021

There are a variety of things that we can do to show “love” and take better care of the interior and exterior parts of our home during the chilly winter months. If you’re looking for new ways to keep your home safe, warm, and cozy this winter, here are a few tips that J&R would like to give you, to take for present and future winter seasons.

Have your heating system inspected by a licensed professional. Do this to make sure that everything is running smoothly. The last thing that you want is for your heat to go out in the middle of a cold winter night!

In addition to this, you can also have your roofing and gutter inspected, to help prevent ice from building up and potentially damaging any exterior areas of your home.

Check and change the filters of your home, and vacuum and clean out all of your vents. Do this to avoid any debris buildup, and to keep the air that is circulating throughout the house, clean and fresh. Dust and debris is likely to build up during the winter months, so it is important to check and clean the filters to avoid any extra particles flying throughout your home.

Keep your furnace running to protect your pipes from freezing. This is also to ensure that your home stays warm and insulated at all times. If you plan to leave for a winter vacation, set your temperature to at least 55 degrees or higher, to help keep the interior of the floor and wall cavities above freezing temperatures (since this is most likely the location of your water piping). It is also helpful to keep doors open throughout the house, to help heat circulate and warm all areas of every room. Often, drafts occur when doors shut on their own, and trap heat in individual areas.

Cover any outdoor seating. This is so that you can avoid potential damage, and increase the lifetime of your furniture! No need to buy any fancy furniture covers. All that you need are large plastic bags, or a roll of Partex Plastic and something (such as string or rubber bands) to tie and seal the bags to the furniture. If you are worried about any metallic items rusting or creating discoloration, cover them with some type of Vaseline or petroleum jelly to avoid this.

Seal any areas that might be letting in a draft. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a well-sealed home can be up to 20 percent more energy efficient. Most drafts usually sneak in from your basement or attic. For small leaks, you can use a caulking gun or foaming insulation to keep cold air from coming in. For larger drafts, such as underneath your doorways, something as simple as a towel, blanket, or draftstopper can seal the crack and prevent a drafty room.

Do you have a fireplace in your home? Are you wondering how to clean it and remove any unwanted soot or build up? Mix a can of coca cola with 3.5 fluid ounces of all purpose household cleaner, and 3.5 quarts of water in a bucket. Scrub it only any sooty bricks with a sponge, and leave it to sit for 15 minutes. After it sits for that time, scrub it with a bristle brush, and sponge it down again with clean water. The more cola that you add, the stronger the solution will be. Try this trick out, and avoid spending too much money on getting your fireplace cleaned this winter!

We at J&R Construction would like to wish you a safe and warm winter season, and hope that you are spending time taking care of your home, and filling it with love this February!

The Perfect Kitchen

The Perfect Kitchen

When it comes to remodeling your kitchen, the idea can be scary and overwhelming. There are so many different components that go into the use of your kitchen: the sink, the oven, seating, possible dining, pots and pans, storage, stovetops, the list could go on! And the options to customize every part of your newly-remodeled kitchen are endless, and always changing.

So how do you know where to begin?

Start by thinking first about what you do most in your kitchen. What are you doing every day in this kitchen? How do you work? What are your morning and evening routines like? Are you someone who likes to cook? Regardless of how you choose to use your kitchen, whether you enjoy nightly take-out or homemade dinners, you want it to be a space that is welcoming and comforting, while also punctual.

Imagine yourself cooking your first meal, or entertaining others in the comfort of your home. When your home kitchen remodeling process is complete, what does the space feel like, look like, smell like, sound like? These are all things to consider and pay attention to when evaluating how you want you newly-remodeled kitchen to feel.

There are several different components that go into creating and remodeling your “perfect kitchen”:

1. The Layout

If you are someone who spends most of your time in the kitchen cooking and creating new delicious treats for yourself or loved ones, you know the importance of the layout of the foundation. The layout preferences can be different and personal based on each individual needs. A popular setup that many people consider having is a “triangle connection” between the stove, sink, and fridge. These three parts of the kitchen should be in close proximity and easily accessible, as they are the three most used parts of the kitchen. However, more recently, this trend is not as popular. The biggest issue that clients focus on when designing their “dream kitchen”, is prep stations and work areas that are easily accessible and spacious. Prep stations can be personally customized and designed to meet each client’s expectation and vision. The placement of each work area does not necessarily have to match the “triangle connection” that many people assume. Our biggest concern when designing your kitchen is making it as enjoyable and spacious as possible for you. Consider how your kitchen will flow into other rooms, specifically the dining room or family room. Again, you want your kitchen to feel welcoming and open to all who come into your home.

2. Lighting

A well-lit kitchen is important, as it allows you to perform all necessary tasks in the space, but also creates a mood to warm and brighten the room. Different types of lighting can easily change the kitchen from a cooking space, to a place of company and entertainment.

3. Storage

Often, when people want to remodel their kitchen, storage is one of the biggest reasons. You can never have enough room or extra space to store items in your kitchen! It’s important to take into consideration how you want your storage to look. There are a variety of different cabinet options, as well as drawers and customizable handles to go on each. This is one of the many ways that you can make your new kitchen look unique, as you are in charge of picking the styles of every detail that goes into your storage units. Have fun with it, and enjoy the process!

Take a look at some of J&R Construction’s past home remodeling kitchen projects here. We pride ourselves in customizing each space to look comforting and personal to each client’s preference. Our design team makes it their goal to listen to the clients’ visions for their home remodeling projects, and make those come to life.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you, for it is your business that is the future of our company.

Re-designing Small Spaces in your Home

Thinking “big” in a small space

When you have a small space in your home, it is best to design it with the vision of making it feel as large and spacious as possible. When you are trying to maximize this space, think “double duty” with everything that you can.

Making multiple uses of one item

Think of any items that you may have in your home that can be used multi-purposefully. Some examples may include an ottoman with storage space inside, sideboards with cabinets, or even furniture with storage functions. Simple additions such as these can create useful “hidden” space in your small room, to avoid taking up unnecessary space with extra items.

The less furniture, the better

When working in this smaller space of your home, the less furniture that you have, equals the better. When you have more items throughout the space, it creates the illusion that the space is much smaller, and feels much tighter and crammed together. If you limit yourself to only a few staple pieces in the room, it will create a larger, more spacious illusion.

Choice of Paint color

The color of paint that you choose for the small space plays a crucial role in how the space ends up feeling for you in your home. While white is the first and most obvious choice for a small room, due to its brightening hues and ability to create a larger illusion, it is not your only option!

Soft blonde- This color offers and adds warmth to any space, as it creates a comforting and home-like feeling. It can easily be paired with any neutral colored décor. A softly patterned rug would complete the look and offer a beautiful, yet simple, design for the comfort of your home.

Dark grey or coffee brown- The dark grey offers a more modern, chic, almost sophisticated vibe and feel, yet it is still cozy and comforting to any eye. The coffee brown takes more natural light, and creates shadowing throughout the room that can also cause it to feel more spacious and open.

Dark teal- Shadowing can actually be your friend when it comes to designing smaller spaces and rooms. Contrary to popular belief, painting a room with dark colors can hide the fact that it is so small. The darker colors create a perception of width and depth.

Minty green- This classic color gives a beachy and spring-time feel that you can enjoy all year round in your home. Pair this with any cream-colored furniture to make it stand out, open up, and brighten the room even more.

Soft yellow- A color that is fun and full of life, but not too obnoxious or blinding. It is perfect for those who want a little bit of color in their home, but do not want to take up larger rooms such as a living room or dining room. This color could also be perfect for a child’s nursery or bedroom, as it presents a playful and happy hue.

Super white- Though white may be a more basic color of choice, it is never a wrong one! Many whites have hues of blush pink of even olive green. However, the color super white, when painted across your walls, presents white in its purest and brightest form. When you paint your small space with a color as simple and luminous as this, natural light is reflected off of the walls and makes them recede, causing the small space to seem even larger– which was our whole goal in the first place!

Consider the feeling…

When spending time in this particular space of your home, consider how you want the room to feel. As you go about picking the wall colors, furniture, décor, and much more, ask yourself what kind of theme it is that you want to come to life in this space. What do you hope to gain from this space, and how do you intend to use it each day?

Lastly, do not be afraid to reach out for help. It can be challenging to make a design or vision come to life all on your own. Sometimes it is good to have a fresh pair of eyes to look at your work from a new perspective and help to offer friendly critique and assistance.